The holiday season is here and Gaylord Opryland Resort has kicked off its A Country Christmas celebration! Horticulture and engineering teams have worked tirelessly since mid-July to hang more than three million lights in time for the hotel’s 36th Annual A Country Christmas, presented by Pepsi®, taking place through the 1st of January.
“Every year, we are in awe of the care and love our staff puts into decorating all nine acres of our indoor gardens along with the outside of the hotel,” said John Adams, Market VP and Gaylord Opryland’s General Manager. “Our three million lights provide the perfect backdrop to all the other memory-making Christmas activities including this year’s ICE! theme: A Christmas Story and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. For those who prefer a tropical holiday experience, SoundWaves, our upscale water attraction, offers year-round fun in a perfect 84-degree temperature.”
The resort’s signature holiday attraction - ICE! presented by DEI - is back with a new theme: A Christmas Story. ICE! will feature scenes from the hilarious family tale in magnificent hand-carved sculptures made of ice. Kept at nine degrees Fahrenheit, ICE! is hand-carved by forty master artisans from Harbin, China, and will include iconic scenes such as The Old Man’s Major Award, Aunt Clara’s pink nightmare, the ultimate triple dog dare at the school’s flagpole and many more. Located just steps from the doors of ICE!, guests will make memories and traditions at Pinetop, a new outdoor Appalachian-esque village with Tubing, Ice Skating, a Kids Train, Santa’s Spinners teacup ride, Rockin’ Christmas on Ice skating champions show, live local group performances, shopping, warm beverages, and delicious treats.
The beloved TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer soars off the screen and onto the Grand Ole Opry House stage this holiday season. Guests will experience favorite characters including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. For even more Rudolph-themed fun, kids and adults alike will enjoy helping the Misfit Toys return home in the Reindeer Games™ Scavenger Hunt featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Feast interactive dining experience.
Festivities also include Carriage Rides and holiday cruise experiences on the General Jackson Showboat along with free activities including a Christmas-themed fountain show and the Outdoor Nativity with an audio rendition of the biblical story.
A Country Christmas has been hailed as one of the “Ten Great Places to Catch up with Santa” by USA Today; “The Most Christmassy Hotel in the Nation” by the Travel Channel’s “Extreme Christmas;” one of the top ten places to spend Christmas in the world by Travel + Leisure; and a “Nashville treasure” by Southern Living. The best value to experience all of Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas is with a two- or three-night package including accommodations and the most popular holiday attractions plus options to include SoundWaves. For additional information and to book packages or tickets, visit their website at ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com or call 1.888.677.9872.
