Tree Lighting Ceremonies in The Triangle: Where to Kick Off the 2026 Holiday Season!

When it’s time to start rocking around a Christmas tree, there’s no shortage of places to do it in the Triangle. Every town out here has its own version. Some are a mayor flipping a switch and a chorus singing two songs. Some run all day and end with fireworks.

We’ve been to a lot of them over the years, and the thing nobody tells you is that the small-town ones are often better than the big ones. Fewer people, more hot chocolate, and the kids actually get to the front.

Here’s every tree lighting happening across the Triangle this season, sorted by town.

Last updated: October 2026

What tree lightings are happening in the Triangle in 2026?

Five Triangle tree lightings have confirmed 2026 dates on the organizer’s own site. The Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting and Holiday Market opens the season in Moore Square on Friday, November 20, followed by Christmas at North Hills on Saturday, November 21. Christmas on First Avenue in Knightdale and the Morrisville Christmas Tree Lighting both happen on Friday, December 4, and Rolesville closes things out on Monday, December 7. Every one of them is free.

Most Triangle towns post their tree lighting dates in late October and early November, so the other 24 ceremonies in this guide are listed with last year’s date and a note on what to check. Expect the first Friday and Saturday in December, December 4 and 5, to be the busiest nights of the season, the way they are most years.

Confirmed 2026 Triangle tree lighting dates at a glance

• Nov 20: Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting and Holiday Market, Moore Square
• Nov 21: Christmas at North Hills, Raleigh
• Dec 4: Christmas on First Avenue, Knightdale
• Dec 4: Morrisville Christmas Tree Lighting, Morrisville
• Dec 7: Rolesville Holiday Tree Lighting, Rolesville

Everything else below is carrying last year’s date. Each entry says what we checked and where, so you know whether it’s a town that hasn’t posted yet or a page that’s gone stale.

Raleigh Raleigh tree lightings

Christmas at North Hills

• When: Saturday, Nov 21, from 4pm to 7pm
• Where: North Hills Commons, 4191 Main at North Hills St, Midtown Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: visitnorthhills.com

The tree lighting at North Hills is my favorite in Raleigh, for its Hallmarky kind of vibes. Before and after the tree lighting are holiday markets scattered around Main District, as well as live music and a buzzing atmosphere. You can enhance this experience by popping in and out of bars and restaurants!

Christmas at North Hills has a 41-foot tree, the tallest we know of in the Triangle, and the Commons turns into a vendor village with kids crafts and live music for three hours before Santa shows up to light it. Go early if you want a decent spot, because this one pulls a crowd from all over Midtown. See more of our North Hills Christmas experiences here.

Lighting of the Tree at Lafayette Village

• When: Expected mid-November. The 2025 lighting was Saturday, Nov 15, 2025, from 3pm to 6pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Lafayette Village, 8450 Honeycutt Rd, North Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: lafayettevillageraleigh.com

Lafayette Village is built to look like a European village, so the Lighting of the Tree lands differently here than it does in a parking lot. Triangle Pop-Up usually runs a holiday market alongside it, and the shops and restaurants stay open late. It’s one of the first lightings of the season, which makes it a good soft start before the December pile-up.

William Peace University Tree Lighting

• When: Expected mid to late November. The 2025 lighting was Wednesday, Nov 19, 2025, from 6:30pm to 8pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Campus fountain area, William Peace University, 15 E Peace St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: peace.edu

The William Peace University tree lighting is open to the community, not just students, and the tree is a 32-footer by the campus’s iconic fountain. Free hot chocolate, cookies, and professional photos in front of the tree afterward. It’s a short walk from downtown and it’s over by 8pm, so it works on a weeknight.

Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting and Holiday Market

• When: Friday, Nov 20, from 5:30pm to 8pm
• Where: Moore Square, 201 S Blount St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: downtownraleigh.org

Note, the location has changed from outside the Martin Marietta to Moore Square. We love attending this every year as a fun way to kick off the holiday season in Raleigh. I’m curious to experience the new vibes at Moore Square.

The move gave it room for a wider holiday market, free Santa photos and local performers, and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance expects more than 4,000 people through the market alone. Come for the lighting and stay for dinner on Blount or Wilmington Street. If you’re planning a bigger downtown day, pair it with the Christmas markets happening around Raleigh.

Brier Creek Commons Tree Lighting

• When: Expected the first Friday in December. The 2025 lighting was Friday, Dec 5, 2025, from 6pm to 8pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Brier Creek Commons Clock Tower, 8341 Brier Creek Pkwy, Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: shopbriercreekcommons.com

The Brier Creek Commons tree lighting has run a letters-to-Santa station and finished with a short fireworks show in past years, which is unusual for a shopping-center lighting. The center’s events page currently reads “Check Back for Future Events,” so confirm both. Parking is easy here compared to downtown, so it’s a solid pick if you’ve got little kids and a short patience window.

