Annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Harrisburg
4100 Main St. Harrisburg NC
December 6, 6pm-9pm, All ages, Free
Summary: The Annual Harrisburg Christmas Tree Lighting will be held behind Harrisburg Town Hall. Join us for the official lighting of the Town’s Christmas Tree! Local groups will perform on stage, craft vendors will be on site as well as food, free horse and carriage rides and free visits with Santa!
A Huntersville Christmas – Tree Lighting
201 Huntersville-Concord Rd, Huntersville, NC
December 6, 7pm-9pm, All ages, Free
Summary: Tree will be lit at 7:00pm at Town Center to start the Christmas weekend! Free activities to follow at Veterans Park from 7p-9p include: Pictures with Santa, rides, obstacle courses, s’mores, Artisan Ice Sculptures, and music by North Mecklenburg Community Chorus. Enjoy the local downtown restaurants for dinner or snacks including funnel cakes, popcorn, cotton candy, coffee, and hot chocolate will be for purchase.
Town Of Pineville Christmas Tree Lighting
At the parking lot on Main St. and beside the post office
December 7, 3pm-5:30pm, All ages, Free
Summary: Free activities and festivities; kids craft tent, train ride, candy cane hunt, hot chocolate, magic, balloon artist, bonfire with amores and more!
Matthews Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting
232 Matthews Station Street, Matthews, NC
December 7, 3pm, All ages, Free
Summary: Live entertainment, pictures with Santa, face painters, magicians, tree lighting with pyrotechnics
Mint Hill Tree Lighting
4430 Mint Hill Village Lane, Mint Hill, NC
December 7, 5:30pm-9:00pm, All ages, Free
Summary: Join us downtown for a special nighttime parade featuring local businesses, organizations, bands and of course, Santa. After the parade, join us at Town Hall for the Town’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting sponsored by Atrium. Santa will be present to hear how wonderful the children of Mint Hill have been and make note of all their lists. We will have delicious cookies for all to enjoy.Bring a toy to support the Mint Hill Police Department’s Toy Drive supporting Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center of Charlotte.
Annual NoDa Tree Lighting
Johnson YMCA
3025 N. Davidson Street, Charlotte, NC
December 8, 4pm-7pm, All ages, Free
Summary: This event is free and open to the public with music, cookies/hot cocoa and crafts/activities for families.
Christmas Town USA
McAdenville, NC
December 2-26, 5:30pm-9:30pm M-Th, 5:30pm-11:00pm Sat-Sun, All ages, Free
Summary: A must see! 160 beautifully decorated homes. Each home is uniquely decorated by the homeowner. Drive thru or walk thru as many times as you like.
Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra
Founders Hall
100 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC
December 2-27, See website for schedule, All ages, Free
Summary: The 18-piece display of animatronic bears performs classic holiday songs. The 45-minute program starts on the hour. All performances are subject to cancellation so check the website for updates. No performances on Christmas Day.
The Holiday Shop And Santa’s Bag
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte
300 E. 7th Street, Charlotte, NC
December 4-7, See website for schedule, All ages, Free admission, Gifts $.50-$5
Summary: The Holiday Shop will included Santa’s Bag and The ENCORE! Boutique. Santa’s Bag gives children ages 10 and younger the opportunity to shop for family and friends (including Mom and Dad) with the help of volunteer elves. A variety of inexpensive, pre-wrapped gifts. The ENCORE! Boutique is a place for tweens, teens and adults to shop while children are shopping in Santa’s Bag. Santa will be in the lobby during the event.
ACC FanFest
Charlotte Convention Center
501 S. College Street, Charlotte, NC
December 6-7, See website for schedule, All ages, Free admission
Summary: ACC FanFest is a family-friendly, free event featuring interactive games, mascot appearances, giveaways, sampling, live music and more.
Gingerbread Lane At The Ballantyne
The Ballantyne
10000 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Charlotte, NC
December 4-26, See website for schedule, All ages, Free
Summary: Enjoy a stroll through Gingerbread Lane December 4-26. Cast your vote and donation for your favorite creation. Donations benefit Levine Children’s Hospital. Hot cocoa is available for purchase.
Ice Skating and Lights
U.S. National Whitewater Center
5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy, Charlotte, NC
November 19-December 31, See website for schedule and prices, All ages
Summary: Experience one of the largest outdoor ice skating surfaces in the country and enjoy a half-mile walking trail through a series of immersive light installations featuring honeycombs, vines, crystals, and other natural features integrated into the forest.
Santa’s Wonderland At Cabela’s
Cabela’s
1000 Cabelas Drive, Fort Mill, SC
November 16-December 24, 9:00am-9:00pm, All ages, Free
Summary: Enjoy this enchanting Christmas village offering free 4×6 photos with Santa and family holiday activities. Guests can reserve their free visit and photo with Santa by visiting the Bass Pass Ticket Depot located at the entrance of Santa’s Wonderland or by registering online for a digital Bass Pass.
The Polar Express Train Ride
North Carolina Transportation Museum
1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer, NC
November 15-December 22, See website for schedule, All ages, $32-$325
Summary: The Polar Express Train Ride, inspired by the run-away hit movie, features a train ride to the North Pole with dancing chefs, cookies, hot chocolate and a presentation of the first gift of Christmas. The event combines the train ride with theatrical performances, along with Reindeer Games and entertainment before the ride, s’mores, photos with Santa in the Gift Station, and the post-ride children’s play area, “Candy Cane Lane.”
