101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill

KidsOutAndAbout is the Triangle's online guide to everything for kids, teens, and families! The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many require reserving ahead of time, and please keep in mind that events could be canceled... so click through to make arrangements. Enjoy the holidays!

If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Mindy Mangan at mindy@kidsoutandabout.com. Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!

Below are items that have been posted to our calendar. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!

If you don't already receive our free weekly e-newsletter for the Triangle, sign up today to make sure you're in the know about free stuff, festivals, classes, camps, vacation ideas, and all the best events near you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas below for holiday family fun in 2024!

Santa Sightings

Multiple dates starting Nov 2, 2024	Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's
Multiple dates starting Nov 14, 2024	Pictures with Santa at The Streets at South Point
Nov 16, 2024	Free Professional Photos with Santa - Salem Baptist Preschool Holiday Market
Multiple dates starting Nov 18, 2024	Letters to Santa - City of Mebane
Multiple dates starting Nov 18, 2024	Pet Picture Nights with Santa at The Streets at South Point
Nov 23, 2024	80th ABC11 Raleigh Christmas Parade presented by Shop Local Raleigh
Nov 23, 2024	Santa's Arrival to Mebane
Multiple dates starting Nov 23, 2024	Christmas on the Farm - Phillips Farms of Cary, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Donuts with Santa & Mrs. Claus - Millstone Creek Orchards - Ramseur, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Santa in Wonderland at Fenton
Nov 30, 2024	Carrollock Christmas Wonderland
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Christmas with the Kringles - Millstone Creeks Orchard - Ramseur, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Visits with Santa on the Farm - Haven Farm
Dec 1, 2024	Christmas Parade 2024 - Rollesville Chamber of Commerce
Dec 1, 8, & 15, 2024	Maggiano's Breakfast with Santa - Durham, NC
Multiple dates starting Dec 1, 2024	Brunch with Santa - The Carolina Inn
Dec 5, 2024	Franklinton Christmas Parade
Dec 5, 2024	Cookies with Santa (Ages 2-6) - Durham Parks and Rec
Dec 6, 2024	2024 Mebane Christmas Parade
Dec 6, 2024	Brier Creek Commons Letters to Santa
Dec 6, 2024	Santa Paws 2024 - Durham Parks and Recreation
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024	Letters to Santa - Special Delivery! at Fuquay Mineral Spring Park
Dec 7, 2024	2024 Christmas on Main - Kenly, NC
Dec 7, 2024	Community Christmas Celebration - Archer Lodge Community Center
Dec 7, 2024	Breakfast with Santa - Rollesville Chamber of Commerce
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024	Photos with Santa at Downtown Cary Park
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024	Santa's Reindeer Roundup Express at Triangle's Train: New Hope Valley Railway
Dec 8, 2024	Fuquay-Varina's Annual Christmas Parade
Dec 8, 2024	Santa Cares Day at The Streets at South Point
Dec 10, 2024	Photos with Santa: Sensory-Friendly - Downtown Cary Park
Dec 11, 2024	Santa Cares: Sensory-Friendly Visit - Holly Springs, NC
Dec 12, 2024	Christmas Smithfield Parade
Dec 14, 2024	Holiday Parade - Durham, NC
Dec 15, 2024	Paws with Claus: Holiday Photos - Downtown Cary Park
Dec 21, 2024	Breakfast with Santa - Haven Farm

Old-Time Christmas

Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	8th Annual Holiday At The 1870 Farm
Dec 6 & 13, 2024	Christmas by Candlelight - Duke Homestead
Dec 7, 2024	Victorian Christmas at the Page-Walker
Dec 7, 2024	German Christmas in Carolina - Alamance Battleground State Historic Site
Dec 7, 2024	In Heavenly Peace:" Bentonville's Christmas Open House
Dec 14, 2024	Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum Christmas in Sedalia
Dec 19, 2024	Cookies and Crafts: Christmas Open House - CSS Neuse Museum

