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Manteo: Manteo Candy Drop
What: A gift from above! No, really. Scamper around the field at Dare County Regional Airport as tiny white parachutes attached to chocolates and bubble gum drift down from a C-54, flying high in the sky.
When: December 15
Where: 410 Airport Road, Manteo, NC 27954
For more information, visit outerbanksguides.com.
Charlotte: Charlotte Coffee Expo
What: Warm up with artisanal coffee and tea, take part in interactive tastings and see demonstrations from world-class baristas, and listen to live music at this celebration of Charlotte’s vibrant coffee scene at the Park Expo and Conference Center.
When: December 14
Where: 800 Briar Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28205
For more information, visit charlottecoffeeexpo.com.
Greensboro: SantaCon Bar Crawl
What: Did ya know? Santa loves milk, but he also likes beer. Don your complimentary Santa hat and favorite ugly Christmas sweater for one of the most festive bar crawls in the state.
When: December 14
Where: 202 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401
For more information, visit santacon.info.
Brevard: Aluminum Tree and Ornament Display
What: Did you have an aluminum Christmas tree growing up? Revel in the 1960s nostalgia at the Transylvania Heritage Museum, which is hosting this quirky exhibit filled with dozens of shiny vintage trees.
When: Now-December 21
Where: 189 West Main Street, Brevard, NC 28712
For more information, visit transylvaniaheritage.org.
Cary: Chinese Lantern Festival
What: Who needs regular old Christmas lights when you can see this dazzling display? Take a walk through an electric rainbow at the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary.
When: Now-January 12
Where: 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary, NC 27518
For more information, visit boothamphitheatre.com.
Greensboro: Running of the Balls
What: The best way to get us to go for a run? Pit stops for hot chocolate and cookies, of course. Also live music, carolers, and festive decorations. In other words, this nighttime race through Greensboro’s Sunset Hills neighborhood is basically perfect.
When: December 14
Where: Sunset Hills neighborhood in Greensboro, NC
For more information, visit runningoftheballs.com.
For our full list of December events, check out our calendar.
Growing up in North Carolina, the swelter of a late Southern summer was all about finding the best ways to cool off.
North Carolina pharmacists may not prescribe Pepsi anymore, but the sweet treats at these historic soda fountains can still cure a case of the blues.
The National Register of Historic Places has documented some 95,000 structures, sites, and districts across the country. In North Carolina, around 2,900 properties — from churches and cotton mills to farms, homes, and schools — have earned this designation. Now, these special spots representing our state’s history are known nationwide.
Boiled, brittled, or bagged at the ballpark, there’s a peanut for practically every time and place. We’re proud that so many of them come from eastern North Carolina — ranked fifth in the nation for peanut production — where a whole lot of legumes find purchase in our sandy soil.
