Step Back in Time in Georgia this Holiday Season

ATLANTA, November 19, 2010 - It's winter already! And, this year, all over Georgia, historical holiday offerings abound. Georgians and visitors alike get a chance to 'step back in time' and celebrate the holiday as they were celebrated in eras past, including: an Edwardian themed holiday at Hickory Hill in Thomson; Victorian holidays in Savannah, Tifton, Thomasville, and Columbus; Antebellum themed holidays in Milledgeville and Roswell; Native American holiday festivities in Calhoun and Toccoa; and a Dickens Christmas in Adairsville. Make this holiday season historically enriching and educational in Thomson at the 'Christmas tours of Hickory Hill' on December 4 and 5. Find out the origin of the Christmas tree tradition, what poinsettias have to do with the holiday, and who invented the candy cane. At this evening tour of Tom Watson's elegant mansion, the house will be bedecked in Edwardian splendor with live trees, newfangled electric Christmas lights, and many other holiday traditions. Delicious refreshments are served before the 45-minute tour.

If you're near Savannah in December, be sure not to miss the Juliette Gordon Low house which will be gussied up in heart-felt details, the way it would have been in Savannah in 1886, with the table set for dinner, the stockings ready in Mama's bedroom, and the vintage 'Game of Merry Christmas' ready for play. The Low house is in Victorian Holiday splendor through December 30. Come have a relaxing and informative Victorian holiday on Georgia's coast! In middle Georgia, visit the Children's Victorian House at the Brown-Stetson-Sanford House in Milledgeville from December 1-4 and experience an 1825 home transformed into a pre-war setting for a middle class family. Also in Milledgeville, witness the Old Governor's Mansion as it is transformed into a scene from the 1800's. The mansion will be decorated from December 4-23, with several candlelight tours offered throughout the month. Many of Georgia's small towns are embellished in Victorian splendor: Tifton, Thomasville, and Columbus are all replete with Victorian spirit.

In Columbus, a 'Victorian Holiday Open House' at the National Civil War Museum at Port Columbus on December 4 and 5 provides revelers with a chance to visit with a Civil War-era Santa Claus and see the museum decorated in traditional Victorian style.  In downtown Thomasville on December 9 and 10, a 'Victorian Christmas in Thomasville' will have horse-drawn carriages, strolling carolers, holiday shopping, dancers, musicians, museums, holiday delicacies, and St. Nicholas himself! On December 11 at the Agrirama in Tifton, the holidays will kick off in full Victorian force with live entertainment, demonstrations, syrup cooking, dessert sampler, train rides, hayrides and Santa Claus. Celebrate holiday cheer in antebellum fashion at Barrington Hall in Roswell. The hall will be dressed for the season from November 19 - December 30. Come view exquisite examples of antebellum clothing against a backdrop of traditional Southern holiday decorations. Regular tours are held on the hour daily.

In the northeast Georgia mountains, what could be more appropriate than re-discovering the Native American cultures that have hallowed the land? The perfect opportunity waits in both Toccoa and Calhoun this year. In the old Cherokee capital of Calhoun, candlelight, carols, hot apple cider, Cherokee stories, and New-Echota style decorations typical of the Trail of Tears era can be found downtown during the holiday season. Dress warmly, wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight for the one-mile walking tour.  A 'Christmas for Travelers' at the Traveler's Rest Historic site in Toccoa, GA takes place on December 4 from 9am – 5pm. Visitors will enjoy live music and be entertained with period dances by the 1860s Civilian Society. Craft demonstrators will show their skills in blacksmithing, knitting, crocheting, spinning and more -- all in an 1800s decorative setting.

What holiday season would be complete without Dickens? In Adairsville at the The 1902 Stock Exchange and Public Square Opera House visitors will have an opportunity to experience the days of Dickens at one of these special dinner theatre performances from December 3 -18. Scrooge and Tiny Tim await lovers of this fictional classic. Visit an old fashioned Parade in Cochran or in Douglas.  See lavish floats, Santa, and the color guard from the Air Force at the 'Lighted Cochran Christmas Parade' on December 3 in downtown Cochran. The parade begins on Second Street. Or, bring the family out to the popular "Festival of Lights Christmas Parade" on December 4, along Peterson Avenue in the city of Douglas, where there will be more than 100 lighted floats. This year the theme of the parade is 'I'm dreaming of a green Christmas' to highlight Douglas' recent focus on sustainability and green living.

Whether stepping back in time to the Victorian era, experiencing an antebellum holiday, or exploring the holidays the Native American way, visitors are encourage to take advantage of the many historically enriching and educational holiday traditions that Georgia has to offer! Visit www.ExploreGeorgia.org to plan an adventure!

About the Georgia Department of Economic Development

The Georgia Department of Economic Development is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. For more information, visit www.Georgia.org.