NC State Capitol Tree Lighting

• When: Expected mid-December. The 2025 lighting was Thursday, Dec 11, 2025, from 5:30pm to 8pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: NC State Capitol, 1 E Edenton St, Downtown Raleigh
• Cost: Free
• Website: historicsites.nc.gov

We attended the State Capitol’s Christmas tree lighting for the last two years and are so impressed by it. It’s a much different experience to the other tree lightings, a lot more subdued, but special with the band, speeches from the Governor, and a more dignified air. Definitely worth experiencing. You can tour the Capitol after to see the decorations and then pop over to the Governor’s Mansion to see their Christmas decorations. It’s one of our favorite holiday experiences in Raleigh!

It has been the last lighting of the season for several years running, so it’s a good one if you’ve missed everything else. The 2026 date isn’t posted yet, so that isn’t guaranteed.

Apex tree lighting

Apex Tree Lighting Ceremony

• When: Expected the first Friday in December, which would be Dec 4. The town’s page still shows its 2023 ceremony and describes the event only as the “Annual Tree Lighting (1st Friday in December),” so the 2026 date is not posted
• Where: The Depot, 220 N Salem St, Downtown Apex
• Cost: Free
• Website: apexnc.org

The Apex Tree Lighting Ceremony is at The Depot on North Salem Street, with craft stations, food vendors in the Depot parking lot, entertainment, and a long Santa line that moves faster than it looks. Downtown Apex has one of the prettiest main streets in Wake County, and Salem Street is decorated by the time this happens, so budget time to walk it.

However, they are still working on Salem St restorations, and end date is anticipated December (after delays). So Downtown Apex may still be a bit of a mess. Shops are still open so please continue walking amongst the chaos to support them. They really need you to do that!! If you like a Hallmark-style main street, we’ve rounded up the most festive Christmas towns in North Carolina.

Cary tree lightings

Tree Lighting Celebration at Downtown Cary Park

• When: Expected the first Saturday in December, which would be Dec 5. The park’s own calendar was still showing its Dec 6, 2025 celebration when we updated this guide, including the street closure times below
• Where: Downtown Cary Park, 327 S Academy St, Cary
• Cost: Free
• Website: downtowncarypark.com

Academy Street sparkles too, lined with miniature Christmas trees lovingly decorated by local businesses. Add in live performances, fun activities, food trucks, and local markets, and you’ve got one of the most joyful, community-filled celebrations of the season. It made our list of best festive Christmas towns in North Carolina.

This is also the longest tree lighting day in the Triangle. Downtown Cary Park runs activities, programs and performances from 9am straight through to the 6pm ceremony, so you can drop in for an hour or make a day of it. In 2025, Academy Street between Park Street and Dry Avenue closed from 11am to 10pm, so park further out and walk in. Here is our guide to Downtown Cary Park.

Light the Square at Fenton

• When: Expected the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The 2025 event was Saturday, Nov 22, 2025, from 3pm to 7pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Fenton, 21 Fenton Main St, Cary
• Cost: Free, with paid add-ons. Horse-drawn carriage rides were $11.20 for adults and $5.29 for children in 2025
• Website: fentonnc.com

I have not attended the tree lighting at Fenton, as it competes with North Hills. However, we have ice skated many times in the Square during the holidays and absolutely love the festive magic that is here. It’s the most unique tree lighting in Wake County as you have the ice-skating rink there. Expect Christmas music and Santa in an Igloo adding to the Christmas romance.

Fenton also runs holiday programming for weeks afterward, so this is the opening night rather than a one-off. You can read our guide to Fenton here.

Waverly Place Tree Lighting

• When: Expected late November. The 2025 lighting was Friday, Nov 21, 2025, from 5pm to 8pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Waverly Place, 300 Colonades Way, Cary
• Cost: Free
• Website: waverlycary.com

The Waverly Place tree lighting pairs the switch-flip with a holiday concert and late shopping hours across the center. Dewey’s sets up its holiday store here for the season, which is reason enough for some people. It’s a smaller, calmer option than Fenton on a similar night.

Sparkle Night at Parkside Town Commons, Cary

• When: Expected mid-November. The 2025 event was Saturday, Nov 15, 2025, from 4pm to 7pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Parkside Town Commons, 7119 O’Kelly Chapel Rd, Cary
• Cost: Free
• Website: parksidetowncommons.com

Sparkle Night is the most kid-led event on this list, with train rides, fake snow, and Santa photos alongside the tree lighting. Parkside Town Commons is out in west Cary at O’Kelly Chapel Road and NC-55, next to Morrisville and RTP, so it draws a different crowd than the downtown Cary events. Go if you’ve got kids under eight.

