Things to Do in Charlotte
in December.
December is the most magical month in the Queen City: Christmas Town USA lights up in McAdenville, Light the Knights turns Truist Field into a holiday village, The Nutcracker fills the Belk Theater, and New Year's Eve fireworks light up Uptown. Here is your month-long Charlotte NC events calendar, week by week, with links to every verified event page.
Jump to your weekend.
Dec 1-6.
December opens with the biggest light display in the Carolinas: Christmas Town USA in McAdenville lights up Tuesday night, and the whole metro flips on at once with Light the Knights, Holidays at the Garden, the Charlotte Christmas Village, Speedway Christmas, and WinterFest at Carowinds. Charlotte Ballet’s The Nutcracker opens Friday, the Checkers host a weekend homestand, and Handel’s Messiah rings through the Knight Theater.
Christmas Town USA, McAdenville
The little mill town of McAdenville has been dubbed Christmas Town USA since 1956, and its roughly 600,000 lights on the trees, storefronts, and pond draw visitors from across the Southeast. The annual tree lighting ceremony at Dynamo 31 kicks off the 26-day run Tuesday evening, and the whole display is free to walk or drive through.
Official Event PageThe Nutcracker, Charlotte Ballet
Charlotte Ballet’s holiday classic opens Friday night at the Belk Theater and runs through December 23. Clara’s journey, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Tchaikovsky’s score make it the most beloved family tradition on the Uptown stage, and the run includes a sensory-friendly performance. Tickets move fast, so book early.
Official Event PageCharlotte Checkers vs. Colorado Eagles
The Charlotte Checkers host the Colorado Eagles for two games in a weekend homestand at Bojangles Coliseum. It is fun, affordable, family-friendly AHL hockey, and the historic East Independence Boulevard rink makes both nights a lively outing.
Official Event PageHandel’s Messiah, Charlotte Symphony
The Charlotte Symphony opens its December holiday programming with Handel’s Messiah at the Knight Theater over the first weekend of the month. It is a soaring, traditional start to the season and a gorgeous indoor counterpoint to all the outdoor lights.
Official Event PageIrving Berlin’s White Christmas
The classic holiday musical White Christmas plays the Cain Center for the Arts in downtown Cornelius through mid-December. For Lake Norman families, it is an easy, charming holiday show without the Uptown drive.
Light the Knights at Truist Field
The entire ballpark transforms into a stadium-sized holiday light festival: millions of lights, a holiday village, ice skating, snow tubing, s’mores, and festive food and drink on the concourse. It is one of Charlotte’s most magical family traditions, right in Uptown, and it runs every night of December.
Official Event PageHolidays at the Garden at Daniel Stowe Conservancy
The botanical garden in Belmont becomes Holidays at the Garden each evening, with more than a million lights woven through the garden paths and glowing fountains. It is a scenic west-side outing about 20 minutes from Charlotte, and timed-entry tickets are sold in advance.
Official Event PageDec 7-13.
The second week of December is a big one for performances: Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings its arena rock holiday spectacle to Spectrum Center, Cirque de Noël twirls into the Knight Theater, Theatre Charlotte opens its 20th anniversary A Christmas Carol, and the Carolina Panthers play at home against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings its legendary holiday arena show, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, to Spectrum Center on Saturday night. Expect lasers, fire, and a full rock orchestra playing its fusion of holiday classics and original rock. It is the biggest, most theatrical holiday concert of the month.
Official Event PageCirque de Noël
The holiday circus spectacle Cirque de Noël brings acrobats, aerialists, and a magical winter story to the Knight Theater over the weekend. It is a dazzling pick for kids who have outgrown the traditional shows, blending circus arts with the Christmas spirit.
Official Event PageA Christmas Carol, Theatre Charlotte
Theatre Charlotte marks the 20th anniversary of its beloved A Christmas Carol production with a two-weekend run on Queens Road. The intimate community-theater staging of Dickens’ classic is a Charlotte tradition for many families, with tickets from about $24 to $40.
Official Event PageCarolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Panthers return home to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday for a divisional matchup with the New Orleans Saints. It is a classic Uptown gameday: tailgate, walk the light-strung streets, and settle in for football before the holiday crunch.
Official Event PageWinterFest at Carowinds
Carowinds transforms into a winter wonderland for its holiday season: millions of lights, a huge Christmas tree, live holiday shows, seasonal treats, and family-friendly rides. It runs select nights through January 3, so pick the dates that fit your family’s calendar.
Official Event PageCharlotte Christmas Village
The European-style Charlotte Christmas Village fills Uptown with artisan stalls, warm drinks, holiday treats, and an ice rink. It is the perfect low-key weekend stroll between shopping trips, open Thursday through Sunday evenings through January 3.
Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Stay in the car and tune the radio: Speedway Christmas is a 4-mile drive-through light spectacular through the infield and around the track, with drive-in holiday movies on weekends and the infield Christmas Village open on select dates. It opened November 20 and runs nightly through January 3.
Official Event PageDec 14-20.
The third week is the Charlotte Symphony’s moment: Holiday Pops fills the Knight Theater Friday through Sunday, with a family matinee Saturday morning. The Hornets return home Monday against Toronto, Candlelight concerts play the Charlotte Museum of History, and A Christmas Carol runs its final weekend.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Toronto Raptors
The Hornets return to Spectrum Center on Monday night against the Toronto Raptors, their first home game since November 30. With the Emirates NBA Cup knockout window behind them, it is a great night to catch the new-look Hornets in Uptown before the holiday break in the schedule.
Official Event PageCharlotte Symphony Holiday Pops
The Charlotte Symphony’s signature holiday concert of traditional carols and festive favorites, Holiday Pops, plays three performances at the Knight Theater over the weekend. It is the polished, quintessential Charlotte holiday night out.
