30+ Christmas Activities & Events In Raleigh For 2026

Tis the season, y’all. It’s time to get merry by joining some Christmas activities in Raleigh where the holiday cheer is as joyful as your aunt Edna after one too many eggnogs.

We’ve lived here long enough now to have favorites. Pullen Park with the train at night. The lantern festival when it’s cold enough to see your breath. A Christmas Carol, which we’ve seen more times than we’ve seen some relatives.

However, the festive season in Raleigh is not just about Christmas. As a multicultural and diverse city, Raleigh hosts many other fun holiday events like Jewish Hannukah, African American Kwanzaa, the Chinese Lantern Festival, American Indian celebrations, Thanksgiving, and of course, New Years’ Eve! It’s the most magical time of the year, and if you’re looking for ways to bring family and friends together and celebrate the 2026 Holiday season in Raleigh, don’t miss these events.

This is the hub guide. The tree lightings, parades and markets each have their own guide, so those are summarized here with links. Everything else gets the full rundown.

Last updated: October 2026

What’s happening for Christmas in Raleigh in 2026?

The NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens at Koka Booth on November 21, 2026 and runs to January 10, 2027, and the American Indian Heritage Celebration lands the same Saturday. Pullen Park’s Holiday Express runs December 1 to 17 and tickets go on sale October 15, which is the one date on this page worth putting in your calendar now. The North Carolina Symphony has five separate holiday programs at Meymandi between November 25 and December 23, and Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol is at DPAC December 16 to 20. Moore Square Winterfaire, December 11 to 13, is the biggest holiday market in the city.

Book these now

• Pullen Park Holiday Express: tickets on sale Oct 15 at 9am, event runs Dec 1 to 17
• NC Chinese Lantern Festival: Nov 21 to Jan 10, timed sessions sell out on weekends
• A Christmas Carol at DPAC: Dec 16 to 20
• NC Symphony holiday season: Nov 25 to Dec 23
• Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour: Dec 12 and 13, sells out most years

Tree lightings across the Triangle

Nearly every town in Wake County does its own Christmas tree lighting. Raleigh kicks off the holiday season with its big tree lighting festival on Nov 20 at Moore Square. Christmas at North Hills and Candy Cane Lane in Zebulon are both on Saturday, Nov 21. Clayton and Fuquay-Varina go on Thursday, Dec 3. Apex, Knightdale, Wake Forest and Morrisville all light up on Friday, Dec 4. Downtown Cary Park, Garner, Holly Springs and Smithfield all go on Saturday, Dec 5. Rolesville is Monday, Dec 7.

All 30 tree lightings in Wake County with times, addresses and what each one involves, are in our Triangle tree lighting guide.

Christmas parades around Raleigh

Raleigh Christmas Parade

• When: Saturday, Nov 21, from 9:30am
• Where: Starts at Hillsborough Street and runs down Fayetteville Street, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: grma.org

The 82nd Raleigh Christmas Parade is the biggest Christmas parade in North Carolina, with marching bands, floats and balloons running for about two hours through downtown. Get there by 8:30am if you want a spot on Fayetteville Street, because the good curb goes early. Our full Raleigh Christmas Parade guide covers where to stand, where to park and where to get breakfast first.

Other town parades

• Apex Rotary Christmas Parade: the 2025 parade was Saturday, Dec 6, 2025 at 5pm in Downtown Apex. Check apexnc.org for the 2026 date
• Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade: the 2025 parade was Sunday, Dec 7, 2025, at 4pm. Check fuquayvarinachristmasparade.org for the 2026 date
• Smithfield Christmas Parade: Thursday, Dec 10, 2026 at 7pm in Downtown Smithfield. Confirmed on smithfield-nc.com
• Happy Holly Days Parade, Holly Springs: the 2025 parade was Saturday, Dec 13, 2025 at 10am. Check hollyspringsnc.gov for the 2026 date
• Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade: the 2025 parade was Saturday, Dec 13, 2025 from 2pm to 4pm in Downtown Cary. Check caryjaycees.org for the 2026 date

Watch our Raleigh Christmas Parade video from 2021

Christmas markets in Raleigh

Did you know that 90% of downtown Raleigh stores are locally and independently owned? This is the perfect time of the year to give them extra support. There’ll also be Holiday markets popping up throughout the season, and many of the stores will have their own sales.