Carrboro tree lighting

Carrboro Annual Holiday Tree Lighting

• When: Expected the first Friday in December. The 2025 ceremony was Friday, Dec 5, 2025, from 6pm to 7pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: In front of Carrboro Town Hall, 301 W Main St, Carrboro
• Cost: Free
• Website: carrboronc.gov

Carrboro’s tree lighting is short and completely unfussy, which is very Carrboro. The town’s page gives no time, so the hour above is from 2025 coverage. Town officials flip the switch, there’s music, and then everyone walks to a bar or Weaver Street Market. Pair it with the Chapel Hill lighting if the dates fall in the same week.

Chapel Hill tree lighting

Downtown Chapel Hill Community Tree Lighting

• When: Expected early December, from 6pm to 7pm. The organizer hadn’t posted a confirmed date for 2026 when we updated this guide
• Where: University Baptist Church Memorial Garden, 100 S Columbia St, Chapel Hill
• Cost: Free
• Website: ubc-ch.org

The Downtown Chapel Hill Community Tree Lighting is held in University Baptist Church’s Memorial Garden at the corner of Franklin and Columbia, so you’re a minute’s walk from everything on Franklin Street. It’s associated with the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership rather than run by the church, and the church’s own calendar didn’t list it when we checked. It’s a carols-and-candles kind of evening rather than a festival.

While in Chapel Hill, you may want to experience some of these favorites in our weekend getaway guide to Chapel Hill. Enhance the experience with a stay at the Carolina Inn. It’s one of our favorite upscale hotels near Raleigh.

Durham tree lightings

Downtown Durham Holiday Tree Lighting

• When: Expected late November. The 2025 celebration was scheduled for Friday, Nov 21, 2025 and was postponed to Saturday, Dec 6, 2025, so last year’s date is a weak guide. The 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: CCB Plaza, 201 N Corcoran St, Downtown Durham
• Cost: Free
• Website: downtowndurham.com

The Downtown Durham Holiday Tree Lighting is the biggest street party of the Triangle lightings, with four hours of live music, food trucks, and the Major the Bull statue in a Santa hat. CCB Plaza is surrounded by restaurants, so it’s easy to turn it into a full night out. Durham tends to go later than the Wake County events.

Washington Duke Inn Tree Lighting

• When: Expected the first week of December. The 2025 lighting was Monday, Dec 1, 2025, from 6pm to 8pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, 3001 Cameron Blvd, Durham
• Cost: Free
• Website: washingtondukeinn.com

The Washington Duke Inn tree lighting is the dressiest option here, held in the hotel’s lobby with carolers. The inn’s page says it’s complimentary for guests and locals alike, and the tree is lit about half an hour into the evening, though the bar is where most of it ends up. Worth it once just to see the building decorated. We LOVE the Washington Duke Inn for a staycation experience. Make sure you include dinner at their restaurant. Their afternoon tea experience here is also great (they have gluten free options)

JB Duke Hotel Tree Lighting

• When: Expected the first week of December. The 2025 lighting was Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025, from 6pm to 8pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: JB Duke Hotel, 230 Science Dr, Durham
• Cost: Free
• Website: jbdukehotel.com

The JB Duke Hotel runs a smaller version of the Washington Duke evening on Duke’s west campus. The hotel’s site had no tree lighting listed when we checked, so this one needs a call. It’s close to Duke Gardens, which is lit for the season, so you can do both in one trip.

Fuquay-Varina tree lighting

Fuquay-Varina Town Tree Lighting

• When: Expected early December. The town’s Holiday Happenings page gives a December 4 tree lighting with no year attached, and its schedule matches 2025, so confirm before planning. The parade is listed separately on December 7 at 4pm
• Where: Vance Street Parking Lot, 205 S Main St, Downtown Fuquay-Varina
• Cost: Free
• Website: fuquay-varina.org

Fuquay-Varina packs more into its tree lighting than almost any town its size. The town’s own schedule runs ice skating on East Vance Street from 4pm to 8pm, the Artist Night Market from 5pm to 8pm, train rides from 5:30pm to 8pm, the tree and the menorah lit together at 6pm in the Vance Street parking lot, then choral performances and pictures with Santa from 6:15pm to 8pm.

That menorah is worth noting. Fuquay-Varina is one of only two towns in this guide that light a tree and a menorah on the same evening, the other being Holly Springs.

