Reservations are a must for Christmas at the Library, which runs through Dec. 23, but is closed on Sundays. Photo | The Billy Graham Library
Nov. 28- Dec. 23
Monday through Thursday, 5-9pm, Friday and Saturday, 5-10pm | Nov. 28 – Dec. 23. Admission and parking are free. Reservations are required. Horse-drawn carriage rides are $11 for adults and $5 for kids under 12. Billy Graham Library, 4330 Westmont Drive, Charlotte.
Nov. 28 – Jan. 1
Nov. 28 – Jan. 1. Downtown Belmont will twinkle with the lights and ornaments of community-decorated Christmas trees. Free. Downtown Belmont, 24 South Main St.
Nov 30
Nov. 30 | 6 pm free-will offering Soup Supper in the Fellowship Hall. 7pm – Holden Evening Prayer Worship. Community in Christ Lutheran Church, 7621 Norman Island Drive, Cornelius.
EXPLORE: Songwriting Workshop
5:30 pm | Nov. 30 – Dec. 21. A four-week course hosted by Dear Soul Music Co sponsored by ASC Culture Blocks, a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg County. In this free course, adults ages 18 and older explore and deepen their songwriting skills with instruction by Charlotte recording artist ARSENA and singer-songwriter Nathan Storey. Huntersville Recreation Center, 11836 Verhoeff Drive, Huntersville. Must register.
Dec. 1-3
6-9 pm | Dec. 1-3. Highlights include: a video and light show on downtown buildings; strolling characters and other live entertainment; bubble snowflakes; an artisan village and a children’s craft area. Downtown Davidson.
5-9 pm | Dec. 1-3. This self-guided, porch-crawl-style tour lets guests stroll through the Historic Fourth Ward and check out holiday displays. There will be holiday music, carriage rides and food and cocktail tastings along the way. $30-$60. Historic Fourth Ward in Charlotte.
Dec. 1-8
Check website | Dec. 1-8. Advance Tickets: Adult – $20; Senior (65+) – $ 18; Student (under 21) – $15. Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St., Davidson.
Dec. 1- 23
Charlotte Christmas Village and ice skate and snow tube at Light the Knights
Through Dec. 23. Cost: $10 for admission, $25 for admission and ice skating, $25 for admission and snow tubing, $39 for an admission season pass, $99 for an all-access season pass. Truist Field, 324 South Mint St., Charlotte.
Visit McAdenville Decl 1-26 to see spectacular light displays.
Dec. 1-26
5:30-10pm | Dec. 1-26. Also known as “Christmas Town USA,” McAdenville is known for its spectacular light displays. Visitors can drive or walk along the 1.3-mile route. The tree lighting ceremony will take place 6 pm Dec. 1 and the yule log parade will happen 5 pm Dec.15. Downtown McAdenville. Free.
Dec. 1 – Jan. 1
Through Jan. 1. Downtown Belmont will twinkle with the lights and ornaments of community-decorated Christmas trees. Free. Downtown Belmont, 24 South Main St.
Dec. 1-Jan. 1
Hours vary | Select nights through Jan. 1. Cost: $32.99. Carowinds, 300 Carowinds Blvd., Charlotte.
Dec. 1 – Jan. 8
Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway
6-10 pm | Nov. 18 – Jan. 8. Experience 4 million lights along a 4-mile course synchronized to Christmas-themed music, plus a vendor village. Tickets start at $30 per car on Monday-Wednesday. On Thursday-Sunday, it’s $40 per car. 5555 Concord Pkwy. S., Concord.
Dec. 2
10 am -noon | Dec. 2. Must register. Cornelius Art Center Gallery.
6-9 pm | Dec. 2. Shop the variety of artisan vendors, local food and beverages. Santa will be onsite. The lighting of the tree will kick off the festivities at 6:30 pm. Children’s rides and activities will be open.
Downtown Mooresville Misteltoe Sip & Shop
6-8 pm | Dec. 2. Bring your favorite people and enjoy shopping small this holiday season in the heart of Mooresville along Main and Broad streets. A strolling barbershop quartet will perform.
