17th Dillsboro Luminaire is this weekend, next

The village of about 200 residents boasts more than 50 shops, galleries, restaurants and inns, and is known for fine arts and crafts of all kinds, from pottery to pewter, quilts to carvings.

The Jarrett House has drawn hungry travelers for sumptuous southern meals since 1884, and excursion trains operated by Great Smoky Mountains Railroad carry more than 200,000 passengers each year from the Dillsboro depot.

But Dillsboro's trademark is its annual Christmas festival, the Dillsboro Lights and Luminaire, which takes place on the first two Fridays and Saturdays of each December.

One of the most popular and genuine Christmas events anywhere in the mountains, the luminaire began as Dillsboro's town Christmas party in the early 1980s and has remained just that, even as Dillsboro's popularity and the festival's attendance have skyrocketed.

During luminaire, Dillsboro's buildings glow with traditional luminaries (tiny white paper bags with candles inside) and are decorated with greenery and thousands of white lights. The town's 50-plus shops, galleries, restaurants and inns are open to the public, with homemade Christmas treats provided by the shopkeepers.

"A traditional Christmas is the focus of our celebration, as opposed to all the big, commercial stuff," says Andy Smith, shop owner and president of the Dillsboro Merchants Association.

Santa Claus sets up shop in the town's tiny town hall each night from 5-9 p.m., the railroad's "Santa Express" chugs in and out of town, and traditional acoustic musicians, from Scottish dancers and bagpipe bands to brass ensembles and children's choirs, perform around town.

The luminaire was conceived in 1984, mostly as a way for Dillsboro merchants to thank the people of Jackson County for their support during the year. No shops were open that first Christmas - it was more or less a town Christmas party, and it took place on a single weekend.

"It's never really been a buying spree," said Susan Leveille, owner of Oaks Gallery. "People come to eat and to enjoy the lights and to window shop. A lot of families come year after year. When it started, it was a great way to kick off the Christmas season and sort of thank everybody, but then it was the buzz of the county the next day."

Founded in 1884 along the Western North Carolina Railroad, Dillsboro was a popular summer resort well into the 1900s. After a period of decline brought on by the automobile age, the village sprang back to life in the late 1970s, attracting artists, craftsmen and, once again, a version of passenger rail service.

Dillsboro Luminaire entertainment schedule

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