Friday
- Ashley McBryde @ Fillmore Charlotte
- Cooper Alan @ Coyote Joe’s
- Mint Hill Mingle & Jingle, Veterans Memorial Park, 6-9 pm: A night of family fun featuring a visit from Santa, The Polar Express on the big screen, train rides around the park, popcorn, hot chocolate, and holiday crafts.
Photo: Erika Goldring / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Saturday
- Friends of Charlotte Metro Animal Services Trails and Tails Community Dog Walk @ James Boyce Park, 9:30 am
- Catawba Nation Christmas Parade @ 2 pm
- Lake Wylie Holiday Boat Parade @ 5 pm
- Lake Norman Lighted Christmas Boat Parade @ 5:30 pm
- Mount Holly Christmas Parade @ 6 pm
Also kicking off Friday and running through January 12: Cirque du Soleil “Bazzar” under the big top at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Acrobats, dancers, and musicians band together to invent a whimsical one-of-a-kind universe.
Ongoing Events
- Capture the Magic at the Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular in Ballantyne, nightly through December 30th. Over a million spectacular lights and displays on a half-mile trail. Advance tickets encouraged at NCHolidayLights.com
- Kannapolis Celebration of Lights runs through Dec. 30
- Charlotte ice skating locations: Camp North Pole @ Camp North End, Light the Knights, U.S. National Whitewater Center, Carowinds Winterfest, Birkdale on Ice in Huntersville, Founders Holiday Ice Rink in Rock Hill.
- Through December 26: McAdenville transforms into Christmas Town USA with hundreds of trees covered in light and homes and yards decorated for the holidays. A holiday tradition since 1956, more than a half-million cars drive through the small village for the event.
- Speedway Christmas: Five million lights are set to sparkle over four miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The drive-through show will run nightly until January 7th, from 6 pm to 10 pm. There's also a Christmas Village, which will feature photos with Santa, food vendors and more.
- WinterFest @ Carowinds, weekends through January 1st