Find a DNCR Holiday Event or Program Near You in 2024

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources offers holiday events to match every interest and taste. Holiday train rides at the N.C. Transportation Museum, a “Christmas Flotilla” at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort, “Christmas by Candlelight” at a state historic site and “Holiday Pops” or other performances with the North Carolina Symphony at home or on tour, are a few of the unique holiday experiences awaiting families at modest or no cost.

State parks offer wonderful ways to experience nature during the holidays, and the “First Day Hike” to start the New Year off right.

2024 Holiday Events

Nov. 22 — Holiday Star Party Food Drive at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: Enjoy an evening under the stars and support the event by dropping off a canned good donation to the Beach Food Pantry. Telescopes will be set up for public viewing with the support of the OBX Astronomy Club and the Dare County Library. The event will take place at the park’s visitor center parking area. All are welcome to bring their own equipment. Rain date is Nov. 23.

Nov. 22-24, 29-30 — THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at North Carolina Transportation Museum: Inspired by the hit movie, this holiday favorite comes to life as you and your family take a magical trip on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride! Experience the joy of caroling and holiday entertainment that will surely become an annual family tradition. Children of all ages are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride and join in on the magic of Christmas!

Nov. 26 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at the Paramount Theatre in Goldsboro, 8 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Nov. 27-30 — North Carolina Symphony Pops: Cirque Holiday Pops at Meymandi Concert Hall at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh: Kick off the festive season with spellbinding grace and daredevil feats, contortionists, and acrobats performing on stage and 40 feet above it! Come early to visit Santa in the lobby.

Nov. 27 — Hatteras Museums' Fall Celebration and Open House, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: The Graveyard of the Atlantic is one of the stops on the Hatteras Museums’ Fall Celebration and Open House. Enjoy a special Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, along with recipe cards to share and a morning craft for the kids. Admission and activities are free; however, guests are asked bring a canned good or boxed food ffor the local food pantry to help restock their shelves. Reservations are not required. Other participating museums include Chicamacomico Life Saving Station, Rodanthe; Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center, Frisco; Lost Colony Museum, Buxton. Contact each site for additional information on their specific program.

Dec. 1-8 — Gingerbread House Competition at Lake Norman State Park: Register now for the Lake Norman State Park Gingerbread House Competition! Entries must be dropped off at the visitor center by Dec. 1. Don't forget to turn in your completed registration form. Park visitors will vote for their favorite house from Dec. 1-8. The winner will receive a Lake Norman State Park prize pack and the winning house will be displayed at the visitor center until Dec. 20.

Dec. 1 — Somerset Place 34th Annual Christmas Open House, 1-4 p.m.: Explore, enjoy, and experience the Christmas season at Somerset Place. Visitors will be inspired by traditional holiday decorations of fresh natural and floral arrangements adorning the exterior and interior of site buildings on a self-guided tour . The Collins House and site buildings will be open for self-guided tours with interpretive staff in period dress available to answer questions. Sample hearth-cooked black-eyed peas and cornbread, sip hot spiced tea and delicious homemade desserts. For younger audiences, jolly Saint Nicholas will appear on the grounds from 2-3:30 p.m. The event is free but donations are welcomed.

Dec. 1, 6-8, 12-23 — THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at North Carolina Transportation Museum: Inspired by the hit movie, this holiday favorite comes to life as you and your family take a magical trip on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride! Experience the joy of caroling and holiday entertainment that will surely become an annual family tradition. Children of all ages are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride and join in on the magic of Christmas!

Dec. 2-20 — School Days Colonial Christmas at Museum of the Albemarle, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.: Students will step back in time and experience a colonial Christmas. Engage in seasonal hands-on activities, read a book, sing carols, play games, and visit the Albemarle Express model train to receive a special keepsake bell.

Dec. 3 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Seabrook Auditorium in Fayetteville, 7:30 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Dec. 4 — History at High Noon: Holiday Traditions You'll Only Find in the Old North State at NC Museum of History, noon: Did you know North Carolina has its very own Christmas town? Or that there's a 200-year-old Moravian bakery making the same gingerbread our great-great grandparents once ate? Have you ever seen the state's largest living Christmas tree? From holiday flotillas in the Atlantic to the old folk celebrations of Appalachia, North Carolina has small-town holiday traditions from the mountains to the coast. Heather Leah, historian and seventh-generation North Carolinian, shares historical tales of old-fashioned Carolina Christmases past.

