guides

2024 Guide to the Holiday Season from Burlington to Hillsborough

Santa Sightings, Grinch Gatherings, and Other Ho-Ho-Holiday Fun!

By Samantha Earnhardt, Macaroni KID Burlington-Hillsborough Publisher & Family Fun Enthusiast November 18, 2024

Here come the holidays and there are TONS of events going on around the area to get your family into the festive spirit. 

Whether you're looking for Christmas crafts or cookies to decorate, there's something going on nearby that you want to know about. Looking to get your yearly Santa photo? Check. Need to see all the marching bands in the Alamance-Orange area? There are a dozen local parades listed below. Can't get enough of the Nutcracker? We've got you covered, too. 

Get ready to rock your Santa hat at events all season long... And don't forget to tell 'em Macaroni KID sent ya!


KEY


馃摳 Event has Photo Ops (Santa, Grinch, etc)

   Tree Lighting

馃┌ It's the Nutcracker time of year!

  Other Holiday Shows and Performances

All Season Long...


馃摳馃巺馃徑Visit Santa at Holly Hill Mall (11/17 - 12/24) 

馃摤Drop off Letters to Santa (11/18 - 12/10)

  • You can drop off letters at one of the 3 special mailboxes located at: Mebane Arts & Community Center, Mebane City Hall, or Mebane Community Park.

鉀革笍 Downtown Graham’s Ice Skating Rink on Synthetic Ice (11/22 – 12/15) in downtown Graham

Homes for the Holidays 馃洊 Annual Gingerbread House Stroll (12/7 - 1/5) in downtown Hillsborough

馃挕The McMasters' Annual Christmas Light Show (daily 12/1 - 12/31) in Graham

Hawfields Enchanted Forest open! (Fri & Sat 12/7 - 12/21) at Hawfields Community Park


Daily Holiday Event Calendar


Fri, Nov 16

  Lighting of the Green in downtown Gibsonville

  • including a pit stop for sweet treats with Santa at the Lighting of the Greens  at Maple View's County Line Creamery in Gibsonville

Sat, Nov 16

Parent & Me Paint Class - Penguin at Painted Grape Drop-In Art Studio, Mebane


Thurs, Nov 21 - Sun, 12/1

   Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (11/21 - 12/1) at the Paramount Theater, Burlington


Fri, Nov 22

  Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), Durham


Sat, Nov 23

Winter Wonderland Craft Show at Mebane Community Arts Center

77th Annual Burlington Christmas Parade in downtown Burlington
Holly Days Bazaar at Elon Community Church

Parent & Me Paint Class - Snowman  at Painted Grape Drop-In Art Studio, Burlington

Mebane's Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Mebane 

Its Snowing in Mebane 馃摳 in downtown Mebane

HOLIDAY Parents Night Out Art Party - Christmas Candy Land at Miss Kim's Children's Dance & Arts, Burlington


Sun, Nov 24

2024 Reidsville Christmas Parade in downtown Reidsville


Fri, Nov 29

Craftsmen's Christmas Classic (Fri-Sun) at the Greensboro Coliseum


Sat, Nov 30

Monthly Kids DIY Workshop: Cocoa Ornament at the Home Depot Hillsborough and Burlington

  Christmas Tree Lighting + Small Business Saturday! in downtown Burlington

A Small Town Family Holiday at Hillsborough Visitor's Center, Hillsborough

Mebane Train Display Open!at Mebane Historical Museum

Parent & Me Paint Class - Highland Cow at Painted Grape Drop-In Art Studio, Mebane

Laser Tag & VR Christmas Party! (13+) at Ground Zero Tactical Laser Tag, Elon


Sun, Dec 1


Tues, Dec 3

Elon University Festival of Lights & Luminaries at Elon University, Elon

  Elon University Choral Concert - A Celebration of Light at Whitley Audiitorium at Elon University, Elon


Thurs, Dec 5

Holiday Open House at Gibsonville Public Library, Gibsonville

Christmas by Candlelight in Historic Glencoe at Textile Heritage Museum, Burlington

Made by Me: Holiday Studio / Ornaments (11+) at Orange County Arts Commission & Eno Arts Mill, Hillsborough


Thurs, Dec 5 - Sun, Dec 15

'Twas the Night Before... By Cirque du Soleil at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), Durham


Fri, Dec 6

  Christmas in the Park at Beth Schmidt Park, Elon

馃摳 Elfland Christmas Festival (Fri - Sat) at the Barn at Lloyd's Dairy, Efland

Festival of Lights - Hold You in the Light (Fri-Sat) at Snow Camp Outdoor Theatre

馃崹Sundaes with Santa!馃巺馃徑 at MapleView Farm Ice Cream, Hillsborough

Mebane Christmas Parade (nighttime parade!  in downtown Mebane


Sat, Dec 7

馃摳 Breakfast With the Grinch at Thataways Youth Center, Burlington

馃摳 Liberty Annual Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Festival in downtown Liberty

