From small gatherings to large spectaculars, a holiday event is happening every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve

Greater Fayetteville, NC – The day after Thanksgiving, the Christmas season is underway in Cumberland County. The season starts with the simple pleasures of Victorian Christmas celebration during Dickens Holiday, presented by the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. From 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., visitors will find the streets of downtown Fayetteville bustling with characters from A Christmas Carol, carriage rides, the Gingerbread Community of Hope, exhibits on Victorian life and musical performances.

At 5:30 p.m. lights are turned off and thousands of attendees lead a candlelight procession from the Arts Council to the Market House, where a Christmas tree is lit and fireworks color the sky.

A Dickens Holiday is just one of the events happening throughout the Christmas season. From light displays to artistic presentations, from historic endeavors and events with small town charm, locals and visitors are bound to find something to delight. We’ve highlighted a few events here. For the complete list of Christmas and holiday events, follow this link: CUMBERLAND COUNTY HOLIDAY EVENTS.

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Tweet this: From light displays to artistic endeavors and historic happenings, Christmas happens every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve in @cumberlandnc @visitfaync http://bit.ly/2mojNh2

Four light displays provide ample opportunity to revel in the sparkle of the season:

  • Denton Ridge in Linden hosts Christmas Lights at Denton Ridge each Friday and Saturday until December 30. Visitors take a tram to a quaint village adjoining the Lower Little River. Tickets are $10 per person.
  • At Christmas in Paradise, visitors walk through 12 acres of Christmas lights and much more. This free event, held at Paradise Acres, runs every Thursday through Saturday night from November 30 through December 23.
  • Visit Arnette Park in Fayetteville to take a ½-mile stroll through a walking trail filled with sights and sounds of the Christmas season. Christmas in the Park also includes live entertainment, marshmallow roasting, holiday movies and a Christmas Express train. Admission is $10 per family vehicle. Christmas in the Park is open every night from December 7 through 21.
  • From December 9 through December 30 on Thursday to Sunday, Cape Fear Botanical Garden hosts the annual Holiday Lights in the Garden. The display is an illuminated mile-long pathway with a synchronized show of music and lights over the Cypress Pond.  Admission is $5 to $12 per person.
     

The community also offers plenty of artistic avenues to explore:

  • The Gilbert Theater presents It’s a Wonderful Life by James Rodgers. The show runs Friday through Sunday from November 24 to December 17.  Tickets are $14 to $16.
  • A local tradition, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre hosts The Best Christmas Pageant Ever weekends November 30 to December 17.  Tickets are $10 to $15.
  • On December 2, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra offers A Carolina Holiday Concert, a concert featuring traditional and popular Christmas music. The concert is held at Methodist University. Tickets are $11 to $27. 
  • The 300-member chorus at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church presents Singing Christmas Tree from November 30th to December 3rd.  The chorus stands atop the largest singing tree in North Carolina- at 32 feet.
  • The Cumberland Oratorio Singers  presents “We Sing to Remember” Christmas concert at First Baptist Church on December 16. The concert is $27.
     

Historical and small town Christmas fun:

  • Fort Bragg holds its Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 30. Attendees with visit with Santa and enjoy live entertainment and a parachute demonstration.
  • On December 2, enjoy a small-town Christmas celebration during Christmas in Hope Mills.  A Christmas parade starts at 3 pm and, immediately following,  Christmas in the Village at Town hall offers entertainment, refreshments, train rides and much more.
  • The 1897 EA Poe House, part of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, hosts Holiday Jubilee on December 3.  This free event encompasses Victorian Christmas traditions, to include period cooking on the 1902 stove. Throughout the month of December, the EA Poe House is decorated for a Victorian Christmas celebration.  
  • The Town of Spring Lake holds its Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 4.. The ceremony will be held at the tree adjacent to Town Hall.
  • Catch Santa and all his elves at the massive Rotary Christmas Parade in downtown Fayetteville on December 9.
  • Explore artistic, original and cutting-edge loft designs during Downtown Fayetteville’s Candlelight Loft Tours. Tickets are $10 to $12 for this December 10 event. 
  • On December 16 and 17, tour the Oak Grove Plantation during its Open House for a traditional Christmas experience. The house, which was built circa 1793, was used as a hospital during the Civil War. Tickets are $5 to $12.
     

About Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau:

Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is a private, not-for-profit organization responsible for positioning Cumberland County as a destination for conventions, sporting events and individual travel. For additional information, visit www.visitfayettevillenc.com or call 1-800-255-8217.