Dec. 5 — Messiah & More with the North Carolina Symphony and NC Master Chorale at Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill, 7:30 p.m.: Celebrate the season as Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts selections from Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” and Handel’s “Messiah,” including the “Hallelujah Chorus,” with your North Carolina Symphony and the North Carolina Master Chorale. The concert also features soloists Sarah Coburn, soprano, and Aaron Crouch, tenor.

Dec. 5 — History of Santa Claus, Patron Saint of Sailors, 11 a.m.: Join the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort in the auditorium at Fort Macon State Park for a family-friendly presentation on the history of Santa Claus. Programs are also live-streamed via Zoom.

Dec. 6, 7 — Friday Favorites: Classical Christmas with Carlos and the North Carolina Symphony at Meymandi Concert Hall at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh: Celebrate the season as Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts selections from Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” and Handel’s “Messiah,” including the “Hallelujah Chorus,” with your North Carolina Symphony and the North Carolina Master Chorale. The concert also features soloists Sarah Coburn, soprano, and Aaron Crouch, tenor.

Dec. 6, 7 — Christmas By Lamplight at Horne Creek Farm: Experience the warmth of a rural turn-of-the-20th-century Christmas. Caroling, a make-and-take craft, and readings from the period will be featured. A light meal will be served. Reservations required; no walk-ins allowed. Fee: $30 per person. Please select from one of two time slots each evening: 5:30-7:30 p.m. or 7:30-9:30 p.m. For further information, call 336-325-2298. Event sponsored by the NC Living Historical Farm Committee.

Dec. 6 — A Light in the Darkest of Night at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, 4-7 p.m.: Visit Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson for self-guided exploration and meditation from 4-7 p.m. The site’s visitor center and gift shop will remain open during the course of the evening for holiday shopping.

Dec. 6 — Yuletide by Lantern at Historic Halifax, 4-8 p.m.: Experience an authentic Christmas of long ago in the warm glow of lantern light. Enjoy homes, public buildings, and taverns decorated for the season with festive, all-natural decor. Interactive historical vignettes will bring each building to life. Enjoy a warm fire in the Tap Room tavern just as guests did two hundred years ago! A fee and registration is required to attend. This event is part of the "Revolutionary NC" theme for America 250 NC directed by the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

Dec. 6 — Duke Homestead Christmas by Candlelight, 5:30-9 p.m.: Kick off your holiday season with this annual favorite! Come enjoy live Christmas music, dancing, singing, holiday cookies, and a whole lot of history as you follow a candlelit tour through the historic area. Costumed interpreters will bring the Duke family home to life as it might have been for Christmas in 1870 when the Dukes lived here! Purchase tickets through this link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-by-candlelight-dec-6th-tickets-1065660040869

Dec. 6 — Gingerbread Workshop at Museum of the Albemarle, 4-5 p.m.: Join the Friends of the Museum of the Albemarle in their tradition of decorating a gingerbread house. Design your house with a variety of candies, cookies, cereals, and more. We do the cleanup, and you go home with a marvelous gingerbread creation to enjoy throughout the season. Register early since spaces are limited. Supply fee.

Dec. 7 — Let it Snow! 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Join the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport for free winter-themed hands-on activities and crafts that combine arts and history. The program is designed for all ages, but specifically geared toward younger patrons. Lights will be dimmed and interactives muted during the first two hours to provide a calmer environment for those with sensory sensitivities.

Dec. 7 — Friends of the Maritime Museum Holiday Flotilla, 5:30 and 6:15 p.m.: Join the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort for their annual Holiday Flotilla! Yachts, oars, kayaks and commercial vessels decorated for the season can be seen at 5:30 p.m. on the Morehead City waterfront and at 6:15 p.m. on the Beaufort waterfront.

Dec. 7 — German Christmas in Carolina at Alamance Battleground State Historic Site, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Join us at Alamance Battleground to learn about the traditions, foodways, and culture of North Carolina's German communities as we celebrate the Christmas holiday with our special event, "German Christmas in Colonial Carolina." By the 1770s, the backcountry of North Carolina boasted several communities of Germans who had settled here after migrating from their original settlements in Pennsylvania. They brought with them their traditions and culture that still shape our region today. $5 Adults, $2 Children.

