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Planning a trip to Savannah, Georgia this holiday season? Live in Savannah and looking to liven up your holiday season?
Then it’s time to visit the Plant Riverside District! I love visiting this part of Savannah anyway. The Riverside area is so beautiful and they have a lot of great restaurants in the area as well.
The decorations are wonderful there during the holiday season.
But the reasons to visit this area during the holiday season even extended beyond just the beautiful decorations (not that that isn’t enough).
Christmas Market
This is because a European-style Christmas market will be there nightly from Thursday, November 21 through Tuesday, December 31, 2024. It is absolutely free. My family loved visiting it last year! It is really fun walking along and seeing the different booths. You can find a lot of unique items that make wonderful holiday gifts.
A lot of great vendors participate in this event.
Last year, participating vendors included:
- Get Gifty With it
- Zoë Life
- Gillian Trask
- Weedies’ World Famous
- Savannah Sam Photography
- True South Designs
- Palmetto Kettle Corn
- McBride Studios
- Satchel
- 7th & Palm
- Moon Child Studio
- Element Tree Essentials
- Golden Hour Savannah
- M.F. Hot Sauce
- LOVE & MOXIE
- Kate Laine Jewelry
- New York Puzzle Company
- Cutco
- The Wooden Basket Shop
- Madison & 5th
- Daydreamers Earrings
- Rhoot Man Beverage Company
- Tribe and Temple
- Ceramics by Sibel
- Crystalize Home
- Hall of Sneakz
- Carolina Hemp Company
- Grand Bohemian Gallery
- Hey Peaches
- Salacia Salts
- Artesanías Tarina
However, that’s not all that is there. At select times, there are photos with Santa Claus and live performances. There are also children’s activities. Additionally, there are food and drink options so you can get warm drinks like hot cocoa if it’s cold at night.
Festival of Trees
I really love the Festival of Trees, another great feature of the holiday season in the Plant Riverside District. The Festival of Trees is comprised of Christmas trees that represent different businesses in Savannah.
Last year, that list included:
- Byrd Cookie Company
- River Street Sweets
- Peach Cobbler Factory
- Satchel
- Savannah Cruzers
- Board & Brush Creative Studio
- Coastal Vibes Boutique
- Frank Reubel Fine Jewelry
- 18Loves Art
- Service Brewing Co.
- Savannah Riverboat Cruises
- Olmsted Savannah
- Wet Willies
- Southern Christmas
- Savannah Convention Center
- Vici Rooftop
- Outside Brands
- Bartlett Tree Experts
- Morgan Rae Boutique
- Encryption Escape
You can find it over at the Generator Hall at Plant Riverside District. My family and I went and we were really impressed with the Christmas trees you’ll find here. They are really beautiful as well as creative, too.
Other Activities
Some of the other activities going on during the holiday season include:
- Gingerbread House Unveiling
- Friday, November 29, 2024
- Plant Riverside District Christmas Lighting Ceremony
- Friday, November 29, 2024
- 23rd Annual Savannah Boat Parade of Lights
- Saturday, November 30th, 2024, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
- Holiday Cookie Decorating at Turbine Café
- November 30, 2024 through December 21, 2024
- 32nd Annual Savannah Lighted Christmas Parade
- Saturday, December 14, 2024
- Brunch with Santa at Salzburg Ballroom
- Sunday, December 15, 2024
- Holiday Dining at Stone & Webster Chophouse
Where to Stay
If you are planning to come to Savannah during the holiday season and you would like to enjoy these festivities, then perhaps you are looking to book a hotel.
The obvious choice would be the J.W. Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District. It’s an amazing hotel right on the river with 12 onsite restaurants, a spa, and much more. You can find the best price for the hotel here.
So that would be a great hotel to stay in, but it’s obviously not cheap. Another hotel you could stay in if you want a cheaper price but still a great hotel in a great location is Fairfield Inn Savannah Historic District. That’s where we stayed when we were in Savannah last week and we had a great time. It’s about a ten-minute walk to the Plant Riverside District and it’s a straight shoot. We’ve stayed there multiple times before. It’s a wonderful hotel hotel too with great features like a free breakfast. You can find out more about the hotel in our review.