By Beth Mack
November 24, 2023 (updated)
Wherever your holiday travels may take you, the Carolinas offer a plethora of lights displays across the state to get you and yours in the holiday spirit. Events can be found at an assortment of venues across the state from farms to zoos to parks, and often offer more than just the illuminating lights. Visits from Santa, children’s rides, fire pits, tubing, and roasting s’mores, are just some of the activities that can be found at these winter holiday destinations.
Speedway Christmas
Charlotte Motor Speedway
5555 Concord Pkwy S
Concord, NC 28027
November 22, 2024 – January 5, 2025
In its 15th year, the Charlotte Motor Speedway presents one of the largest Christmas light displays in the Southeast, Speedway Christmas. Located just north of Charlotte, this drive-through event features over five million lights with hundreds of displays across its four-mile track. Thursday through Sunday evenings, you can ride down a new 250-foot tubing hill, stop by the infield Christmas Village equipped with fire pits to roast s’mores, take a photo with their 360-degree camera, shop numerous vendors, and visit Santa. If you want to stay nice and toasty in your car, you can catch a classic Christmas movie on their 16,000-square-foot Speedway TV (schedule below). Also new this year is an illuminated walking trail that can be found in the Christmas Village infield. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person and range from $35-$45 per car (15 people max). The drive-through light show is not required to access the tubing hill, but unlimited daily rides are $20 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under.
Movie Schedule:
November 22-24: The Muppet Christmas Carol
November 28 – December 1:
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
December 5-8: White Christmas
December 12-17: Elf
December 18-23: Polar Express
December 26-29: Home Alone
Light the Knights Festival
Truist Field
324 S Mint St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
November 27, 2024 – January 3, 2025
In the heart of uptown, Truist Field has transformed into a winter wonderland for its third year. Walk through the concourse inside the stadium to take in the various light displays, enjoy the artificial snow, visit with old Saint Nick and Mrs. Claus, peruse the Holiday Market vendors, or grab a cup of cheer from either the concession stands. The outfield boasts a regulation-size ice skating rink and a larger, 10-lane snow tubing track complete with concessions and seating to take in the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office with general admission starting at $12 and an All Activities pass for $40 that includes unlimited ice skating and snow tubing.
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Tweetsie Railroad Christmas
Tweetsie Railroad
300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane
Blowing Rock, NC 28605
November 24 – December 30, 2024
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Boone and Blowing Rock is a North Carolina favorite, Tweetsie Railroad, a small Wild West amusement park and heritage railroad site. Each year for the holidays, the park is decked out with lights for a holiday experience for all ages. Guests can take an open-air train ride on one of their historic steam locomotives that is adorned with over one million lights. You can also catch a live holiday show, roast s’mores over a crackling fire, and even visit with the big man in his gingerbread house. Admission is $60 for adults, $40 for children (3-12), and free for children two and under, which includes one train ride and access to the park.
Christmas Wonderland of Lights at Zootastic Park
Zootastic Park
448 Pilch Rd
Troutman, NC 28166
November 22, 2024 – January 1, 2025
Sunday-Thursday: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
For a more exotic holiday light show, take a 40-minute trip (from Charlotte) north on I-77 to Troutman’s Zootastic Park. The drive-through safari experience has decked out its route with four million lights to help ring in the holidays. For animal lovers, you can opt to take a pony ride or feed giraffes, tigers, and barnyard animals. You can also stop in for a visit with Santa and get a photo with him and a baby kangaroo, just don’t let Rudolph know. In addition, you can roast s’mores or take a ride on a carousel or train. Admission is $10 per person and children under two are free.
Christmas at Biltmore
Biltmore Estate
1 Lodge St.
Asheville, NC 28803.
