This year, the public can view the Omni Grove Park Inn’s National Gingerbread Competition — the largest in the world — from the comfort of their homes. The finalists will be announced on Facebook and Instagram December 1 through 12.
For more information, visit facebook.com/omnigroveparkinn or instagram.com/omnigrovepark.
From dusk to midnight, the grounds of Chetola Resort will be illuminated with more than 26,000 lights! Tour the joyful displays from a car or on foot for free.
November 30-January 31. (800) 243-8652, chetola.com/events/festival-of-lights-2.
On display at the U.S. National Whitewater Center is artist Meredith Connelly’s immersive light display featuring illuminating crystals, vines and mushrooms along the natural landscape. The center also provides a chance to lace up some ice skates and glide along their upper pond.
Available through mid-February. For more information visit usnwc.org.
A country light display at Denton FarmPark is bound to bring visitors an extra dose of good cheer. Drive through the light show and pick up a snack from a food truck or a handmade goody from the craft barn along the way.
November 27-29; December 4-6, 10-13, 18-23, 26-27. (336) 859-2755, dentonfarmpark.com.
Join the Chabad of Durham-Chapel Hill and Jewish for Good’s in their Chanukah Drive-In Celebration on December 13 and enjoy music, entertainment and refreshments without leaving your car.
For more information calendar.levinjcc.org/jewishforgood.
The Greensboro Science Center zoo may not have a reindeer exhibit, but their Winter Wonderlights display does transport visitors to 12 holiday-themed realms. Catch live music by the Greensboro Opera on Fridays and Saturdays.
Available until January 3. For more information, including tickets, visit greensboroscience.org.
The New Bern Historical Society’s fourth annual Gingerbread House Contest comes with no fees, no forms, and no categories. Enter your creation in the contest by December 12, or simply view the houses on the Historical Society’s Facebook page.
For more information, visit newbernhistorical.org.
The Jolly Raleigh Scavenger Hunt takes participants to hidden light displays across the city’s parks as they solve the scavenger clues. The quest is self-guided and can be done at any pace between December 1-12 from 2 to 7 p.m. each day.
For more information visit raleighnc.gov/news/2020-11-12-join-us-jolly-raleigh-scavenger-hunt.
Grab your popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate for Curbside Cinema’s weekly holiday drive-in movie, featuring Home Alone, Elf, and Polar Express.
December 4, 11, 18. For more information visit uncw.edu/arts/curbsidecinema.
Gather ’round the fireplace and dream of sugar plums fairies — or watch The University of North Carolina School of the Arts virtual Nutcracker performance. The special premiere on December 12 serves as a fundraiser for student scholarships, and will later be available to watch for free on-demand.
For more information visit uncsa.edu/performances/nutcracker.
Tastes change over time, but our editor in chief knows that, eventually, the classics always come back in style.
Maybe it’s been years since you last solved an algebra equation or wrote an essay, but learning never stops, no matter your age. Expand your knowledge on a “field trip” to these eight destinations across the state. And don’t worry — you won’t be graded!
Find the furniture and decor that speaks to you at 26 shops we love from mountains to coast.
From UNC Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library — housing what’s believed to be the largest library collection in the country devoted to a single state — to personal troves of duck decoys, pottery pieces, trains, tractors, and more: Meet the passionate collectors who curate the past and present, the serious and curious, the tangible items that tell the story of life in North Carolina.
