A couple from Tennessee is only days away from the grand opening of their Christmas festival, sharing all the preparation and hard work on Instagram of transforming their 50-acre property into a festive holiday wonderland for their community.
Speaking with People, Liz Hieber, a voiceover artist and singer, shared how she and her husband, Chris, have been spending their days getting everything ready for their festival, which will include visits from Santa, elaborate Christmas lights, a 20-foot tree, carnival games, food, music, and more. She even dished on the amount of money the couple is shelling out to create the magical space, expecting to spend more than $100,000.
Tennessee Couple Share Plans to Transform Their 50-Acre Property Into A Christmas Wonderland
A couple out of Gallatin, Tennessee, is hoping to spread a little more Christmas cheer to their community by transforming their 50-acre farm into a festive and fun holiday event. Liz and Chris Hieber, along with their close friend and business partner Eleissa Brown, are shelling out more than $100,000 to create what they call Christmas at The Hideaway at Hieber Farms.
According to People, visitors will feel the magic of the holidays from the very start, by driving down a mile-long, tree-lined driveway illuminated with Christmas lights before arriving at a holiday village featuring a 20-foot Christmas tree. The couple also shared their new holiday tradition in a flyer, revealing the many activities families can enjoy, including meeting Santa, visiting a barnyard petting zoo, browsing a Christmas market, playing carnival games, enjoying food and drinks, watching holiday movies, and purchasing Christmas trees.
Liz is also getting in on the festive fun, revealing in an Instagarm post that she’ll be dressing up as Mrs. Claus. In fact, Liz has been documenting her and her husband’s hard work on the social media platform, giving fans a sneak peek at how they are transforming their farm, showcasing large tents and trees covered in garland and white Christmas lights. In another post, Liz shared that Chris had been “putting in 18 hour days” to make their farm into a “Hallmark Christmas fantasy.”
The Hieber’s Are Hoping to Make Their Christmas Festival a Tradition
Speaking to People, Liz shared that the project has been “a massive financial undertaking,” adding, “Chris, Eleissa and I are fortunate that we can be intentional about choosing sponsors who share our values and care about this community. We want the businesses involved to feel like they belong here and to be people we’re proud to build lasting relationships with.”
To keep costs down, Liz has been sourcing decorations from places like Goodwill and Facebook Marketplace. It also helps that Chris has a background in construction, giving the couple an extra advantage when it comes to bringing their festival to life.
The couple purchased their 12-acre horse farm in Gallatin after winning it at auction in 2019, naming it Hieber Farms. Years later, the property next door was for sale, with Liz describing it as “an incredibly gorgeous 50 acres with rolling pastures, woods, a spacious home, and a private lake.” The couple ended up finding a “creative” way to purchase it.
Liz hopes that the festival will become an annual tradition for families and a place where lasting memories are made. “We both thought it would be wonderful, and we both knew it would be an incredible amount of work,” she recalls. “But we kept picturing our children growing up with it and how special that would be for them.” The idea is also receiving support from the community, with Gallatin Mayor Paige Brown proudly showing her support.
The Christmas festival officially opens on November 13, and will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. until December 20.
Couple Spends More Than $100,000 Turning Their Farm Into an Over-the-Top Christmas Village