Get ready for a holiday adventure in Jacksonville! Our guide features all the exciting festive events. For Jacksonville connoisseurs and newcomers, our guide is the recipe for holiday delight.
Popular during the holiday season is the enchanting Christmas at Biltmore, where visitors can experience stunning decorations and seasonal festivities in a grand setting. Showcasing beautifully illuminated landscapes, Glowing Gardens invites families to stroll through vibrant displays that bring the holiday spirit to life. And the Jacksonville Light Boat Parade is something you definitely don't want to miss, as decorated boats glide along the waterfront in a colorful display. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around Jacksonville
- Christmas at Biltmore (Asheville)
- Glowing Gardens
- The Nutcracker at Blumenthal Performing Arts (Charlotte)
- Winterlights at the NC Arboretum (Asheville)
- Jacksonville Light Boat Parade
- The Nutcracker at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium (Raleigh)
- Christmas Town USA (McAdenville)
- Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights (Clemmons)
- Christmas Made in the South
- The Hip Hop Nutcracker at DPAC (Durham)
See these and even more events listed below!
Jacksonville Holiday Light Displays
Glowing Gardens
What to Expect:
Nature-inspired light and sculpture display in a botanical garden setting.
Description:
Glowing Gardens at the Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens features a month-long celebration with millions of glowing lights, sculptures, and immersive displays inspired by nature. Explore unique art sculptures, illuminated paths, and hanging stars amidst the natural beauty of the gardens.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Glowing Gardens
Jacksonville Light Boat Parade
What to Expect:
Decorated boats with festive lights and decorations.
Description:
The Jacksonville Light Boat Parade is a holiday tradition featuring vessels of all shapes and sizes adorned with festive decorations floating along the St. Johns River. Residents and visitors gather to witness this spectacular event, concluding with a beautiful fireworks show.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Jacksonville Light Boat Parade
Christmas at Biltmore
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration with candlelit grand home and festive decorations.
Description:
Biltmore House transforms into a holiday vision with fragrant wreaths, glittering garland, and thousands of ornaments. The estate's grand home is gently illuminated by candles, filled with the scent of fresh pine, and warmed by crackling fireplaces. This yuletide visit features a step back in time to the very first Christmas at Biltmore House in 1895.
Where: Asheville | More Info: Christmas at Biltmore
Winterlights at the NC Arboretum
What to Expect:
Over one million lights in a festive garden setting.
Description:
Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show featuring over one million lights, including a 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden. The event supports the arboretum's mission-driven programming and is pet-free, except for service animals.
Where: Asheville | More Info: Winterlights at the NC Arboretum
Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights
What to Expect:
Extensive drive-thru light display with interactive elements and special activities.
Description:
Tanglewood Park's Festival of Lights features over a million twinkling lights along a five-mile drive-thru route, with interactive musical displays, holiday crafts, and specialty foods. The event includes horse-drawn carriage rides and tractor-pulled hayrides, offering a unique viewing experience for families and visitors of all ages.
Where: Clemmons | More Info: Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights
Enchanted Airlie
What to Expect:
Holiday light display supporting garden projects.
Description:
Enchanted Airlie is a self-guided holiday light display at Airlie Gardens, featuring over one million festive lights and music. The event supports important projects in the gardens, including stormwater management.
Where: Wilmington | More Info: Enchanted Airlie
Christmas Town USA
What to Expect:
Community-driven holiday light display with historical charm.
Description:
Christmas Town USA in McAdenville transforms into a vibrant holiday destination each December, featuring over half a million twinkling lights and festive decorations.
Where: McAdenville | More Info: Christmas Town USA
Christmas at ELJ Farms
What to Expect:
Interactive wagon rides with downtown shopping stops.
