BELMONT • NOVEMBER 20-JANUARY 3 (EXCLUDES NOVEMBER 26 AND DECEMBER 25)
Even during the winter, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden dazzles with its twinkling botanical light displays. During your visit, enjoy visits with Santa, carriage rides, holiday crafts, and live music.
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Adults $14.95. Children 12 and younger, $8.95. (704) 829-1252. dsbg.org. Â
CHARLOTTE • NOVEMBER 20-JANUARY 3
Lace up your skates and make your way onto one of the largest outdoor ice-skating rinks in North Carolina. As you twirl and spin — and perhaps fall — enjoy the regal, sparkling Queen City skyline.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza. Admission $10. Skate rental $3. (704) 390-3766. wbt.com. Â
CONCORD • NOVEMBER 21-DECEMBER 30 (EXCLUDES DECEMBER 25)
You’ll want to take a lap around the Charlotte Motor Speedway at a more leisurely pace than your favorite NASCAR drivers. Take in more than 3 million lights that line the track, and visit the Christmas Village, which includes a petting zoo and s’mores roasting.
6-10 p.m. Cars, $25-$30, depending on the day. (800) 455-3267 charlottemotorspeedway.com.
HUNTERSVILLE • NOVEMBER 27-28
Take a step back in time as historic interpreters paint a picture of what Christmas was like from the Federalist through Victorian eras. Enjoy live music, tours, demonstrations, and visits with farm animals.
10 a.m.-4p.m. Historic Latta Plantation. Adults $8. Children 5 and younger free. (704) 875-2312. lattaplantation.org.
CHARLOTTE • DECEMBER 1-23
Enjoy an evening with the family at The Billy Graham Library, which plays host each evening to Christmas carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday stories, and a live nativity featuring donkeys, lambs, and a camel.
5 p.m. The Billy Graham Library. Free admission. (704) 401-3200. billygrahamlibrary.org.
MCADENVILLE • DECEMBER 1-26
Christmas Town USA is only a 20-minute drive from uptown Charlotte, and 2015 marks its 60th year of delivering seasonal cheer to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit each year. As you drive past decked out and sparkling houses, keep your windows rolled down — you’re guaranteed to hear more than a few hearty holiday greetings from passersby.
Monday-Friday, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 5:30-11 p.m. Free admission. mcadenville-christmastown.com.
MATTHEWS • DECEMBER 4-6, 11-13, 18-20
Featuring several lively musical numbers, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is reinterpreted in a fun, new way in Scrooge The Musical. Journey along with Ebenezer Scrooge as he explores Christmas past, present, and future.
Fullwood Theater. Adults $15. Children 10 and younger $10. (704) 846-8343. matthewsplayhouse.com.Â
CHARLOTTE • DECEMBER 10-27
Marvel at extensive displays of gingerbread houses, made by professionals, amateurs, and children. Vote for your favorite entries with a monetary donation that will benefit the Levine Children’s Hospital.
The Ballantyne Hotel. Free admission. (704) 248-4000. theballantynehotel.com.
CHARLOTTE • DECEMBER 12 &13
This tree isn’t like the Fraser fir in your living room. A 32-foot behemoth, the Singing Christmas Tree features the members of the MainStage Choir performing a variety of classic holiday songs.
Saturday 7:30 p.m. Sunday 3 p.m. Knight Theater. Tickets $14-38. (704) 372-1000. carolinavoices.org.
SALISBURY • JANUARY 2 & 3
As part of German tradition, grab a holly sprig and toss it into the the fire as you bid farewell to one year and look forward to another. Learn about Christmas customs that date back before the Revolutionary War. There will be musket-firing, woodworking, and candle-making traditions.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday. Old Stone House. Adults $5. Students $3. (704) 633-5946. rowanmuseum.org.
Bears and bulls. We have seen both. While it is important to grow your investments in the good times, it is just as important (and perhaps more so) to protect your investments during the bad times. The Younts-Douglas Group at Stifel helps you develop an investment plan and wealth management program using active risk management strategies. We believe it improves the odds that you will be better protected when the next financial storm arrives.
Since 1890, Stifel’s network of financial advisors has helped families address their retirement needs. We invite you to sit down with us to discuss your future and ways that our approach can help you pursue your personal financial goals. We seek lifelong relationships with our clients. We know we must be productive with our clients’ assets, completely honest, and offer the highest level of service. We intend to do just that.
Contact The Younts-Douglas Group in Stifel’s Charlotte Office at (704) 554-6039.
Mark our words: Whether they nod to North Carolina or were penned by its residents, these notable, quotable passages remind us of the power of speech inspired by our state.
When one stream flows into another, the two chart a new course for the future — together.
When the weather outside is frightful, one chef serves loved ones dishes so delightful.
A historic Rose Bowl pitted Duke University against Oregon State in Durham. Then, in the dark days of World War II, those same football players — and a legendary coach — joined forces to fight for freedom.