November 2, 2024 – January 5, 205
Tour America’s largest home, the Biltmore house, as each of the 250 rooms of the historic French Renaissance chateau is elegantly adorned with Christmas trees, lights, garland, and ribbon. The Biltmore Estate’s Antler Hill Village, which features shops, restaurants, a farm, a winery, and a hotel, is also aglow with Christmas decor and lights. Daytime admission starts at $125 and includes a self-guided walking tour of the Biltmore house, access to its 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, Antler Hill Village, complimentary wine tasting, parking for the day, and next-day access to the grounds. Evening admission (Candlelight Christmas Evenings) starts at $145.
Christmas Town USA
McAdenville, NC 28101
December 2-26, 2024
Consistently in the top 10 for the best public holiday light display in the nation by USA Today, is the community of McAdenville. Since the 1950s, McAdenville residents along Main Street deck their houses and front yards with lights and displays for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The 1.3-mile stretch of lights can be viewed for free either walking along the sidewalks or from the convenience of your car through the heart of downtown McAdenville, located just 15 minutes west of Charlotte.
Carowinds WinterFest
Carowinds
300 Carowinds Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28273
November 15, 2024 – January 4, 2025
Carolina’s largest amusement park has curated an immersive holiday light show for its WinterFest. With over five million lights, the park boasts an extensive amount of additional festive experiences such as ice skating, live holiday shows, select amusement rides, a 70-foot Christmas tree, holiday-themed games, live Christmas carolers, holiday gift shops, cookie decorating, seasonal food and beverages, and of course, Santa. Your visit will be capped off with the WinterFest Wonderland Parade, the park’s nightly 9 p.m. parade complete with music, performers, and ornate floats. Admission starts $32.99 for ages 3 to 61 or above 48 inches tall, $19.99 for adults 62 years and older, with children under 48 inches tall and under the age of two free.
Winter Wonderlights
Greensboro Science Center
4301 Lawndale Drive
Greensboro, NC 27455
November 20, 2024 – January 5, 2024
Winter Wonderlights will glow again this holiday season at the Greensboro Science Center for the fourth straight year. This walk-through indoor and outdoor event boasts unique zones of light displays with themes ranging from dinosaurs to gingerbread houses, also including the Greensboro Science Center’s 11-acre zoo, and the aquarium. Warm up with some hot chocolate or apple cider available for purchase and watch one of the many synchronized light shows or stroll through their many tunnels and trails. Admission for non-members is $25 for those ages three and up, and children under the age of two are free. Discounts are available for members of the Greensboro Science Center, groups of 15-plus, and on select “discount days.”
Winter Lights at NC Arboretum
North Carolina Arboretum
100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way
Asheville, NC 28806
November 15 – December 31, 2024
The North Carolina Arboretum’s walk-through light display, Winter Lights, returns for its 11th year. Touted as Asheville’s brightest holiday tradition, the outdoor event features over one million lights and serves as the Arboretum’s largest fundraiser. Expect vibrant light displays, including the iconic 50-foot Tree of Light, live music (on select evenings), fire pits, and a hot cocoa shack offering s’mores kits, snacks, beverages, and of course, hot chocolate. Tickets are sold per vehicle with tiered pricing starting at $40. The Arboretum does limit the number of guests per evening, so it is advised to purchase tickets in advance.
Denton FarmPark Country Christmas Train
Denton Farmpark
1072 Cranford Road,
Denton, NC 27239
November 29 – December 28, 2024
Denton FarmPark, located just 45 minutes southwest of Greensboro, hosts its 15th annual Country Christmas Train. Walk down the candy cane path to the train station where Santa will greet you before you board the train. Once aboard the Handy Dandy Railroad, sit back and enjoy the lights, live nativity scene, and elves on the 1.5-mile track. After you disembark, check out the numerous activities offered at the Christmas Village such as the petting zoo, carriage rides, food and craft vendors, children’s rides, and pictures with Santa. Tickets include one train ride and access to all of Christmas Village. Adult tickets are $20, $6 for children (5-11), and free for those under the age of four.
