When the first dusting of snow sprinkles its magic across North Carolina, it can only mean one thing. The state becomes a Carolinas-wonderland during the Holiday season. The mountain towns glisten like a Hallmark card, and the cities are draped in ribbons of twinkling lights – there is no better state to spend the festive season than the Tar Heel state.
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate Christmas in North Carolina, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve experienced many Holiday attractions and activities in North Carolina that got us in the Yule tide spirit, and we’re here to help you feel the same.
Whether you want to wander the grand halls of the Biltmore Estate and snap selfies with regency-decorated rooms filled with Christmas trees, or you want to ride the Polar Express like in the movies, there can be no doubt that Christmas in North Carolina is magical as there are so many things to do in NC at Christmas.
But what are the top experiences? What should you not miss? In this guide, we’ll be covering all the best experiences in the state that we’ve personally experienced, so you can have the festive holiday trip of your dreams!
1. Ride the The Polar Express, Bryson City
One of the most popular attractions in NC during the Christmas holidays is to ride the Polar Express from Bryson City. The experience is just like in the movie – you board a vintage train and ride for 1 hour 15 minutes to the “North Pole” to meet Santa, before returning to the Bryson City Depot.
If you’re looking for Christmassy experiences with kids that they will remember for the rest of their days, then this will be it. Each year, around 90,000 people visit Bryson City in the months of November and December to ride the Polar Express on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR), and it regularly sells out.
Just like in the movie, you are served hot chocolate with a song, along with a snickerdoodle cookie, and can watch dancing elves outside the train windows. The highlight is when Santa boards the train to give out Christmas gifts. And many people attend the Polar Express experience dressed in pajamas to really feel like they’re in the movie.
If you have time, don’t hurry away after the train journey. Spend a while walking around downtown Bryson City to see all the beautiful Christmas decorations and lighting displays. It’s one of North Carolina’s most Christmassy towns!
The Polar Express departs from Bryson City Depot, 45 Mitchell Street in Bryson City and operates from November 6th – December 31st, 2025. It’s advised you arrive one hour before the departure time. Get tickets here. We have a guide here on The Polar Express, Bryson City NC and click play on the video below to see it live in action!
2. Watch the Raleigh Christmas Parade
Christmas parades are something unique and special to the USA, and in North Carolina, you simply cannot miss the Christmas parade in Raleigh. The size and scale of the parade is impressive, and it is the largest Christmas Parade between Washington DC and Atlanta. Each year, more than 60,000 visitors visit Raleigh for a single day to watch this iconic Christmas event.
Grab your spot on the sidewalk in downtown to watch up to 115 performances pass by, including marching bands, floats and specialty vehicles, as well as horseback riders and helium balloon characters.
The event is organized by local shops as publicity for their stores before the Christmas shopping begins. You might also see some floats dedicated to charity organizations to raise awareness of their cause. The parade starts at Hillsborough Street at the intersection of St. Mary’s Street and finishes at Lenoir Street at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. It lasts for around 2.5-3 hours, and starts at 9.30am. We suggest you get there from around 7.30am to get a good spot to view it from.
The parade takes place on November 22, 2025 and travels around a 1.4-mile route around the downtown streets in Raleigh. You can see the full route map here.
Video: Raleigh Christmas Parade 2021
3. Visit Christmas Town, aka McAdenville
Christmas Town is arguably one of the main reasons why people visit North Carolina for Christmas. The quiet town of McAdenville is a normal town throughout January – November, but when December comes, it has a whole new name – and here’s why.
In 1980, the small town was brought to public attention after it featured on the Charles Kuralt Morning Show as the most festive town in America. This town only has around 1,000 full-time residents, but during the months of November and December, it receives 600,000 visitors, all wanting to gaze upon the town’s decoration.
It’s as though a Christmas decoration box the size of the moon exploded over the town as every square inch of the streets and homes are decorated in Christmas spirit and holiday magic.
The annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on December 1st, 2025, on Main Street and is when a child from the town turns on the Christmas tree display, officially starting the festive holidays. The subsequent evenings host a Christmas Light Show, which runs from the December 1st until December 26th, and starts from 5.30pm until 10:00 pm. The event shows downtown McAdenville’s Christmas light displays come to life.
