Discover the area's holiday fare

Before television's continuous reels of A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation take hold of your soul, here's a roundup of fun, festive fare to get you out of the house and into the holiday spirit:

A Country Christmas

Every year the Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center comes alive as a winter wonderland for A Country Christmas, an annual extravaganza of more than a dozen holiday activities, shows and attractions and some of the city's most elaborate and stunning Christmas decorations.

Stroll through the hotel were trees, ornaments, lights, tinsel, bows, bells, elves, Santas and angels cover almost every inch; or ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the resort grounds to view the sparkling showcase of outdoor lights and the outdoor nativity display with larger-than-life characters.

ICE! featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas is an interactive, walk-through exhibit of larger-than-life ice sculptures that will tell the classic children's story by Dr. Seuss in almost two million pounds of intricately carved, colorful ice. The seven-room exhibit begins with at the Grinch's frozen mountaintop lair with the villain-turned-hero staring down at the picturesque Who-ville, complete with real smoking chimneys and merry Whos.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular will feature the famous "eye-high" kickers production with the legendary "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," "Living Nativity" and the tap-infused "12 Days of Christmas" scenes.

New this year is the Hall of Trees, a display of 30 decadently decorated trees that will be tied to a local charity.

If you thought gingerbread houses were simple designs of frosting and gumdrops, you'll soon learn they are so much more. Master pastry chefs from the resort will hold classes to teach guests proper techniques for constructing perfect gingerbread houses. These new, one-hour demonstrations will cover the history of gingerbread, explain how to build a house and how to master icing.

Call for price information.

Gaylord Opryland Resort Hotel and Convention Center

889-1000

Nashville Gas' 55th Annual Christmas Parade

Snuggle under a blanket with a loved one as 55th annual Nashville Gas Christmas Parade strolls by.

Country star Steve Wariner will at as grand marshal for the parade, which will kick off at 7 p.m. Dec. 7 at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Broadway and march its way down Broadway to Second Avenue then over the Woodland Street bridge and end at LP Stadium.

Viewers will see 10 local bands marching; more than 30 floats with scenes of Santa, swans, holiday sweets, bears, a clock tower and more; and massive helium balloons in the shapes of Dr. Seuss characters, Thomas the Tank Engine, stockings and bells.

Cheekwood

Visit Cheekwood for it's annual Season of Celebration, a festive transformation of the botanical gardens and Museum of Art into lavishly decorated grounds and rooms. Eight trees will be adorned in the holiday traditions of countries all over the globe, including Austria, Africa, France, Japan and the Netherlands.

See glistening crystal ornaments reminiscent of legendry Austrian crystal; branches entwined with grapes and honeysuckle vine, berries, fruit and cascades of orchids and bamboo; original Cheek family china; and feather and pinecone ornaments.

Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Dec. 30, youngsters can try their hands at the art of cookie decorating or curl up beside the 1940s fireplace to hear favorite holiday stories. On Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., families can enjoy live music by some of Nashville's finest bluegrass, choral and classical musicians performing an array of seasonal tunes.

Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for students. Children under 5 are free.

Cheekwood

356-8000

Nutcracker

If you consider yourself a Christmas fanatic, then you already have tickets to this quintessential holiday production. The Nashville Ballet's Nutcracker is one of the loveliest in the Southeast with its masterful dancing, beautiful costumes and choreography and stunning scenery. The Nashville Symphony will perform the joyous Tchaikovsky score live.

Audiences on select nights will be treated to guest performances by local and national celebrities playing the role of Mother Ginger. Expect to see the traditionally female character humorously played by Olympic gold medalist figure skater Scott Hamilton, the Predators' Darcy Hordichuk and 10-time heavy weight world champion wrestler Jeff Jarrett.

Nashville Ballet's Nutcracker

297-2966

Nashville Symphony

The 84-member Nashville Symphony has a holiday concert for any ear this season. Puerto Rican guitarist and vocalist Jose Feliciano, who is best known for the Christmas favorite, "Feliz Navidad," will join the symphony for two nights, Dec. 15 and 16, to perform such classics as "Little Drummer Boy," "The First Noel" and more.

A children's program at 11 a.m. Dec. 15 will join the symphony and the Blair Children's Chorus for a morning of singing, storytelling and music that will include selections from The Nutcracker and Snow Maiden. Following a long-standing tradition, the symphony and the Nashville Symphony Chorus will perform together for the holiday show of Handel's celebrated Messiah.

Call for price information.

Nashville Symphony

nashvillesymphony.org

An Early Tennessee Christmas

Experience the holidays the way the earliest Tennessee settlers did almost 200 years ago — a time before Christmas trees and Santa Claus — at Travellers Rest with dancing, singing, storytelling, candlelit rooms, and hedgehog cakes (a favorite treat of the time).

Costumed performers will re-enact an authentic 12th Night celebration as part of the event An Early Tennessee Christmas from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6. Through Dec. 31. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for youth aged 6-12; free for kids under age 5.

Also enjoy the historic mansion's natural decorations and guided tours.

Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum

travellersrestplantation.org

Visit a tree farm

At Country Cove (1189 Cut Off Road, Murfreesboro, countrycovetree.com, 895-4755), a Christmas tree farm eight miles north of Murfreesboro, you can hike through the fields of White Pine trees and chop down the tree that's perfect for you. While you are there, enjoy a free cup of hot-spiced cider, hot cocoa or a free hayride.

Other tree farms include Christmas Tree Adventures, 1124 Kendall Farms Drive, christmastreeadventures.com, Hendersonville); Big Spring Tree Farm (206 Brann Lane, Westmoreland, 385-9053); and Arney Tree Farm (8226 Hawkins Lane, College Grove, 221-8978).