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The holidays are the perfect time to come together with friends and family, celebrating the magic of the season and taking part in the Raleigh area's holiday traditions, old and new. This list, full of events and activities in N.C.'s capital city area, should get you started on planning special ways to capture the holiday spirit this season. From performing arts productions to incredible light displays, these are some of the tried-and-true and can't-miss things to do during the holidays!
Nov. 5 through Feb. 9, 2025
At Fenton—the mixed-use, 440,000-square-foot live-work-play district in Cary—an outdoor skating rink is set to be put to good use this holiday season. Surrounded by spectacular food, trendy shops and wintry holiday cheer, the skating rink will be open every day—including Thanksgiving and Christmas—through Feb. 9.
More holiday events at Fenton:
Nov. 16 through Jan. 12, 2025
A super trip-worthy event for the whole family, the ninth annual North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival will bring 50 larger-than-life lantern displays to Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Made up of thousands of LED lights, displays light up the skies and mesmerize visitors on this self-guided walking tour. Beyond beautiful lanterns, the ticketed festival also welcomes a showcase of Chinese culture—nightly performances featuring martial arts, traditional dance, acrobatics, drum performances and more.
More than 200,000 visitors are expected to come from across the state to see these glowing works of art!
Nov. 22
Save the date for the Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting celebration! Arrive early for dinner and socializing in downtown with family and friends, then make your way to Lichtin Plaza at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts to enjoy tasty snacks and beverages from food trucks and local breweries, live holiday music and festive activities before the grand finale of the tree lighting.
Nov. 22 through Dec. 23
This pop-up, holiday-themed dessert café inside downtown Raleigh's Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts features elaborate decor, all-you-can eat sweet treats (including hot cocoa) and live entertainment on select nights—the perfect stop before or after a show for the whole family!
Nov. 23
The annual lighting of a 41-foot-tall Christmas tree, a visit from Santa Claus, trackless train rides for kids, live music and plenty of vendors on hand make this celebration an equally great event for families and a fun date idea in North Hills. Arrive a tad early to join in on the Holiday Shop & Stroll to knock out some shopping at local retailers while enjoying complimentary hot chocolate and cider.
Nov. 23
The largest Christmas parade between Atlanta and Washington, D.C., will march through downtown Raleigh for more than two hours, drawing nearly 60,000 visitors to the streets to see marching bands, dancers, giant balloons, superheroes, Santa Claus and more. Bring the whole family (including pets!) plus some chairs—there's great street-side viewing everywhere along the 1.4-mile route.
Nov. 23 through Jan. 20, 2025
Enjoy the thrill of ice skating in a wintry village created in the heart of downtown Raleigh! THE RINK features a natural ice skating rink with stunning views of the downtown Raleigh skyline, cozy lounging stations with heat warmers and fire pits, a snack bar, games, photo opportunities and more. This is a ticketed event, with recommendation that your purchase in advance ($6 for non-skaters, $15 includes skate rental).
If you can only see one or two of the nearly 200 performances by the North Carolina Symphony each year, this may be the time to do it! Special performances include: Cirque Holiday Pops (Nov. 27-30); Classical Christmas with Carlos (Dec. 6-7); Ugly Sweater Holiday Pops (Dec. 13); and Candlelight Christmas with Holiday Brass (Dec. 20-22).
Nov. 27 through Dec. 31
This spectacular, drive-in style light show, featuring more than 400,000 total lights synced to holiday music, was created by the Williams family of Wendell, who painstakingly design and assemble the glowing (and growing) event each year. Visitors park (or stand) and watch the show—which typically runs between 30 and 45 minutes depending on the year—from the viewing area in front of the display, plus use walkways that lead to some of the biggest displays. Dogs are welcome (on a leash!).
Dec. 2-18
This year-round favorite destination for families is now all dressed up for the holiday season, festively decked out with thousands of lights. The major attractions? A rideable, miniature train that meanders through and around the park plus a carousel that keeps kids of all ages happy for hours. Note: This incredibly popular event sells out quickly when tickets are made available (the on-sale date was Oct. 16 this year). Mark your calendars to plan ahead for next year!
Dec. 6 through Jan. 6, 2025
Downtown Raleigh comes to light with Illuminate, a light-based art walk. This free, five-week activation takes place in downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street and Glenwood South districts, transforming plazas and underutilized spaces with a large-scale interactive installation, light-based sculptures and projection art.
Details about art pieces and locations for this year will be revealed soon!
Dec. 6-22
Cinderella returns to Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) for its 40th year in 2024! This musical comedy is a holiday sugarplum for the whole family, showcasing just the right mixture of comedy and romance that add the sparkle of magic to your holiday season. This visually stunning musical combines elegant costumes and scenery with singing, dancing, conniving step-relatives and resourceful fairy folk.
Dec. 6
A perfect chance to experience historic downtown Wendell lit up for the holidays, with a visit from Santa Claus, trolley rides through town, lighting of the town tree, live music, hot chocolate, food trucks, a craft market and more. The previously mentioned Lake Myra Christmas light show—one of the East Coast's most dazzling displays—will also be in full swing, featuring more than 400,000 lights—and it's all free!
Dec. 6
A chance to visit beautiful downtown Wake Forest to experience the wonder and magic of the holiday season! Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., this year's ceremony will begin with musical performances by local groups followed by the lighting of a 30-foot-tall Christmas tree at 6:15pm and Santa's exciting arrival upon a Wake Forest fire truck.