The Christmas Carousel at the NC State Fairgrounds runs Nov 27 to 29 with more than 250 exhibitors. The 19th annual St. Nicholas European Christmas Market is Dec 4 and 5. Moore Square Winterfaire, Dec 11 to 13, is the biggest of them. There are more than 30 others.

All of them are in our Christmas markets in Raleigh guide, and there’s more on where to shop in our holiday shopping guide. Here is a post to help you find some local stores in Downtown Raleigh that we love. And you can See our North Hills gift guide.

Christmas lights and drive-through displays

NC Chinese Lantern Festival at Koka Booth

• When: Saturday, Nov 21 to Sunday, Jan 10, 2027. Gates open at 6pm daily and close at 10pm, with last entry at 9pm
• Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Pkwy, Cary
• Cost: From $19.32 for a weekday evening session up to $44.66 for an any-night ticket. Twilight sessions run $25.50 to $39.50. Children under 2 free
• Website: boothamphitheatre.com

The 11th annual NC Chinese Lantern Festival is the best holiday thing in the Triangle, and it isn’t close. Hand-built silk lanterns, a 200-foot dragon across the lake, and acrobats performing nightly, all lit up around the amphitheatre’s water. Sessions are timed and the weekend ones sell out, so book ahead and go on a weeknight if you can. We’ve written a full Chinese Lantern Festival guide with tips on parking, timing and what to wear.

The theme for 2026 has not yet been released! Don’t be fooled into thinking, you’ve been once you’ve seen it all. After several years of attending, last year’s was my favorite. and I felt they took it to a new level. I also loved 2024’s tribute to the Great Barrier Reef!

Christmas Lights on Holt Road, Apex

• When: Opens Thanksgiving week and runs on select nights through late December. The 2026 schedule hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Holt Road, Apex
• Cost: $20 per car in advance, $27 at the gate in 2025
• Website: mgglobalsupportfoundation.ticketspice.com

Known to be one of the best Christmas light displays in North Carolina is The Holt Road Christmas Lights located on Holt Road, Apex. It started as one family’s tradition of decorating their private home in an elaborate fashion as a way of bringing Christmas joy to the local community.

Holt Road is a single-family light display that got so big the town of Apex has to manage traffic for it. You drive through, the show is synced to music on your radio, and the money goes to charity. Buy in advance, because the gate price is a $7 penalty and the line is long either way.

MG and his family use this to expand his global reach for his humanitarian efforts in helping those displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. We visited this in 2023 and it was spectacular!

NOTE: Apex is also has the Holiday Tour of Lights, which is a guided tour of homes in Apex that have Christmas light displays. The tour takes place from December 6th until December 31st from 6:00pm – 9:00 pm. If you know of any other areas in Raleigh or Wake County who do this, please leave a comment with details for those reading this post.

Lake Myra Christmas Lights, Wendell

• When: Expected late November to New Year’s Eve. The 2025 show ran Nov 26 to Dec 31, 2025, and the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: 10 S Cypress St, Wendell
• Cost: Free, with donations encouraged
• Website: lakemyrachristmas.com

Lake Myra is the other big home display, a synchronized light-and-music show in Wendell that runs most of December for free. People pair it with Wendell Wonderland, since both are in the same small town. Bring cash for the donation bucket, because it’s what keeps it running.

Fieldstream Farm Festival of Lights

• When: Expected late November to New Year’s Eve. The 2025 season ran Nov 28 to Dec 31, 2025, and the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Fieldstream Farm, 3101 Rock Service Station Rd, Raleigh
• Cost: Ticketed, priced per car. Check the site for 2026 pricing
• Website: fieldstreamfarm.com

Fieldstream Farm runs a drive-through light trail on a working farm in southeast Raleigh, with a Santa stop and a hot chocolate window at the end. It’s closer to town than most of the drive-throughs, which matters when you’ve got kids falling asleep in the back. Book a time slot rather than turning up.

