Fun Christmas Events and Activities in Greensboro, NC

The holidays are here again. Why not celebrate Christmas in Greensboro this year with a bunch of fun and rewarding Christmas activities? Take a break from the hectic, stressful shopping trips to overly busy stores, and really enjoy Christmas with these local events.

1.) See the lights in the Sunset Hills neighborhood:
This is classic Greensboro Christmas, and if you miss out on this, you are definitely missing out. Even a scrooge like me can't help but love this amazing community light display. The Sunset Hills neighborhood consists of various streets off Market street like Ridgeway Drive and Greenway Drive. During Christmas, the majority of the people in this neighborhood get together and make beautiful balls of lights out of chicken wire and various strands of white and colored lights, then hang them around the neighborhood. They're so unique to Greensboro and it's quite a sight to look down the street and see such a display of lights. So grab someone you love, get in a car, put on some Christmas music, and check out the lights. You won't be disappointed. (Oh, and if you want to check it out, they have a blog: lighted Christmas balls blog )

2.) Outdoor ice skating:
What better way to enjoy winter and celebrate the holidays by taking some friends or family on an outdoor ice skating adventure? Located downtown at 200 N Davie Street, Greensboro's new outdoor rink opened November 17th and will close January 22nd, so make sure you take advantage of it while it's around! The public skating hours are Monday through Thursday 4pm-9pm, Friday 4pm-10pm, Saturday 11am-10pm, and Sunday 12pm-6pm, and the cost is only $8 including skate rental. You can get more information from their website: Piedmont Winterfest

3.) Center City Park tree:
While you're downtown, you may as well check out Center City Park, all decked out for the holidays. It's a great place to take a short walk at night, and check out the huge, lit up, decorated Christmas tree and any other decorations around the park and downtown.

4.) Go See A Christmas Carol at Triad Stage:
What is more classically Christmasy than A Christmas Carol? This year it's playing at Triad Stage, located at 232 S. Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. While it is a classic play, Triad Stage manages to give it a fresh, new take. It plays from November 26th to December 24th, and prices vary depending on the seats you get and the night you go. The prices range from about $18 to $36. For more information, visit the website: Triad Stage: A Christmas Carol

5.) Go see The Eight Reindeer Monologues at Broach Theatre:
If the classics aren't really for you, and you want something a little more modern and funky, check out Broach Theatre's holiday production, The Eight Reindeer Monologues. A silly comedy filled with snarky reindeer, this play is not your typical Christmas play, but it is sure to make you laugh! It runs from December 8th to December 18th, so make sure you don't miss it! Broach Theatre is located at 520 S. Elm Street. Visit their webpage for ticket pricing and more info: Broach Theatre: The Eight Reindeer Monologues

6.) Help out at Food Not Bombs:
While Christmas is a holiday of celebration, it should also be a holiday of charity. Why not volunteer this holiday season with Food Not Bombs? Food Not Bombs is a worldwide organization that serves free meals to hungry people, in protest of poverty as well as war. In Greensboro, Food Not Bombs meets at The Hive, a community center located at 1214 Grove Street. Food Not Bombs meets at 4:30 every Monday and Thursday to help prepare meals, and anyone is welcome to join in and help with the meals. On Thursdays, the meal is served at the Hive with a group meeting happening afterward at 7:30 that anyone is welcome to join. Visit their website for more details: The Hive

7.) Check out Arts and Crafts at the Market:
On December 12th, from 11am to 5pm, go to the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market at 501 Yanceyville Street to get some great Christmas shopping in. Local artists will be displaying and selling their various wares, such as pottery, soap, art, jewelry, food, and more. Local musicians will also be playing throughout the day. As an added bonus, parking and admission are totally free! So go have a good time, and maybe get some Christmas shopping done while supporting local artists and eating great food.

8.) Take the photo-fused ornaments class:
Of course, if you want to make your own crafts this Christmas, go to GlasTile Inc, located at 1109 Coliseum Blvd. on December 11th to take the Photo-Fused Ornaments class. Starting at 10am, the class teaches you how to fuse photos onto glass and create your own Christmas ornaments--great for your tree or for giving as personalized gifts. The class is being put on through The Center for Visual Artists, so if you need more information you may want to contact them at 336-333-7475 or info@greensboroart.org

7.) Go see Amy Grant and Vince Gill: The 12 Days of Christmas
If you love Christmas songs and country music, then this live show is for you. Happening December 18th at the War Memorial Auditorium, the show consists of two hours of old and new Christmas music as well as some of their hit songs. Tickets are $55-$75 depending on seating.

9.) See The Nutcracker at Carolina Theatre:
It's Greensboro Ballet's 30th anniversary of The Nutcracker, so celebrate with them by going to see their performance on December 10th at Carolina Theatre, located at 310 S. Greene Street. The show starts at 7:30 and tickets are cheap, at $10-$35 each. You can call this number for more information: 336-333-2605

10.) Take a Candlelight Tour of Old Salem:
Now, I know this is not technically in Greensboro but I just had to include it because it sounds so fun and Christmasy. The tours take you through the historic district of Old Salem, through historic buildings, and include music, food and drinks, and games for an overall great time. The tours go from November 19th to December 23rd, but you do have to register for them. You can get more information on the website: Christmas Candlelight Tours

11.) See the Tanglewood Festival of Lights:
Okay, okay, so this is one more that isn't in Greensboro. But it's just such a fun Christmas tradition that it had to be included. Every year, Tanglewood Park puts on an amazingly huge and involved light show filled with Santas, reindeer, snowflakes, and more--the show consists of over 100 displays and over a million lights. Then people get to drive around this bright and decorative winter wonderland and enjoy all the pretty lights. Prices are per vehicle, so the real fun in this is packing as many people as you can into your car to enjoy the show. It is $10 per vehicle on weeknights and $15 on Fridays and Saturdays. The show lasts from November 20th to January 22nd and is open every night from 6pm to 11pm so you have plenty of time to go check it out. Tangelwood Park is located at 4201 Manor House Circle in Clemmons, NC. It's about a 45 minute drive from downtown Greensboro but if you love light displays, it's definitely worth it.

So there you have it. There are plenty of fun things to do this year in Greensboro to celebrate Christmas, so instead of spending all your time shopping or stressing, get out and really celebrate and enjoy the season.