But Dillsboro's trademark is its annual Christmas festival, the Dillsboro Lights and Luminaire, which takes place on the first two Fridays and Saturdays of each December. One of the most popular and genuine Christmas events anywhere in the mountains, the luminaire began as Dillsboro's town Christmas party in the early 1980s and has remained just that, even as Dillsboro's popularity and the festival's attendance have skyrocketed. The town's 50-plus shops, galleries, restaurants and inns are open to the public, with homemade Christmas treats provided by the shopkeepers. The luminaire was conceived in 1984, mostly as a way for Dillsboro merchants to thank the people of Jackson County for their support during the year. No shops were open that first Christmas - it was more or less a town Christmas party, and it took place on a single weekend.
People come to eat and to enjoy the lights and to window shop.
A lot of families come year after year. When it started, it was a great way to kick off the Christmas season and sort of thank everybody, but then it was the buzz of the county the next day. Founded in 1884 along the Western North Carolina Railroad, Dillsboro was a popular summer resort well into the 1900s. After a period of decline brought on by the automobile age, the village sprang back to life in the late 1970s, attracting artists, craftsmen and, once again, a version of passenger rail service.