# Christmas and holiday events for kids in Raleigh > 16 Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday events and programs for kids in the Raleigh–Cary area through New Year’s Day, each linked to the organizer’s own page with the date we last checked it. Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/christmas Towns with listings: Raleigh (10), Apex (3), Holly Springs (1), Knightdale (1), Wake Forest (1). ## Quick answers ### What free Christmas events are there for kids in Raleigh? 5 listings, the soonest 4: [Fall Holidays Around the World: K-5th Adventures — East Regional Library, Knightdale](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/fall-holidays-around-the-world-k-5th-adventures-east-regional-library--listing-d6d64a5fdbde78dbd6434e11) (Tue, Nov 17, Free); [Raleigh Christmas Parade](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/raleigh-christmas-parade--listing-0691e8580d024003ed1b7b02) (Sat, Nov 21, Free); [Christmas at Historic Oak View: 1850–1950](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/christmas-at-historic-oak-view-1850-1950--listing-27cd323da9eae0955d4ea8c6) (Wed, Dec 2, Free); [Artful Story Time: Happy Hanukkah!](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/artful-story-time-happy-hanukkah--listing-8b872aaaf36c54e676a010b1) (Wed, Dec 9, Free). ## Dated events ### Raleigh (10) - [Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting and Holiday Market](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/downtown-raleigh-tree-lighting-and-holiday-market--listing-1b892e4c8697c867e502f3e8) — Fri, Nov 20 · 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM · Moore Square · checked Oct 24. Downtown Raleigh's tree lighting celebration returns to Moore Square, drawing more than 4,000 people to see the Raleigh Christmas tree lit for the season. A holiday vendor market… - [Raleigh Christmas Parade](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/raleigh-christmas-parade--listing-0691e8580d024003ed1b7b02) — Sat, Nov 21 · 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM · Downtown Raleigh parade route (Hillsborough St. to Fayetteville St.) · Free · checked Oct 24. The 82nd ABC11 Raleigh Christmas Parade, organized by the Greater Raleigh Merchants Association and presented by Shop Local Raleigh, bills itself as the largest Christmas parade… - [Cirque Holiday Pops — NC Symphony](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/cirque-holiday-pops-nc-symphony--listing-1fe60122d93b6d448fec6b36) — Wed, Nov 25 (+2 more dates) · 4:00 PM · Meymandi Concert Hall, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts · Paid · checked Oct 24. The North Carolina Symphony opens the holiday season over Thanksgiving weekend with an all-new Cirque Holiday Pops: Cirque de la Symphonie acrobats perform high-flying routines… - [Pullen Park Holiday Express](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/pullen-park-holiday-express--listing-ba79e7579ed254826b554c86) — Dec 1 – Dec 17 · 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM · Pullen Park · From $21 · sold out when last checked · checked Oct 24. Raleigh's best-known holiday tradition turns Pullen Park into a lit-up winter wonderland on December evenings. Each ticket includes a timed ride on the Holiday Express train… - [Christmas at Historic Oak View: 1850–1950](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/christmas-at-historic-oak-view-1850-1950--listing-27cd323da9eae0955d4ea8c6) — Wed, Dec 2 (+11 more dates) · Historic Oak View County Park · Free · checked Oct 24. Guided holiday tours at Historic Oak View County Park, a former plantation and farm in east Raleigh, through six holiday displays with decorations from the antebellum era to… - [The Nutcracker — Cary Ballet Company](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/the-nutcracker-cary-ballet-company--listing-e8513ea0f1031076600a0c8a) — Sat, Dec 5 · 11:00 AM · Fletcher Opera Theater, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts · Paid · checked Oct 24. Cary Ballet Company brings its Nutcracker to the Fletcher Opera Theater in downtown Raleigh for one Saturday with three performances, at 11 am, 1:30 pm and 5:30 pm. The… - [Artful Story Time: Happy Hanukkah!](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/artful-story-time-happy-hanukkah--listing-8b872aaaf36c54e676a010b1) — Wed, Dec 9 · 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM · North Carolina Museum of Art · Free · checked Oct 24. The North Carolina Museum of Art's