Garner tree lighting

Garner Holiday Block Party, Parade and Tree Lighting

• When: Expected the first Saturday in December, which would be Dec 5. Garner’s own site blocked us when we updated this guide, and the 2025 block party ran Saturday, Dec 6 from 2pm to 4:30pm with the parade following
• Where: Garner Recreation Center, 215 W Main St, Garner
• Cost: Free
• Website: garnernc.gov

Garner bundles three things into one afternoon: a block party with kids crafts, food trucks and the Garner Express train ride, then the parade, then the tree. Santa’s there for photos through the block party, which is the easiest Santa line in Wake County. Check the town site for the exact parade step-off time, because it has moved year to year.

Holly Springs tree lighting

Light the Springs, Holly Springs

• When: Expected the first Saturday in December, which would be Dec 5. The town’s Light the Springs page was still showing its 2023 ceremony when we updated this guide, so nothing newer is posted
• Where: Holly Springs Cultural Center, 300 W Ballentine St, Holly Springs
• Cost: Free
• Website: hollyspringsnc.gov

Light the Springs opens with a menorah lighting and closes with Santa and the mayor lighting the town tree, which makes it one of the few Triangle events that does both in the same evening. The Cultural Center hosts indoor activities, so this one holds up in bad weather better than most. Three hours is about right for it.

Knightdale tree lighting

Christmas on First Avenue Tree Lighting

• When: Friday, Dec 4, from 6pm to 8pm
• Where: Knightdale Station Park main stage, 810 N First Ave, Knightdale
• Cost: Free. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus are free and first-come, first-served
• Website: knightdalenc.gov

Christmas on First Avenue runs out of Knightdale Station Park’s amphitheater, with local school groups performing, crafts, and holiday treats before the lighting. The free Santa and Mrs. Claus photos are the draw, and the line starts before 6pm. Knightdale Station Park has a big playground, so kids burn off energy while you wait.

Morrisville tree lighting

Morrisville Christmas Tree Lighting

• When: Friday, Dec 4, from 6pm to 8pm
• Where: Indian Creek Trailhead, 101 Town Hall Dr, Morrisville
• Cost: Free
• Website: morrisvillenc.gov

The Morrisville Christmas Tree Lighting is held at the Indian Creek Trailhead rather than a town square, which gives it a nicer backdrop than most. Parking is off-site at Cedar Fork Community Center with a shuttle running, so don’t plan on pulling up at the trailhead. Music, ornament making, and photos with Santa and the Grinch.

Rolesville tree lighting

Rolesville Holiday Tree Lighting

• When: Monday, Dec 7, from 4:30pm to 7:30pm
• Where: Redford Place Park, 121 Redford Place Dr, Rolesville
• Cost: Free
• Website: rolesvillenc.gov

Rolesville lights a 14-foot tree and then does a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, which is a nice touch you won’t get at the bigger events. It’s on a Monday, so it’s the quietest option on this list. Santa photos and the Rolesville Elementary chorus round it out.

Wake Forest tree lighting

Lighting of Wake Forest

• When: Expected the first Friday in December, which would be Dec 4. The town’s page says plainly that the details shown are for 2025 and that 2026 information is still coming, so treat the date as unconfirmed
• Where: Centennial Plaza, 301 S Brooks St, Wake Forest
• Cost: Free
• Website: wakeforestnc.gov

Lighting of Wake Forest brings Santa in on a Wake Forest fire truck, which gets a bigger reaction than the 30-foot tree does. Wake Forest Downtown, Inc. runs it out of Centennial Plaza next to Town Hall, and White Street’s shops stay open. Downtown Wake Forest is one of the prettiest main streets in the county at Christmas, so walk it afterward.

Wendell tree lighting

Wendell Wonderland

• When: Expected the first Friday in December. The 2025 event ran Friday, Dec 5, 2025, from 5pm to 9pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Downtown Wendell, around J. Ashley Wall Town Square
• Cost: Free
• Website: townofwendellnc.gov

We have not attended the Wendell Wonderland tree lighting, but think Downtown Wendell has a certain small-town charm that would sparkle during the holidays. Here is our guide to Wendell, which includes a favorite brewery and coffee shop.

Wendell Wonderland runs four hours and includes trolley rides, a cookie walk and a craft market alongside the tree lighting. The Lake Myra Christmas Light Show is a short drive from downtown and is also in our best Christmas lights in Wake County list, so people usually do both in one night.