Holidays at the Garden
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
6500 S New Hope Rd
Belmont, NC 28012
November 29 – December 29, 2024
Located just 30 minutes from uptown Charlotte in Belmont, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden hosts its annual Christmas light display, Holidays at the Garden. Stroll through the magnificently manicured gardens to take in the lights on the 90-minute walking tour. Sit by their fire pit to enjoy a beverage (beer, wine, coffee, and hot chocolate) or enjoy a bite to eat from one of the food trucks listening to joyful Christmas music. New this year are rides on a holiday train (Fridays through December 20), visits from Santa on Saturdays and Sundays (December 1-22), and an adults-only speakeasy with exclusive holiday cocktails. Adult tickets will run you $25, seniors (60 and up) $23, children (3-12) $15, and free for children two and under. Tickets are sold in two-hour time slots and are limited, so it’s advised to purchase your tickets online.
North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival
Koka Booth Amphitheatre
8005 Regency Pkwy
Cary, NC 27518
November 16, 2024 – January 12, 2025
While the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival may not be exactly holiday themed, the light show that occurs each winter is not to be missed. In its ninth year, the festival features 40 new light displays that were crafted in Zigong, China specifically for this event. Each larger-than-life display features thousands of lights capped off by a 200-foot dragon lantern that floats on Symphony Lake. To round out the experience, they host nightly cultural performances and have added Asian-inspired dishes to their regular food offerings such as egg rolls, wonton soup, and a Korean fried chicken sandwich. Ticket prices vary depending on the date of your visit but start at $17 for adults, $11 for children ages 3-12, and free for those two and under.
Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express
Village Park
700 W C St.
Kannapolis, NC 28081
November 16 – December 30, 2024
Each holiday season Kannapolis Parks and Recreation wraps its Village Park in over 250,000 lights to ring in the holiday season. The park enlists the beloved Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra animatronic band to delight guests with their 30-minute holiday hits show at the top of each hour. To add to the festivities, guests can roast marshmallows, shop their craft vendors, take a ride on their carousel or train (Winterland Express), and indulge in snacks and seasonal food offerings from one of their vendors. Entrance to the park and its festivities is free, but tickets to ride the Winterland Express and the carousel are $2 per person.
Carolina Light Spectacular
Ballantyne’s Backyard
11611 N. Community House Rd,
Charlotte, NC 28277
December 5 – December 29, 2024
Ballantyne’s Backyard’s Carolina Light Spectacular returns for its third season. Stroll through over one million lights on the half-mile walking trail featuring larger-than-life holiday scenes and oversized snow globes. For some holiday cheer, check out their rotating lineup of food trucks or stop by one of their concession stands for hot cocoa or adult beverages. Carolina Light Spectacular has all of the ingredients for a magical evening with children’s activities, nightly visits from Santa through December 23, live entertainment, an Alpine Avalanche snow tube slide, and a Holiday Village with boutiques and shops. Tickets vary by the time and date of your visit but start at $10 for guests (three and up) and are free for those two and under.
Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights
Tanglewood Park
Manor House Cir.
Clemmons, NC 27012
November 15, 2024 – January 1, 2025
Each holiday season for the past 33 years, Tanglewood Park (located just ten minutes west of Winston-Salem) is transformed into a winter wonderland. The drive-through production boasts over one million lights with 80 displays. Enjoy s’mores kits and roast marshmallows in S’moresville or opt to tour the lights by horse-drawn carriage ride or tractor-pulled hayride. Tickets can only be purchased on site and are $20 per car if paid by cash and $23 if paid by credit card.
Winterlights at Elizabethan Garden
Elizabethan Garden
1411 National Park Dr.
Manteo, NC 27954
November 22 – December 28, 2024
Should your holiday travels take you to the Outer Banks, stop by the Winterlights at Elizabethan Gardens. Stroll through their 10 acres of gardens transformed into an illuminated wonderland. Warm up by their crackling open-air fire pits or check out one of the many events; including a visit from Santa, children’s face painting, musical guests, and holiday story times. Tickets are $22 for adults, $14 for youths (2-17), free for children two and under, and $6 for dogs.