Light Displays

Nov 16, 2024	Holiday Market & Lighting of the Trees - Lafayette Village - Raleigh
Nov 22, 2024	Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024	Meadow Lights - Benson, NC
Nov 23, 2024	Light the Square at Fenton
Nov 23, 2024	Christmas Tree Lighting at Veterans Memorial Garden - Mebane, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024	Lake Myra Christmas Lights
Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2024	Drive Thru Festival of Lights 2024 - Hill Ridge Farms
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Christmas Lights On The Farm - Middlesex, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Lights On Cedar 2024
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Piper Lights 2024 - Wake Forest, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Fieldstream Farm Festival of Lights Drive Thru
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Lights On The Neuse 2024
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Holidays in the Park - Museum of Life + Science
Multiple dates starting the first week in Dec	Lights at Fuquay Mineral Spring Park
Dec 3, 2024	Christmas Celebration & Parade - Selma, NC
Dec 5, 2024	Christmas Village & Tree Lighting - Clayton, NC
Dec 5, 2024	Town Tree Lighting - Town Fuquay-Varina, NC
Dec 6, 2024	The Lighting of Wake Forest
Dec 6, 2024	Tree Lighting Ceremony - Town of Apex, NC
Dec 6, 2024	Knightsdale Christmas Tree Lighting
Dec 6, 2024	Tree Lighting Ceremony - Brier Creek Commons
Dec 7, 2024	Rotary Christmas Parade - Town of Apex, NC
Dec 7, 2024	Annual Tree Lighting Cermony - Morrisville, NC Parks & Rec
Dec 7, 2024	Tree Lighting Ceremony - Downtown Park Cary
Dec 7, 2024	Light the Springs - Holly Springs, NC
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024	Holiday Tour of Lights - Town of Apex, NC
Dec 14, 2024	Franklinton House Decorating Contest
Dec 14, 2024	Winter Lantern Walk - North Carolina Museum of Art

Holiday Races

Nov 23, 2024	Turkey Leg 5K - Knighdale Station Park
Dec 7, 2024	Jingle Bell Run Raleigh - Arthritis Foundation
Dec 7, 2024	Grinch Stink Stank Stunk 5k Toy Run or Jingle Bell Jog (walk) - Smithfield, NC
Dec 7, 2024	2024 Reindeer Romp 5K
Dec 14, 2024	Frosty Run - Wake Forest Downtown
Dec 14, 2024	Reindeer Run 5k- Chatham County Partnership for Children

Holiday Theatre

Multiple dates starting Nov 9, 2024	Christmas Jubille LIVE@THE RUDY
Nov 10, 2024	The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show
Nov 16, 2024	A Drag Queen Christmas: 10th Anniversary Tour
Nov 16, 2024	Frosty: A Musical Adventure - Garner Performing Arts Center (Sensory Friendly Performance Available!)
Nov 15 & 16, 2024	Magical Nutcracker - Carolina Youth Ballet
Nov 22, 2024	Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Nov 23, 2024	The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays
Nov 25, 2024	Derek Hough: Dance for the Holidays
Multiple dates starting Dec 5, 2024	A Sherlock Carol - The Cary Players
Multiple dates starting Dec 5, 2024	'Twas the Night Before... By Cirque du Soleil
Dec 6 & 8, 2024	A Peter Rabbit Christmas - Applause! Cary Youth Theatre
Dec 6 - 8, 2024	Elf The Musical JR. - Garner Performing Arts Center
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024	The Nutracker - Cary Ballet Company
Multiple dates starting Dec 12, 2024	The Nutcracker - Carolina Ballet
Dec 13 & 14, 2024	The Nutcracker - Fuquay-Varina Arts Center
Dec 15, 2024	Jill M. Taylor Dance Company's The Nutcracker
Dec 20, 2024	Sensory Friendly Nutcracker Suite - Cary Ballet Company
Multiple dates starting Dec 18, 2024	A Christmas Carol at Durham Performing Arts Center
Dec 24, 2024	NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet
Dec 27 & 28, 2024	The Motown Sound of Christmas

Holiday Concerts

Nov 27, 2024	The Embers Holiday Show - Fuquay-Varina, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024	Cirque Holiday Pops - NC Symphony
Nov 29, 2024	Holiday Music on the Roof: United Strings of Color at The Durham Hotel
Nov 30, 2024	A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland
Nov 30, 2024	Pentatonix: Hallelujah! It's A Christmas Tour at Lenovo Center
Nov 30, 2024	Holiday Music on the Roof: Bell Durham at The Durham Hotel
Dec 4, 2024	Eddie Miles Christmas Special LIVE@THE RUDY
Dec 5, 2024	Messiah & More - NC Symphony
Dec 6, 2024	The Fuquay Varina Chorale Holiday Concert
Dec 6, 2024	Winterfest '24 - Cary Town Band
Dec 6 & 7, 2024	Classical Christmas with Carlos - NC Symphony
Dec 8, 2024	Holly Springs Community Band Concert
Dec 9, 2024	Mariah Carey's Christmas Time at Lenovo Center
Dec 11, 2024	Holiday Music on the Roof: Ally J at The Durham Hotel
Dec 11, 2024	The Embers Christmas Show (Featuring Craig Woolard) - LIVE@THE RUDY
Dec 11, 2024	Tis The Season Holiday Concert - The Really Terrible Orchestra of the Triangle
Dec 12, 2024	Neuse River Big Band Swingin' Holiday
Dec 13, 2024	Ugly Sweater Holiday Pops Concert - NC Symphony
Dec 13, 2024	Holiday Pops with the Concert Singers of Cary
Dec 14, 2024	The Snowman and other Holiday Favorites - Triangle Wind Ensemble
Dec 14, 2024	Route 55 Jazz Orchestra Concert - Holly Springs, NC
Dec 14 & 15, 2024	Raleigh Ringers Holiday Concert
Dec 18, 2024	Holiday Music on the Roof: Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus at The Durham Hotel
Dec 18, 2024	Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Lost Christmas Eve at Lenovo Center
Dec 20, 2024	Candlelight: Holiday Special Featuring "The Nutcracker" & More at Aria
Dec 21, 2024	Gerald Parker Jazz Orchestra Holiday Concert - Fuquay-Varina Arts Center
Dec 21 - 22, 2024	Candlelight Christmas - NC Symphony