Zebulon tree lighting

Candy Cane Lane

• When: Expected mid to late November. The Town of Zebulon’s site had no Candy Cane Lane listing at all when we updated this guide, so we could not confirm a 2026 date
• Where: Arendell Avenue, Downtown Zebulon
• Cost: Free
• Website: townofzebulon.org

Candy Cane Lane closes Arendell Avenue and turns downtown Zebulon into a four-hour street party with live performances, free holiday crafts, a letters-to-Santa station, games, hot chocolate and food trucks. It usually lands before Thanksgiving, which makes it a season opener rather than a December event. Zebulon Parks and Recreation runs it, and the shops along Arendell open up for the evening.

Hillsborough tree lighting

Hillsborough Holiday Tree Lighting

• When: Expected the first weekend in December. The 2025 ceremony was Saturday, Dec 6, 2025, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, and the 2026 date hadn’t been posted when we updated this guide
• Where: Old Courthouse, 106 E King St, Hillsborough
• Cost: Free
• Website: hillsboroughchamber.com

Hillsborough’s tree lighting is paired with a parade and sits inside the town’s broader Hometown Holidays Festival, which runs for weeks. The Old Courthouse backdrop is the prettiest setting of any lighting in the Triangle. It’s about 45 minutes from Raleigh, so treat it as a day trip rather than an evening out.

Johnston County tree lightings

Johnston County sits just outside the Triangle, and we think JoCo is the perfect place to visit to enjoy the festive season, plus, it’s not that far from Raleigh!

Clayton Christmas Village and Tree Lighting

• When: Expected early December. The 35th annual was Thursday, Dec 4, 2025, and the town’s site would not load for us when we updated this guide, so the 2026 date is unconfirmed
• Where: Main Street from Horne Square to Town Square, Clayton
• Cost: Free
• Website: townofclaytonnc.org

Clayton closes Main Street for its Christmas Village, with light displays, live performances, holiday treats, a trackless train, Santa photos and family crafts. The 2025 edition was the 35th, so a 2026 one would be the 36th. Confirm the number with the town before you print it. Either way it’s grown into one of the bigger small-town holiday events in the region. Arrive before 6:30pm if you want to see the tree go on without standing behind a crowd.

Smithfield Christmas Kickoff and Tree Lighting

• When: Expected early December. The town’s page reads “Friday, December 5, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm,” but Dec 5 is a Saturday in 2026 and was a Friday in 2025, so that is last year’s listing
• Where: 350 East Market Street, Downtown Smithfield
• Cost: Free
• Website: smithfield-nc.com

Smithfield pairs its tree lighting with a five-hour holiday market, and the town keeps going for weeks afterward with carriage rides, Santa’s Hut, and outdoor movie nights. The Smithfield Christmas Parade is separate. The town’s parade page says December 12 at 7pm and a Johnston County report says December 10, and those are a Saturday and a Thursday respectively, so call the town rather than trusting either. There’s more to do in the county than people expect, which we cover in our Johnston County Christmas trip guide.

Selma Christmas Celebration and Parade

• When: Expected early December. The town’s page shows a December 2 celebration at 6pm with the parade at 7pm, but the page was last touched in December 2024 and its own weekday doesn’t match that date, so treat it as a rough guide only
• Where: 114 N Raiford Street, Downtown Selma
• Cost: Free
• Website: selma-nc.com

Selma runs its tree lighting and Christmas parade on the same night, which is efficient and means the whole thing is done inside two hours. It’s a small-town parade in the best sense, with fire trucks, church groups and candy. Selma is about 40 minutes from Raleigh, out I-40 east then US-70. I-95 runs through Selma, but it isn’t the way there from Raleigh. You can also catch the train. See our experience doing that for a day trip to Selma from Raleigh.

While in this neighboring county, be sure to check off some more Christmas experiences in Johnston County. We’ll be publishing a post on a fun day trip to Selma from Raleigh soon (by train). Subscribe to our email newsletter so you don’t miss it! 👇

More Holiday Activities in Raleigh

A tree lighting is usually the first thing on the calendar, not the only thing. These guides cover the rest of the season.

• Where to see Santa Sightings & get Photos
• Experience the Magic of The Nutcracker with Cary Ballet Company This Holiday Season!
• ABC11 Raleigh Christmas Parade (2025): All you Need to Know
• Guide to the Annual Chinese Lantern Festival at Koka Booth Amphitheater, Cary
• 30+ Christmas Activities in Raleigh: Events for the Holiday Season
• Cheers to Christmas: The Top Festive Bars & Pop-Ups in Raleigh
• Ultimate Guide to Holiday Shopping in Raleigh
• Where to get your Christmas Trees in Raleigh: Choose & Cut Farms + Pop-up Shops
• Ice skating at the Rink at Red Hat in Downtown Raleigh

Common questions about Triangle tree lightings