’Tis the season to be filled with merriment and partake in festive fun. Each year, Raleigh Christmas events range from area parades, markets, and fairs to spectacular light shows, with iconic theater performances rounding out your options. We’ve put together some of the top events for friends and family to enjoy during your holiday visit to The City of Oaks. Here’s what you won’t want to miss.
Raleigh Christmas Parades
The Raleigh area offers Christmas parades in all sizes. These festive events celebrate the season while honoring the cultures and traditions of North Carolina.
Raleigh Christmas Parade
November 22, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
Celebrating its 81st year in 2025, the Raleigh Christmas Parade is the largest between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. It begins downtown on Saturday, November 22, at 9:30 a.m., with highlights including themed floats, jumbo-sized balloon characters, marching bands, and plenty of local talent.
The Raleigh Christmas Parade covers a 1.4-mile route and lasts about 2.5 hours, ending around noon after Santa makes his appearance. If you’d rather avoid the crowds, you can watch on the television in one of our cozy rooms at The StateView Hotel. Order breakfast in bed, grab the remote, and start your season right.
Carrboro-Chapel Hill Community Holiday Parade
December 6, 2025, at 10 a.m.
The annual Carrboro-Chapel Hill Community Holiday Parade returns on Saturday, December 6, at 10 a.m. This celebration highlights the area’s many distinctive customs and traditions. Local arts, cultural, and community groups join the procession of festive floats.
Apex Rotary Christmas Parade
December 6, 2025, at 5 p.m.
Wake County’s only nighttime holiday parade will light up Salem Street in downtown Apex starting at 5 p.m. on December 6.
Cary Christmas Parade
December 13, 2025, at 2 p.m.
Enjoy the Cary Jaycees’ 43rd annual Christmas Parade as it winds through Cary’s quaint downtown on Saturday, December 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. The fun-filled event features a showcase of marching bands, mascots, local businesses, churches, and community groups.
Raleigh Christmas Shows
Get into the spirit of the season with festive live performances the whole family can enjoy. Raleigh Christmas shows are scheduled throughout December at several theaters near The StateView Hotel.
Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol
Multiple showings December 5–7, 2025, at the Martin Marietta Center for The Performing Arts
Multiple showings December 10–14, 2025, at the Durham Performing Arts Center
This Charles Dickens classic defines the season, and you can see A Christmas Carol live in Raleigh thanks to Theatre in the Park. Follow along with this musical comedy adaptation of Ebenezer Scrooge’s enlightening adventures with the Ghosts of Christmas.
The Carolina Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Multiple showings, December 11–24, 2025, at the Martin Marietta Center for The Performing Arts
Clara, Drosselmeyer, and the cast of favorites from the Land of the Sweets return in The Carolina Ballet’s annual staging of The Nutcracker. The Carolina Ballet’s best-attended production features a live symphony orchestra, fresh choreography, vibrant sets, and stunning costumes.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
December 11, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Lenovo Center (formerly PNC Arena)
The Trans‑Siberian Orchestra brings its acclaimed rock/classical fusion back to the stage at Lenovo Center in early December with The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO & More. The ensemble’s 2025 tour will revive its acclaimed holiday show, then deliver a second set of fan favorites that includes a 25th anniversary tribute to Beethoven’s Last Night. Classic TSO theatrics including lasers, pyrotechnics, and rock opera storytelling make the spectacle even more memorable.
Clara’s Trip: A Cirque and Dance Nutcracker Story
Multiple showings December 22–23, 2025, at the Fletcher Opera Theater
Experience The Nutcracker like you’ve never seen it before. Clara’s Trip: A Cirque and Dance Nutcracker Story reimagines the holiday classic with gravity-defying aerial feats and a modern take on Clara’s story. Watch in awe as dancers soar through the air with ropes, suspended hoops, and silks during a performance accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s timeless score.
Other Holiday Events in Raleigh, NC
There are many things to do in Raleigh for Christmas, including attending tree lighting ceremonies, shopping at markets and fairs, and seeing stunning light displays. Explore these festive activities to find great ways to brighten up your stay.
Fieldstream Farm Lights
November 1–December 31, 2025
You can see some of Raleigh’s best Christmas lights at Fieldstream Farm, which offers a spectacular holiday light show to enjoy from the comfort of your car. Beginning November 1, the farm opens its dazzling drive-through show featuring more than two million lights. Admission is $20 for vehicles with 1–8 passengers and increases in price for larger vehicles. Enjoy the show Monday–Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m., on Friday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Vintage Market Days’ Candy Cane Lane
November 14–16, 2025, at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds
Find original artworks, antiques, clothing, jewelry, home decor, and other treasures at Vintage Market Days’ Candy Cane Lane. This upscale indoor market is held in the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.
Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting
November 21, 2025, in Moore Square
If you’ll be staying with us on November 21, be sure to attend the Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The annual event will be held in a new location in 2025: Moore Square. Enjoy vendors and live entertainment while you sip a drink and wait for the magic. Jolly Old St. Nick himself will be there for photos with the kids.
The Christmas Carousel Holiday Gift Market
November 28–30, 2025, at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds
Head to the NC State Fairgrounds to shop to your heart’s content at the 2025 Christmas Carousel Holiday Gift Market. For nearly 40 years, this event has been a Thanksgiving weekend tradition, hosting more than 250 exhibitors in 90,000 square feet of space. Find local arts, crafts, homemade food, and decorations at one of North Carolina’s largest Christmas gift shows. Santa will be there to hear everyone’s wish list.
Lights on the Neuse
November 28–December 27, 2025, at Boyette Family Farms
Lights on the Neuse brings the North Pole to Raleigh. Enjoy cookie decorating in the Sugar Barn, Santa’s Sweet Shoppe, and an old-fashioned hayride through the light displays. The event runs from late November through late December (closed Christmas day) at Clayton’s Boyette Family Farms; tickets are available on their website.
Illuminate Art Walk
Beginning December 5, 2025, in downtown Raleigh
Raleigh is known for its art galleries, and the Illuminate Art Walk turns downtown into a radiant outdoor exhibition. This free, self-guided tour of large-scale art installations lights up the city streets with 15-plus glowing works. Displays include a 100-foot interactive LED tunnel, a walk-through Christmas ornament, a color-changing dance floor, and a fractal-patterned pyramid sculpture.
Christmas Craft Fair
December 6, 2025, at Pace Family Farms
Pace Family Farms will host its seventh annual Christmas Craft Fair in 2025. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 6, browse vendor displays offering handmade items, vintage finds, jams, preserves, and more. No direct sales representatives are allowed at this event, helping it capture the spirit of an old-fashioned craft fair.
Whether you prefer a tree lighting, parade, or show, The City of Oaks offers endless opportunities for holiday fun. Stay at the StateView Hotel to enjoy comfortable rooms and a prime location at the epicenter of the most popular Christmas events in Raleigh, North Carolina. Don’t miss out: Book your visit to the StateView Hotel today.