30+ Christmas Activities in Raleigh: Events for the Holiday Season (2025)

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! Raleigh knows how to spread Yule tide spirit. There are so many Christmas events in Raleigh for 2025, it can actually be overwhelming deciding which one to visit – especially if you have kids, as many of these festivities are tailored towards younger Christmas fans.

However, the festive season 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 Holiday season, don’t miss these events.

See the Lighting of the Tree, Downtown Raleigh

• Where: Moore Square
• When: Nov 21, 2025, 5:30pm-8pm
• Cost: Free
• Website

A great way to kick-off the holiday season is the 17th Annual Tree Lighting and Holiday Market—this year, in a new location at the historic Moore Square! The tree will be surrounded by a holiday market and a stage with live performances. You can do some Christmas shopping, have photos with Santa, and dance to a few Christmas tunes. 

Other Christmas Tree Lighting events in Wake County

Check your local municipality for their annual tree lighting celebration as well as dates will vary.

• North Hills Christmas Lighting Event on November 22nd kicks off at 4pm until 7pm. It will feature a Christmas band, kids’ crafts and activities, food trucks, a vendor village and live music, and of course the lighting of a 41 foot tree.
• Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Cary is on at Downtown Cary Park on Dec 6, 2025. The festive night features music, arts and crafts, photos with Santa and more. Head to the Page-Walker Arts & History Center before it to enjoy an old-fashioned Christmas atmosphere at the old hotel this winter! There will be cookies, carolers, an activity for kids, holiday stories, our traditional carriage rides and maybe a visit from a special guest from the North Pole. 2-5pm (free).
• Light the Square in Fenton (Cary) is on Nov 22, 3pm-7pm From live music to ice skating to horse-drawn carriage rides and a special appearance by Anna and Elsa from Frozen.
• Lighting of Wake Forest is on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, and will have Santa arrive in a fire truck. From 5:00pm – 8:00pm.
• Wendell Wonderland on Dec 5 will have a visit from Santa Claus, trolley rides through town, live music, hot chocolate, food trucks, a craft market and more. From 5:00pm – 9:00pm.
• Raleigh State Capitol with luminaries and holiday music performed by the Raleigh Concert Band. December 11th, 2025 from 5.30pm.

Here is a full list of tree lighting ceremonies in the Triangle if you just can’t get enough of them!

Attend the Raleigh Christmas Parade

• Where: Hillsborough to Fayetteville St Downtown
• When: Nov 22, 9:30am
• Cost: Free
• Website: GRMA.org

The Raleigh Christmas Parade is the largest parade between Washington DC and Atlanta and has been a much-loved community event since it began in 1939. The parade covers 1.4 miles beginning at Hillsborough Street at the intersection of St. Mary’s Street and ending at the bottom of Fayetteville St. 

If you live in one of the smaller Wake County communities, check to see what your municipality is offering by way of Christmas parades. We know Cary and Apex both have a fun filled Christmas parade event. If you don’t want to deal with the cold and crowds (60,000+), you can watch from home starting at 9:30 AM by tuning in to channel 11, or online at ABC11.com. READ: Our Guide to the Raleigh Christmas Parade

Watch our Raleigh Christmas Parade video from 2021

Other Christmas Parades in Wake County

If you can’t make the Raleigh Christmas Parade, there are plenty of smaller ones in Wake County.

• Apex Rotary Christmas Parade on Dec 6, 2025, Christmas carols, a marching parade, shopping and food vendors and a visit from Santa in the charming downtown Apex. The parade starts at 5:00pm.
• Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade with over 80 floats is on Dec 7, 2025, and starts at 4pm.
• Happy Holly Days Christmas Parade is on Dec 13, 2025 in Downtown Holly Springs with floats, bands, dancers, decorated vehicles, marching groups. Parade kicks off at 10:00am.
• Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade on Dec 13, 2025 takes place in Downtown Cary. The parade is a joyful celebration which includes bands, mascots, local businesses, community groups, and churches. After head to Downtown Cary Park for their Parade to Park Festivities’ where it will transform into a vibrant hub of merriment and delight! The parade is from 2:00pm – 4:00pm.