Wild Lights at the Riverbanks Zoo
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden
500 Wildlife Pkwy
Columbia, SC 29210
November 15, 2024 – January 12, 2025
After 35 years of their traditional Lights Before Christmas, Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo has completely revamped its holiday light experience. While most of the animals will be off exhibit to get some sleep, Wild Lights has nearly 60 larger-than-life nature-inspired lanterns ranging from plants, animals, insects, and even dinosaurs. In keeping with holiday traditions, the zoo will still offer interactive experiences with holiday-themed photo ops, visits from Santa, bonfires for roasting s’mores, a carousel, train rides, and nightly artificial snowfall. New this year are heated igloos for a group of six with hot chocolate, s’mores, and a private fire pit. Advance tickets are required and prices vary by the date of your visit, starting at $20.99 for adults, $15.99 for children (2-12), and free for children two and under and zoo members.
Sweet Valley Ranch Festival of Lights
Sweet Valley Ranch
2990 Sunnyside School Road
Fayetteville, NC 28312
November 29 – December 26, 2024
Each holiday season the 300-acre Sweet Valley Ranch lights up the night with its Festival of Lights. The drive-through light show not only features over one million lights, but you can get a glimpse of the farm’s 350 animal residents ranging from potbelly pigs, cows, llamas, peacocks, and zebras. As an added bonus, directly across the street from Sweet Valley Ranch is Tiny’s Winter Wonderland where you can get out of your car to enjoy mini amusement rides, shop at their local vendor market, grab a snack, visit with Santa, and enjoy a classic holiday movie on the big screen. Tickets start at $10 per person (children two and under free) with discounts offered for larger groups.
Festival of Lights at Hill Ridge Farms
Hill Ridge Farms
703 Tarboro Rd
Youngsville, NC 27596
November 28 – December 28, 2024
A short 30-minute drive north of downtown Raleigh sits Hill Ridge Farms and their Festival of Lights featuring over one million lights and holiday themed displays. Enjoy hot chocolate, apple cider, s’mores, and donuts at Granny’s Snack Shack, and fresh kettle corn for your wagon ride. The entrance fee is $19.95 per person (ages 2-64) and includes the rides (carousel, slides, swings, and more), paid on site pay by cash or credit card.
Enchanted Airlie
Airlie Gardens
300 Airlie Rd
Wilmington, NC 28403
November 29 – December 21, 2024
Since 2005, Airlie Gardens have provided the Wilmington area with the sights and sounds of the season with their Enchanted Airlie lights display. Meander along the outdoor half-mile, self-guided walking tour to take in the glow from the lights whilst holiday music plays in the background. Tickets ($35 per car) for the popular light show are only sold in advance in one-hour increments and often sell out.
Festival of Lights at Lu Mil Vineyard
Lu Mil Vineyard
438 Suggs-Taylor Rd
Elizabethtown, NC 28337
November 29 – December 23, 2024
Located approximately an hour west of Wilmington, you can find Lu Mil Vineyard’s Annual Festival of Lights. This drive-through synchronized light exhibit has something for both children and adults to ensure there is enough holiday cheer for all. Children will enjoy photos with Santa, a kiddie land with rides, and a candy shop. Adults can enjoy wine tastings from the vineyard and a meal at their country buffet for $15 per person, or make it an overnight trip, booking one of their cabins for the night. Admission is $10 per person with children under the age of five, free.
Holiday Lights on the River
Saluda Shoals Park
5605 Bush River Rd
Columbia, SC 29212
November 27 – December 31, 2024
One of South Carolina’s biggest drive-through light shows is hosted in Soda City’s Saluda Shoals Park. Journey through a million colorful lights featuring over 400 animated light displays that stretch three miles. After driving through, stop by the Environmental Center for additional festivities including a winter wonder tube slide, laser light shows, letter writing to Santa, marshmallow roasting, and a hay or train ride with refreshments available for purchase. Admission is $25 per car and includes all of the above activities.
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