Christmas is all about joy. If you’re staying home, treat everybody to these special holiday events. The more spirit you can share with your family, the better!

Timeless Traditions

1. A Colonial Christmas
Before the age of radio jingles and commercialism, Christmas was quiet. LED lights didn’t exist yet, but homemade wreaths, pine boughs, and candles made homes just as joyful— perhaps more so.

Pricketts Fort in Fairmont evokes old-time warmth with its lovely 18th-century Christmas Tour. From Dec. 1-2, costumed guides will reveal how settlers celebrated the holy feast day. It’s an enchanting event with lots of atmosphere.

Roman Holiday

Marion County’s rich Mediterranean heritage surges to the fore during Christmas. One of Fairmont’s best events is the Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival, which includes a much-anticipated cooking class.

2. Christmas recipes, Italian style
Marion’s Italian families are proud of their heritage, particularly when it comes to cooking. Who doesn’t love creamy lasagna or spaghetti with meatballs? If you’ve ever wanted to learn an authentic recipe or two, you’re in luck!

Festival Cucina, which is part of Marion’s famous Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival, occurs on Dec. 8. It’s a delightful way to learn Italian cooking techniques and recipes. Tickets are $30 each— a deal for the dishes you’ll learn how to create. Delicious samples, wine, and live music add to the magic. Get your tickets before they’re gone!

3. Feast of the Seven Fishes 

Then, on Dec. 9, enjoy the rest of Fairmont’s vibrant Italian-American street festival. Highlights include authentic cuisine, wine  vendors, madrigals, and crafts.

Hearty good cheer lasts until the very end with the Fairmont Christmas Parade at 5 p.m. You’re also welcome to celebrate Saturday vigil mass with St. Peter the Fisherman Church at 5:30 p.m. Joyful and religious, the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a cultural delight.

Christmas Cheer

4. Celebration of Lights
Fairmont’s glorious ode to Christmas shimmers to life every year at Morris Park. The famous Celebration of Lights glows with more than 320 displays over 1.3 miles— an awe-inspiring show for kids and adults alike.

Morris Park opens to cars on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from now until Dec. 24 and Dec. 26-29. Tickets are $10 per car. 

Visit on special evenings for extra perks, like:

• Disc Golf Night Tournament on Dec. 6
• Walker Night on Dec. 7
• 5k Reindeer Run on Dec. 14

5. Holiday Glow Bowl
When it comes to sports, Marion County has a lock on disc golf. Christmas provides the perfect excuse to get out, play, and enjoy the season.

The Holiday Glow Bowl Disc Golf Tournament on Dec. 6 is pretty unique, too. Morris Park’s glittery Christmas displays illuminate the course, which you navigate with a special disc and LED light. Registration costs $30 and includes glow-in-the-dark equipment.

Pop the Cork

6. Happy New Year!
Celebrate 2018 with top-notch country music, played with a side of hearty home cooking. How? Take a seat at Sagebrush Round-Up’s New Year’s Eve party in Fairmont. Dinner on Dec. 31 will include baked steak or pork with sauerkraut, classic side-dishes, dessert, and punch. Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy the show from Dec. 31-Jan. 1! Tickets for dinner must be ordered by Dec. 28, so get ‘em now. They are available at Sagebrush Round-Up until Dec. 9. After that, you must call for tickets.

Looking for even more holiday cheer? Check out what’s going on in Barrackville and Mannington. 

You and your family can countdown to Christmas when you Open up the Advent Calendar >