Dec. 7 — Jonkonnu at Stagville at Historic Stagville State Historic, 4:30-6 p.m.: Celebrate an African diaspora holiday tradition with St. Sya Academy and Historic Stagville. Jonkonnu traditions connect African diaspora communities across the Atlantic and Caribbean. It is still celebrated in communities in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Belize, and more. In North Carolina, people of African descent resisted cultural erasure by preserving dance, drum, and costume traditions like Jonkonnu. Stagville is one of the rare sites of slavery in North America with primary source documentation of Jonkonnu.

Dec. 7 — 'In Heavenly Peace’ Bentonville's Christmas Open House at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site, 5-8:30 p.m.: Experience the Harper House as a family residence, not as a Civil War field hospital. This holiday season, you are invited to tour the home of John and Amy Harper as it may have during a Civil War Christmas. Come enjoy the beauty of a 19th-century Christmas aglow with candlelight. Also enjoy period refreshments in the kitchen and festive music by a warm campfire. Do not miss your chance to experience Christmas by candlelight at Bentonville Battlefield. $5 adult admission fee, free for kids 8 and under.

Dec. 7 — A Colonial Christmas Holiday Open House at Museum of the Albemarle, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Step back in time and experience a colonial Christmas through seasonal hands-on activities and games. Watch the Albemarle Express model train as it travels around the Albemarle region and stops at county landmarks in each of the 13 counties represented at the museum. Receive a keepsake bell to highlight your visit to the Albemarle Express! The museum will also be decorated with Christmas trees. Explore a petting zoo full of farm animals on the museum green from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and take your picture with a goat and a lamb in front of our Christmas barn.

Dec. 7 — Roanoke Island Festival Park Holiday Concert, 7 p.m.: The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Band (TRADOC) will perform a holiday concert at Roanoke Island Festival Park’s film theater. Free.

Dec. 8 — An 18th Century Christmas at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, 1-5:30 p.m.: Enjoy 18th-century inspired refreshments in the Visitor Center, participate in traditional games, or try your hand at Moravian paper stars and other 18th-century crafts. The highlight of the evening will be an authentic period candlelit service in the ruins of St. Philips Anglican Church at 5 p.m. Adult tickets, age 13 and up, can be purchased in advance through our Square website. Kids 12 and under are free.

Dec. 10 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community in Wilmington, 3 and 7 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Dec. 11 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Keihin Auditorium at Edgecombe Community in Tarboro, 7:30 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Dec. 12 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Owens Auditorium at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, 7:30 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Dec. 12 — State Tree Lighting at the N.C. State Capitol; 5:30 p.m.: Join the State Capitol and Gov. Roy Cooper for the annual tree-lighting tradition! The festivities begin on Capitol Square with luminaries and holiday music performed by the Raleigh Concert Band; ceremony begins at 6:15 p.m. Santa is scheduled to make an appearance. After the ceremony, come into the Capitol to experience its holiday decorations. The 2024 State Tree is sponsored by State Employees Credit Union. FREE; no reservations needed.

Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — State Capitol Holiday Open House: Join us for holiday music in the Capitol's rotunda! FREE; no reservations needed.

Dec. 12, 6-9 p.m.; Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. — Executive Mansion Public Holiday Open House: The Executive Mansion will be beautifully decorated for the holiday season, each room will feature a uniquely decorated tree. Musical groups from across North Carolina will perform throughout the event. No reservations are needed or accepted, guests are received in the order of arrival. Traditional guided tours are not offered during this time; however, a trained docent will be stationed in each room and can answer any questions. There are no public restrooms available inside the home. Donations are being accepted to help with the ongoing hurricane recovery efforts in western North Carolina, QR codes will be available for guests to donate to the NC Disaster Relief Fund.

Dec. 13, 14 — 30th annual John Costlow Christmas Train Show, 4-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday: The train show takes place at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort’s Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center in partnership with the Beaufort Lions Club. The annual show features antique working model trains of all sizes. Admission is free.