Hillridge Farms Festival of Lights

• When: Expected late November to late December, from 5pm to 10pm. The 2025 season ran Nov 27 to Dec 28, 2025, and the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Hillridge Farms, 703 Tarboro Rd, Youngsville
• Cost: Ticketed, priced per car. Check the site for 2026 pricing
• Website: hillridgefarms.com

Hillridge Farms is a 30-minute drive north and runs a longer light trail than Fieldstream, plus a barn with food and a bonfire. It’s the same farm that does the pumpkin patch in October, so if you went then, you know the drill. Five hours a night means you can go late and skip the early rush.

Lights on the Neuse

• When: Expected to open in late November. The 2025 season opened Nov 28, 2025, and the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Smithfield, Johnston County
• Cost: Ticketed, priced per car. Check the site for 2026 pricing
• Website: lightsontheneuse.com

Lights on the Neuse is a drive-through display down in Johnston County, and the scale of it justifies the drive from Raleigh. Tune your radio, keep the windows down, and plan 30 to 40 minutes inside. Pair it with Smithfield’s December weekends, which run carriage rides and Santa’s Hut.

Country Christmas Train at Denton Farm Park

• When: Expected across weekends from late November to just before Christmas. The 2025 season ran Nov 28 to 30, Dec 5 to 7, Dec 11 to 14 and Dec 18 to 23, 2025, and the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Denton Farm Park, 1072 Cranford Rd, Denton
• Cost: Ticketed. Check the site for 2026 pricing
• Website: dentonfarmpark.com

The Country Christmas Train is a real steam train through a lit-up farm park, and it’s the furthest thing on this list at about 90 minutes from Raleigh. Treat it as a day trip rather than an evening out. It’s the best of the train options if your kid is serious about trains.

There are plenty more within half an hour of the city. Our Christmas light displays guide has the neighborhood ones too.

Ice skating in Raleigh and Cary

THE RINK at Red Hat Amphitheater

• When: Status unknown for the 2026-27 season. Read the note below before planning around this one
• Where: Previously Red Hat Amphitheater, 500 S McDowell St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: $15 admission including skate rental and $6 for non-skaters in 2025
• Website: ticketmaster.com

THE RINK has turned the Red Hat Amphitheater stage area into an outdoor ice rink for six weeks every winter, right in the middle of downtown. Be warned, the rink is small, but we find the ice better for skating then Feonton.

Red Hat Amphitheater is being demolished for the Convention Center expansion. 2026 was its final season at 500 S McDowell St, it closes in late October, and the convention center expansion takes the site. A larger replacement amphitheater a block south is due to open in 2027. Nobody has said where THE RINK goes in the meantime, so treat it as unconfirmed until the city or the venue announces something. We will update or delete this once we hear. Our guide to THE RINK covers how it has worked in past seasons.

Skate the Square at Fenton

• When: Expected to open in early November and run into February. The 2025-26 season ran Nov 7, 2025 to Feb 8, 2026, and the 2026-27 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Fenton Square, 21 Fenton Main St, Cary
• Cost: $18 including skate rental, with a $90 season pass in 2025-26
• Website: fentonnc.com

Skate the Square runs longer than any other rink in the region, opening before Thanksgiving and staying up into February, so it’s the one that’s still there in January when everything else has packed up. The square is decorated the whole time, and the restaurants are right on the ice.

We love Skate the Square at Fenton. It has a truly magical Christmas feel about it, similar to how Christmas in New York feels. Our tip is to go early to beat the crowds, and right at dusk so you can enjoy a day and night skate. Make it extra magical, by reserving your photos with Santa in his igloo!

Holiday concerts and shows

The North Carolina Symphony runs its whole holiday season at Meymandi Concert Hall, inside the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, and all five 2026 programs are confirmed.

North Carolina Symphony Cirque Holiday Pops

• When: Wednesday, Nov 25 at 4pm, and Friday, Nov 27 and Saturday, Nov 28 at 3pm and 7:30pm
• Where: Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Check the symphony site for current pricing
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Cirque Holiday Pops pairs the orchestra with aerialists and circus performers, conducted by Sophie Mok, and it’s the one holiday concert that holds the attention of a seven-year-old. The Wednesday 4pm show is the family-friendly slot and the easiest one to get into. It runs over Thanksgiving week, so it’s the opening of the symphony’s season.

