Here are my picks for the best Christmas and winter events for 2024 in Raleigh, the Triangle, and North Carolina. And to make this season even more fun I’m giving away thousands of dollars in tickets to every one of these events. One event, one giveaway, every week, For the next 12 weeks.
GIVEAWAYS ARE HAPPENING NOW!
If you want to enter the giveaway, this is what you have to do!!
- You need to follow my Facebook or my Instagram page.
- Find this week’s giveaway post which should be pinned at the top of the page.
- And then either like and comment on the post or share it on your own social media.
- Fill out the registration form or else we won’t know where to send your gift!
We would love it if you would share and the more shares I get the more gifts I am able to give!
Raleigh Christmas Events
1. The Nutcracker
The first event is The Nutcracker – sugar plum fairies and toy soldiers are coming to the Martin Marietta Center in Raleigh in Tchaikovsky’s iconic ballet on Christmas eve December 24th. These tickets tend to sell out so you’ll want to grab them now or enter my content to win them.
2. Ice Skating at the Rink at RedHat
The Rink at Redhat is an annual Raleigh Christmas favorite event. This is a winter wonderland themed outdoor skating rink and you can buy 2 hour blocks of time. In addition to skating, there are lounge areas with fire pits, and giant jenga and cornhole boards.
It’s a lot of fun. I’m giving away tickets for 8 that include these cozy little igloos with snacks and hot cocoa bar included!! The Rink opens November 23rd and runs through January 20th.
3. Go see Cinderella at Raleigh Little Theater
Okay, this one isn’t exactly a Christmas event in Raleigh, but since I’m giving away everything on this list I really wanted to give away another show. Cinderella is playing at the Raleigh Little Theatre. The show runs from December 6th to December 22nd. You can make it a holiday event, if you combine it with a stroll through the Illuminate Art Walk in downtown Raleigh, which is a display of large scale, interactive light based art pieces. They have a map of where the displays are located on their website, which I’ll link below, along with links to the rest of these events. And the art walk is free.
4. New Years Eve at London Bridge Pub
Another great event in downtown Raleigh is at the London Bridge Pub. It’s right in that same area where the Illuminate Art Walk is, and they are having a Masquerade on New Year’s Eve. This is a costumed event for those 21 and older. Tickets are $150 and include food and drinks all night long!
And yes, I’ve got two tickets for the winner. And there is no limit to how many times you can enter so if you don’t win one, maybe you’ll win another!
5. STAR WARS night at the Carolina Hurricanes
What says holiday spirit quite like Star Wars night at the Carolina Hurricanes? Tickets to the Carolina Hurricanes can sell fast, especially with the good seats. Fortunately I’ve got two great tickets I’m giving away to the hurricanes on Star Wars Night – May the Force be with our Caniacs.
Close to Raleigh Christmas and Holiday Events
6. Ira David Woods’ A Christmas Carol
Do ya’ll watch a Christmas Carol every year? You can see it live this year at DPAC. Ira David Woods, A Christmas Carol is at DPAC in Durham for 6 performances this season! December 6-8 and December 18-22. This is a Triangle holiday staple and I’ve got tickets to share. This Christmas event isn’t in Raleigh, but Durham’s just a hop, skip, and a jump away!
7. Take your friends to Drive Shack in Raleigh
Do you love golf? As it starts to get cooler, it’s nice to have some warmer places to go. If you haven’t been to Drive Shack yet, this is a great place to have fun with friends. They have climate controlled private driving bays in their west raleigh location along with food and drink. And I’ve got several hundred dollar gift certificates to give away for that one.
8. Enjoy a Farm-to-Table experience in Downtown Raleigh
In addition to giving away tickets to all these experiences, I am giving away tickets to a few farm to table restaurants in Raleigh! Anyone fancy a free dinner at Pooles?
9. Visit the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary
We go to the Chinese Lantern Festival almost every year. Personally I like going to the twilight experience because it’s less crowded and I also think the color of the sky adds to the experience. Timothy prefers after dark. To each his own. Anyway, the event runs from November 16th through January 12th.
10. Visit the Big Cats at Carolina Tiger Rescue
Are you a fan of big cats? Carolina Tiger Rescue is a great place to visit in the winter!! The cats are much more active when it’s cool. When it’s hot they just lie around but big cats play more in the cool weather. They have twilight tours and daytime tours, and these also sell out so you want to get your tickets in advance, or win them with me.
North Carolina Christmas Events
11. A Christmas Trip to Old Salem
Old Salem – Old Salem is one of my favorite places to visit! It’s a living history museum, kind of like Historic Williamsburg. And the Christmas holidays there are so charming! Holidays at Old Salem let’s you experience Christmas the way the Moravians did in the 18th century.
There are costumed historians preparing for the holidays the same way they did in the 1800s. There are horse drawn carriages and Christmas carolers. It’s beautiful and quaint and you really don’t want to miss this one! Their holiday planning runs November 30th through December 21st. This Christmas event it’s only about a 90 minute drive from Raleigh so you can feel like you’re getting a day trip in but it’s not that far.
12. Go to the Coast for a Candlelight Christmas Tour
Beaufort Christmas Candlelight Tour is in the historic coastal town of Beaufort North Carolina. Okay this is another day trip. It’s about 3 hours from Raleigh but worth every second of the drive.
There are a couple streets in the historic district that are filled with really beautiful homes and historic churches as well. They’re all decorated beautifully for the event and when you buy a ticket, you’re invited into their home to enjoy the decorations. It feels little bit like trick or treating on Halloween, but instead of candy, you’re looking at people’s Christmas decorations and actually going inside their homes.
The whole town is sparkling and you can take the double decker bus as well, which is very quaint and fun. It’s like stepping into a postcard! Make a day trip out of it and take the ferry to see the wild horses, and enjoy dinner at Crawford’s. That’ll be on you, but I’ve got you covered for the Candlelight tour if you win.
This is a one time event on December 14th. And tickets always sell out to this one. If you don’t get one, definitely enter to win them because I already bought mine. To celebrate this Christmas event you’ll need to drive about 3 hours from Raleigh.
13. Take a break at the Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, NC
If you’re all holidayed out and need to relax and unwind from the crazy, you can head over to Chetola Resort. This is in Blowing Rock, about a 3 hour drive from Raleigh! And yes, Blowing Rock is open for business!
Whether you’re fly fishing or treating yourself to a spa day, Chetola Resort offers an incredible winter escape. They have a beautiful Scandinavian feeling indoor pool, if you’re lucky enough to get snow and go swimming, that would be an incredible view. I’m giving away a $500 gift certificate to this one!
14. Explore the North Carolina Zoo
The Zoo is another place that is great to visit in the winter because it’s so much less crowded. If you haven’t been to the zoo before, North Carolina has one of the best natural animal habitat zoos in the country!
It’s over 2600 acres and it feels more like a national park that has exotic animals than a zoo where the animals are locked in cages, which I do not like to see.. I don’t recommend going when the temperature is below 45 degrees because many of the African species may be inside their heated environments that they have access to.
Fortunately winter in North Carolina is usually warmer than that. Also, it’s about a 5 mile walking trail to see the whole thing so depending on your situation, you might not see it all in one day.
So don’t forget to follow my Facebook and Instagram. And here’s the thing. Even if you don’t want to see a Christmas Carol or visit Old Salem, surely you know someone who does. Share that stuff with them! You just might make someone’s holiday who needed a little more magic this year!
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