Holiday On Ice
NASCAR Hall Of Fame
400 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Charlotte, NC
November 15-January 5, See website for schedule, All ages, $12-$16
Summary: Uptown Charlotte’s outdoor ice rink returns to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza. Skaters and non-skaters alike will want to have their pictures taken with the giant polar bear, under the tree or in the Ceremonial Garden decorated with thousands of glimmering holiday lights. And guests won’t want to miss holiday-themed merchandise from the ice rink souvenir stand and snacks and hot cocoa from the concessions hut.
Winter Wonderland Skating Rink
Symphony Park At SouthPark Mall
4400 Sharon Road, Charlotte, NC
November 15-January 20, See website for schedule, All ages, $12-$17
Summary: We’re excited to announce that Winter Wonderland will be return to our seasonal home at SouthPark Mall starting November 2019! This year will be packed with tons of fun including Santa’s Pub, a Christmas Tree Farm, Live Music and Concerts, appearances from Santa and other familiar characters, and (of course) the best open air ice skating in Charlotte!
Discovery Place
301 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC (704) 372-6261
Summary: Step into a world where science is brought to life through interactive exhibits and explosive experiments during daily programs. Connect with the past and visit the future with groundbreaking exhibitions, larger-than-life IMAX Dome films and hands on activities that let you explore more. Plan your visit today. Click on the links below for detailed information on special events, featured exhibitions, featured shows and IMAX.
Featured Exhibitions: For information on all exhibitions click here.
Featured Shows: For information on all featured shows click here.
IMAX: For information on all featured movies and showtimes click here.
Discovery Place Kids – Huntersville
105 Gilead Road, Huntersville, NC (704) 372-6261
Summary: Explore the theme of I CAN at Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville. The children’s museum features developmentally-appropriate experiences that encourage imagination and offer the opportunity to build confidence while testing skills by trying new things. The exhibits, themed around a small town, allow children to learn through play.
Theme Areas: For a complete description of all nine theme areas click here.
Featured Shows: For a complete listing of all featured shows click here.
Current and Upcoming Events: For all current and upcoming events click here.
Charlotte Nature Museum
1658 Sterling Road, Charlotte, NC (704) 372-6261
Summary: Bring little ones for just an hour or the whole day and experience wildlife through live animal exhibits and interactive education programs. The Museum is easy to navigate with fun surprises around every corner. Kids can roam The Great Hall and visit Beginnings, an area filled with young animals and information on their lifecycles.
Featured Exhibitions: For complete details on exhibitions and exhibits click here.
Featured Shows: For a complete schedule of show times click here.
YMCA of Greater Charlotte Event Calendar
19 Locations throughout the Greater Charlotte Area
Summary: Most people know their neighborhood “Y” because of its incredible sports, camps and fitness programs but the “Y” has so much more to offer. Spend some time (it will take a while) on the website and learn about all the opportunities the “Y” provides. I promise, you will be amazed.
Free Wednesday Evenings At The Mint Museum
The Mint Museum – Randolph
2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC
The Mint Museum – Uptown
500 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC
Every Wednesday from 5:00pm – 9:00pm, All ages
Summary:Enjoy free access to both Mint Museum locations every Wednesday night.
Bank of America’s Museums On Us Day
Various locations around Charlotte
The first Sunday and Saturday of every month, All ages, Free
Summary: Now in its 20th year, this distinctive program offers Bank of America and Merrill Lynch credit and debit card holders the opportunity to visit more than 150 of the most popular cultural institutions in the United States free of charge on the first full weekend of every month.
ImaginON: The Joe & Joan Martin Center
300 E. 7th Street, Charlotte, NC (704) 416-4630
See website for hours of operation
Summary: This collaborative effort between the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is a 102,000-square-foot facility recently ranked by Livability.com as the No. 1 children’s library in the United States. ImaginOn features two state-of-the-art theaters, a dedicated library space for kids 11 and under, four multi-use classrooms, a teen-only library, a multimedia production studio, and interactive exhibit space.
Carolina Raptor Center
6000 Sample Road, Huntersville, NC (704) 875-6521
Summary: Carolina Raptor Center is dedicated to environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey through education, research, and the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned raptors. As a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, CRC relies on public financial support to fulfill our mission. Supporters can release a raptor, adopt a bird, make a charitable donation, purchase a membership or sponsor a capital improvement project. CRC’s environmental education programs reach approximately 40,000 students each year. Our Raptor Trail hosts more than 35,000 visitors a year. Visit our calendar page for event times or just come and enjoy our nicely maintained trails and see all the amazing birds of prey.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History
1500 East Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC (704) 866-6900
Summary: The natural wonders of North America and North Carolina coupled with the rich history of our region are all reflected in The Schiele’s exceptional exhibitions and diverse programming. Whether you’re indoors or out, with the kids or your colleagues, by bringing you a lot closer to nature, The Schiele will bring you a little closer to yourself.
Featured Exhibits: For a complete listing click here
Planetarium: For a complete schedule click here
Events Calendar: For all events click here
