Dashboards and Saddlebags the Destination Magazine™ Issue 009 December 2011 | Page 6

Destinations More Events and Interactive Maps at DashboardsandSaddlebags.com Holiday Lighting of the Ship Nov 25, 2011 – Jan 4, 2012 Wilmington, NC 28401 Part of historic downtown Wilmington’s annual holiday light celebration, the Battleship will be dressed in lights strung from the bow up to the masts and down to the stern. Enjoy nightly from dusk to 11:00pm. Free viewing from downtown Wilmington. www.battleshipnc.com Christmas Town USA Dec 1 – 26, 2011 Downtown McAdenville, NC 28101 Monday through Friday 5:30-9:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 5:3011pm The quiet little town of McAdenville, which lies along the South Fork River in Gaston County, NC, comes alive in spectacular fashion each year as Christmas draws near. Almost overnight, the small textile town is transformed into “Christmas Town USA.” The history of the Christmas Lights dates back to 1956, when the McAdenville Men’s Club conceived the idea of using lights to decorate a few trees around the Community Center. Nine trees were decorated the first year, and reaction to this early effort was so favorable that the number of trees increased each year until in 1998, more than 450,000 red, green, and white bulbs, on approximately 400 trees, gave off a warm holiday glow to the town and surrounding area. National Gingerbread House Competition™ & Display Nov 17, 2011 – Jan 2, 2012 Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Asheville, NC 28804 The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa invites you to make it a true gingerbread day when visiting the 19th annual National Gingerbread House Competition™ this year. No holiday season would be complete without a trip to The Grove Park Inn to see the festive display. Guests may now spend a full day of gingerbread fun with new on-site activities, topped off with a visit to Grove Park’s award-winning holiday brunch buffet at The Blue Ridge Dining Room. www.groveparkinn.com Country Christmas Train Friday, Dec 2, 2011 Denton FarmPark Denton, NC 27239 Ride the Handy Dandy RR and see the lights and Nativity movie along the way; visit the church and hear the story of Silent Night, sing carols, arts & crafts, General Store, see Santa, food and more...Please check the website for hours and admission information. www.farmpark.com 2nd Almost Annual Holiday Fest Saturday, Dec 3, 2011 Round Peak Vineyard Mount Airy, NC 27030 We missed it in 2010, but our Holiday Festival is coming back for 2011! Don’t miss the chance to sample wines from many area wineries, and get your holiday shopping done with our local art & craft vendors 11-6pm (Live music 1 - 4pm) www.roundpeak.com 6 Dashboards and Saddlebags The Destination Magazine