Official Event PageHoliday Pops Family
A shorter family matinee of Holiday Pops on Saturday morning, with Santa, sing-alongs, and festive favorites like The Twelve Days of Christmas. It is the easiest introduction to the orchestra for young kids and a lovely way to start a holiday weekend.
Official Event PageCandlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
Candlelight concerts bring a string ensemble to the Charlotte Museum of History for an intimate program of favorite Christmas carols, performed by candlelight. It runs through December 19 and is one of the most atmospheric holiday concerts in the metro.
Official Event PageA Christmas Carol, final weekend
Theatre Charlotte’s 20th-anniversary A Christmas Carol closes this weekend on Queens Road. If you have been meaning to catch the Dickens classic, this is the final stretch, and Sunday matinees are the most family-friendly seats.
Official Event PageCarolina Holiday Light Spectacular at Ballantyne
The walk-through Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular at Ballantyne’s Backyard lights up south Charlotte with more than a million lights, Santa appearances, and carnival rides. It runs through December 30 and is the best option on the south side for families who want lights without the drive to Concord.
Official Event PageDec 21-26.
Christmas week is for the finales and the home stretch: The Nutcracker plays its last performances through December 23, Christmas Town USA in McAdenville shines through the 26th, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are for family traditions. Most venues close on the 24th and 25th, so catch the lights earlier in the week.
The Nutcracker, final performances
Charlotte Ballet’s The Nutcracker wraps its run at the Belk Theater on December 23. Christmas-week performances are the most festive, and the sensory-friendly show is a wonderful option for families who need a quieter experience.
Official Event PageChristmas Town USA, final nights
McAdenville’s roughly 600,000 lights stay on every night through December 26, so Christmas week is the prime time to make the short drive out and see Christmas Town USA at its peak, streets lined with cars of families doing the same.
Official Event PageHoliday lights, final evenings before Christmas
The Monday-to-Wednesday stretch before Christmas is the last easy window to see the big light displays: Light the Knights at Truist Field, Speedway Christmas in Concord, Holidays at the Garden in Belmont, and the Charlotte Christmas Village are all open nightly. Most close for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so go early in the week.
Official Event PageCharlotte Regional Farmers Market
The year-round Charlotte Regional Farmers Market stays open through Christmas week for last-minute holiday staples: local produce, pecans, winter squash, baked goods, and North Carolina specialty gifts. It is closed Christmas Day, so stock up on the 23rd or 24th.
Dec 27 - Jan 3.
The last week of the year is all about New Year’s Eve and the lights’ final nights. Uptown’s CLT NYE celebration at Truist Field brings live music and a midnight fireworks show, Carowinds WinterFest runs a family-friendly NYE with its own fireworks, and ImaginOn hosts a noon countdown for the littlest ones.
CLT NYE at Truist Field
Uptown’s signature New Year’s Eve countdown returns to Truist Field, running 8 PM to midnight with live music, a champagne and cider toast, and a midnight fireworks show inside the ballpark. It runs alongside the Light the Knights festival, so you get the holiday lights and the countdown in one Uptown evening.
Official Event PageRockin’ Noon Year’s Eve at ImaginOn
For families with early bedtimes, ImaginOn’s Rockin’ Noon Year’s Eve celebrates the new year at noon with music, a balloon drop, and a sensory-friendly setting. It is the classic Charlotte pick for tots who cannot make it to midnight.
WinterFest New Year’s Eve at Carowinds
Carowinds hosts a family-friendly New Year’s Eve inside WinterFest, with the park open into the early morning, holiday rides, and a midnight fireworks show over the state line. It is the biggest kid-friendly NYE option in the south Charlotte metro.
Official Event PageWhitewater Center New Year’s Eve
The U.S. National Whitewater Center rings in the new year with live music, outdoor activities, and bonfire vibes along the Catawba River. It is a lower-key, outdoorsy alternative to the Uptown crowds, and CATS buses and light rail run free through 2 AM on New Year’s morning.
Official Event PageFinal nights of the holiday lights
After the holiday rush, the big displays run a few final nights into the new year: Speedway Christmas and WinterFest at Carowinds both close on January 3, and Light the Knights wraps up around the same time. It is a quiet, uncrowded window to see the lights one last time.
Official Event PageAll December.
All month long, a steady roster of markets, rinks, and nightly light displays anchor the December calendar. These are the things to do in Charlotte NC in December that run every single week, so you can build the lights, skating, and market visits into any weekend.
Camp North Pole at Camp North End
The holiday ice rink at Camp North End brings outdoor skating to the former Ford assembly plant campus, with holiday lights, food trucks, and the creative neighborhood’s usual energy. It is a favorite for older kids and date nights, and holiday break hours are posted on the rink’s page.
Official Event PageCharlotte Regional Farmers Market
The largest wholesale-to-retail market in the region stays open year-round under its covered pavilion. In December look for winter squash, pecans, local greens, apples, and holiday baking staples, plus North Carolina specialty gifts in the surrounding shops.
Nightly holiday light displays
From Light the Knights at Truist Field to Speedway Christmas in Concord, Holidays at the Garden in Belmont, and the Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular in Ballantyne, there is a major light display lit somewhere in the Charlotte metro every night of December. Mix and match across the month.
Official Event PageKeep your December calendar fresh
I update the weekly events roundup every week, so bookmark the things to do in Charlotte this week guide for the latest concerts, games, and holiday happenings, and browse the full living-in-Charlotte blog for neighborhood guides and market updates.
Visiting for the holidays?
Imagine living here.
December is the month that sells Charlotte to almost every transplant who lands here. If you are thinking about making the move, let us talk: the consultation is free, and I will help you figure out which neighborhood fits the life you actually want.