Exciting preparations are taking place for the 55th annual Christmas Village, a shopping tradition in Middle Tennessee. In the heart of Nashville, the Tennessee State Fairgrounds are transformed into a shopper’s paradise with over 260 merchants, from around the country, selling their products to more than 25,000 enthusiastic shoppers throughout the four-day event, which includes a highly anticipated private Sneak-A-Peek preview night. Christmas Village is not only about buying gifts or decor for Christmas – there is a diverse assortment of items to choose from, which is why this annual event continues to be recognized as the premier consumer show in the Southeast.
Whether shoppers are looking to buy a gift for someone special, or just want to do some shopping for themselves this show offers something for everyone. Some of the items featured in this one-stop shopper’s paradise include dazzling home goods and decor for the modern or classic taste; extraordinary antiques; distinctive one-of-a-kind jewelry; exquisite pottery; delicious treats; a variety of clothing choices for adults and children; unique collectibles and heirlooms; holiday decorations; toys for all ages, as well as an endless mixture of items that you can personalize through engraving, embroidering, and monogramming.
Created in 1961 by the Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club, Christmas Village brings shoppers the opportunity to buy gifts from a variety of unique merchants both locally and from across the country. The Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that works year round to successfully produce this annual event with all net proceeds benefiting most significantly the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, as well as other Pi Beta Phi charities.
This year’s event – marking the 55th Anniversary of Christmas Village – is co-chaired by Ashley Seth and Sharina Sheehan.
Members of the Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club, women who joined Pi Beta Phi at colleges and universities all over the country, serve on the Christmas Village board and committees, spending more than 1500 hours annually planning and executing the event, which also uses over 200 volunteers. The annual net proceeds donated by Christmas Village to its philanthropies rank the event consistently in the top contributing charitable events in Nashville. In 2014, Christmas Village raised over $555,000 for charity. More than $9.5 million has been raised in the event’s 54-year history.
The Bill Wilkerson Center, the main beneficiary of Christmas Village, treats persons challenged by communication-related diseases and disorders. Serving patients from Nashville as well as from all over the nation, the Center makes over 80,000 patient visits every year. This year marks the 28th anniversary of the founding of the Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute at the Bill Wilkerson Center. Established with start-up funds provided by Christmas Village, the Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute provides speech, language cognitive, occupational, and physical therapy for older teens and adults who have experienced a traumatic brain injury through accident or stroke.
“The involvement of the Nashville Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club has immeasurably enhanced the ability of the Bill Wilkerson Center to serve the middle Tennessee area.We literally would not be the institution we are today without their unprecedented support through Christmas Village, “said Anne Marie Tharpe, Chair of the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. “So many people, young and old, owe their ability to speak, hear, and communicate to this historic Nashville tradition.”
The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN is an internationally known visual arts complex, attracting thousands of students from around the world each year and is one of the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity’s nationally recognized philanthropic causes. Arrowmont is a 70-acre educational complex that is internationally renowned in visual arts instruction. Proceeds from Christmas Village also support Arrowmont.
Dates and Times for Christmas Village 2015:
Thursday, November 12, 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Sneak-A-Peek, Invitation Only) Friday, November 13, 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 15, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets:
Single day tickets are available for purchase in advance for $8 from select Nashville area branches of SunTrust Bank or the Vanderbilt Concierge (615.936.5000). Tickets are $10 when purchased online at Christmas Village and at the door. Children age 9 and under are free.
More Hometown Holidays
