From small gatherings to large spectaculars, a holiday event is happening every day in December

Greater Fayetteville, NC – With a holiday event every day until Christmas, it’s fair to say that Fayetteville and Cumberland County enjoy celebrating the 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, go to www.VisitFayettevilleNC.com.

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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 weekend until Christmas. 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, experience a live nativity and much more. This free event, held at Paradise Acres, runs December 2-3, 9-10 and 16-23.
  • 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 (excluding the 24 and 25), 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. This year, LEGO® sculptures provide an added element of fun. Admission is $6 to $15 per person.

The community also offers plenty of artistic avenues to explore:

  • Sweet Tea Shakespeare presents Behold: A Folk Christmas Cantata at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on December 8 and 9. The production is a musical take on the Christmas story. Admission is $5 to $10.
  • A local tradition, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre hosts The Best Christmas Pageant Ever weekends until Christmas. Tickets are $10 to $15.
  • On December 10, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra offers Waltzing in a Winter Wonderland, a concert featuring traditional Christmas music. The concert is held at Methodist University. Tickets are $11 to $27. 
  • The North Carolina Symphony presents a Holiday Pops Concert on December 7 at Methodist University. Tickets are $20. 
  • On December 14, the public is invited to the 82nd Airborne Division’s All American Band and Chorus for the Sharing Holiday Traditions Concert. The free concert will be held at the 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters on Fort Bragg.
  • The Cumberland Oratorio Singers present the Messiah Sing concert at St. Ann Catholic Church on December 17. The concert is free.

Historical and small town Christmas fun:

  • On December 3, enjoy a small-town Christmas celebration during Christmas in Hope Mills.  The day starts with breakfast with Santa, followed by a parade, festival of lights and lighting of the town’s Christmas tree.
  • The 1897 EA Poe House, part of the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, hosts Holiday Jubilee on December 4.  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 5. Festivities include seasonal music, tree decorating, and a visit from Santa. The ceremony will be held at the tree adjacent to Town Hall.
  • 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.
  • Explore artistic, original and cutting-edge loft designs during Downtown Fayetteville’s Candlelight Loft Tours. Tickets are $10 to $12 for this December 11 event. 
     

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.