A Greater Raleigh Holiday!

Experience the spirit of the holiday season in North Carolina's Capital City area. From candlelight tours and special performances to craft fairs and shopping sprees, holidays in Greater Raleigh are packed with fun-filled activities for kids and adults alike.

Start with the Executive Mansion Holiday Open House, one of the grandest annual holiday open houses in the Southeast. Fresh greenery and spectacular decorations turn this picture-book home into a breathtaking fantasy. Dates vary, but typically takes place mid-December.

The Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour provides a glimpse into several private homes in a 19th-century Victorian neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One weekend in mid-December.

Take the Mordecai Historic Park Holiday Tour and experience the sights and sounds of Christmas past. Tour the Mordecai Plantation House and grounds all decked out for the holidays. A great stop for a refreshment break! Runs through December.

End the day by enjoying the music of the holidays during the Twelve Days of Christmas Musical Program. Several groups, ranging from instrumental to vocal, perform selections of holiday music in the rotunda of the N.C. State Capitol. Mid-December.

Evening Suggestions

Make your holidays extra special by dining at one of the area's many fine restaurants, including the Angus Barn, one of America 's most famous steakhouses. The Angus Barn has received many awards for its food, service and extensive wine list, and it will be beautifully decorated for the season.

The Twin Living Christmas Trees features a costumed cast of more than 200 adults and children and two 24-foot trees decorated with more than 80,000 computer-synchronized lights. Held over a 5-day period in early December.

Don't miss Raleigh's original production of "A Christmas Carol."It's definitely like no other! This wildly popular production is updated each year to include crowd-pleasing humor without losing the spirit of the original Dickens holiday classic. So popular even relatives of Dickens himself have been spotted in the audience. Typically held over 8-10 days in early December.

Or, see the Carolina Ballet and the NC Symphony perform "The Nutcracker Ballet."This million dollar, world premiere production of the beloved holiday classic will entertain children of all ages with spectacular costumes, sets, music and dancing. Performances are usually mid-December through Christmas Eve.

Your holiday celebration should include a Madrigal Dinner. Royal entertainers, food and festivity abound as Pages serve a traditional Elizabethan meal, and Lords and Ladies of the English court greet and include guests in plots. Usually held the week after Thanksgiving.

Visit the Celebration of Lights at ALLTEL Pavilion at Walnut Creek with its spectacular array of lights and animated characters including jumping reindeer, swimming swans, waving snowmen and a tunnel of snowflakes. This 2-mile drive-through holiday light spectacular will illuminate your holiday spirit. Mid-November through December.

Start your holiday shopping in Greater Raleigh!

The holiday shopping season offers plenty of opportunities to find the perfect gifts. Visit these special annual events to get an early start on the holiday shopping:

A Shopping Spree! (October)
A Carolina Christmas Show (November)
Christmas Carousel of Arts & Crafts (Thanksgiving weekend)
Carolina Designer Craftsmen Annual Fair (Thanksgiving weekend)