Every year, you can count on Thanksgiving to officially mark the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season.

In Shelby County, there is a plethora of holiday activities that families, young singles and the elderly can enjoy alike. Our community calendar and list of Five Great Things to do are excellent resources to find what fits your holiday appetite.

However, I would like to take just a moment to offer my own suggestions for holiday fun you won&8217;t necessarily find in Shelby County, but are worth the daytrip.

uCallaway Gardens Fantasy in Lights. When my parents built a house in Callaway Gardens several years ago, this tour of lights has become not only a holiday favorite, but a tradition.

The tour takes you though the gardens, which are decorated with the most elaborate Christmas scenes, created only by lights and Christmas music.

There are butterflies, flowers that grow and bloom right before your eyes and my personal favorite, the Twelve Days of Christmas. Visitors can also tour the park via the trolley, but though the views are better, it&8217;s usually really cold.

Afterwards, you can head to the &8220;Christmas Village&8221; and shop for all kinds of goodies in the Christmas tent.

– Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you love Christmas and love to rock out to great Christmas tunes during the holiday, then plan on visiting the BJCC Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. I went to their show in Atlanta on Nov. 10, and I cannot stop raving at how powerful and spectacular this show was. They have it all – a huge lights show with lasers, fire, snow and a rock violinist. Christmas does not come any cooler than this.