Experience the Annual Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour

• Where: Historic Oakwood
• When: Dec 13 & 14, 2024; 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Cost: $40 for individuals, $43 for groups of 10 or more
• Tickets

Historic Oakwood is one of the best neighborhoods in Raleigh that dates all the way back to the 1800’s that rose after the Civil War and home to magnificent oak trees, Grand Victorians and modest bungalows.

Each holiday season the neighborhood has hosted the Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour, a ticketed affair inviting guests and visitors into ten private homes dressed for the holidays. Homes are staffed with docents to enlighten you on the rich history of each property. 

Tour the properties at your own pace in any order. We recommend allowing at least three hours for this tour, especially if you go for the later evening hours. Read our full review of the tour here.

See the Holt Road Christmas Lights, Apex

• Where: Holt Road, Apex.
• When: Opens Thanksgiving
• Cost: $ 20 per car in advance, $27 on the gate
• Tickets

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.

You can drive through to see the light display, which is on select nights throughout the season. Check the Facebook page to be the first to know about dates. There is a $20 fee per car. Get your tickets online to minimize delays!

Not only is this a way of giving to local community, 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! You can read about it in our guide on where to find the best Christmas light displays in Raleigh.

If you can’t get to the Holt Road Christmas Lights in Apex, I am sure you can drive (or walk) around your own area to see the Christmas displays in your neighborhood. This is something we’ve always done as a family, even back in Australia.

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.

Go ice skating at THE RINK at Red Hat

• Where: Red Hat Amphitheater
• When:  Nov 22nd – Jan 4th; Various times
• Cost: $15 admission and skate rental | $6 for non-skaters
• Tickets

The Winter Wonderland returns to downtown Raleigh with The Rink for the third year in a row. The rink is quite small, so time your session to beat the crowds. It’s a lovely ambiance with the Christmas music and chill out areas surrounding the rink with comfy chairs, fire pits, games and beverages. There are themed nights, special events, and igloos for rent!

REad our full guide to the Rink in Downtown Raleigh.

Take the kids to Holiday Express at Pullen Park

• Where: Pullen Park
• When: Dec 2nd – Dec 18th from 5pm – 9:30 p.m
• Cost: $17 + tax (kids under 12 months free)
• Tickets (tickets go on sale October 14th and usually sell out pretty quick!)

Of all the Raleigh Christmas events, this one will sell out faster than a Taylor Swift concert! Pullen Park is the place to go with kids, and during Christmas, it doesn’t get any more magical. There is the train ride with Holiday lights, an appearance from Santa, a Blizzard Boogie dance party, arts and crafts, and carnival games and inflatables. This is where you find the magic Raleigh. In 2025, a new Reindeer Flight School will be added, and there will also be an Igloo Play Area.

Jingle Ball Charity Gala

• Where: Marbles Kids Museum
• When: Dec 12th
• Cost: $165
• 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!

Honor Hanukkah (Chanukah)

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.

Candles are lit in a special nine branched candelabra called a Menorah, and presents are exchanged, games played, songs sung, and traditional Hanukkah fried foods such as potato pancakes (known as latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are eaten. The importance of the holiday tradition is a reminder that the world is better when we practice inclusion and compassion for all. This year, in 2024, it falls between December 14th – December 22nd.

• Dec 16th @ 5:30pm The Town of Cary will light the menorah on the 6th day of Hannukah and will have special treats, fun for kids and holiday music. Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah, the menorah at Cary Arts Center will be lit each evening.
• Handmade Hanukkah Market is December 7th at the Temple Beth OR (11:00am – 3:00pm). Jewish artisans will be selling their work including jewelry, baked goods, pottery, textiles, woodwork and more.
• Dec 26th Menorah Lighting at Crabtree Mall at 4:30pm with donuts, singing and more.
• December 29th @ Lafayette Village will have a menorah lighting. Times to be confirmed, but check the website nearer the time.