Handel’s Messiah with the North Carolina Symphony

• When: Friday, Dec 4 at 7:30pm and Saturday, Dec 5 at 3pm
• Where: Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Check the symphony site for current pricing
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Handel’s Messiah with the full chorus is the traditional one, conducted by Michael Francis across two performances. Two and a half hours with an intermission, and everyone stands for the Hallelujah chorus. The Saturday matinee is the better bet if you’re coming in from out of town.

North Carolina Symphony Holiday Pops

• When: Friday, Dec 11 at noon, and Saturday, Dec 12 at 3pm and 7:30pm
• Where: Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Check the symphony site for current pricing
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Holiday Pops is the carols-and-singalong one, conducted by David Glover, and the Friday noon performance is a long-running Raleigh tradition for people who take a long lunch to go. Three chances at it across two days. Bring someone’s grandmother.

Ugly Sweater Holiday Pops

• When: Friday, Dec 11 at 7:30pm
• Where: Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Check the symphony site for current pricing
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Ugly Sweater Holiday Pops is the same program with the dress code inverted, and enough of the audience commits that it’s worth digging something awful out of the closet. One performance only, on the Friday night. It’s the loosest night of the symphony’s year.

A Candlelight Christmas

• When: Tuesday, Dec 22 and Wednesday, Dec 23, at 3pm and 7:30pm each day
• Where: Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Check the symphony site for current pricing
• Website: ticketmaster.com

A Candlelight Christmas is the quietest of the five, with the symphony joined by the NC Symphony Youth Choir under Jeremy Tucker, and it falls in the last two days before Christmas. Four performances across two days. This is the one to go to if the season has been loud and you want an hour of something still.

Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol at DPAC

• When: Wednesday, Dec 16 to Sunday, Dec 20. Wed to Fri at 7:30pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7:30pm, Sunday at 1pm and 6:30pm
• Where: DPAC, 123 Vivian St, Durham
• Cost: From $35 plus tax. Ages 5 and over only
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Ira David Wood III’s A Christmas Carol has run every year since 1974, and this is the version Raleigh grew up with: a musical comedy Scrooge rather than a solemn one. Ira David Wood IV now plays Scrooge, with his father on stage as the Lamplighter. Theatre in the Park also stages a Raleigh run at the Martin Marietta Center most years, usually in early December, but the 2026 Raleigh dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide. We found this show hilarious! I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. It’s definitely one of the best things to do for Christmas in Raleigh!

Carolina Ballet’s The Nutcracker

• When: Thursday, Dec 10 to Sunday, Dec 20, with 16 performances across the run
• Where: Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: From around $40
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Carolina Ballet’s Nutcracker is the big professional production, and its version has a magician woven into the staging, which is unusual enough that people who’ve seen a dozen Nutcrackers still talk about it. The run is two weeks long, so there’s more availability here than at most holiday shows. Matinees are the family slot.

Cary Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker

• When: Saturday, Dec 5, at 11am, 1:30pm and 5:30pm
• Where: Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E South St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: $41
• Website: ticketmaster.com

Cary Ballet Company’s Nutcracker is the community production, with local kids in the cast, and it’s warmer and cheaper than the professional one. If you know a child in it, this is the one you’re going to anyway. We’ve written about Cary Ballet Company’s Nutcracker separately.

Candlelight concerts at Merrimon-Wynne House

• When: Sunday, Dec 6 at 8:45pm for Christmas Carols on Strings, and Sunday, Dec 13 at 6:30pm for the Holiday Special featuring The Nutcracker
• Where: The Merrimon-Wynne House, 500 N Blount St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: From $38 for Christmas Carols on Strings, from $40 for the Holiday Special
• Website: Christmas Carols on Strings and Holiday Special featuring The Nutcracker

Candlelight puts a string quartet in a room lit by thousands of flameless candles, and the Merrimon-Wynne House is the prettiest venue they use in Raleigh. My daughter and I loved a Taylor Swift candlelight experience! And the Merrimon-Wynne House is gorgeous. Two of the programs are built for the season: Christmas Carols on Strings on Dec 6, and the Holiday Special featuring The Nutcracker on Dec 13. Both run about an hour, both sell out, and Candlelight schedules an early and a late show most nights, so check which slot you’re booking. Not to be confused with the symphony’s A Candlelight Christmas further up this page, which is a different thing entirely. There’s more on the format and the other programs in our Candlelight concerts guide.