The town also hosts a Yule Log Parade on the December 11th, 2025, which has been a tradition since 1949. The parade features a marching band and carolers and starts from Main Street and travels through the historic district before finishing at a Memorial Yule Log Fireplace at Legacy Park.
Read more: Festive Towns in North Carolina for a Hallmark Holiday Getaway
4. Check out the Oakwood Candlelight Tour in Raleigh
Oakwood is the historic district of Raleigh, where most homes date back to the mid-1800s to 1900s. It’s a beautiful area to wander through any time of the year, but at Christmas, this area really comes into its own. Each year, the historic homes in Oakwood are decorated with hundreds of decorations and lanterns.
There are ten properties in particular that open their doors to visitors on the Annual Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour, where visitors can see inside an elegantly decorated historic home.
Not only that, but you can see how lovingly preserved these Victorian homes are. You get to glimpse into the architecture and craftsmanship in a more intimate way, which you can’t do any other time of year. This once a year event takes place on one weekend only – on Saturday 13th December and Sunday 14th December, and the homes are open from 1.00pm to 7.00pm.
Read more: The best Christmas events in Raleigh
5. Drive into Charlotte on the Speedway Christmas
Of course, no trip to North Carolina at Christmas would be complete without taking a visit to the Queen city of Charlotte. But it’s not necessarily the city that you should come to see, but more the way into the city.
Each year, the Charlotte Motor Speedway becomes the brightest and most iconic speedway in America, as it’s lined with thousands of twinkling lights. Presented by Continental Tire and Tire Pros, the sea of 4 million twinkling LEDs light up the country’s largest drive-thru speedway, including the oval, road course and concourse of the 4-mile long speedway.
But it doesn’t stop there, every Thursday to Sunday evening from November 21st to January 4th, the speedway has a light show from 6pm until 10pm. Of course, with an event as cool as this, you can’t simply rock up. You need to purchase a ticket, which varies in price depending on the vehicle. This is sure to bring Christmas cheer to everyone who comes to visit Charlotte.
If you need a place to stay, check out these top-rated hotels in Charlotte.
6. Witness Candlelight Christmas at Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore House near downtown Asheville is a gorgeous stately mansion and America’s Largest Home. Its interiors are decorated with fresco paintings, huge open fireplaces and ornate detailing in every corner.
This huge Châteauesque-style residence was built for George Washington Vanderbilt II in 1889-1895. The house is magical all year round, but even more so during the festive period. The inside has been filled with decorations and no less than 67 elaborate decorated Christmas Trees. The highlight being the 35-ft. live Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall, and a 55ft Spruce Tree in the gardens.
Around the estate, you’ll find a further 100+ decorated trees in the grounds, with over 25,000 ornaments. There’s 1.5 miles of fresh garlands and 500 wreaths, 2,000 poinsettias and 100 kissing balls. Needless to say, this is one home that takes Christmas decorations seriously!
North Carolina is excited that the Biltmore Estate will be opened this year for Christmas after a quick recovery from Hurricane Helene! The Christmas at Biltmore daytime events go from Nov 2nd, 2025, to Jan 4, 2026.
Throughout the holiday season, the house has a Candlelight Christmas Evening event from November 2nd until January 3rd, 2026. Watch the video.
The event features a tour of the house, gardens, Antler Hill Village and the Winery where you’ll partake in a complimentary wine tasting event. You’ll be greeted with choirs and live musicians, to really amp up the festive spirit.
You must purchase tickets in advance for the Candlelight Christmas Events. There are several ticket types as well, some are just the house and gardens, and others include the Tutankhamun: His Tomb and His Treasures exhibition. All tickets include Antler Village and complimentary wine tasting there. You can even choose to stay at Biltmore for the night if you want to!
Read our guide to visiting the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.
7. Ride the Tweetsie Railroad in Boone
Don’t miss the town of Boone during Thanksgiving and Christmas for the Tweetsie Christmas event at the Tweetsie Railroad. The Tweetsie Railroad is North Carolina’s first theme park and a special place where you can live out your Wild West fantasies.
