The best Christmas activities in Charlotte, North Carolina, because it’s never too early to choose a few things you want to do with your loved ones this upcoming holiday season.
Hi there! If you stumbled upon this post, you’re probably a Charlotte local. I’m Ashley, and I’ve lived in Charlotte for four-and-a-half years, and we’re coming up on our fifth holiday season as Charlotte residents. Our family consists of me, my husband (Dave), our nearly 8-year-old son (Brady), and oftentimes, my mom (who also lives in Charlotte).
Over the last five holiday seasons, we’ve done a lot of fun Christmas activities, and I wanted to round them up in one place for you. Because every November, I find myself googling “best Christmas activities in Charlotte” so I figured I’d write the whole post. Most of these I’ve done, some of these I haven’t. Hope you enjoy this list, and please come say hi to me on Instagram to see which holiday activities we do this year and tell me about yours.
By the way, this post is originally getting published just before the rush of October, November and December, and some of the activities mentioned below require advance booking.
We’ll start with the ones we’ve done and enjoyed …
Winterfest at Carowinds
November 28 to January 3 on select nights
Located on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina
We’ve been to Winterfest at Carowinds (our local theme park) twice, and it’s a great family-friendly holiday activity. With a ticket, you get access to the park, and there is extra wintery entertainment taking place each night that you wouldn’t see on a regular night. There are usually some cool holiday decorations, live musical performances and even craft areas for kids. Last year, we also did the ice skating (which was super busy, but a good time).
We’ll likely go to Winterfest again this year, and we do recommend it. While this activity is great for families, it does have a later start, and we’ve been there until about 9pm each time. I think we can stay later this year, as Brady’s a total trooper now. This is a solid holiday family outing.
Best part of Winterfest? The Christmas performances! We saw an amazing acapella group perform last year, and I still remember it.
Check out Winterfest at Carowinds here.
Light the Knights Festival at Truist Field
November 26 through January 4 on select nights
Located in Uptown Charlotte
We went to Light the Knights at Truist Field in Uptown (the baseball stadium) a couple of years ago as an extended family with my brother and sister-in-law. We really liked this activity, because after the sun goes down, the stadium is decked out in tens-of-thousands of beautiful lights. For an extra fee, you can ice skate or do a tube slide, and we did both of those (both got very busy as the night went on).
We also enjoyed walking the decorated breezeways, writing a letter to Santa and shopping the holiday markets. We got there early, which was a good time for the activities, but it was way more magical once the sun went down. This event is definitely perfect for families.
Best part of Light the Knights Festival? The Christmas trees on Christmas Tree Lane are so beautifully fantastic to admire.
Check out Light the Knights Festival at Truist Field here.
Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular
November 28 through December 30 nightly, except Christmas Day
Located in Ballantyne, South Charlotte
The Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular takes place right near us in Ballantyne, and we went three years in a row to this one-million-light-extravaganza. This is a walkable activity, which takes place at night, and you stroll around a path to check out lighted holiday displays. There’s also a tube slide, which you can do for an extra fee, as well a Christmas market and refreshments.
We skipped this event last year, but we may go again this year. It’s a solid family activity, but be prepared to walk the half-mile path. If you buy your tickets early, you get a big discount, and we’ve always done that.
Also, you don’t need to devote too long to this activity, we’ve been through it in about 90 minutes or so, which is a great after-dinner excursion that won’t take up your whole night. Also, I feel like this event is pretty new and it seems to get better each year (the first year, the path was muddy, and they quickly rectified that for year two), so I’m excited to see how it goes this year, as the improvements continue.
Best part of Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular? The vendors! We’ve had some delicious drinks and treats here.
Check out the Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular here.
Side note: Speaking of the Ballantyne area, this year (in 2025) the new Ballantyne Bowl is supposed to have ice skating, and we’re definitely going to give it a shot.
Holiday Tea at Ballantyne Hotel
December 4 through 28 on select afternoons
Located in Ballantyne, South Charlotte
While you can make this a family activity, I’ve only done this one with adult girlfriends, which is ideal. I love the annual Ballantyne Hotel Holiday Tea, and I hope to make it happen this year. Tea times fill up, so you have to book early. I’ve been twice before, and it’s been such a lovely time.
While this activity is on the pricier side, it’s just so worth it for the experience and vibe. You get to dress up, have tea, sip on a glass of champagne and nibble on delicious deserts and bites, while soaking up the beauty of the holiday-decorated Ballantyne Hotel lobby.
Best part of the Ballantyne Hotel Tea? The vibe is 100 percent festive and fancy.
Check out the Holiday Tea at Ballantyne Hotel here.
The Polar Express Train Ride in Spencer (this is an hour from Charlotte)
November 7 through December 23 on select nights
Located in Spencer, North Carolina
Why am I listing an activity an hour from Charlotte on this list? Because it’s absolutely worth doing one day if you have young children. We did this with Brady when he was 5-years-old, and it was so special. You do have to take a drive to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina (and there’s not much else there), but I promise you don’t be disappointed. Once there, you board the train, and the actors/crew do the whole ticket stamping, hot chocolate singing, ride to the North Pole thing that you know from the books and movie with the same name.
