The Heart of the Holidays Brings Festive Cheer to Cary

• Now through January 5, 2026, downtown Cary comes alive with joyful holiday events and timeless traditions, including Christmas Tree Lighting, Menorah lighting, Letters to Santa, and a Gingerbread House Competition.
• GoCary's Downtown Loop runs Thursday through Sunday, providing easy access to holiday lights and events from parking decks at Downtown Cary Library and Cary Town Hall Campus.
• For a complete list of this year's holiday events and programming, visit carync.gov/holidays.

CARY, N.C. - Cary invites you to experience the Heart of the Holidays: Season of Celebration! Now through January 5, 2026, downtown Cary comes alive with joyful events and timeless traditions to bring our community together during this season of celebration. Visit carync.gov/holidays for a full schedule of events and more details.

Featured Holiday Events:

New this year, families can kick off the holiday season with Photos with Santa at the Neighborhood Park on Carpenter Fire Station Road on Friday, December 5, from 4 to 8 p.m. This festive new event will feature a beautiful Christmas tree and a special opportunity for families to take photos with Santa.

Cary's holiday celebrations continue December 6 with the highly anticipated Tree Lighting Celebration at Downtown Cary Park at 6 p.m. Enjoy live music, arts and crafts, and festive cheer throughout the park from 2 to 10 p.m. For those looking to experience the charm of a bygone era, the Victorian Christmas at the Page Walker offers a unique opportunity to step back in time. Taking place on December 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Page Walker Arts & History Center, this event will feature carolers, sweet treats, and even a visit from a special guest, ensuring a delightful afternoon filled with nostalgia.

The Cary Jaycees bring holiday cheer to downtown Cary on December 13 with the 46th Annual Jaycees Christmas Parade, happening from 2 to 4 p.m. The parade is hosted and managed by the Cary Jaycees. For details, inquiries, or updates, visit caryjaycees.org/parade.

The holiday season shines bright on December 16, with Cary's annual Menorah Lighting at Downtown Cary Park from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Celebrate the third night of Hanukkah with music, treats, and the lighting of the menorah. Throughout the eight days of Hanukkah (December 14-22), the menorah at the Cary Arts Center will be lit each evening.

As the year winds down, Cary celebrates the diversity of its community with the annual Kwanzaa Celebration at the Cary Arts Center on December 29 from 1:30 to 6 p.m. This year's program showcases the Triangle's finest Kwanzaa performers and presenters, embracing African culture through dance, drumming, storytelling, and the visual arts. The celebration showcases how scholarship and performance converge to honor cultural traditions.

Additional Holiday Highlights and Programming:

Starting November 17, children are invited to send their holiday wishes directly to Santa through Santa's Mailbox at Downtown Cary Park. Every letter received by December 7 will receive a special reply from the North Pole. The 15th Annual Gingerbread House Competition, displayed across local downtown businesses, runs December 6-14, and the 14th Annual Gifting Tree Project returns December 6-26, offering beautifully decorated trees along S. Academy Street and inside Downtown Cary Park decorated by the community, for the community.

At the Cary Arts Center, experience the classic holiday ballet, "The Nutcracker," performed by the Cary Ballet Company, and "Motown & Soul Christmas. " The Cary Theater will screen holiday favorites, including the return of a special "White Christmas" sing-along. For a full list of holiday films and entertainment, visit The Cary Theater's website.

Bedazzle in holiday spirit with a downtown walkthrough of Cary's dozen larger-than-life holiday light displays. An interactive map is available online at carync.gov/holidays.

The best way to explore the holidays in downtown Cary is using the festively decorated GoCary Downtown Loop bus. It's a great option for easy access to experience many of the Heart of the Holidays event locations and take in all the holiday decorations from the comfort of a warm ride. Available Thursday - Sunday; visit gocary.org for route and schedule information

Primary Contacts

If you have specific questions, visit carync.gov/311, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, (919) 469-4000 outside Town limits, or email [email protected].

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