Christmas in Brown County
Brown County is a great place to spend the Christmas season. It offers the charm of a small community while providing shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities that rival the big towns. You can share traditions, escape into nature, or find new ways to experience the holidays. SHOPPING FOR GIFTS AND FOR YOURSELF In the village of Nashville, there are boutiques with colorful clothes; jewelry stores; specialty shops selling spices, cheese, olive oil, fudge and other candies; plus, gift stores featuring collectibles and items from all over the world. Potters, jewelers, painters, woodworkers, sculptors, and other crafters sell their wares in galleries and shops.
The toy store in the big blue building is always popular with the kids and so is the rock shop on the other end of town. ENTERTAINMENT Both the Brown County Music Center and the Brown County Playhouse have acts lined up for the coming months. The Playhouse community theater group will perform the musical White Christmas in December.
The Stuff a Stocking event and the Light Parade take place the first Saturday in December.
The Santa Train happens the first Friday of December in Helmsburg where Santa Claus arrives by the Indiana Railroad
train around 8 p. m. Kids line up to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus on the train and see characters from favorite movies and cartoons.
The Winter Wonderland display of lights and characters happens at the Jackson Township fire station in Helmsburg the first two weekends of December. SEASONS HOLIDAY ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW NOV. 27, 28 Held Thanksgiving weekend at the Seasons Event Center, this show features juried works by area artisans. The Nashville tradition is celebrating its 41st anniversary with offerings of jewelry, soaps, paintings, baskets, ornaments, wreaths, woodworking, and more. TREE LIGHTING NOV. 27 The Brown County History Center at 90 E. Gould St. kicks off the Christmas Season in downtown Nashville. Festivities begin at 5 p. m. and the tree is lit at 6 p. m.
Santa and Mrs. Claus are there for the kids in the Log Cabin Room. Cookies, hot chocolate, and tea will be served and live music will be played. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will also be there from noon to 4 p. m. on Nov. 28, and Dec. 5, 12. CHILDREN’ S FUND BENEFIT AUCTION DEC. 4 The Brown County Inn will host the 49th Children’ s Fund Auction, raising money to buy clothes for local children in need. It features donated art, crafts, antiques, merchant items, food, gift certificates, and tickets for activities like Holiday World, or Cincinnati Reds games.
Doors open at 5 p. m. Auction starts at 6 p. m. and goes until all is sold. Merchandise can be dropped off at Out of the Ordinary. For pickup call 812-320-2601. Cash donations can be made at PNC Bank in Nashville. Facebook and Instagram: bcchildrensauction CHRISTKINDL MARKET DEC. 4, 5, 6 The 6th annual market will be held at Coachlight Square in Nashville, featuring 40 vendors selling one-ofa-kind items plus food and beverages and live entertainment. SLEEPY CAT STUDIO HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE DEC. 12 Artist Monique Cagle’ s Sleepy Cat Studio, located at 4687 Yellowwood Road, Nashville, is having an open house on Dec. 12 from 11:00 am to 3:00 featuring the works of: Monique Cagle, Rosey Bolte, Dixie Ferrer, and Amy Greely. •
44 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2026