1. Hillside Hunger Drive-Through in Myers Park – Hillside Drive coined the holiday ball craze throughout the city. Best idea ever and it’s now the biggest lights trend in the QC. Hillside families have banded together with the cutest and most creative handmade chicken wire balls hung high from the trees – a collection that would make any ‘hood jealous. They have a drop-off for canned goods for Loaves & Fishes. This photo doesn’t do it justice – the cool factor is that almost every house on the street appears to have agreed to a competition of who can hang theirs the highest. So fun! Link here for more details.
2. The Charlotte Christmas Village – New this year is the Charlotte Christmas Village in Romare Beardon park. One of my FAVE parks in Charlotte has been transformed into an European-inspired Christmas Market featuring Christmas, European and local merchandise and arts & crafts. Open daily (except Mondays), and the best part? Admission is FREE (oh, and there’s strudel).
3. The South Charlotte Santa on Sherwood Forest Drive off Colony Road. This is one of the most impressive streets in all of Charlotte. They hand out over 10,000 candy canes each season and collect donations for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
4. Huntersville Christmas Lights – Huntersville Christmas Lights is a synchronized musical display at the Greenwald Home in Huntersville, NC. The display contains over 21,000 LED lights and features traditional Christmas lights, intelligent lights, color washing on the house and strobe lights all choreographed to Christmas music. For the last two years, the Greenwalds won a national award for “Most Creative Display.” They are collecting donations for A Child’s Place.
www.huntersvillechristmaslights.com
www.facebook.com/HuntersvilleChristmasLights
5. Straight from the Huntersville Christmas Lights site, they have provided us with a comprehensive list of their favorite synchronized light displays all across Charlotte:
Zimnowski Light Show
15419 Hugh McAuley Road
Huntersville, NC
Coleman Lights
7661 Natalie Commons Dr
Denver, NC
Lights at the Quarter
3003 Swanquarter Dr
Charlotte, NC
Lights in the Cove
1310 Brimfield Court
Lake Wylie, SC
Fallatt’s Charlotte Christmas
3801 Maple Forest Ct
Charlotte, NC
Garden Oak Holiday Lights
4026 Garden Oak Drive
Indian Trail, NC
Five Alarm Lights
1001 Rosewater Lane
Indian Trail, NC
Fountainbrook Fallatts
1028 Fountainbrook Drive
Indian Trail, NC
High Country Lights
6374 Glade Valley Road
Ennice, NC
6. Phillip’s Place Winter Wonderland – In its second year, this 3-D light show was the first of its kind in Charlotte, incorporating numerous live action and digital effects, holiday themes from around the world, as well as seasonal music, with 2 shows per evening, and a 100% chance of SNOW! Additional FREE PARKING is available at the Morrocroft Centre parking deck located at 4064 Colony Road. Catch it December 8, 15th, and 22nd 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.
The usuals include Carolina Christmas at the Speedway, McAdenville Christmastown USA, Holidays at the Garden – Danielle Stowe Botanical Garden and Christmas Wonderland of Lights – Zootastic.
What’d I miss?? Post your comments below and tell us where to check out your favorite neighborhood holiday displays. Be as specific as possible so we can all find the “ahhh”. Also, grab a pic and email your faves to us at info@charlottesmartypants.com. Merry, merry!
1 comment
I’m giving an honorable mention to the Governor’s Square neighborhood – the entire hood is decking the halls and our kids are loving the drive through it. Merry, merry to you!