The Jury Experience, The Deadly Boat Ride

• When: Saturday, Dec 12, running about 60 minutes
• Where: Jones Auditorium at Meredith College, 3800 Hillsborough St, Raleigh
• Cost: From $48, up to $68 depending on where you sit
• Website: feverup.com

The Jury Experience isn’t a Christmas show, but it’s the best non-festive night out in December if you’ve had enough of carols. The audience sits as the jury, hears the testimony and the cross-examinations, and votes on a verdict. One night a month, an hour long, and you’re out in time for dinner.

Caroline: the three entries above are Fever Originals and every link in them is a plain feverup.com URL. Swap each for your Fever affiliate link before publishing. Search the post for feverup.com to find them all.

More holiday shows

• Dec 8: North Carolina Master Chorale, Joy of the Season, Meymandi Concert Hall, 7:30pm
• Dec 19: Raleigh Ringers, Meymandi Concert Hall, 4pm

The rest of DPAC’s holiday season

All confirmed for 2026. A Christmas Carol has its own entry above.

• Nov 19: NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet
• Nov 20: A Drag Queen Christmas, hosted by Nina West
• Nov 25 to Dec 6: ‘Twas the Night Before, by Cirque du Soleil, 12 performances
• Dec 8-13: The Bodyguard, Broadway at DPAC, from $50
• Dec 23: Straight No Chaser, 7:30pm
• Dec 27: The Hip Hop Nutcracker, 7pm
• Dec 29 to Jan 3: Mamma Mia!, from $50

A Magical Cirque Christmas is on this year too, but at the Martin Marietta Center on Nov 13, not DPAC. Mannheim Steamroller and Elf The Musical are not in DPAC’s 2026 holiday season.

Still to be announced

• Clara’s Trip, a Cirque and Dance Nutcracker Story: ran Dec 22 and 23 in 2025 at the Martin Marietta Center. No 2026 dates yet. Watch Caroline Calouche & Co. on Ticketmaster, the company that produces it.
• Christmas with The Embers: ran Dec 23 in 2025 at The Rialto. Check therialto.com closer to the date.

Christmas with kids in Raleigh

Pullen Park Holiday Express

• When: Tuesday, Dec 1 to Thursday, Dec 17. Tickets go on sale Thursday, Oct 15 at 9am
• Where: Pullen Park, 520 Ashe Ave, Raleigh
• Cost: $21 per person plus tax and fees
• Website: raleighnc.gov

Pullen Park’s Holiday Express is the best kids’ Christmas event in Raleigh and it sells out, so the October 15 ticket date matters more than the event date. The train runs through a lit park, and there’s an Enchanted Elevator to the North Pole, Santa’s Toy Shop, a carousel, crafts and a Yeti scavenger hunt across themed areas. Sensory-friendly sessions run Dec 6 and Dec 13 from 1pm to 4pm with reduced noise and crowds. More on the park in our Pullen Park guide.

Santa’s Reindeer Roundup Express

• When: Expected on weekends through December. The 2025 season ran Saturdays and Sundays, Dec 7 to 21, 2025, and the 2026 dates hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: New Hope Valley Railway, 3900 Bonsal Rd, New Hill
• Cost: From around $18.61
• Website: nhvry.org

The New Hope Valley Railway runs a real train out of its museum site near Apex, with Santa on board and a stop to meet the reindeer. It’s a 40-minute drive southwest of Raleigh and the trains fill up on weekends. Dress warm, because the cars are open-sided.