Christmas Tree Experience

Starting November 2024	Jordan Lake Christmas Tree Farm - Apex, NC
Starting November 2024	The Family Farm on Avent Ferry - Holly Springs, NC
Starting November 2024	Phillips Farms of Cary, NC

Ice Skating

Year Round	Orange County SportsPlex
Year Round	Polar Ice Cary
Year Round	Polar Ice Garner

Día de los Muertos

Multiple dates starting Oct 10, 2024	Día de los Muertos Ofrenda
Oct 26, 2024	Day of the Dead 5k
Oct 27, 2024	Day of the Dead with Revista Latina
Multiple dates starting Oct 26, 2024	Día de Oakwood
Nov 1, 2024	8th Annual Day of the Dead at the City of Raleigh Museum

Diwali

Oct 12, 2024	Hum Sub Diwali: Festival of Lights
Oct 19, 2024	Diwali Festival - Morrisville, NC
Nov 2, 2024	Diwali Mela: A Festival of Lights
Nov 7, 2024	K-5th Adventures: Diwali! - Fuquay-Varina Community Library
Nov 9, 2024	Diwali Festival of Lights - Guilderland YMCA

Hanukkah

Nov 16, 2024	Sparkle Night 2024 - Parkside Town Commons - Cary, NC
Dec 3, 2024	Chanukah Story Hour
Dec 8, 2024	Handmade Hanukkah Market 2024
Dec 15, 2024	Chanukah at the Canes
Dec 27, 2024	Menorah, Soup, & Scotch
Dec 29, 2024	Chanukah Festival - Apex, NC
Dec 29, 2024	Chanukah Parade - Chabad Center of Raleigh
Dec 29, 2024	Menorah Lighting On The Green - Lafayette Village - Raleigh, NC
Dec 30, 2024	Celebrate the Festival of Lights - Town of Cary, NC

Kwanzaa

Dec 29, 2024	Cary Kwanzaa Celebration
Jan 1, 2025	African American Dance Ensemble's 39th Kwanzaafest

Shopping & Craft Fairs

Nov 3, 2024	Cottagecore Holiday Market at Haven of Knightdale
Nov 8 - 10, 2024	Mistletoe Market - Vintage Market Days®
Nov 9, 2024	Mistletoe Market Holiday Fair at Wakefield High School
Nov 9 & 10, 2024	The Southern Bostonian Christmas Kick-Off
Nov 9 & 16, 2024	Mistletoe Markets at Millstone Creek Orchards - Ramseur, NC
Nov 15 & 16, 2024	Salem Baptist Preschool 2024 Market
Nov 16, 2024	Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair
Nov 16 & 17, 2024	The Durham Art Walk Holiday Market
Nov 16 & Dec 21, 2024	Fenton Holiday Maker's Market
Nov 23, 2024	Christmas Market in the Grove
Nov 23, 2024	Annual Holiday Crafts Fair - The Craft Center
Nov 23, 2024	Winter Wonderland Craft Show - City of Mebane, NC
Multiple dates starting Dec 1, 2024	Holiday Market at the Fairgrounds
Dec 7, 2024	Durham German Holiday Market
Dec 7, 2024	Sixth Annual Christmas Craft Fair - Pace Family Farms
Dec 7, 2024	Holiday Open House - Lafayette Village - Raleigh
Dec 7, 2024	The Holiday Market at NCMA
Dec 8, 2024	MADE 4 the Holidays Marketplace
Dec 8 & 15, 2024	The Carolina Inn Holiday Market
Dec 11, 2024	Holiday Market at The Durham Hotel
Dec 13 & 14, 2024	17th Annual St. Nicholas European Christmas Market
Dec 14, 2024	Merry & Bright: A North Pole Market – Paper & Stars Studio
Dec 14, 2024	Handcrafted DURM Annual Holiday Market at Durty Bull Brewing Company
Dec 14, 2024	Art-n-Soul Holiday Market @ Mystic Farm & Distillery
Dec 14, 2024	The Holiday Market at Seaboard Station
Dec 14, 2024	Carlee Farm Holiday Marketplace
Dec 14, 2024	MAKRS Holiday Fest 2024
Dec 15, 2024	Durham Craft Market Holiday Show 2024
Dec 21, 2024	Solstice Market - Hillsborough Arts Council