Description:
At ELJ Farms, Christmas Town offers an annual Christmas light show trail experience, featuring the area's largest light display, wagon rides, food trucks, market vendors, Santa, and Santa pictures. The event spans the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, making it a favorite among families, businesses, and organizations from the eastern coast.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Christmas at ELJ Farms
Jacksonville Holiday Markets and Shopping
Christmas Made in the South
What to Expect:
Vibrant display of handmade crafts and gourmet food.
Description:
Christmas Made in the South is a premier fine arts and crafts festival featuring handcrafted works, unique gourmet food, and diverse entertainment. Exhibitors showcase silk wearables, fabric bags, dichroic glass jewelry, and close-up photography of nature's creatures.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Christmas Made in the South
Antique 2 Chic Christmas Gift Market
What to Expect:
Unique gifts from local vendors.
Description:
Antique 2 Chic Christmas Gift Market offers a variety of unique gifts and seasonal items from local vendors, with a festive atmosphere and opportunities to visit with Santa and The Grinch.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Antique 2 Chic Christmas Gift Market
Winterfest Artisan Market
What to Expect:
Family-friendly winter activities with artisan market shopping.
Description:
The Winterfest Artisan Market at Jacksonville Commons features holiday treasures, live entertainment, and family-friendly activities like sledding, ice skating, and petting zoos.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Winterfest Artisan Market
Outdoor Holiday Gift Market
What to Expect:
Unique gifts from local artisans and vendors.
Description:
The Outdoor Holiday Gift Market at Legacy Architectural Salvage offers a diverse array of handmade, vintage, and artisanal goods. Browse curated vendors and enjoy treats and drinks while shopping for unique gifts.
Where: Wilmington | More Info: Outdoor Holiday Gift Market
Scandinavian Christmas Fair
What to Expect:
Traditional Scandinavian customs and festive foods.
Description:
The Scandinavian Christmas Fair is an authentic celebration of Scandinavian traditions, featuring folk dancing, live music, traditional crafts, and homemade foods. It showcases unique gifts, traditional folk costumes, and family activities like the Lucia Procession.
Where: Raleigh | More Info: Scandinavian Christmas Fair
Triangle Pop-Up Holiday Market
What to Expect:
Local artist market with live music and unique gifts.
Description:
The Triangle Pop-Up Holiday Market at the North Carolina Museum of Art features a selection of local artists and makers, live music, and a variety of unique gifts and seasonal items. Browse the galleries, enjoy the museum park, and shop local.
Where: Raleigh | More Info: Triangle Pop-Up Holiday Market
Great Topsail Flotilla & Christmas Market
What to Expect:
Thousands of twinkly lights float down the Intracoastal Waterway.
Description:
The Great Topsail Flotilla & Christmas Market combines a festive holiday market with a spectacular flotilla of twinkly lights floating down the Intracoastal Waterway. The event features unique and handmade gifts, food trucks, and entertainment in beautiful Soundside Park.
Where: Surf City | More Info: Great Topsail Flotilla & Christmas Market
Firefly Market
What to Expect:
Unique blend of local art and handmade goods.
Description:
Firefly Market is an open-air market featuring local artists and makers showcasing vintage, handmade, and repurposed items. Located in the breezeway by Footnote Coffee in downtown Winston-Salem, it also includes live music.
Where: Winston-Salem | More Info: Firefly Market
Jacksonville Holiday Shows and Entertainment
The Polar Express Train Ride
What to Expect:
Interactive storytelling with Santa Claus.
Description:
The Polar Express Train Ride is a 1¼ hour round-trip excursion where guests depart from the historic Bryson City Depot to journey through the quiet wilderness to the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests enjoy warm cocoa and treats while listening to the magical story. Santa Claus greets each child and presents them with a special gift, a silver sleigh bell.
Where: Bryson City | More Info: The Polar Express Train Ride
Mike’s Farm Hayride and Dinner Show
What to Expect:
Family-style dinner and festive hayride.
Description:
Mike’s Farm offers a festive holiday experience with a down-home country menu served buffet style, followed by a visit with Santa, and a ride through the Festival of Lights hayride.