Be wowed at North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival

• Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre
• When: Nov 15th through January 11th
  • Mon-Sun 6pm-10pm; performances: 7pm, 8pm and 9pm, nightly
• Cost: Start at $16.74 for date and time specific, or $41.20 for any night tickets
• Website: BoothAmpitheatre.com

The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival has exploded in popularity over recent years. Plan well and buy your tickets in advance. They also have sensory friendly nights.

The festival has hundreds of themed larger-than-life lanterns on display creating an incredible, colorful adventure for you to walk through during the holiday season.  I loved 2024’s lantern displays, which featured a giant Chinese ice palace, a Jurassic Park corridor, and a tribute to the Great Barrier Reef! There are also nightly performances of martial arts, traditional dance, and cultural performances. Learn more about this Chinese Festival in Cary.

Time to honor our Indigenous Peoples. This annual event has been held in honor of American Indian Heritage Month in North Carolina for over 30 years. The festival includes multiple demonstrations, presentations, and performances highlight the traditional and contemporary artistic, scientific, historic, and cultural contributions of American Indians in North Carolina for over 14,000 years. 

Skate the Square Fenton

• Where: Fenton, Cary
• When: November 7, 2025 @ 8:00 am – February 8, 2026 @ 5:00 pm
• Cost: $18 includes rental or a season pass for $90
• Website Check for deals and special events

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! Cheapskate Day is every Monday – $15.00.

Participate in the Illuminate Art Walk

• Where: Downtown Raleigh
• When: December 5th, 2025
• Cost: Free
• Website

Born out of the pandemic and now a regular Holiday event in Raleigh is the highly enjoyable Illuminate Art Walk. Parts of the Fayetteville Street and Glenwood South districts transform with large-scale, interactive and light-based art pieces that are unique, family friendly, and mostly made by local artists. Grab yourself a coffee, hot chocolate, or now, thanks to Sip and Stroll, something a little stronger and enjoy the art displays on the streets and in storefront windows.

See Theater in the Park’s, A Christmas Carol

• Where & When:  
  • Martin Marietta Center for The Performing Arts; December 5th – 7th, 2025
  • DPAC: Dec 10th – 14th , 2025
• Cost: $46+
• Tickets

Get ready to book the hottest ticket in Raleigh for Christmas. This beloved musical comedy adaptation of Charles Dicken’s Christmas classic has been running since 1974 and was named one of ‘the top 20 Events in the Southeast.’ 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!

Give Back & Support Local Raleigh Community 

The Holiday Season doesn’t have to be ALL about self-indulgent activities and increasing our material possessions. It’s a great time to give back to Raleigh and support local causes working to make our community better.  Research your local area (and ask your friends) to find Holiday volunteer opportunities. Nextdoor is a great place to ask!

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. Giving Tuesday is December 2nd, 2025, global generosity movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. It’s a great reminder to choose one thing (or more) to do to raise up a community. Some local nonprofits we love:

• Designed for Joy
• A Place at the Table
• No Woman No Girl
• Raleigh City Farm

Witness the Lake Myra Christmas Lights Show

• Where: 10 S Cypress St, Wendell
• When: Nov 26 – Dec 31, 2025
• Cost: Free but donation encouraged

This is one of the largest Christmas light displays on the East Coast with more than 400,000 dancing lights synched up with holiday music. It’s a drive-in style interactive light show that typically lasts between 30 – 45 minutes. A walking path leads to some of the biggest displays and through their tallest tree. SANTA Saturday nights from November 29th-December 20th, 7pm-9pm!

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 2025, 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.

Visit a farm near Raleigh for Holiday Experiences

Just like Fall in Raleigh is a great time to visit nearby farms for pumpkin patches and Halloween events, they are also great for Christmas experiences.

