Holiday Spectaculars
By Renee Wright
As days get shorter, celebrate the season with a mood-lifting visit to one of the region’s stunning light displays or candle-lit historic landmarks. These events are guaranteed to help you catch the Christmas spirit.
Skate through a Winter Wonderland
Rockefeller Center comes to Cary as Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park opens as an ice-skating rink for the very first time. “This is a real, outdoor skating rink,” says Teresa Franzen, press rep for Tinsel Town. “Every child, from four to 84, should have the experience of skating outside.” The large, illuminated rink holds up to 150 skaters at time, gliding over the ice to the tune of Christmas carols. Decorated trees add to the holiday cheer.
Friday through Sunday, Santa will be at Tinsel Town to meet children both naughty and nice. Weekends also feature booths full of arts and crafts, perfect for gift giving, and live musical performances by local groups.
Tinsel Town is open daily through Dec. 31, except Christmas Day, evenings from 4 pm on weekdays, and all day on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the Amphitheatre is free. Prices to skate range from $4 to $8. Children under 2 are free. You can bring your own skates, or rent a pair at the rink for $2.
For more information and details on hours and admission, visit www.boothamphitheatre.com or call 919.462.2025.
Christmas Town USA
Every night from December 1 to 26, the little mill village of McAdenville, NC, just west of Charlotte, transforms into a wonderland of lights as some 400 Christmas trees decorated with red, white and green bulbs shine out holiday cheer, and wreaths adorn every door and lamppost.
The village lake is the high spot of this driving tour, where 75 trees line the shore and a 28-foot-tall image of Old Man Winter blows snowflakes across the water. More than 300,000 vehicles visit each year, a tribute to the creativity of the 600 residents of the town. The lights are entirely maintained by volunteers from the community and no admission is charged. Hours are 5:30 to 9:30 pm, Monday-Friday, to 11 pm Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.mcadenville-christmastown.com for more info and pictures.
Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights
More than a million lights and 100 displays fill the rolling hills of Tanglewood Park outside of Winston-Salem, NC, from November 12 to January 1, 2007. Chosen as one of the Top 20 events by the Southeast Tourism Association, this fabulous display is a sure family pleaser. Visit www.forsyth.cc/tanglewood or call 336.778.6300.
Tryon Palace
North Carolina’s first colonial capital in New Bern recreates the Christmas celebrations of both the landed gentry and the slaves of eastern North Carolina in the 18th and 19th centuries, December 1-31. Five hundred candles light the pathways during candlelight tours of the Royal Governor’s Palace and the nearby Civil War camp. Other seasonal events include Holiday Decoration walking tours, a Christmas Marketplace, and Jonkonnu, the re-creation of an African-American yuletide celebration unique to the region. More information at www.tryonpalace.org or 800.767.1560.
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A Gingerbread House Display at The Carolina Inn.
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The Carolina Inn
Located in the heart of the historic Chapel Hill campus of the University of North Carolina, the 75-year-old Carolina Inn celebrates Christmas with its Twelve Days of Christmas festival. From December 3 to January 6, the hotel’s lobby and public areas exhibit unique works of art in a variety of media that bring the traditional carol to life. A Gingerbread Competition features the famed buildings of the Carolina campus in cake and candy.
Themed events include an annual “Nine Ladies Tapping” dance performance, the “Lords A-Leaping” Lunch with Woody Durham, the Voice of Tar Heel basketball, and a Scottish Highland Game Dinner. Festivities conclude on January 6 with the “Fete des Trois Rois” French-themed dinner from the Carolina Inn’s famous kitchen. For a complete schedule, visit www.carolinainn.com or call 919.913.1010.
More Dazzlers
The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro celebrates the season with a fabulous light show depicting many of the resident animals. “Holiday of Lights” runs to the end of December, except Christmas Day. Visit www.nczoo.org or call 800.488.0444 for details.
From November 24 to December 30, the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, SC sparkles with “Lights Before Christmas,” one of the South’s top displays. Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. www.riverbanks.org or 803.779.8717.
Take a Holiday Safari at Hollywild Animal Park in Inman, SC, near Spartanburg. The drive-through tour passes through tunnels of lights, and roaming herds of animals. An optional tour takes you to the Enchanted Deer Forest, where you can hand feed the animals. Open nightly, Nov. 19 to Jan. 1. www.hollywild.com or 864.472.2038.
The inky black waters of Swan Lake Iris Gardens in Sumter, SC, provide the perfect foil for myriads of holiday lights. The lake, surrounded by cypress trees and home to eight species of swans, features a floating Christmas tree. Open throughout Nov. 25-Dec. 31. Admission is free. www.sumter-sc.com or 803.436.2640.
In the area Myrtle Beach, SC, area, Brookgreen Gardens hosts “Nights of a Thousand Candles” on weekends in December. Musicians and carolers stroll through the magnificent gardens lit by thousands of luminaries at this unique and haunting event. Info: www.brookgreen.com or 843.235.6000.
Island of Lights at Carolina Beach features a one-mile walk around Carolina Beach Lake to enjoy light displays, luminaries and caroling by community groups. This free event continues through December every night at dusk. www.islandoflights.org or 910.458.0211.
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The Light Show at Virginia Beach.
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Other holiday spectaculars in the Wilmington area include the World’s Largest Living Christmas Tree in Wilmington’s Hilton Park through December 31. Info: www.wilmingtonrecreation.com or 910.341.4602.
Enchanted Airlie’s 13 acres of gardens are illuminated for the season. Open Thurs.-Sat. until Dec. 23. Info: www.airliegardens.org or 910.798.7700.
The Battleship North Carolina is illuminated for the holidays through Dec. 31. Viewing is best from Wilmington’s historic waterfront. Visit www.cape-fear.nc.us or call 877.406.2356.
100 Miles of Lights in Virginia
Every year, seven communities in southern Virginia combine to create a steady strand of holiday light shows that stretch over a hundred miles. Richmond, Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach all sponsor illuminated spectaculars plus many special events and performances. From Richmond, where the entire skyline is edged with lights, to Virginia Beach, where you can drive along the boardwalk past light displays with a nautical theme, the region celebrates the holidays with high voltage style.
At Colonial Williamsburg, visitors time travel to the mid-1700s as the streets of this living history city are lit by wood-burning torches, while miles of pine rope and hundreds of period wreaths adorn every door and window. Festivities continue until Dec. 31. Visit www.100milesoflights.com or call 888.493.7386 ext. 100 for a complete schedule.
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