Where: Beulaville | More Info: Mike’s Farm Hayride and Dinner Show
The Nutcracker at Blumenthal Performing Arts
What to Expect:
Exclusive VIP experience with private bathrooms and beverage bar.
Description:
The Charlotte Ballet's Nutcracker is a classic holiday ballet featuring 100 dancers, enchanting costumes, and Tchaikovsky's iconic score. The performance includes Clara's mystical adventure through the Land of Sweets, with Rat King causing mischief. The event offers a family-friendly experience with exclusive VIP options, including private bathrooms, a beverage bar, and complimentary holiday sweets.
Where: Charlotte | More Info: The Nutcracker at Blumenthal Performing Arts
The Nutcracker at Thalian Hall
What to Expect:
World-class ballet performance with elaborate sets and costumes.
Description:
The Nutcracker at Thalian Hall features a classic holiday ballet with intricate set designs and over 100 dancers, bringing Clara’s journey to life in a winter setting.
Where: Wilmington | More Info: The Nutcracker at Thalian Hall
The Nutcracker at Bardo Arts Center
What to Expect:
World-class ballet performance with professional dancers.
Description:
The Nutcracker at Bardo Arts Center features professional classical dancers from the Ballet Conservatory of Asheville in a full-length holiday favorite ballet. A young girl's adventure with her new Nutcracker doll leads her to a fantasy world filled with toy soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, and magic.
Where: Cullowhee | More Info: The Nutcracker at Bardo Arts Center
The Nutcracker at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
What to Expect:
Elaborate sets and costumes in a classic ballet performance.
Description:
Carolina Ballet's The Nutcracker at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium is a timeless ballet that marries charm with original and fresh choreography, vibrant sets, and stunning costumes. This holiday season, rediscover the beauty and tradition of this beloved ballet.
Where: Raleigh | More Info: The Nutcracker at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
The Hip Hop Nutcracker at DPAC
What to Expect:
Contemporary dance spectacle blending hip hop with Tchaikovsky's music.
Description:
The Hip Hop Nutcracker at DPAC is a contemporary dance spectacle directed by Tony and Olivier Award-nominated Jennifer Weber. This re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic combines hip hop dance with Tchaikovsky's timeless music, featuring a powerhouse cast of all-star dancers, a DJ, violinist, and special guest MC Kurtis Blow. The show transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann's beloved story into vibrant, diverse sights and sounds of contemporary New York City, celebrating love, community, and the magic of the holiday season.
Where: Durham | More Info: The Hip Hop Nutcracker at DPAC
Christmas Craft Show at WoodMill Winery
What to Expect:
Complimentary wine tastings and unique holiday wine specials.
Description:
Join us at WoodMill Winery for a Christmas Craft Show featuring wine tastings, mulled wine, and wine slushies. Browse our wines and explore craft show vendors in a charming setting surrounded by the natural beauty of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
Where: Vale | More Info: Christmas Craft Show at WoodMill Winery
Jacksonville Other Holiday Activities
Coffee Haven’s Merry Ferry Coffee & Christmas
What to Expect:
Cozy holiday setting with seasonal drinks.
Description:
Coffee Haven’s Merry Ferry Coffee & Christmas offers a cozy atmosphere with seasonal drinks and festive decorations.
Where: Sneads Ferry | More Info: Coffee Haven’s Merry Ferry Coffee & Christmas
Sk8 with Grinch at Roller City
What to Expect:
Grinch-themed roller skating event with nostalgic decorations.
Description:
Join Roller City for a fun-filled evening of roller skating with Grinch-themed decorations and activities, creating a nostalgic and family-friendly atmosphere.
Where: Jacksonville | More Info: Sk8 with Grinch at Roller City
Wreaths Across America
What to Expect:
Honoring veterans through wreath-laying ceremonies.
Description:
Wreaths Across America is an event where participants honor veterans by laying remembrance wreaths on their graves, fostering a sense of community and respect for fallen heroes.