• Fieldstream Farm Festival of Lights: With approximately 2 million lights on display, this drive-thru Christmas light show at Fieldstream Farm has one of the longest LED lit tunnels in the world with over 200,000 lights, plus a 40-foot-tall Santa. Kicking off November 28th until December 31st. Book tickets in advance here.
• Lights on the Neuse features a one-mile long (20-minute) old-time tractor-pulled hayride through a Lights Extravaganza with Christmas music, a visit with Santa, a Sugar Barn and cookie decorating station, and Santa’s Sweet Shoppe with hot chocolate, coffee, kettle corn and S’mores kits for purchase to cook at the picnic area. Opening Nov 28th, 2025.
• Country Christmas Train at Denton Farm Park takes you on a mile journey to see Christmas lights and scenes. There’s a gingerbread house, petting zoo, horse drawn carriage rides and more! Country Christmas Train dates are November: 28th – 30th, and December: 5th – 7th ; 11th -14th; 18th- 23rd.
• Hillridge Farms’ Festival of Lights has over a million lights and holiday themed displays and characters as you travel through the farm from the comfort of your own vehicle. Open Nightly 27th November -28th December, 5:00pm-10:00pm

Get your photo with Santa

Looking for a place to get your kids photo with Santa in Raleigh this year? Visit a mall or shopping village somewhere in Raleigh, and you’re bound to find a Santa. It is advised to book in a time for your visit with Santa – I’ve seen some of those lines before and they are not enticing. Here are a few popular places to have your photo taken with Santa in Raleigh

• Photos with Santa at Crabtree Valley Mall (Nov 7 – Dec 24)
• Mrs Claus will be spreading magic in her North Pole inspired Igloo at Fenton in Cary (December 15, 17, and 19).
• The boutique Santa Raleigh Experience in Wake Forest November 9th, 2025

Here are over 20 places to see Santa and have your photo taken in Raleigh.

Ride The Great Raleigh Trolley Holiday Tours

• Where: Tap Yard, Mordecai
• When: November 29th through December 23rd
• Cost: It depends on the tour option, see below
• Website (tickets on sale Nov 1 for newsletter subscribers/ Nov 4 general public)

Another hugely popular thing to do in Raleigh for Christmas is to enjoy a themed ride on the historical Great Raleigh Trolley. This year there are five Holiday tour options to satisfy your Christmas cheer.

• 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. Tickets cost $25.
• Holiday Cheers Bar Cruise is a spirited party tour for adults! Tour lasts 1.5 hours and costs $25. This tour runs on the 13th, 19th, 20th, 22nd and 23rd December only.
• Ghost lovers will enjoy hearing the tales of Raleigh’s ghosts of Christmas past on the Christmas Sprits Ghost tour. $25 per ticket and lasts 1.5 hours. Takes place on the 12th – 14th, and 18th – 21st December only.
• The Must-See Raleigh Holiday tour visits the most popular holiday sights throughout Downtown. Tickets cost $20-$35. Takes place on the 11th – 13th, 18th – 23rd December only.
• Cocoa and Caroling tour (new for 2025) is a one hour tour around Raleigh listening to Christmas carols and drinking cocoa on the 13th December and 20th – 23rd December. $20 per ticket
• Moonshine and Mistletoe (new for 2025)
• Hidden Raleigh: Holiday Christmas Past (new for 2025) is a 1 hour tour taking your around to learn about Raleigh’s historic holiday locales for $20. Takes place on 28th – 30th Nov, and every Saturday and Sunday in December.
• There are also a private family holiday trolley rides available.

Buy a tree at the Christmas Tree Farms

In Australia it was very rare for us (or any Australians) to have a real Christmas tree, and it wasn’t until we moved to Raleigh that we had our first real tree. So, if you’re researching where to get a new fresh Christmas tree this year, consider these local farms close to Raleigh:

Boyce Farms

Boyce Farms is a family owned and operated Christmas Tree Farm located in Raleigh, NC since 1982. They are committed to providing a family-oriented, hands-on experience for families from all walks of life when the holiday season rolls around. They have a limited supply of choose and cut trees in 2025, but are working to replenish it. You can choose from either White Pines, Leyland Cypress, Blue Ice and Carolina Sapphire Christmas trees. They also have pre-cut Fraser Firs that are freshly cut from the North Carolina mountains.