The iconic Tweetsie Railroad takes you on a journey through the Blue Ridge Mountains on a vintage narrow-gauge steam locomotive. Just for the holiday season, this locomotive passes through a twinkling wonderland during the evenings of the Tweetsie Christmas Event.
The event opens on November 28th, 2025 and operates every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening until December 28th, plus additional evenings on the 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th December. Train rides start at 5:30pm, but to beat the crowds, be sure to book your ticket online first.
You’ll also be graced with a live performance at the Tweetsie Palace, get a chance to meet Santa at Santa’s Gingerbread House, roast s’mores over an outdoor fire pit and, of course, ride the amusement rides.
The doors open at 5.00pm, and we highly recommend you come at this time to meet Santa and watch the show before the big crowds arrive. See our REEL of our Tweetsie Railroad experience in Boone in 2024:
Read more things to do in Boone in our guide!
8. Catch the Fireworks at the Candlelight Event at Tryon Palace, New Bern
Another notable experience in North Carolina at Christmas not to miss is the Candlelight event at Tryon Palace. On the eve of Saturday 13th December and Saturday 20th December, between 4.30pm and 9.30pm, this historic house is illuminated with stunning decorations that resemble the story of a mysterious princess who was illuminated by the magical glow of candlelight.
The event features a tour of the Governor’s Palace, Stanly House, Dixon House, and expansive grounds. As well as tours, there is live entertainment and activities in the Performance Tent, as well as a series of food trucks cooking up delicious food outside the main gate.
Head over to the King’s Arms Tavern and Mistletoe Corner to enjoy mulled wine and delicious festive snacks. The festive evening is concluded with a black powder fireworks display. It doesn’t get any merrier and more festive than this!
9. See Incredible Cultural Arts at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival
North Carolina has a multicultural community and what we love about this state is that every culture is celebrated, even during Christmas. On November 15th until January 11th 2026, The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival takes place.
The festival features hundreds of huge and colorful lanterns created by Chinese artisans. Each year, the event gets bigger and better, and this year promises 40 all new displays. Each lantern display is created with hundreds of parts and illuminated by LED lights. This is a true holiday celebration of craftsmanship and tradition. There is also a main stage featuring cultural arts performances.
The event has become hugely popular over the past couple of years, so be sure to book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. Read more in our guide to the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary and our guide to the Koka Booth Amphitheater, where the festival is held, and one of our favorite venues in the Triangle.
10. Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum, Asheville
The North Carolina Arboretum’s Winter Lights show is an unmissable festive experience in North Carolina for the Christmas season. While the arboretum is currently closed due to Hurricane Helene impacts, they are planning to open for the Winter Lights!
As you walk-through the gardens and arboretum, the grounds are slow with new lighting displays and decorations. The highlight is a giant 50-foot illuminated Christmas Tree and the Quilt Garden.
Each year, the event showcases many favorite lights designs plus some new creations. The event runs every evening from November 15th, 2025, until January 4th, 2026. Tickets can only be purchased online, and each guest is given a designated time slot of either 6.00pm, 7.00pm or 8.00pm.
Read our guide on things to do in Downtown Asheville as well as top rated places to stay in Asheville. We love Hotel Indigo in Downtown Asheville.
11. See the Winter Lights Event at Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo
The Winter Lights event at The Elizabethan Gardens in the Outer Banks is a holiday tradition filled with joy and Yuletide spirit. As you wander along the stunning garden walks, the pathway is illuminated with festive holiday lights and decorations that turn this ten-acre garden into a wonderland.
As well as being illuminated in thousands of twinkling lights, each evening is alive with activities and entertainment. Come and meet Santa, get your face painted, or watch live music and choirs sing on selected evenings.
The Winter Lights evenings run on select dates between November 21st until December 30th, from 6.00pm until 9.00pm. This is a weather dependent event, and tickets can only be reserved online as each person has a timed entrance. Here are more ideas on things to do in Manteo and Roanoke Island while there.
12. Watch the North Carolina Holiday Flotilla, Wrightsville Beach
Another Christmas parade to make sure you catch is the North Carolina Holiday Flotilla in Wrightsville Beach. The parade has been running since 1983 and features lit-up floats and performances, followed by fireworks show.
