Your December Guide to Local Holiday Events for Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, North Carolina is full of activities all year, but the winter brings with it events bursting with a special kind of sparkle! Enjoy the magic of the holiday season with the City of Raleigh!

December 3, 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.:

The Raleigh City Plaza is the place to be for the annual holiday tree lighting ceremony at 8:00 p.m., as part of the start of the AT&T Raleigh Winterfest. Attractions include music from the Breakfast Club with opening act Café Mars, local artists and performers, with lots of fun things to do, including trackless train and horse-drawn carriage rides, sledding ramps, a skating rink and more. Free admission. 400 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC.

December 8-11, 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.:

Holiday Express, presented by Raleigh Parks and Recreation and Crabtree Rotary, is a celebration of the season for young and old alike. For four days, Pullen Park is transformed into a wonderland of lights, displays, live local entertainment, carousel and train rides-and that all-important visit from Santa! Entry fee: $7.00 per person (by Dec. 6); $10.00 per person at the door. 520 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, NC. Call 919-996-6468 or visit RecLink.

December 9 & 11, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.; December 10, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.:

Mordecai House decks the halls for this traditional holiday open house-free to the public. Built in 1785, Mordecai House is one of the most well known of Raleigh's historic buildings. Visitors get a glimpse of the landmark decorated as it would have been in its early years as a grand plantation home. Enjoy traditional holiday music and warm spiced cider while viewing the beautiful decorations inside the mansion or on the grounds. Mordecai Historic Park, 1 Mimosa Street, Raleigh, NC.

December 10 &11, 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Go back in time and immerse yourself in timeless holiday traditions on a special lantern tour of the Mordecai House and its grounds. Watch a variety of short performances by the Burning Coal Theater and the NC 26^th Regiment, along with music and munchies while enjoying the beautiful decorations from the mansion's history. Get your tickets for $5.00 per person (6 & under are free) from RecLink or call 919-857-4364. Tickets are available at the door while they last. Mordecai Historic Park, 1 Mimosa Street, Raleigh, NC.

December 17-18, various times

Tour Raleigh with Holly the elf and help her search for Santa. This family friendly trolley tour circuits the grounds around Mordecai Historic Park, with Holly as your guide. A special treat awaits you, if Holly can find Santa! Reservations required. Admission is $10.00. Visit RecLink or call 919-857-4364.