Dec. 6-8
One of the Raleigh area's longest standing performing arts traditions, this iconic heater production has wowed more than a million guests over the last 50 years. A new—but familiar—face will be the star of the show in 2024. Ira David Wood III—who played Ebenezer Scrooge for the last half-century—has passed the baton to his son, Ira David Wood IV. But the show goes on (and it will be spectacular!).
Dec. 7, 8, 14, 15 and 21
Visitors to the New Hope Valley Railway—just 30 minutes southwest of Raleigh—are in for a treat this season as they line up to ride a real locomotive. The train and railway route are festively decorated, and Santa Claus will once again be in the rail yard to take photos with families (using your own camera) and young train fans can search for Santa’s nine missing reindeer (including Rudolph) during the 50-minute ride. Children will also receive one individually wrapped candy cane. Tickets for these rides sell out fast!
Dec. 7
A holiday season kick-off event at Downtown Cary Park, featuring Santa, an ice skating rink, snowball fights, photo opportunities, the official tree lighting ceremony and more surprises.
More holiday events in Cary:
Dec. 6 (tree lighting) and 7 (parade)
Christmas carols, a marching parade, shopping and food vendors and a visit from Santa in charming historic downtown Apex—this annual weekend tradition has so much to love!
Dec. 8
A wonderful local tradition, the Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade is thrilled to present marching bands, Santa Claus, decorated floats and more for attendees that line the streets!
Note: The Fuquay-Varina Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Dec. 5.
Dec. 9
The Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey needs no introduction. Don't miss this special event at Lenovo Center!
Dec. 10
The North Carolina Master Chorale, hailed by critics as the area's premier choral ensemble and the recipient of a Raleigh Medal of Arts award, has performed choral masterworks with an orchestra since 1942. Joy of the Season fills Meymandi Concert Hall with nearly 200 voices, guest choirs, a brass ensemble, percussion, piano and all the holiday spirit you can handle!
Dec. 12-24
Grace, grandeur and mysterious illusions. Carolina Ballet's holiday classic is a can't-miss tradition for locals, visitors, families and friends. Artistic director Zalman Raffael unveiled an updated version of the production in recent years, featuring new choreography, sets, costumes and more that will dazzle audiences again in 17 performances at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts this year.
Dec. 12
With luminaries lighting the Capitol grounds and local choral groups filling the air with seasonal songs, the lighting of the tree at the North Carolina State Capitol building is a sign for many that the holiday season is officially here. After the lighting of the tree, stick around to tour the inside of the Capitol, covered in wreaths and draped in garland.
Dec. 14
Floats, bands, dancers, decorated vehicles, horses, marching groups and other entertainment are ready to take to the streets in Holly Springs!
Note: Light the Springs, a menorah and tree lighting event, will take place Dec. 7.
Dec. 14-15
Historic Oakwood, one of Raleigh's prettiest and most historic neighborhoods (many of which are dated to the mid-1800s to early 1900s), has its own small-town feel. Elegantly decorated for the holidays, this favorite event gives you the rare chance to step inside about a dozen private homes, each of which is staffed with docents who tell the rich history of this Century Victorian neighborhood.
Dec. 14 and 15
There’s no better way to ring in the holidays than by joining The Raleigh Ringers for their annual holiday concerts, featuring the group’s unique interpretations of sacred, secular and popular music, including a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll.
Dec. 18
Multi-platinum, progressive rock group Trans-Siberian Orchestra is bringing its highly anticipated winter tour back to Lenovo Center for 2024! Celebrating more than 25 years of the bring-the-whole-family rock, this holiday tradition has now been played to more than 17 million fans all across the nation.
Dec. 31
Raleigh's biggest New Year celebration fills the city's center with crowds and activities: entertainment, live music, vendors and an epic grand finale that sees a giant copper acorn drop from the sky as the clock strikes midnight.
- Lafayette Village Tree Lighting, Nov. 16
- Village District Holiday Open House, Nov. 21
- Waverly Place Tree Lighting, Nov. 22
- Winter Wonderland at Park West Village, Nov. 22
- Pentatonix, Nov. 30
- Rolesville Christmas Parade, Dec. 1
- Cary Players present A Sherlock Carol, Dec. 5-9
- Sip N’ Shop at City of Raleigh Museum, Dec. 6
- Evening with Elves at Marbles Kids Museum, Dec. 6
- Fuquay-Varina Chorale Holiday Concert, Dec. 6-7
- Elf the Musical, Jr., Dec. 6-8
- Garner Christmas Parade, Party and Tree Lighting, Dec. 7
- Scandinavian Christmas Fair, Dec. 7
- Christmas Open House at the Joel Lane Museum House, Dec. 7
- Cary Ballet Company presents The Nutcracker, Dec. 7 and Dec. 20-22
- Neuse River Big Band Swingin' Holiday, Dec. 12
- Theatre Raleigh In Concert: Holiday Cabaret, Dec. 12-15
- Capital City Clauses 30th Annual Jingle Ball, Dec. 13
- MAKRS Holiday Fest, Dec. 14
- Knightdale Christmas Parade, Dec. 14
- Triangle Wind Ensemble: The Snowman and Other Holiday Favorites, Dec. 15
- Jim Brickman: Comfort & Joy, Dec. 17
- Christmas with C.S. Lewis, Dec. 18
- Gerald Parker Jazz Orchestra Holiday Concert, Dec. 21
- Jeanne Jolly & The Mistletoes, Dec. 21
- Christmas with The Embers ft. Craig Woolard, Dec. 23
- Pure Life Theatre presents The Motown Sound of Christmas, Dec. 27-28
Header photo via North Hills and Terrence Jones Photography