Great Raleigh Trolley Holiday Tours

• When: Nov 28 to Dec 23, 2026; various times
• Where: Departs from Tap Yard, 701 N Person St, Mordecai
• Cost: $20 to $35 depending on the tour
• Website: greatraleightrolley.com

The Great Raleigh Trolley runs holiday light tours out of Mordecai, with a few different routes and price points depending on whether there’s a drink involved. It’s one of the only ways to see Raleigh’s lights without driving. Book ahead, because the trolley holds about 30 people.

• The Santa Express is perfect for the younger kids with Santa visiting each child on the ride. (This one typically sells out in 24 hours). It takes place every Saturday and lasts for 50 minutes.
• Holiday Cheers Bar Cruise is a spirited party tour for adults! Tour lasts 1.5 hours.
• Ghost lovers will enjoy hearing the tales of Raleigh’s ghosts of Christmas past on the Christmas Sprits Ghost tour.
• The Must-See Raleigh Holiday tour visits the most popular holiday sights throughout Downtown.
• Cocoa and Caroling tour is a one-hour tour around Raleigh listening to Christmas carols and drinking cocoa
• Moonshine and Mistletoe (
• Hidden Raleigh: Holiday Christmas Past is a 1-hour tour taking your around to learn about Raleigh’s historic holiday locales
• There are also a private family holiday trolley rides available.

Photos with Santa

Crabtree Valley Mall runs Santa from early November to Christmas Eve, and Fenton does a Santa in Wonderland igloo on select December dates. There’s also a boutique Santa experience up in Wake Forest. Dates and booking links for all of them are in our guide to finding Santa in Raleigh and the Triangle.

Hanukkah in Raleigh

Hannukah is one of the most popular Jewish holidays of the year. It’s an eight-day festival, known as the Holiday of Lights, that “reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival” – Britannica.

Chanukah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, 2026.

• Town of Cary menorah lighting: check carync.gov
• Crabtree Valley Mall and Lafayette Village lightings: c
• Handmade Hanukkah Market at Temple Beth Or: check tboraleigh.org
• Lafayette Village will have a menorah lighting. Times to be confirmed but check the website nearer the time.
• Downtown Raleigh also runs an annual menorah lighting in Moore Square. Check downtownraleigh.org for the 2026 date.

Other Holiday things worth doing in Raleigh

Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour

• When: Saturday, Dec 12 and Sunday, Dec 13, from 1pm to 7pm both days
• Where: Historic Oakwood, starting at the Tucker House, 418 N Person St, Raleigh
• Cost: $40 for individuals and $43 for groups of 10 or more
• Website: historicoakwood.org

The 55th Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour opens a handful of the neighborhood’s Victorian homes to the public for one weekend, decorated for Christmas and lit by candle. It sells out most years, and the Society for the Preservation of Historic Oakwood encourages advance tickets for that reason. We usually go every year and love meeting the neighbors, seeing the decorations and learning more of the history behind each home. Our full Oakwood Candlelight Tour guide covers what you actually see inside.

American Indian Heritage Celebration

• When: Saturday, Nov 21, from 11am to 4pm, with a virtual education day on Friday, Nov 20 from 9am to 2pm
• Where: North Carolina Museum of Art, East Building and Gipson Plaza, 2110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: ncmuseumofhistory.org

The American Indian Heritage Celebration marks its 30th anniversary in 2026, with dance, music, storytelling and artisans from North Carolina’s eight state-recognized tribes. It’s run by the NC Museum of History but it’s being held at the NC Museum of Art while the History building is closed for renovation, so don’t go downtown looking for it. Free, four hours, and the best cultural event on this page.

Illuminate Art Walk

• When: Expected early December to early January.
• Where: Fayetteville Street, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: downtownraleigh.org

The Illuminate Art Walk lines Fayetteville Street with lit art installations for a month, which makes it the easiest free thing on this list. Walk it after dinner downtown. You can grab a sip and stroll from nearby restaurants and bars as you wander. It overlaps with many downtown Christmas experiences such as Moore Square Winterfaire and the International Holiday Market, both a few minutes away.

Every year they introduce new light installations including a major featured art piece, usually by a notable national or international artist. We visit every year and will update our Illuminate Art Walk with the 2026 installations and photos once we hear more about it for this year.