Fun fact: We wore matching jammies on our Polar Express Ride and a lot of other families did too. We probably won’t do this again, but it was truly a magical thing. By the way, if you want to do this this year, book your tickets immediately, because it sells out before December hits.
Best part of The Polar Express? Santa comes around and gives every little kid a bell!
Check out The Polar Express Train Ride in Spencer here.
The “Nutcracker” by Charlotte Ballet at Belk Theater
December 5 through 21
Located in Uptown Charlotte
Dave and I went to see the Charlotte Ballet “Nutcracker” a few years ago, and it felt so festive. While this could be a family activity, I actually think it’s better as a date or a girl group or an adult outing. We went to a nice lunch across the street from Belk Theater before seeing the show, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’m a big fan of holiday productions, and we’ve seen some good ones and some bad ones. This was a good one.
Best part of seeing the “Nutcracker”? Dressing up in your holiday theater finery, of course, because everyone always looks so nice there.
Check out Charlotte Ballet’s “Nutcracker” at Belk Theater here.
Side note: There is also a Charlotte Youth Ballet production of the “Nutcracker” for just three days December 5 through 7. This is a more affordable and family friendly option, which we haven’t done, but I did want to put on this list.
Friends of Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour Sip & Stroll
December 4 through 6
Fourth Ward, Uptown Charlotte
This is a unique holiday activity that I did with my mom a couple years ago, and we need to do it again. This event is put together by the Friends of Fourth Ward, a nonprofit group in charge of preserving the historic area in Uptown Charlotte, Fourth Ward. This self-guided tour is an opportunity to try light bites and beverages and go inside some of the most lovely preserved historic homes in the Fourth Ward area, when you pay the extra fee to enter the homes.
The line-up of homes is slightly different every year, and we truly loved getting a chance to see some of these fabulous places up close from inside. This is an adult event, and I wouldn’t recommend bringing children to it. Also, there are no public restrooms, so eat before and visit the potty before you enter this special Fourth Ward stroll.
Best part? Getting up-close-and-personal with the holiday decorations in these gorgeously preserved homes (where real people live, by the way).
Check out the Fourth Ward Holiday Sip & Stroll here.
And now for a couple Christmas activities we haven’t done …
Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway
November 21 through January 4
Located in Concord, North Charlotte
We have not done this activity, but I know a lot of people who have. While the idea is excellent — driving your own family in your own car around the four-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway Course to check out millions of holiday lights synchronized to music — I’ve been told the logistics can be tough, as far as waiting in a line of cars, being trapped in your car without a potty, and feeling stuck on the course for hours, etc. However, some locals love this annual event, so it’s worth mentioning. I’m not sure we’ll ever do it, but if you give it a go, let me know what you think. From what I understand, there’s also a Christmas Village with other holiday activities, so you do get a chance to get out of your car for that.
Check out the Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway here.
Holiday at the Gardens at Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont (this is 30 minutes from Charlotte)
November 29 through December 29
Located in Belmont, North Carolina
Maybe this is the year we finally do this! I’ve wanted to check out Daniel Stowe Conservancy since we moved to Charlotte, but we’ve never quite fit it in. Holiday at the Gardens is an evening event, in which you stroll the gardens and enjoy the festive lighting and decked-out natural displays. It’s supposed to be quite family friendly, with a track-less train ride available on some nights. It is a tid bit of a trek from us, and I do think the better nights fill up quickly.
Check out Holiday at the Gardens at Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont here.
Other best Christmas activities in Charlotte, North Carolina
A few more worth getting on your radar that we’ve done before …
Christmas Market at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in both South End and in Ballantyne have great Christmas markets, which we’ve been to before. This makes for a light and fun family evening when you don’t have anything else going on.
Christmas vendors at The Southern Christmas Show
The Southern Christmas Show takes place every November for 12 days at The Park Expo and Conference Center, and I’ve heard a lot of people live for this show. My mom, Brady and I went one year to look at the little Christmas vendors and decorations, and it was crowded, packed and a little overwhelming for us. Brady was not a fan, which made it tough to get through, so I would say this probably isn’t family friendly. I would likely never return to this show, because it just wasn’t for me, but if you want to buy some unique Christmas decor or gifts and you have the patience to scan the many, many vendors, maybe the Southern Christmas Show is for you.
Christmas light displays in Ardrey Neighborhood
Checking out the well-lit and decorated homes in Ardrey Neighborhood is something we do every year, because the Charleston-style homes in this beautiful South Charlotte neighborhood do it up with their lighting displays. It’s totally worth a drive through to check out. Some people walk it, but we like to drive.
Neighborhood and country club holiday events
Some of the best holiday events we do each year are our annual Brunch with Santa and our annual Holiday Gala, both at our country club. While you definitely don’t need to be part of a country club to enjoy the holidays, oftentimes these places do put on a good Christmas event. You can usually attend as a guest of a member, and if you have that opportunity, go for it.
Thank you for checking out this post about the best Christmas activities in Charlotte! I hope this list is helpful when you’re planning out how to spend your valuable and limited festive time this year. Here’s to an amazing holiday season for us all!
Other posts you may like
Question of the day for you
What’s your favorite holiday activity in your town?
