We all dream of being home for the holidays and, for many, that means traveling back to the mountains of Harlan County! Whether you’re visiting over the Thanksgiving weekend or you’re a local hosting out of town guests, here’s a few ideas for spending time together during the Thanksgiving weekend!

-Warm Wednesday- With temperatures forecasted near the 60s and mostly sunny skies, the day before Thanksgiving looks like it will be perfect for some outdoor exploration. Hit the trails at Kingdom Come State Park, climb to Knobby Rock in Blanton Forest, explore the historic Pine Mountain Settlement School campus, take a motorcycle ride on the Dragon Slayer Hwy 160, or get muddy at the Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area.

–Wonderland Mini Golf– Does your Christmas begin as soon as the leftovers are in the fridge? Kingdom Come State Park is bringing back their popular Wonderland Mini Golf and it opens on Thanksgiving Day! The mini-golf course is transformed with lights, festive music, and lovable Christmas characters! Play your way through the course or just walk through to enjoy the Christmas spirit. The fun kicks off on Thanksgiving from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

–Festival of the Mountain Masters– On Friday November 25 and Saturday November 26, the Village Center Mall hosts The Festival of the Mountain Masters. Regional artisans offer items that are homemade, handcrafted, and home baked. Browse one of a kind creations while enjoying performances and shopping the stores that call the Village Center Mall home year round. The festival runs each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-2022 Harlan County Celebrates Christmas Light Display- The Harlan County Christian School invites you to brighten your holiday with a visit to the Shriner’s Fairgrounds at Putney for their drive thru Christmas lights display. The display will be open on Thanksgiving weekend both Friday November 25 and Saturday November 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

-Black Friday & Small Business Saturday- Spend time shopping the stores and boutiques of Harlan County, especially the ones in our downtown areas. Your purchases support our dedicated business owners and their families! Curious about what’s available? Check out posts from Hello Harlan and Hello Tri-Cities for a glimpse at downtown shops. Harlan will be running a Downtown Christmas Bingo where you can win cash prizes for visiting and making purchases from downtown shops beginning on Black Friday! 

-There’ll be scary ghost stories- Krampus is coming to town at Kingdom Come State Park’s Krampus Christmas. On Saturday November 26, enjoy a haunted house with a twist as festive freaks bring you Christmas fear instead of Christmas cheer! Hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

-Game on- Are the kids making the house a little too rowdy? Take them to the 606 Gaming Lounge on Main St in Harlan. Once you purchase your hours of play, you have access to all of their tabletop games, video games, and VR games! They’ll be occupied for hours while you enjoy some peace and quiet. The gaming lounge is open Friday & Saturday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Pro-tip: Moonbow Tipple Coffee & Sweets is located just across the street so you can enjoy a quiet moment with a coffee while the kids game their hearts out.

-Raise a glass- Are the adults making the house a little too rowdy? Send them over to the Harlan County Beer Company! With a full menu and bar, they’ll be well fed and entertained as they watch the game or just catch up with one another. You’ll also find a great selection of HCBC merchandise so that you can represent Harlan County’s first legal brew wherever you go! They’ll be open on Friday & Saturday November 25 & 26.

We suggest checking social media pages for these events to confirm dates, times, costs, etc. The best way to keep up with events taking place throughout Harlan County is to follow Visit Harlan County. We hope this Thanksgiving is the most memorable one yet!

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