toddler story time takes on Hanukkah this month, with readers from the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh. Children and caregivers read books… - [The Nutcracker — Carolina Ballet](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/the-nutcracker-carolina-ballet--listing-a867827f02ea59c598ee1562) — Thu, Dec 10 (+12 more dates) · 7:00 PM · Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts · Paid · checked Oct 24. Carolina Ballet's holiday production of The Nutcracker, presented by PNC Bank, plays Raleigh Memorial Auditorium for two weeks before Christmas. The ballet follows Clara's… - [Holiday Pops and Ugly Sweater Night — NC Symphony](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/holiday-pops-and-ugly-sweater-night-nc-symphony--listing-1d1b865848659c9257e07747) — Fri, Dec 11 (+1 more date) · 7:30 PM · Meymandi Concert Hall, Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts · Paid · checked Oct 24. The North Carolina Symphony's Holiday Pops weekend in Raleigh, conducted by David Glover, is a concert of familiar holiday songs. Friday evening is Ugly Sweater Night — wear the… - [Pop-Up Art: Giant Snowflakes at NCMA](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/pop-up-art-giant-snowflakes-at-ncma--listing-44c8262bbb54e1c82ffc6ab7) — Sun, Dec 13 · 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM · North Carolina Museum of Art · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. The North Carolina Museum of Art's popular winter art-making afternoon returns. In the East Building studios, families drop in to create a giant, intricate paper snowflake to… ### Apex (3) - [Apex Tree Lighting Ceremony](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/apex-tree-lighting-ceremony--listing-dc9c6007ca54268717070576) — Fri, Dec 4 · 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM · Apex Town Hall Campus · checked Oct 24. The Town of Apex lights its holiday tree on the Town Hall Campus with the Town Council, and Santa and Mrs. Claus come for the season's first photos — the page lists a free photo… - [Apex Rotary Christmas Parade](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/apex-rotary-christmas-parade--listing-44b035c068e8d0d4a13dd984) — Sat, Dec 5 · 5:00 PM · Downtown Apex, Salem Street · checked Oct 24. Organized by the Apex Rotary Club on the first Saturday of December, this is the only nighttime holiday parade in Wake County: floats and marchers light up historic Salem Street… - [Apex Chanukah Festival](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/apex-chanukah-festival--listing-52cd44a49ac762d363e92e08) — Sun, Dec 6 · 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM · Apex Senior Center · checked Oct 24. Chabad of Cary marks the start of Chanukah, the Jewish eight-day festival of lights, with an afternoon festival at the Apex Senior Center in downtown Apex. The Town lists it as a… ### Other towns in the Raleigh–Cary area (3) - [Fall Holidays Around the World: K-5th Adventures — East Regional Library, Knightdale](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/fall-holidays-around-the-world-k-5th-adventures-east-regional-library--listing-d6d64a5fdbde78dbd6434e11) — Tue, Nov 17 (+1 more date) · 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM · East Regional Library, Knightdale · Free · checked Oct 24. Elementary-age kids 'travel the globe' at East Regional Library in Knightdale, learning about fall celebrations in different countries and then designing their own festive… - [Lighting of Wake Forest](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/lighting-of-wake-forest--listing-fa8a8a11cf056ae70d53daf1) — Fri, Dec 4 · 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM · Centennial Plaza, Wake Forest · checked Oct 24. Downtown Wake Forest's holiday kickoff at Centennial Plaza, where the Town lights its Christmas tree and Santa Claus arrives. Around the plaza, the Wake Forest Woman's Club runs… - [Light the Springs — Holly Springs Tree and Menorah Lighting](https://grassyknees.com/raleigh/activities/light-the-springs-holly-springs-tree-and-menorah-lighting--listing-0686da974b0bb64e94544d23) — Sat, Dec 5 · 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM · Holly Springs Cultural Center · All ages · checked Oct 24. Holly Springs rings in the holidays outside the Holly Springs Cultural Center with live music, food and drink vendors and free holiday crafts for children. Kids can drop their… More for families in Raleigh: https://grassyknees.com/raleigh.md