Incorporated in 1883 and named after the president of McAden Mills, the community of McAdenville combines neighborhoods of privately owned homes with the remnants of a small mill village. The area has already achieved the status of celebrity with its annual holiday lights display. Popularly known as "Christmas Town USA" and "The Christmas City" for its elaborate and enchanting decorations, McAdenville becomes a regional destination during the holiday season. In fact, the town attracts as many as 350,000 visitors between Thanksgiving Day and December 25. This unassuming community is merely continuing a tradition that spans more than four decades, although it manages to attract young and old to its dazzling holiday beauty and charm. Local school children are able to compete for the honor of being the one selected to "flip the master switch" for hundreds of thousands of brilliant lights.