CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QC Life) - CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate the magic of the holiday season.
From Christmas Town USA to Turn 2, communities across the area are embracing the spirit of the season with magnificent lights, festive trees, all the hot chocolate you could ever hope to drink and visits with Santa.
Here’s a list of Christmas activities and events happening over the month of December. This list will be updated as more events come in.
Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Speedway Christmas, presented by Atrium Health, features four million LED Christmas lights strewn across a four-mile course, with displays and lights synchronized to Christmas-themed music.
The show is open rain or shine and features synchronized lights to music on 101.3 FM.
It runs through Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly. Speedway Christmas will be closed on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Lights in McAdenville
It’s called Christmas Town USA for a reason! The community of McAdenville begins welcoming holiday revelers to its holiday light display on Thursday, Dec.1.
That display runs nightly, from 5:30 to 10 p.m., through Dec. 26.
Last year, roughly 600,000 people made the drive through McAdenville as part of their holiday celebrations.
Light the Knights at Truist Field
The Light the Knights Festival at Truist Field in uptown Charlotte is all new this holiday season.
The outfield now features an ice-skating rink and snow tubing hill. Then, there’s the light shows, live entertainment, holiday treats, Christmas trees, shopping, Santa, snow and more to enjoy.
Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. nightly through Jan. 6.
It’s a special time of year at the Billy Graham Library, which features a live nativity, a petting zoo, horse-drawn carriage rides, storytime, a Christmas dinner and more.
It runs through Dec. 23, with Monday through Friday hours of 5 to 9 p.m., and 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Camp North End gets into the holiday spirit with the return of Mistletoe Market, which runs the first three Saturdays in December - Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 - from 4 to 8 p.m.
Visit the #campfam businesses in all three districts for hot meals and cool gifts, post up in the Camp North Pole igloos, get cozy by a fire pit, shop Vintage Charlotte curated market vendors, enjoy photo moments and decor by Studio Cultivate, keep an eye out for #reindogsonparade and listen to live music with a warm holiday drink.
The Kannapolis Christmas Parade will be held at 6 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 10, in downtown Kannapolis. For over 80 years this parade has been a tradition in the city. Every entry in this nighttime parade is decorated with colorful lights and sounds for the holiday season.
The parade route offers the crowds numerous areas to watch the parade comfortably with the beautiful backdrop of the North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis City Hall and Police Headquarters and West Avenue.
The parade will begin at the intersection of Main Street and Laureate Way at the parking deck of the North Carolina Research Campus, travel down Laureate Way past Kannapolis City Hall and Police Headquarters, turn on West Avenue at the Gem Theatre and travel down West Avenue ending at the intersection of Vance Street and West Avenue.
This is the largest home tour yet with 10 homes, 2 churches and a business and the first time as a two-day event that includes a candlelight version (Saturday 4-8pm). The first Holiday Home tour was in 1984 and was sponsored by the Concord Garden Council. RHC was formed in 1988 so the first one hosted by RHC (Resident’s of Historic Concord) is noted to be in 1992. So here we are over 30 years later and already looking to have the largest attendance yet!
People can go to our website to purchase tickets on line and then pick up at Union St Market, MacTabby Café (Concord), Historic Cabarrus or Simply Pleasant Boutique in Mt Pleasant. Week-end of will call will be at the Cabarrus Center 57 Union St S and the Art Walk booth near the Center during the day. Cash and check payments are handled at ticket pick up locations.
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