Christmas Tree Lightings and Parades
Kick-off the holiday season with fun Christmas parades and tree lightings!
- Thursday, December 4: Uptown Tree Lighting with ACC Mascots and pictures with Santa (5:30 PM)
- Thursday, December 4: 61st Annual Downtown Monroe Christmas Parade (6:30 PM)
- Friday, December 5: Rock Hill’s Christmas Parade (6:30 PM)
- Saturday, December 6: Fort Mill’s Christmas Parade (11:00 AM)
- Saturday, December 6: Prineville’s Tree Lighting (4:00 PM)
ChristmasVille in Rock Hill
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Rock Hill’s annual ChristmasVille kicks off this Thursday, December 4th with the Lighting of the Village and Opening Ceremonies starting at 7:00 PM. The fun and festivities run through Sunday, December 7th, and features lots of holiday cheer – a Gingerbread House contest, strolling Dickinson Carolers, ice skating, a Ferris wheel, live music, food, and much more.
ACC Championship & Belk Bowl
Not exactly Christmas-y, but Charlotte hosts two big college games annually. This Saturday, December 6th, brings the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to town for the Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game. The Belk Bowl will be here on December 30th, pairing a team from the ACC with a team from the Southeastern Conference. Even if you’re not going to the games, there’s always plenty for the fans beforehand – like the ACC Night of Legends on Friday, and FanFest on Saturday afternoon.
The Nutcracker Ballet
Nothing says “Christmas” quite like a performance of The Nutcracker. Catch it one of two ways – as performed by the Charlotte Ballet (December 12th – 23rd) at the Belk Theater, or as performed by the Charlotte Youth Ballet (December 5th – 7th) at the Halton Theater, at CPCC’s Main Campus in Uptown Charlotte.
The Singing Christmas Tree
Be sure and see the 60th annual performance of the Singing Christmas Tree, as performed by Carolina Voices. Shows are December 13th and 14th, with a special version for kids performed twice on December 13th.
Visit Santa Claus
There are plenty of opportunities to visit Santa this month – he can be found at Birkdale Village, Carolina Place Mall, Concord Mills, Monroe Crossing, Northlake mall and Southwark mall through Christmas Eve. There’s also Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shop in Concord, with crafts, toys and more to keep the kids entertained while you wait. Check out this great list of other events – like breakfast or hot chocolate with Santa – for you and the kids to enjoy.
Leonard Bearstein Symphony
Visit Leonard and his animatronic Bear orchestra at Founder’s Hall for a free 45-minute program covering Christmas favorites like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” every day from December 1st – 26th.
Christmas at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
With more than 600,000 lights illuminating the gardens, a spectacular 16-foot Orchid tree on display, hot chocolate, music and a visit from Santa, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is truly magical this time of year. Don’t forget to check out Lost Hollow, the brand-new children’s garden, while you’re there too!
Christmas at the Library
Continually named one of the top events in the south, Christmas at the Billy Graham Library offers much for families to do and enjoy – a live nativity, horse-drawn carriage rides, petting zoo, storytime, carolers and much more.
Holiday on Ice
Uptown’s popular outdoor ice skating rink is back, situated at the corner of MLK Boulevard and Brevard, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza. Enjoy a fun night of skating under the stars, with a beautiful view of Charlotte’s skyline.
Christmas Town USA
The town of McAdenville, NC is covered in lights (over 375 trees are decorated!) and is a sight to be seen. Don’t miss the Yule Log Ceremony and Christmas Festival on December 19th.
Christmas at the Biltmore
Heading to Asheville for the weekend? Don’t miss the Biltmore this time of year, beautifully decorated in eye-popping holiday decor. While there you can enjoy music, freshly made gingerbread (and other tasty sweets), and the majestic candlelight evenings.