It’s fitting that the town that drew neighbors from counties throughout the region to admire its electric lights in the 1880s would be the town that draws more than 600,000 visitors worldwide for its holiday lights today. Branded Christmas Town USA in 1993, McAdenville’s 26 days of holiday splendor was inspired by the McAdenville Men’s Club when W. J. Pharr and fellow members decorated nine trees around the McAdenville Community Center in 1956. With each holiday season, through the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Pharr, the lights continued to shine in traditional holiday colors of twinkling red, green, and white on more trees. As members of the community decorated their homes, the company strung lights on all the trees and added displays of holiday merriment. Festivities were added to the holiday tradition with the Tree Lighting Ceremony kicking off Christmas Town USA in 2000. In 2011, Christmas Town USA was named one of the Top 10 places to visit at Christmas time by Yahoo and has received national and international acclaim. The first light occurred in the form of the Yule Log Parade, which began in 1949. Children still pull the ceremonial log on a sled through the town, accompanied by townspeople and a brass band playing Christmas carols, to deliver it to an open fireplace in Legacy Park where it is lit to add to the warmth of the season.