Great Smoky Mountains Oconaluftee Holiday Homecoming
Great Smoky Mountains Oconaluftee Holiday Homecoming. The annual holiday homecoming at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center is scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to experience traditional Appalachian Christmas activities. Children and adults will enjoy many hands-on crafts as well as an old-time musical jam session with local artists.
“Holiday Homecoming is about getting together, enjoying community, and reflecting on a shared past,” said Park Ranger Michael Smith. “We welcome everyone to join us for this special annual event.”
Oconaluftee Visitors Center will have festive holiday decorations throughout the building. A holiday exhibit will feature what it was like to spend Christmas in the mountains in days gone by. You can warm your bones by a roaring fire while enjoying free hot cider and homemade cookies.
The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is a must stop for any visit to the Great Smoky Mountains! Entrance to the Center is free and it is open to the public every day except Christmas day. The Visitor Center has plenty of parking for cars, RVs and motor coaches. Public restrooms and vending machines are available to the left of the Center’s main entrance. You will find everything you need to experience the park at your own pace.
The Visitor Center Offers
- Relief Map – A giant, raised relief map which reveals all of the park trails and roads in great detail. This map provides a sense of the dramatic changes in terrain a park visitor can experience by foot or car.
- Information Desk – Staffed by park rangers and volunteers who can answer any questions you may have about your visit.
- Gift Shop – Selling souvenirs of all types, including a great selection of books about flora and fauna, Smoky Mountain history, wildlife, pioneer stories, mountain legends, etc. The shop provides quality topographic maps of the area, basic hiking gear, patches, paintings, traditional mountain food hard goods, and much more.
- Museum – Hear the voices of Smoky Mountain past! Recordings of early mountain residents relating their experiences and artifacts of mountain life are on display.