New Year's Eve

Dec 31, 2024	Noon Year’s Eve Skate with Characters - United Skates of America
Dec 31, 2024	New Year’s Eve Skate Party - United Skates of America
Dec 31, 2024	Night Circus: A District New Year’s Eve Spectacular
Dec 31, 2024	Kids NYE Event at North Hills Innovation District
Dec 31, 2024	New Year's Eve Party 2025 - East Regional Library
Dec 31, 2024	Noon Year's Eve Party - Holly Springs Community Library
Dec 31, 2024	Noon Year's Eve Celebration! - Cary Regional Library
Dec 31, 2024	Noon Year's Eve - Middle Creek Community Library

Miscellaneous

Multiple dates starting Nov 1, 2024	Holiday Food Drive - Fuquay-Varina Fire Department
Multiple dates starting Nov 1, 2024	Operation Share (Toy Drive) - Fuquay-Varina, NC
Multiple dates starting Nov 3, 2024	Merry Moo-mories: Highland Cow Mini Sessions
Nov 16, 2024	2024 Wake Forest Cares Holiday Kick-Off
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024	The Dessertery: A Holiday Dessert Cafe
Nov 23, 2024	Horse Drawn Carriage Rides at Fenton
Multiple dates starting Nov 25, 2024	Santa's Mailbox - Holly Springs, NC
Nov 30, 2024	2024 Holiday Wreath Classes - Eno River Farm
Multiple dates starting Dec 1, 2024	Crossroads Holiday Tea - Carolina Inn
Dec 4, 2024	Wreath Making Workshop with Golden Flora
Dec 4, 2024	Holiday Traditions You'll Only Find in the Old North State
Dec 5, 2024	Sleigh Rides in Downtown - Fuquay-Varina, NC
Dec 6, 2024	Evening With Elves - Marbles Kids Museum
Dec 6 & 7, 2024	1st Annual Gingerbread House Competition - The Rotary Club of Apex
Dec 6 -18, 2024	Gingerbread House Contest Display at the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024	Holiday Wreath Workshop - JC Raulston Arboretum
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024	It's Snowing in Mebane
Dec 7, 2024	Natural Ornaments: Family Workshop - North Carolina Botanical Garden
Dec 7, 2024	Holiday Block Party at Garner Recreation Center
Dec 7, 2024	Gingerbread Lane 2024 - The Rotary Club of Apex
Dec 7, 2024	Downtown Holiday Open House - Wake Forest, NC
Dec 7 - 15, 2024	Annual Gingerbread House Competition Display
Multiple dates starting Dec 7, 2024	Gingerbread Build - Carolina Inn
Dec 8 & 9, 2024	Holiday Creations - JC Raulston Arboretum
Dec 12 - 15, 2024	White Christmas Sing Along at The Cary Theater
Dec 14, 2024	Parade to Park Festivities - Downtown Cary Park
Dec 14, 2024	2024 Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade
Dec 14, 2024	Live Nativity Scene - CSHC Raleigh
Dec 14, 2024	Happy Holly Days Christmas Parade
Dec 14, 2024	Tea With the Sugar Plum Fairy - The Fuquay-Varina Arts Center
Dec 14, 2024	Knightdale Christmas Parade
Dec 14 & 15, 2024	Gingerbread Jamboree - Marbles Kids Museum
Dec 15 & 19, 2024	A Christmas Story at The Cary Theater
Multiple dates starting Dec 16, 2024	Jingle in the Jungle - North Carolina Zoo
Multiple dates starting Dec 18, 2024	Holiday Express at Pullen Park
Dec 18 & 20, 2024	It's A Wonderful Life at The Cary Theater
Dec 19, 2024	Jingle Jam Skate - United Skates of America
Dec 19, 2024	Holiday Cheer with Newberry and Verch at The Cary Theater
Dec 20 - 22, 2024	Elf at The Cary Theater
Dec 21 & 22, 2024	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation at The Cary Theater
Dec 24, 2024	Christmas Eve Skate Party - United Skates of America
Dec 25, 2024	Christmas Day Skate - United Skates of America