• Address: 2813 Mount Vernon Church Road, Raleigh
• Hours: Monday – Friday Noon -7 pm; Saturday & Sunday 9 am – 7 pm
• Website: BoyceFarms.com

Back Achers Christmas Tree Farm

• Opens Nov 22 at 9:00 AM
•  Address: 4533 Inwood Road, Raleigh, NC
• Website: BackAchersChristmasTreeFarm.com

A family owned, choose-and-cut tree farm (since 1978) committed to providing a warm and festive atmosphere for families selecting their annual Christmas Tree. They have a selection of 250 -300 choose-and-cut trees including Carolina Sapphires, Leyland Cypress, and Green Giant Arborvitaes. 5′ to 10′ tall as well as 4′-8′ tall Virginia Pine and Cedar trees. Call ahead for availability for Fraser Fir trees over 10′ tall.

Here is a full list of places to get Christmas trees in the Triangle – choose and cut farms and Christmas tree pop ups

Shop local for Holiday Gifts

I know how easy Amazon can make your holiday shopping, especially for busy parents. Do your best to support local this Holiday season. They help our local economy thrive AND creates a unique, vibrant personality.

Did you know that 90% of downtown Raleigh stores are locally and independently owned? Let’s help keep that! There’ll be Holiday markets popping up throughout the season, and many of the stores will have their own sales. 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.

Read More: Ultimate guide to Holiday Shopping in Raleigh

See a North Carolina Symphony Performance

The most magical time of the year to see a performance from the North Carolina Symphony would be during the Holidays. This year, you can watch the North Carolina Symphony at the following places:

• Handel’s Messiah at Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh. Kick off the festive season with a spellbinding performance of Handel’s stunning masterpieces! December 5th – 7th, 8pm.
• North Carolina Symphony – Cirque Holiday Pops Kick off the festive season with spellbinding grace and daredevil feats, contortionists, and acrobats performing on stage and 40 feet above it all while your North Carolina Symphony spreads holiday cheer! Nov 26 – 29, 2025
• Holiday Pops at Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh. A festive concert full of holiday favorites and traditional carols you know and love. December 12th – 13th.
• North Carolina Symphony – Ugly Sweater Holiday Pops Concert A festive concert with ugly jumpers encouraged. Dec 12th.
• North Carolina Symphony – A Candlelight Christmas Dec 19 – 23

Enjoy Christmas Carols

Apart from my family – and maybe the summer temps – the thing I miss most about Christmas in Australia, is our nighttime Carols tradition. It happens in two big outdoor venues in Sydney and Melbourne. Celebrities and musicians sing the most beloved Christmas carols on stage to an audience of thousands sitting with lighted candles. Those who can’t make it watch with their families on TV.

We’ve only ever seen something similar in New Orleans with their Carols by Candlelight, which we LOVED. But there are some carols experiences in Raleigh you can enjoy:

• North Carolina Master Chorale presents Joy of the Season on Dec 9th in Meymandi Concert Hall (Martin Marietta Center) Nearly 200 voices, guest choirs, a brass ensemble, Meymandi’s pipe organ and the Master Chorale’s newly established Youth Choir sing popular Christmas Carols
• Raleigh Ringers Concert will perform in Meymandi Concert Hall on Dec 14th & 15th. The show features the group’s unique interpretations of sacred, secular, and popular music, including a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll.
• The Embers, featuring Craig Woolard, Christmas Show on Dec 23! Get tickets at TheRialto.com. Since 1958, The Embers have been entertaining audiences in North Carolina and beyond. 

See the unique version of the Carolina Ballet’s The Nutcracker

• Where: Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts
• When: Dec 11th-24th
• Cost: $40+
• Tickets

Another holiday tradition and one of the most fun events in Raleigh during the holiday season is the Carolina Ballet’s performance of the Nutcracker. It’s the only production in the country that uses illusions created by renowned magician Rick Thomas, The Nutcracker will make characters levitate, disappear and reappear before your eyes. After 20 years and over 400 performances, this year the creative team will bring a fresh new take with the revamp of more than 140 costumes.

