It’s a day the combines the feel of a small town Christmas with the global interest in our Lynchburg distillery and it’s also a ton of fun. On Saturday, the Jack Daniel Distillery will host the annual Holiday Kickoff and Barrel Tree Lighting.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Lynchburg this week and what you now see is a culmination of several years of work, each layering onto the next, and all with the aim of celebrating a fabulous, small town Christmas. It started with adding snowflake lights to local power poles a few years ago and then organizers added wreaths and garland around town. They also spruced up the holiday lights around the historic Lynchburg Square. Last year, they added a couple of six foot tall Nutcrackers, who will stand guard at the Lynchburg Gazebo for some holiday photo ops near the newly installed Christmas tree. Proceeds from the t-shirts and cookbooks sold in association with the Lynchburg Bicentennial and Moore County Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2021 funded the new trees. It will be lit for the season at a special event on Shop Small Saturday, which takes place on Saturday, November 26. {Editor’s Note: Look for full details in an upcoming article.}

The highlight of November 19’s Holiday Kick Off will be the annual lighting of the Jack Daniel’s Barrel Tree, which will take place in the Whiskey Garden located just outside the Jack Daniel’s Visitor Center at the distillery.

This year’s barrel tree festivities will celebrate two longtime Jack Daniel’s employees, Randal Fanning and Randy “Goose” Baxter, who will be retiring after 46+ years at the Lynchburg distillery. On Saturday, the distillery will release a special bottle in their honor.

Each release is selected by a Jack Daniel’s Master Taster, and this one is a special selection by Goose. Distillery Series Release #10 is a straight Tennessee Whiskey finished with toasted pecan wood chips, which adds depth and character perfect for the season. Each sip coats the palate with warm brown sugar, light savory nuttiness, and toasted oak with lingering hints of dried fruits and a touch of caramel warmth.

Here’s a complete timeline of the Barrel Tree related events:

8:00 a.m. – White Rabbit Shop Bottle Release

8:30 a.m. – Jack Daniel’s Distillery Tours available

9:00 a.m. – Bottle Signing Event (limit 2 items per person)

11:00 a.m. – Miss Mary Bobo’s Holiday Dinner

1:00 p.m. – Miss Mary Bobo’s Holiday Dinner

3:00 p.m. – Miss Mary Bobo’s Holiday Dinner

3:30 p.m. – Entertainment provide by 90 Proof Begins 

3:30 p.m. – Holiday snacks and refreshments available

3:45 p.m. – Operation Ride Home and Raffle signup

4:30 p.m. –  Begin Door Prize Giveaways 

4:30 p.m. – Miss Mary Bobo’s Holiday Open House

4:45 p.m. – Q and A with Jack Daniel’s Ambassador Randall Fanning and Goose Baxter     

5:05 p.m. – Barrel Tree Lighting with the Motlow House Staff

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalismy. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}