Author: Jack Svendsgaard
We’re on the Road to America 250 North Carolina! During our Season of Discovery, we invite you to explore the themes of this commemoration through 17th century traditions, cultural activities, candlelight services and more.
Mark your calendar for these ten unique holiday celebrations across the state:
1. Yuletide by Lantern at Historic Halifax (Dec 5)
Experience an authentic Christmas of long ago in the warm glow of lantern light. Enjoy homes, public buildings, and taverns decorated for the season with festive, all-natural décor. Interactive historical vignettes will bring each building to life. Enjoy a warm fire in the Tap Room tavern just as guests did two hundred years ago.
2. Christmas by Candlelight at Duke Homestead (Dec 5 and Dec 12)
This annual event offers live Christmas music, dancing, singing, holiday cookies, and a candlelit tour through Duke Homestead. Make sure to prebook your tickets in advance!
3. Christmas in Carolina: Candlelight Tours at Alamance Battleground (Dec 6)
Experience a festive celebration highlighting the traditions and culture of North Carolina’s communities during the holiday season.
4. Jonkonnu at Historic Stagville (Dec 6)
Celebrate an African diaspora holiday tradition at Historic Stagville. Durham youth and musicians will perform at Horton Grove to honor Jonkonnu, an African diaspora masquerade with roots in West Africa and the Caribbean.
5. State Tree Lighting & Holiday Open House (Dec 11)
Join the State Capitol and Gov. Josh Stein for the annual tree-lighting tradition! The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. on Capitol Square with luminaries and holiday music performed by the Raleigh Concert Band, plus Santa is scheduled to make an appearance! After the ceremony, come into the Capitol to experience its holiday decorations.
6. A Light in the Darkest of Night at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson (Dec 12)
The free program allows for self-guided exploration and meditation. Our visitor center and gift shop will remain open during the course of the evening to also allow a chance for a little holiday shopping.
7. Christmas in Sedalia at Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum (Dec 13)
The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum will host bands and choirs from Gibsonville’s local schools to provide a musically enchanting evening. The event also features a vendor fair with local artisans inside Kimball Hall. The tree lighting ceremony begins at 6:45 p.m., with speeches from the Mayor of Sedalia and Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum’s Site Manager.
8. An 18th Century Christmas at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson (Dec 14)
Experience an 18th Century Christmas the way American colonists celebrated at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. This event features authentic food and traditional games and crafts. The day of celebration culminates with an evening candlelit service within the ruins of St. Philips Anglican Church.
9. Cookies and Crafts: Christmas Open House at CSS Neuse Museum (Dec 18)
If you love sweets and crafting, this is the event for you! Guests can enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights, delicious cookies, crafts, and activities. You will have the opportunity to learn about the history of some of the Christmas holiday traditions that we celebrate today and create your own Victorian Christmas card and ornament, which will make for a unique and memorable keepsake.
10. Holiday Cheer at Historic Bath (Dec 20)
Come on down Bonner Point under the marquee tent with wassail and hot cider, ginger muffins and festive music. 20-minute tours of the Bonner House focusing on this well-to-do household of the 19th century where you will see what was then the new, Victorian traditions of Christmas we now know so well. Then visit the Carrow Cottage set to portray a family of fishermen, for so long a mainstay of our economy, and their more humble, but still festive Christmas traditions. Live traditional music and Santa Claus under the tent complete the event.
If you’d like to learn about more fun events being held this holiday season, be sure to visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov/visit/season-discovery.
Image provided by Historic Bath.