You may also want to see the Cary Ballet Company’s performance of the Nutcracker held both at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, and the Cary Arts Center. Learn more here in our post on the Cary Ballet Company’s Nutcracker Holiday Performance.

There is also another nutcracker performance at the Martin Marietta Center – Clara’s Trip Full Show: A Cirque & Dance Nutcracker Story on Dec 22 & 23, 2025

Ride Santa’s Reindeer Roundup Express

• Where: North Carolina Railway Museum & New Hope Valley Railway, Apex
• When:  Saturdays and Sundays, Dec 7-21; Various times
• Cost: $18.61+
• Website

Kids will be able to find Santa’s missing reindeer along the tracks as they ride on the historic train for four miles out-and-back for 50 minutes through the North Carolina countryside. Santa will be at the New Hope Valley Railway to greet all of our guests. This is another hugely popular Christmas attraction for families in Raleigh so don’t delay in booking your tickets.

Have a Raleigh Christmas Bar Experience

Grab your ugly sweater and head to one of the bars in Raleigh that sprinkle a little magic into their drinks and atmosphere. Just be sure to let us know which bar you visit, and what awesome Christmas cocktail you discovered. Here is our list of Christmas bar experiences and pop ups in Raleigh and nearby to add to your holiday bucket list.

See a Christmas Show at DPAC

We love seeing a show at the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham. In case you don’t know this is the Triangle’s version of Broadway – and yes, DPAC gets many visiting Broadway shows each year. We’ve seen Les Misérables and Frozen, and both were fantastic. Tickets do sell fast so be at the ready! For Christmas this year, apart from the aforementioned A Christmas Carol, there will be the following Christmas shows:

• A Drag Queen Christmas, Nov 18th, the Queens of Christmas bring a fabulous spectacle of whip-smart comedy, brand new songs, and favorites. Featuring Lexi Love, Shea Coulee, Jewels Sparkles, Crystal Methyd, Suzie Toot, Lydia B Kollins, and Bosco. Line-up subject to change.
• A Magical Cirque Christmas, Nov 19th, a performance of world-class acrobats, contortionists and aerialists.
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis, Nov 21st, Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound. The program includes 15 musicians playing more than 20 instruments against a backdrop of dazzling multimedia effects.
• NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, Nov 23, performed by an international cast and Ukrainian Principal Artists performing at the peak of classical European Ballet. Be transported by the magic of jaw-dropping acrobatics, larger than life puppets and stunning hand-crafted sets and costumes. 
• Elf The Musical, Nov 26 – Nov 30, WRAL’s Greatest Hits of Broadway
• A Christmas Carol – Presented by Theatre in the Park, Dec 10 – 14, The 52nd Anniversary of the Triangle’s Favorite Holiday Tradition

Ring in the New Year at First Night Raleigh

Downtown Raleigh is the place to be for many on New Year’s Eve for First Night Raleigh. Those with younger children get the early fireworks show, and those with enough energy to party can stay until midnight for the big acorn drop. First Night also has live music, fun rides, markets, food trucks and more!

Christmas Carousel Holiday Gift Market

• Where: NC State Fairgrounds, 4285 Trinity Road, Raleigh
• When: Nov 28th – November 30th, 9:00am – 6:00pm (11:00am – 5:00pm Sunday)
• Cost: $12 adults, $5 children (6-12)
• Website

For more than 37 years, the NC State Fairgrounds has been hosting the Christmas Carousel Holiday Gift Market, where you can shop for unique Christmas gifts and holiday decorations! With 250 exhibitors, it’s the largest Christmas Gift show in the state, and is the perfect place to find unique items to decorate your tree with.

It starts in late November and ends on the 1st December, so you only have a short window to get shopping. If you want your tree to stand out in the Raleigh area, then be sure to head over to get some unique items.

Raleigh Accommodation

Traveling to Raleigh for a Christmas event and need accommodation? 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 2025. 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.