Jingle Ball Charity Gala

• Where: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
• When: Dec 11, 2026; 7pm – 10:30pm
• Cost: $175+
• Tickets

One of the biggest events of the year happens in the holiday season. The Jingle Ball Charity Gala is put on by Capital City Clauses with an important mission to bring hope, cheer and joy to kids in need.

This Black Tie and 21+ age event with 800+ people includes live music and entertainment, unlimited beer, wine, and cocktails, and excellent networking and Holiday fun, while supporting a great cause! We love that it has returned this year to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences as it’s such a fun venue for an event.

Festive bars and Christmas pop-ups

Several Raleigh bars go fully decorated for the season, and a few build whole pop-up experiences. Glenwood South and the Warehouse District are where most of them are. Our festive bars and Christmas pop-ups guide has the current list, and our cocktail bars guide covers the rest of the year.

Cut your own Christmas tree

Boyce Farms on Mount Vernon Church Road and Back Achers on Inwood Road are the two cut-your-own farms inside Raleigh, both opening around Thanksgiving. There are more within an hour, including in the mountains, which is where most North Carolina Fraser firs come from. Our Christmas tree guide has opening dates, prices and what to bring.

Give back

December is when local charities need the most help and get the least attention. Shop Local Raleigh and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance both run drives, Toys for Tots has drop-off points across Wake County, and the food bank’s need peaks in the weeks either side of Christmas. In 2023, the girls and I helped to sort and pack Christmas presents for those in need with the Nog Run Club through the Wake County Holiday Cheer Program.  Our Giving Tuesday guide lists local organizations worth supporting.

Ring in the new year

First Night Raleigh takes over downtown on New Year’s Eve with the acorn drop at midnight, an early acorn drop for families at 7pm, and performances across venues all evening. Our New Year’s Eve in Raleigh guide covers the whole night including the restaurant and bar options.

Attend an Ugly Sweater Party!

We love Ugly Sweater parties! Craig and I won the ugly sweater prize at the Raleigh Founded Christmas party – Holiday Bucket List check. I was so happy to find a llama sweater as one of our favorite family travel memories for 2021 was walking alpacas in Shenandoah Valley Virginia.

You’re sure to find a bar or community social event during the Holiday season who is having one. There are several running in 2026, including Ugly Sweater Brunch or the classic Bar Crawl Ugly Sweater Party. See events here. If these don’t take your fancy, create your own with a group of friends, either at someone’s house, or by bar crawling down Glenwood Avenue.

Raleigh Accommodation

Traveling to Raleigh for a Christmas event and need accommodation? If you’re coming in for the holidays, downtown is the right base because the tree lighting, the parade, Moore Square Winterfaire and most of the shows are all walkable from there If you visit Raleigh from out of town for any Holiday events, here are our recommendations for accommodation in Downtown Raleigh:

• Residence inn Downtown Raleigh – fantastic location and big suites
• StateView Hotel – hidden away in a forest on NC State’s Campus
• Sheraton Raleigh Downtown is another great option for location
• Casso Hotel – fantastic boutique hotel with Raleigh personality in a great location
• Check out 10 of our short-term rental favorites

You can also use the list view below to book directly:

Final Thoughts

I hope you found a few activities on this list of Christmas events in Raleigh NC for 2026. If more events come to light between now and the new year, I’ll add them in. Read our list of ideas of things to do on New Year’s Eve in Raleigh.

We have a holiday bucket list with many more ideas for ways to enjoy the festive season in Raleigh. It’s available to all members of our email community. It’s free and I regularly share free checklists, guides, insider tips, personal stories, fun finds and the best events in Raleigh you don’t want to miss. Join below 👇

If you are visiting from out of town and have a few extra days, here are some guides to help you plan out your days exploring Raleigh:

• 24 hour itinerary guide for Raleigh
• 48 hour itinerary guide for Raleigh NC
• Our favorite downtown Raleigh restaurants
• Best rooftop bars in Raleigh

If you found this blog post helpful, please share it with your friends via email or social media.

Common questions about Holiday Events in Raleigh