This year, Travelers Rest's big holiday Saturdays are timed to pass the crowd from one end of town to the other, and the direction changes from one Saturday to the next. On November 28, the Travelers Rest Farmers Market's Small Business Saturday ends at Trailblazer Park at 3 p.m., which is when the City's Holiday Hop opens on Main Street. On December 12, the order flips. The Christmas Parade fills downtown from 10 a.m. to noon, and at noon the market's largest event of the year opens at Trailblazer Park.
That timing matters more this year than it looks. The farmers market's summer season ended on Saturday, September 19, and its calendar shows no weekly winter Saturday series. Its two holiday markets on November 28 and December 12 are special dates on that calendar, not stops in a weekly routine. So if you miss the handoff, you miss half of the day.
| Saturday | Trailblazer Park, 235 Trailblazer Dr. | Main Street |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7 | Free shredding and coat drive, 9 a.m.–noon. Beer, Wine & Cider Festival, 2–5 p.m. | Christmas Market on Main, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday, noon–3 p.m. | Holiday Hop & Christmas Market, 3–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 12 | Very Merry Christmas Market, noon–4 p.m. | Christmas Parade, 10 a.m.–noon |
November 28 Starts at the Park and Ends Under the Tree
The Saturday after Thanksgiving opens at Trailblazer Park. The Travelers Rest Farmers Market brings more than 60 local makers to Small Business Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and calls it one of the best ways to shop local for Christmas.
At 3 p.m., the City's Holiday Hop & Christmas Market begins downtown and runs until 7. The Hop's own market is set up along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, the same trail that links back to Trailblazer Park, with hand-picked vendors selling baked goods, holiday décor and handmade gifts from 3 to 7. If you shop the park market until it closes, the trail takes you straight into the second one.
The Hop's schedule runs on fixed times, so it pays to plan the afternoon backward from the end:
- 3:00–6:30 p.m.: The TR Train boards at the TR Methodist Church parking lot, 19 S. Main St., behind Tipsy Tacos. The ride runs along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, through a holiday light tunnel and around the clock tower.
- 3:00–7:00 p.m.: Santa visits on the porch of the Historic Spring Park Inn, and Mrs. Claus hosts story time on the side porch. A North Pole Mailbox is there for wish lists.
- 5:45 p.m.: Judging for the Jingle Paws Parade by the City Christmas tree on Main Street. Dogs start at Swamp Rabbit Animal Hospital on Old Buncombe Road, and registration is on the City's site.
- 6:45 p.m.: Christmas carols and the tree lighting next to Loftis Printing.
Adults have their own route. Hop, Sip & Shop is a riddle hunt through downtown shops with wine and craft beer samples along the way. Solving every riddle enters you for a $50 TR Bucks gift certificate. The participating shops are Community Tap, The Tasting Room, Urban Hare, the Crescent Olive, Swamp Rabbit Brewery, Wilder Plant Shop and Bespoke Wine Shop. Holiday clog dancing is on the program too.
Because the train stops boarding at 6:30, families with small children can do the full day in order: park market at noon, trail walk at 3, train before 6:30, tree at 6:45.
December 12 Runs the Same Relay in Reverse
Two weeks later, the day starts downtown. The Greater Travelers Rest Chamber's Christmas Parade runs from 10 a.m. to noon with the theme "A Mayberry Christmas," and the Chamber says it raises money for local nonprofits. The Bank of Travelers Rest is the Santa's Sleigh sponsor.
When the parade ends, the crowd moves to the park. The farmers market's Very Merry Christmas Market runs from noon to 4 p.m. at 235 Trailblazer Drive, and its listing says it opens "following the downtown Travelers Rest Christmas Parade." The market calls it the largest event it hosts each year, with more than 120 local artisans and food makers, plus Santa visits and live music.
That is about twice the 60-plus makers at the November 28 market. If you only make one of the two holiday markets, this is the bigger one. It also has the tightest handoff of the season, because the market opens the minute the parade is scheduled to end. The Chamber's page has a parade route map. Check it before the 12th so you know which side of the route puts you closest to the trail toward the park.
November 7 Is the One Day Both Ends Run at Once
The relay pattern starts after the first weekend in November. On Saturday, November 7, both ends of town are busy at the same time.
The morning at Trailblazer Park is for errands. The Greater Travelers Rest Chamber of Commerce runs a free document shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon. You can bring up to three bags or boxes and take the empty containers home. New and gently used coats are being collected at the same stop in partnership with the YMCA.
Meanwhile, the Christmas Market on Main runs downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City's calendar lists handmade ornaments, holiday décor and gifts.
That afternoon, Trailblazer Park becomes a ticketed festival. The Community Tap's TR Beer, Wine & Cider Festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m., and Early Entry tickets get you in at 1 p.m. The City's newsletter says this year's festival adds a dedicated wine selection alongside rare craft beer and hard ciders, and that tickets include unlimited samples.
That leaves a short window between the shredding drop-off ending at noon and Early Entry at 1. Main Street's market is open the whole time, so it fills the middle of the day for anyone splitting time between the two ends. The next day, Sunday, November 8, the City's newsletter lists a November Trailblazer Market at the park.
The Smaller Dates Around the Big Three
The rest of the calendar fits around those Saturdays and mostly stays on one side of town:
- Friday, November 6, at dusk: The Wild Robot at Movies in the Park, Trailblazer Park's fall series.
- Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.: Dog Appreciation Day downtown. Art and pet-service vendors will be at Swampy Dog Bar, Whistlestop Café, Farmhouse Tacos and the gazebo area, along with a dog fashion show, face painting and dog massages.
- Saturday, November 14, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.: Shriners Children's 7th annual Turkey Trot & Roll, with a family fun walk, a 5K, a free festival, live music and food trucks. Sign-ups are at SCtrotandroll.org.
- Friday, December 4: The Land of Sometimes, the last Movies in the Park film of the season.
The December 4 movie at Trailblazer Park and the December 12 parade downtown bookend the last stretch before the Very Merry Christmas Market.
Getting From One End to the Other
The connection between the two ends of town is the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The City says Trailblazer Park can be reached on foot or by bike from a spur off the trail, and the trail runs along Main Street through Travelers Rest. On every relay Saturday, the trail is the walking route between markets.
For anyone driving in, a few details help:
- Park parking. The City's Trailblazer Park page lists two areas: north of the park near the pavilion, and south of it facing the amphitheater off Old Buncombe Road. Both have ADA spaces.
- Downtown parking. The City has free downtown lots, shown on the map linked from its parking page.
- Pick a side by direction. On November 28, parking near the park lets you end the evening with a trail walk back after the tree lighting. On December 12, a downtown spot keeps you at the parade, and the trail takes you to the market afterward.
- Parade-day streets. Look at the route map on the Chamber's parade page before December 12, and check the City's event calendar the week of the parade for current street details.
If you're hosting family over Thanksgiving weekend or getting ready for the December 12 parade and have questions about Travelers Rest, from which streets put you closest to the trail to how the town's calendar shapes daily life near Main Street, Laurel Caylor is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect: Schedule Your Consultation.