Saxapahaw Holiday Market (Sat-Sun) at the Haw River Ballroom, Saxapahaw

Monthly Kids DIY Workshop: Holiday Snow Globe at the Home Depot Hillsborough and Burlington

German Christmas in Carolina at Alamance Battleground State Historic Site

Caswell Christmas Parade in Yanceyville in Caswell County

Saturday Slowdown: Holiday Market & Open Farm Day at RambleRill Farm, Hillsborough

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Community Holiday Parade in downtown Chapel Hill

Holiday Market & Secondhand Santa Sale at Elon Community Church, Elon

Winter Wonderland! at Tanger Outlet Mall

馃┌ Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker Tea Party at Burlington Dance Center, Burlington

63rd Annual Graham Christmas Parade in downtown Graham

Greensboro Holiday Parade in downtown Greensboro

  Hometown Christmas in downtown Elon


Sun, Dec 8

  Winter’s Enchanted Serenade… an Evening of Snowy Ballets by Miss Kim's at the Paramount Theater, Burlington

Hillsborough Light up the Night Holiday Parade in downtown Hillsborough


Mon, Dec 9 - Fri, Dec 13

Burwell School Holiday Tours (12/9 - 12/13) at the Burwell School Historic Site, Hillsborough


Thurs, Dec 12

馃摳 Visit with Santa at Mapleview's County Line Creamery, Gibsonville


Fri, Dec 13 - Sun, Dec 15

  The Nutcracker: presented by Walkerdance Ballet Theatre at McCrary Theater, Elon University, Elon


Fri, Dec 13

馃崹Sundaes with Santa!馃巺馃徑at MapleView Farm Ice Cream, Hillsborough

Cookies with Santa (2 Sessions) at the Children's Museum of Alamance County, Graham

Live Nativity (drive-through event) (Fri-Sat) at Integrity Church, Burlington

馃┌Hillsborough On Ice 鉀革笍 Holiday Show - feat. the Nutcracker (Fri & Sat) at the Orange County Sportsplex, Hillsborough

  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Fri & Sat) at Alamance Fine Arts Academy, Burlington

  A Big Band Christmas Concert at the Paramount Theater, Burlington



Source: Orange County Sportsplex


Sat, Dec 14

2024 Snow Camp Christmas Parade in Snow Camp

Durham Holiday Parade in downtown Durham

Downtown Gibsonville Christmas Cookie Crawl in downtown Gibsonville

Gibsonville Christmas Parade in downtown Gibsonville

Mebane Train Display Open! at Mebane Historical Museum

Monthly Kids DIY Workshop: Spinning Snowflake at Lowe's Home Improvement in Mebane and Burlington

馃摳 It's Snowing in Mebane! in downtown Mebane

Christmas in Sedaliain Sedalia

馃┌ Hillsborough On Ice 鉀革笍 Holiday Show - feat. the Nutcracker (Fri & Sat) at the Orange County Sportsplex, Hillsborough

  Burlington Boys Choir: Christmas Candlelight Lovefeast at Old Brick Church, Burlington


Sun, Dec 15

Children's Holiday Tea Party at The White House on Washington, Mebane


Thurs, Dec 19  - Sun, Dec 22

  Disney on Ice 鉀革笍 presents Let's Dance (12/19-12/22) at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex


Thurs, Dec 19

馃摳 Visit with Santa at Mapleview's County Line Creamery, Gibsonville


Fri, Dec 20 - Sun, Dec 22

馃┌ Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker '24 by Burlington Dance Center at the Paramount Theater, Burlington


Fri, Dec 20

馃摳It's Snowing in Mebane! in downtown Mebane

馃崹Sundaes with Santa! at MapleView Farm Ice Cream, Hillsborough

HOLIDAY Parents Night Out Art Party - Merry GRINCH-mas!at Miss Kim's Children's Dance & Arts, Burlington


Sat, Dec 21

Mebane Train Display Open! at Mebane Historical Museum

Cookies & Crafts with Santa at the Gibsonville Community Center

Elftacular Public Skate 鉀革笍at the Orange County Sportsplex, Hillsborough

馃摳It's Snowing in Mebane! in downtown Mebane

Solstice Lantern Walk & Market at Farmer's Market Pavilion, Hillsborough

  Burlington Boys Choir: Christmas Candlelight Lovefeast at Old Brick Church, Burlington


Sun, Dec 22

Christmas in the Park at Burlington City Park


Mon, Dec 23

HOLIDAY Parents DAY Out Art Party - Santa's Helper Christmas Gifts at Miss Kim's Children's Dance & Arts, Burlington


Tues, Dec 24

馃┌ NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas BalletDecember 24, 2024 at the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), Durham


Sat, Dec 28

Mebane Train Display Open! at Mebane Historical Museum

馃┌ The Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham


Fri, Jan 3

Children's Lantern Walk at Dinner Bell Farm, Snow Camp