CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Southern Christmas Show is considered the largest Christmas show in North America. 

The event attracts over 100,000 people each year to see the festive decor while shopping for their loved ones. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Southern Christmas Show attracts over 100,000 people each year 
  • Around 420 vendors are participating in the annual event 
  • One vendor says the Christmas event helped her ornament business flourish 

The annual show is an exciting time, not just for families, but for nearly 420 vendors participating in the Christmas event. 

Group manager for the Southern Christmas Show Tina Robinson says the vendors work all year round preparing for the event. 

"This is two weeks where they see more people in the two weeks here at the show than they might see all year at a storefront," Robinson said. "Many are in their exact same locations they've been in for more than 25-30 years. So people come here specifically looking for them, and do their Christmas shopping for the whole family every single year." 

The Christmas event is also helping many of those businesses with reaching their career dreams. 

Teresa Thibault is the founder of Heart Gifts by Teresa, Inc. 

The company hand-designs and hand-paints ornaments for the Christmas occasion. 

Heart Gifts by Teresa has made custom ornaments for many well-known names like SeaWorld, NASA and Dollywood. 

"I'm very humbled by the success and so grateful for the Southern Christmas Show," Thibault said. 

Thibault has been participating in the annual Southern Christmas Show for over 30 years. 

She says one of the reasons she comes back is that the show helped the ornament business flourish.  

"My mom said to dance with the one who brought you, so this is why I come back here," Thibault said. 

Around 32 years ago, Thibault says she was in search of ornaments that told the story of Christmas. 

So in 1992, she started designing and creating the ornaments herself. 

"Originally, I made them for my own tree for my own family," Thibault said. 

That same year, she participated in the annual Southern Christmas Show.

Thibault says that moment catapulted her career. 

She's encouraging anyone with a business plan to never give up on their dream. 

"This started at my kitchen table. Now look where God has taken it," Thibault said. 

The Southern Christmas Show is happening at The Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte.

The event wraps up on Sunday, Nov. 19.