Polar Express at the N.C. Transportation Museum
Check website for hours | Dec. 2-4, Dec. 8-11, Dec. 13-23. Experience the magic of the popular holiday book/movie during this Polar Express-inspired train ride with a stop at the North Pole. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas to enjoy the experience. Tickets $34 and up. NC Transportation Museum, 1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer.
Santa will be brining up the rear in the North Meck Holiday Parade.
Dec. 3
North Mecklenburg Holiday Parade
1 pm | Dec. 3. The 40th annual North Mecklenburg Holiday Parade begins on the corner of Griffith and Main streets in Davidson and proceeds south on Main Street (Hwy. 115) to Old Canal Street at the entrance to Antiquity in Cornelius. For details, including detour maps, click here.
Noon-4 pm | Dec. 3. Put your pup in an ugly Christmas sweater. Big Hearts Big Barks will benefit from your donations when your pet poses for pictures with Santa or the Grinch. Lost Worlds Brewery, 19700-D One Norman Blvd., Cornelius.
2-8 pm | Dec. 3. Free activities include children’s rides, holiday performances on stage, Carolers of Christmas Past, airbrush tattoos, balloon twisters, roaming holiday characters, letters and pictures with Santa. Shop with local vendors who have the perfect holiday gifts for everyone on your list. Food and beverages will be onsite for purchase as well.
3 pm | Dec. 3. Come watch four-person trike teams sponsored by Davidson businesses race through an obstacle course down Main Street in Davidson.
11 am. | Dec. 3. The parade steps off at Career Academy and Technical School, 350 Old Murdock Road, and ends at Troutman Baptist Church, 305 Perry Rd.
11 am-3 pm | Dec. 3. Full Throttle Stangs & Powercurve Motorsports Presents Carolina Christmas car show to benefit Carolina Christmas Angels, a non-profit charity that helps to provide children and families in need with Christmas gifts and so much more. Powerrcurve Motorsports, 1185 Gateway Drive, Mooresville.
Dec. 4
7-9 pm | Dec. 4. Davidson College Presbyterian Church’s annual Vespers service of lessons and carols will be held at the Davidson United Methodist Church, 233 South Main St. Free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.
Noon-5 pm | Dec. 4. Artisan and small business market; inflatables and activities. Cornelius Town Hall lawn.
The Through our Lens: Digital Art and Photography exhibit runs through Jan. 13 at the Cornelius Art Gallery.
Through Jan. 13
Through Our Lens: Digital Art and Photography
A small group of digital artists and photographers from North Carolina display their love for their art. Cornelius Art Gallery, 19725 Oak St.
Through Jan. 4
Frederick Graff, AWS, D.F., Salem, SC, “Heritage Hill” winner of AWS Gold Medal of Honor will be part of the watercolor exhibit in Mooresville through Jan. 4.
International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society
Noon-4pm | Tuesday-Friday; 10am-2pm | Saturday. Forty watercolor paintings from today’s nationally known and internationally known masters will be on display in Mooresville Arts’ Center Gallery, 103 W. Center Ave., Mooresville. Many of the paintings will be for sale.
Through mid-February
6-10 pm | Daily. Explore a half-mile, self-guided walking trail showcasing illuminated installations representing the Whitewater story and mission. The elements populate the entire Ridge and Canyon of the Whitewater Center and culminate with a compelling view above the forest floor on an all new suspension bridge complex. Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy., Charlotte 28214.
Through March 12
Alfred Conteh, [Ryan Coogler] Home Team, 2018 | Courtesy of the artist and Amath Gomis via Museum of the New South
Check websites for gallery schedules. | B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture and Levine Museum of the New South to bring Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. The Gantt will display Storytellers, Fathering, and Imagining; Levine Museum will display Catalysts, Myth-Breakers, and Community; both museums in Charlotte will display Loving. Admission is free.
• Send your event information to corneliustoday@gmail.com. Deadline is the 15th of the month for the print calendar; one week in advance for online/newsletter calendars.