Dec. 13 — Ugly Sweater Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Meymandi Concert Hall at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, 8 p.m.: ’Tis the season to break out your most festively heinous knitwear — your ugly Christmas sweater! Don your favorite Christmas sweater (ugly or not) for an unforgettable evening filled with the orchestral beauty of Holiday Pops favorites including “Sleigh Ride,” “Jingle Bells,” music from “Frozen,” and so much more. You might even win the “Ugly Sweater” contest! Come early to visit Santa in the lobby. David Glover conducts.

Dec. 13 — 'O Blessed Season' Candlelight Tours at House in the Horseshoe, 3-6:30 p.m.: Step back in time and experience an 18th-century Christmas. Interpreters will portray members of the community who have gathered for a festive party during the holiday season among fresh greenery and candlelight. Tickets are required. This event is part of the "Revolutionary NC" theme for America 250 NC, directed by the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

Dec. 13 — Duke Homestead Christmas by Candlelight, 5:30-9 p.m.: Kick off your holiday season with this annual favorite! Come enjoy live Christmas music, dancing, singing, holiday cookies, and a whole lot of history as you follow a candlelit tour through our historic area. Costumed interpreters will bring the Duke family home to life as it might have been for Christmas in 1870 when the Dukes lived here! Purchase tickets through this link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-by-candlelight-dec-13th-tickets-1065481607169

Dec. 14 — Christmas in Sedalia at Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, 5-8 p.m.: Join us at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum for a night of music, shopping, and holiday festivities at our free event, Christmas in Sedalia.Bands and choirs from local schools will perform on an outdoor stage, a vendor fair with local artisans inside of Kimball Hall for all of your holiday shopping, and a very special visitor from the North Pole available to take photos! Our tree lighting ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 14 & Dec. 21 — Candlelight at Tryon Palace, 4:30 – 9:30 p.m.: Candlelight is Tryon Palace’s famed holiday event showcasing the beautifully decorated Governor’s Mansion illuminated by the magical glow of candlelight. As you travel from one decorated room to another within the Palace, fabulously costumed interpreters present an engaging story that relates to back to the Palace’s colonial history.

Dec. 15 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern, 3 and 7 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Dec. 16-20 — Jingle in the Jungle at North Carolina Zoo: To celebrate the season of giving and the Zoo's 50th anniversary, the North Carolina Zoo is delighted to announce a December promotion to give back to the community — Jingle in the Jungle! From Dec. 16-20, all general admission is $5 for entry to the North Carolina Zoo. No other discounts apply; in-person sales only (no online reservations).

Dec. 18 — Holiday Pops with the North Carolina Symphony at Northside High School in Jacksonville, 7:30 p.m.: Celebrate the season with your festive holiday favorites and your North Carolina Symphony. This annual performance features the songs you know and love, including “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” Christmas at the Movies, music from “Frozen,” and more! David Glover conducts.

Dec. 19 — Cookies and Crafts: Christmas Open House at CSS Neuse Museum, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Join us for the Christmas Open House program at the CSS Neuse Museum this holiday season! We welcome visitors of all ages to come and enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights, delicious cookies, crafts, and activities. Learn about the history of some of the Christmas holiday traditions that we celebrate today and create your own Victorian Christmas card and ornament, which will make for a unique and memorable keepsake.

Dec. 20-22 — A Candlelight Christmas with the North Carolina Symphony Holiday Brass at Meymandi Concert Hall at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh: Immerse yourself in the sounds of the season performed in the glow of candlelight by the North Carolina Symphony Holiday Brass and the North Carolina Master Chorale Youth Choir.

Dec. 28 — Old Christmas in Historic Bath 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.: Immerse yourself in the ambiance of the Old Christmas Season at Historic Bath! Join us at the Bonner House to take part in the festivities. Learn about the holiday traditions of early 19th-century North Carolina. Experience holiday cooking over an open hearth and taste fresh gingerbread. Make historic ornaments, decorate a tree, play games, and drink cider by the bonfire from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Come back and enjoy the Christmas tradition of stories around the bonfire from 5-7 p.m. This event is a part of the "Revolutionary NC" theme of America 250 NC, directed by the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

Jan. 1, 2025 — First Day Hike at Carolina Beach State Park, 10 a.m: Join a Park Ranger to hike the Sugarloaf Trail at the Marina for a 2-mile round trip hike to Sugarloaf Dune. Lace up your shoes, bring water and start your new year off right. Hike will begin at 10 a.m. Start with the group and stay with the group or find your own path!