NASHVILLE, TN (Oct. 1, 2021) – Gaylord Opryland Resort is excited to unveil its full lineup of Christmas programming to be featured November 12, 2021, through January 2, 2022, as part of its 38th annual A Country Christmas event. Visitors can pre-purchase individual event tickets and room packages now in anticipation of the holiday season.
Known for its iconic magical holiday events and activities for winter resort guests and locals to experience, A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland is guaranteed to bring joyful holiday cheer with an abundance of imaginative environments, interactive experiences, holiday themed activities, and exciting live entertainment designed for guests of all ages. Visitors will be further immersed in the resort’s Christmas showcase featuring over three million twinkling holiday lights in addition to dazzling fountain and light shows, towering Christmas trees, and dazzling over-the-top décor.
An All-New, Gaylord Hotels Original Experience: Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf™
Representing this season’s marquee programming, Gaylord Opryland needs guests of all ages to help save Christmas! In this collaboration with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, guests will join Buddy the Elf and answer the call from Santa to help muster enough Christmas cheer to power the Kringle 3000 and help Santa’s sleigh fly. Guests will journey into Buddy’s world to help save the holiday in a multisensory experience full of fun, interactive challenges perfect for all ages: Team up with Mr. Narwhal and friends in the candy cane forest, stay ahead of the toy quota in the North Pole, prepare for Santa’s arrival at the iconic department store, and take part in an epic virtual snowball fight in Central Park. These are just a few of more than 12 interactive elements to discover in this unique experience.
To add to the enormous amount of holiday excitement, Gaylord Opryland is welcoming back GRAMMY® Award-winning, Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry members, The Oak Ridge Boys, for a 31- show residency. Keeping the musical tradition alive, the “Christmas in Tennessee” dinner show will feature a delicious holiday meal prepared by the resort’s culinary team followed by the Oaks and their band performing Christmas classics, new favorites, and timeless hits that have shaped their legendary career.
Adventurous activities await at Pinetop, an outdoor Appalachian-esque village. Guests can enjoy live musical performances, ice tubing, ice skating and skating lessons, ice bumper cars, festive beverages, and a live Rockin’ Christmas On Ice Skating Show showcasing champion skaters performing big jumps, fast spins, and mesmerizing throws and lifts.
More outdoor holiday fun includes private horse-drawn carriage rides, a nightly tree lighting and caroling on the Magnolia Lawn, and a nativity display featuring special lighting effects and an audio rendition of the beloved biblical story.
Visitors can look forward to a myriad of indoor festivities at the resort including Photos with Santa by DEI, Gingerbread Decorating Corner, Build-A-Bear Workshop®, Kids Train, Santa’s Spinners, and Luminaries of Love which supports the Children’s Miracle Network for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Other interactive holiday experiences include Christmassy selfie spots, self-guided garden tours, synchronized Delta Fountain shows, Delta Riverboat Rides, and singalongs with Dickens carolers.
To further get in the spirit, Rudolph’s Holly JollyTM Breakfast will offer memory-making photo opportunities as well as delightful dishes prepared by the resort’s culinary team. The resort’s holiday-themed Reindeer GamesTM Scavenger Hunt featuring Rudolph and The Misfit Toys sends guests on a quest to solve the puzzles and find the clues to complete the quest and win a prize.
Even during the holiday season, guests can visit Gaylord Opryland’s aquatic adventure, SoundWaves, which fuses music and water to create a modern-day oasis featuring lazy and rapid rivers, a family megaraft ride, four thrilling tube and body slides, a multi-level play structure and toddler water play area, a FlowRider® Double and an adults-only pool and bar. Additionally, the water attraction features an arcade with virtual reality games, a rock-climbing wall, game tables and more. The only guaranteed way to visit SoundWaves is by booking an exclusive holiday package including an option for wristbands or the SoundWaves Experience Package. Seasonal specials and Tennessee resident package rates are available. Learn more at www.SoundWavesGO.com.
Tickets and Packages
Overnight packages including events or individual tickets for A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland are on sale now and can be purchased at ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com. Advance online reservations are required for all ticketed events.
*NOTE: the new Mission: Save Christmas featuring Elf™ experience will open on November 19, 2021, and The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas in Tennessee Dinner Show will open on November 24, 2021. Most other A Country Christmas events and activities will open on November 12, 2021. Visit the website for specific operation schedules.
Commitment to Clean and Resort Access Restrictions
As the safety of its guests and STARS (employees) is of paramount importance, the Christmas at Gaylord Hotels program has been developed in accordance with Marriott’s “Commitment to Clean” program and with enhanced cleaning protocols. Programming will also operate in consideration with the latest local, state, and federal legislation.
To ensure capacity management, beginning at 2pm CST every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from November 26, 2021, through January 2, 2022, access to enter the hotel will be available only to registered overnight guests and event ticketholders with reservations. Access to enter the Gaylord Opryland Events Center and Pinetop area will be available only to ticketholders with reservations for events located in those areas and to registered overnight guests. Resort access will not be restricted Monday through Thursday at this time; however, additional restrictions may apply without advance notice.
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ABOUT GAYLORD OPRYLAND
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, located at 2800 Opryland Drive in Nashville, Tenn., is the flagship property of Gaylord Hotels, part of the Marriott portfolio of brands. The 2,888-room hotel offers “everything in one place” – SoundWaves upscale indoor/outdoor water attraction, diverse dining options, a full-service spa, top-notch special events and entertainment, on-site shopping, an award-winning golf course, and more. For more information, visit www.GaylordOpryland.com
ELF and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc. (s21).
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all related elements © & ™ under license to Character Arts, LLC. All rights reserved.
© Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved.