Illuminate Art Walk 2023 – A Downtown Raleigh Holiday Tradition

The Illuminate Art Walk in downtown Raleigh began during a tough period, the isolation year in 2020. It gave the Raleigh community a spark of joy in a time when festive cocktails, acorn drops, and parties with loved ones disappeared.

raleigh illuminated sculpture head looking at high rises

The Downtown Raleigh Alliance Commission launched the Illuminate Art walk initiative to brighten up our spirits. They commissioned over a dozen local artists to jazz up the plazas and storefronts of the downtown area, including vacant stores and restaurants with 19 art installations.

It was so well received that it’s now become a regular annual Holiday event in Raleigh, and its become one of our family’s annual Christmas traditions.

Illuminate Art Walk in downtown Raleigh. They are illuminated art light sculptures

You’ll love how these large-scale, interactive and light-based art pieces brighten up downtown Raleigh.

This year, Illuminate will have 16 art installations starting December 1st, 2023, until January 5, 2024. They can mostly be found on Fayetteville Street and Glenwood South Districts.

You’ll also find storefronts join in with the festive spirit with their own decorations and artwork. So while walking around pay attention to those which may not be on the official Illuminate Art Walk map.

woman and girl standing beside a sign that says happy holidays raleigh painted on the storefront window
Express Library store front – 336 Fayetteville St

Illuminate Art Walk is a great Holiday experience to do with kids. You don’t have to worry about them being quiet, they can even run around (be careful of cars), and they will really enjoy the interactive nature of many of the installations.

Our girls loved dancing with some of them, playing music on the plexiglass tubes, and taking fun photos.

We started right on nightfall to appreciate the lights in the dark. Allow about an hour and a half to see them all. It’s all completely self-guided and can be done whenever you like! And of course, it’s FREE!

Grab a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, or something stronger for the adults since downtown Raleigh now has a Sip n’ Stroll policy, and enjoy discovering the artistic works.

the morning times raleigh nc 8
We love The Morning Times coffee shop

Be sure to read our post on things to do in Raleigh for Christmas as you may be able to combine this Holiday attraction with another, like The Dessertery, The Rink, or holiday shopping downtown.

DON’T MISS our 12 Days of Christmas Celebrations starting on Dec 1, 2023. Join our email community so you don’t miss being part of it. And follow us on Instagram.

Illuminate Art Walk 2023

illuminated giant christmas ornament in park

We strolled the streets of Downtown Raleigh in the first week of the Illuminate Art Walk for 2023. We went on a balmy Sunday night (after ice skating at The Rink) and found the streets to be very quiet. It didn’t have the same kind of allure as previous Illuminate Raleigh walks – it felt tired. It may have just been bad timing, or we’ve done it too many times now.

I also think it’s partly because Downtown Raleigh has gone quite downhill of late and not as many people are visiting. That doesn’t mean we think you shouldn’t!

Use this annual Raliegh holiday event to come on downtown, enjoy the artwork, do some Christmas shopping, incorporate it with other Downtown Raleigh events, and enjoy a drink or food at any of the wonderful restaurants and bars.

You may get a livelier night than us and I think you’ll still have a great time. It was also positive going on a quiet night as we weren’t competing for photos!

We’ll share a few of the highlights below (we still have not experienced the Glenwood Ave ones). You can see the full experience in our video.

Talking Heads Featured Art Exhibit, Fayetteville St

Each year, there is a featured visiting illuminated Art Display – the main event so to speak. In 2023, the featured exhibition is Talking Heads by Limelight.

Two heads sit facing each other on City Plaza on Fayetteville St. The heads show human emotions and react to each other through 4,000 individually controllable LEDS in various colors. They will also react to the interference of visitors. We couldn’t quite figure out how to do this and there were no instructions (that we saw) giving us some clues.

Sonarc (Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts)

girl standing in front of rainbow colored plexi glass sculpture
We must have been singing a pretty song!

This featured installation from 2020 is now an annual much-loved feature of Illuminate. and now a permanent feature of Martin Marietta Center.

SONARC by Brian Brush is made of 1,000 plexiglass tubes and 600 LED lights hung in a semicircle frame meant to represent open arms welcoming guests to the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

The highlight of Sonarc is singing into the microphone (hidden in the plexiglass on the corner near the electrical box. Look up!), which causes Sonarc to emit patterns and different colors of light based on the pitch.

Tinsel: A Walk Through Ornament (Martin Marietta Center)

giant illuminated christmas ball ornament sculpture with people inside
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts

Introduced in 2021, this sparkly adornment by Mosca Design outside of the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts returns. We love walking through this 16 ft tall Christmas tree ornament made up of 2,460 lights.

You will also find one of these in Downtown Cary which is in our Holiday light display in the Triangle post.

Christmas Tree at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts

lit christmas tree in front of symphony building with red and green lights on it

Illuminate Art Walk is the perfect time to capture your family photo in front of the beautifully lit Christmas tree with the arts center lit up in Christmas colors.

And, if you’re like our family, this might be the moment that you sternly talk to your arguing children to sit down, smile for the camera and pretend to love each other!

Carolina Cacophony (Haymaker Bar)

illuminated green cicada

Carolina Cacophony by Katie Stewart pays tribute to the evening music of cicadas! (a common night sound of Australia too). This exhibition showcases the transformative molting of the dog-day cicada, which is native to Eastern and Central USA and Canada

For the adults, it’s also located in front of the Haymaker Bar, which during the Holidays, transforms into the Miracle Christmas pop up. We recommend crossing that off your Raleigh Christmas bucket list and stopping to get your photos at the Glow Zone in your ugly sweaters after a couple of their very strong seasonal cocktails.

FREE Christmas/ Holiday Bucket List
How to celebrate the Holiday Season in RALEIGH!

All we Need, Fayetteville St

head with illuminated words written in the brain

I really enjoyed this spinning head piece from Nate Sheaffer. All We Need represents the desire to have more room in our psyche for hope and love rather than despair. There should be NO VACANCY for hatred.

Threshold, Fayetteville St

man standing in front of paint spllatered light show with make some noise sign

Let’s make some noise for this paint splattered fun light display that dances as you interact with it. Threshold by Robin Vuchnich leverages noise from all around to create the colorful wave forms. You’ll find it near the YMCA buiding

Firefly Footpath (Fayetteville St Courtyard)

blue lights hanging down from trees along pathway

In its first year this small courtyard running between Fayetteville St and Wilmington St was filled with mushrooms along the winding path. Teh following year it was snails. In 2023, This year it’s fireflies.

The Fayetteville St Courtyard is always a favorite of mine for Illuminate Raleigh. With Firefly Footpath, artist Katherine Ryan brings the wonder of the rare Blue Ghost Firefly (find in the NC Mountains) to a festive light display in Raleigh.

Christmas Magic, S Wilmington St

christmas tree art display in window

Illuminate will sprinkle some Christmas magic with this small window display on S Wilmington St. This Christmas-themed string art piece by Mara Carvalho Johnson is made with yarn, artificial flowers and LED fairy lights.

As Above So Below, Fayetteville St

tv sets sitting on top of each other in art sculpture

Jason Blyskal pays tribute to the TV for showing us the wonders of the Universe from the past to future. This was a funky one!

While up this end of Fayetteville St, you may want to pop over to the Capitol Building to see the Christmas tree. However, it won’t be lit until Dec 8th. It is in our December events in Raleigh post.

Christmas tree in front of the capitol building in Raleigh, NC
Raleigh State Capitol Christmas Tree

As mentioned, we have not yet seen the illuminated art displays on Glenwood Ave. We will update this as soon as we do!

Watch our video of Illuminate Art Walk:

Permanent Illuminated ARt Displays in Raleigh

Some of the art installations included on the trail in 2020 are now permanent illuminated art displays in Raleigh. So we get the art walk fun year round!

Translated from Latin, Esse Quam Videri means “To be rather than to seem”. This neon sign displays North Carolina’s state motto. You’ll find this art work by Glas in the storefront of Black Friday Market (23 W Hargett St).

a sign in a store
23 W Hargett St, Raleigh

Three Necessities: Bright Thoughts that Lead Us by Nate Sheaffer are in the window of CAM art gallery (409 W Martin St) in the Warehouse District. I love how it spreads the message of positivity, hope and kindness.

neon signs
Positive, hope and kindness. Words to live by.
close up of a neon sign

One not to miss on the side wall of Father and Sons (302 S West St) is the blinking neon sign intermittently spelling out the message of LOVE, RULES, LOVE, OVER, RULES. It’s very clever. LOVERULES by Hank Willis Thomas

A close up of a sign
302 S West St, Raleigh

Be sure to follow us on Instagram as we find these amazing events happening in the city and share them immediately.

Download the walking tour map here. There are sidewalk markers at each installation and a poster sharing information about each installation and the contributing artist. 

Some Illuninate Art favorites from previous years

Illuminate Art Walk in downtown Raleigh. They are illuminated art light sculptures
Illuminate Art Walk in downtown Raleigh. They are illuminated art light sculptures
Illuminate Art Walk in downtown Raleigh. They are illuminated art light sculptures

Where to park in Downtown Raleigh

Street parking is free on weekends and after 6pm weekdays! We usually always find a park. As Raleigh is so walkable you can park a few streets away if need be.

Otherwise there are several parking decks in downtown that are quite affordable. We normally park at the Performing Arts Parking deck near the Duke Energy Center, or the parking deck across from Marbles Kids Museum on Blount St.

Check out these lists of places to eat and drink in Downtown Raleigh below to incorporate into your Illuminate Art Walk

Need Accommodation in Raleigh?

Scroll through the list view below. We love the Residence Inn right near the MAtin Mariettal Center.

Other Christmas Events in the Raleigh area

From Dec 1 – Dec 12, 2023, we’ll be hosting a huge 12 days of Christmas Giveaway. Click to read more and join our email community so you don’t miss out!

Comment: Are you going to experience Illuminate Art Walk? What’s your favorite one? Any family Holiday traditions you want to share?

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