Alyssa Wilen can see it now: Her children, ages six and four, spinning and dancing in the swirling snow. And, although she’s not a meteorologist, she knows that on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, her whole family will tube down a snow-lined hill. In Charlotte. Where it rarely snows.
Kicking off the holiday season at Light the Knights at Truist Field is a tradition they look forward to each year. And as soon as they enter the stadium, the magic begins. “I have lots of videos of them playing in the snow from the fake snow machine,” says Wilen, owner and executive chef of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen. “And they just dance underneath it.”
This elaborate installation is one of the many holiday events in the Charlotte area this year. From timeless traditions to fun for all ages, these festivities center around merriment. If you’re looking for ways to entertain your family or guests from out-of-town, earmark these events to revel in the spirit of the season.
Charlotte celebrates the holiday season with festive performances, jolly markets, dazzling light displays and more. There are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the magic of the season in the Queen City. Start planning your holiday getaway.
Take your holiday spirit to Truist Field and bask in the glow of Uptown Charlotte. Photography courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
Home of minor league baseball’s Charlotte Knights, Truist Field adds extra shimmer to Uptown with its annual celebration from late November through early January. The festival brings all kinds of holiday activities, from strolling through Christmas Tree Lane to visiting the market to pick out a new ornament for your tree. Ice skate under the stars on an NHL-sized skating rink or tube down a 150-foot snow-lined hill. Then wander through tunnels of lights before taking the tykes to Santa’s workshop where they can write letters to the jolly old elf. If you time it right, you might get to snap some photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus while you’re there.
Spend an evening at the largest drive-through holiday light display in the Southeast. Held at one of the most distinctive settings around, visitors can drive on the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is decked in five-million lights. While cruising through sparkling tunnels and illuminated displays on the four-mile course, turn on your car radio to 101.3 FM and watch as the lights “dance” to the rhythm of Christmas tunes.
Thursday through Sunday nights, Speedway Christmas also opens its Christmas Village. Park the car and enjoy roasting marshmallows, visiting Santa, wandering a lit trail, sipping warm beverages, and dining at the food court. A massive Speedway screen shows holiday movies; pull up the car and watch drive-in style.
Downtown McAdenville unveils a full Hallmark-inspired experience during the month of December. Photography courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
On December 1, the flip of a switch transforms McAdenville into a twinkling masterpiece for most of the month. The annual Tree Lighting Ceremony ushers in the breathtaking moment when hundreds of thousands of lights illuminate a community that is often compared to the quaint towns in Hallmark movies.
Colorfully lit Christmas “trees” dot the lake, and throughout town, more than 250 evergreen trees and 100-plus home dazzle with holiday magic. Some visitors take in the decor by car and others on foot. Pedestrians strolling along the 1.3-mile loop through town can duck into businesses on Main Street — also decked with yuletide cheer — for food, drinks, and shopping.
Each year, in the opulent Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, the Charlotte Symphony performs Tchaikovsky’s renowned score as the Charlotte Ballet brings a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream to life. “It adds a whole new depth when you have these incredible musicians,” says Alejandro Cerrudo, the ballet’s artistic director.
The enduring nature of The Nutcracker lends itself to tradition, a way to share the holidays with family and friends each year, and it can be a reminder of the simple delights of the season. “The themes of joy, wonder, and magic in the ballet resonates with people even more during the holidays,” Cerrudo says.
Sparkling lights adorn the trees and greenery surrounding the Billy Graham Library, festively illuminating the campus from December 1 to 23. In addition to enchanting decor, the voices of carolers fill the night with joyous refrains as you roam the grounds. Shepherds, a camel, donkey, and lambs join Mary and Joseph, commemorating the Christ child’s birth in a live nativity scene tucked between the library entrance and the Graham Family Homeplace.
Cozy up with your little ones on the heated library patio for Christmas story time. Visitors can also make online reservations for horse-drawn carriage rides, a traditional Christmas dinner feast offered Thursdays through Saturdays in December, and tours of the “Journey to Faith” exhibit.
Ice skate under a swirling light show at WinterFest. Photography courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
See the theme park in a different light at WinterFest, a holiday extravaganza for the whole family. Beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving, the park is festooned in holiday trimmings and millions of lights that brighten the park at nightfall. On Snow Flake Lane, an outdoor rink beckons visitors to glide across the ice.
Throughout the park, watch seasonally inspired musical performances and visit with special guests like Ebenezer Scrooge, Jack Frost, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and, of course, Santa. Mrs. Claus’s kitchen offers cookie decorating for family and friends. You’ll also have the opportunity to hop on a selection of rides and coasters open for the event.
Throughout the Daniel Stowe Conservancy, festive fixtures spark magic for after-hours visitors. Photography courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
If you visit Daniel Stowe Conservancy, after 5 p.m. in December, every turn holds a luminous surprise as part of Holidays at the Garden. Follow around the bend and a field of lit orbs comes into view. Deeper in the garden, thousands of lights flash and glow in the prairie. Along the one-third mile Adventure Trail, several sensory “rooms” — landscaped to feel like distinct and enclosed spaces — allow children to dig, stack rocks, and enjoy playing in nature during the evening event. Holidays at the Garden also has a secret place just for adults — the Green Cardinal Speakeasy, where you can warm up with seasonal cocktails.
One of Jason Bonham’s favorite displays, the Four Seasons lawn show, tells the story of a year in the forest with lights, music, and sounds of nature. “We got to design the entire thing from scratch — even the music that goes along with it did not exist until we started working on it.”
The process parallels the story they created: Bonham and the team of horticulturists began with nothing in the winter months and their ideas emerged like new growth in the spring, growing through summer and maturing in the fall. “We went from a completely blank slate to this very magical special show,” he says.
Where will you go to get into the holiday spirit around Charlotte? Whether you choose to wander through a Christmas town or drive around the speedway, enchantment awaits in the Queen City and beyond. Click here to start planning your visit.
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