The parade happens on November 29th at 6.00pm and is viewable from Wrightsville Beach Park. It’s also free to watch the event, so if you’re looking for free things to do in North Carolina during the holidays, this has to be it.
While the parade starts at 6.00pm, the festivities begin at 10.00am when the Festival in the Park opens. During the daytime festival, you can take part in arts and crafts, watch a car show competition and order some food from local food vendors.
Here are things to do in Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, awesome places to eat in Wrightsville Beach, and top places to stay in Wrightsville Beach.
13. Go ice skating in Fenton
One of our favorite things about Christmas is the ice rinks! It seems every town and city has its own ice rink, but one we enjoy going to is Skate the Square at Fenton, Cary. There’s something about the small-town atmosphere that brings a certain charm to this ice rink!
It’s surrounded by food stalls, pop up shops selling gifts and artisan products, and sometimes live music. And you can have photos with Santa here inside an igloo! The ice rink is open from November 7th until February 8th, 2026, 7 days a week, from 3pm until late! See times and get tickets here!
14. Light the Knights Festival in Charlotte
For the 6th year running, Truist Field in Charlotte will host its Light the Knights Festival, which features an ice-skating rink, snow tubing, a Christmas market and over 10,000 twinkling lights and merry decor. Head to the Christmas Village to shop for unique artisan products or eat some delectable holiday treats or check out the Holiday Light Show!
The Light the Knights Festival takes place from November 26th, 2025, until January 4th, 2026. You can buy tickets here!
15. Tanglewood Festival of Lights, Winston Salem
Another annual light show for the Holiday season takes place at Tanglewood Park in Winston-Salem’s rolling countryside. It’s open every night from November 14th until January 1st 2026, from 6pm until 11pm.
The Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights features more than one million LED lights and 80 displays, and draws 55,000 vehicles and approximately 300,000 visitors each year to see storybook scenes and Holiday magic twinkle to life. The lights are also accompanied by original music composed by the UNC School of the Arts students.
16. WinterFest at Carowinds
Every year, North Carolina’s beloved theme park Carowinds has a Holiday festival, WinterFest, which features holiday themed entertainment and craft activities for kids. As well as having Holiday themed entertainment, the park is dressed up the park in Yuletide magic! Queue under twinkling lights for your favorite rides, and check out newer attractions such as Snoopy’s Racing Railway. Carowinds also has winter hours, 11am – 7pm.
Is it worth visiting North Carolina during the Christmas season?
You might be asking yourself, is it worth it to visit North Carolina at Christmas? The short answer is, absolutely! North Carolina goes all out at Christmas, possibly due to being a largely Christian State. The people are merry, the carols are ringing, and the lights are twinkling!
Does it snow on Christmas in North Carolina?
If you’re planning a trip to North Carolina for Christmas, then you might be concerned about the weather. Generally, North Carolina doesn’t see a lot of snow, so if you’re expecting a white Christmas, you may need to adjust your expectations as much of NC is not the winter wonderlands you expect. Of course, the best chance of seeing snow in North Carolina will be in the Appalachian Mountains.
The good news is that means you don’t need to worry about being snowed in or worry about driving in snowy conditions. The weather is still cold. You’ll want to pack jackets, gloves, scarves and hats, but that’s what tells you it’s Christmas!
The weather in North Carolina at Christmas time is pretty much perfect, which is another reason why you should consider a Christmas vacation here!
More Christmas Inspiration!
Need more inspiration for things to do in Raleigh at Christmas? Here are some other Christmas-related guides…
- The Dessertery at the Martin Marietta Center
- Illuminate Art Walk in Raleigh
- The Rink at Red Hat
- The Holiday Open House of the Executive Mansion
- Our top things to do during Christmas in Raleigh
- December events in Raleigh
- Illuminate the Holidays with these Christmas Light displays in Raleigh
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This post is fantastic! I had no idea there were so many unique Christmas experiences in North Carolina. I’m especially excited about the holiday light displays and the local markets. Can’t wait to make some new traditions this season! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for appreciating our NC Christmas post. We hope you plan for a wonderful season!