Holiday and Winter Events Highlight the City of Arts and Innovations

Winston-Salem, conveniently located in the heart of North Carolina, has always been known for its heritage – rich in traditions, legacies and cultures. But many pundits agree that there’s just something extraordinary about Winston-Salem during these festive times.

Traditional holiday-goers put Old Salem Museum & Gardens on their “must-do” list. As charming as any scene from a classic Dickens novel, a trip to Old Salem during the holidays is so magical it could transform any Scrooge into the happiest Christmas kid. Founded in 1766, this historic Moravian village hosts several traditional Moravian ceremonies including Candle Tea, candlelight tours and a Christmas Eve Lovefeast. Shopping in historic hamlet’s quaint shops is incredible. Wreaths, hand-dipped candles and the Moravian Advent stars and hand-crafted tin angels are the well-known ornaments made there by Old Salem artisans.

And of course, a holiday trip to Old Salem must include a sampling of the wafer-thin Moravian cookies and the sugarcake from Winkler Bakery located on Main Street.

A historic holiday tour of Winston-Salem wouldn’t be complete without a tour of the opulent Reynolda House. Candlelight tours on December 9-11 offer visitors a step-back into Winston-Salem in the original heydays of the 1920’s and a glimpse into the holiday traditions of the owners of this breathtaking estate.  

Just 15 minutes west of Winston-Salem is Tanglewood Park’s Festival of Lights, the largest holiday lighting display show in the Southeast.  

For more information about top events in North Carolina take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in North Carolina.

For a complete listing of all the holiday events and performances in Winston-Salem, go to www.visitwinstonsalem.com

Month-long Festive Events in Durham, North Carolina

Durham, North Carolina is home to great events to kick off the holiday season.

The City of Durham is offering a Holiday Fun Fest featuring a parade with Santa Claus and bands, snow sledding, a petting zoo, food vendors and a tree-lighting ceremony. This event takes place on Saturday, December 4 at CCB Plaza from 1pm to 6pm.

American Tobacco’s Annual Tower Lighting is Friday, December 3 at 7pm. Ring in the season with performances by the Durham Public School Choral Groups as countless water tower lights fill the sky.

Take in a holiday show at DPAC-Durham Performing Arts Center or experience a historical Christmas at one of Durham’s historical sites. On December 3, see Duke Homestead by candlelight. Celebrate an 1870 Christmas during the evening candlelight tours showcasing period decorations, caroling, hot apple cider, and other goodies.

On December 4, experience “Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters” at Stagville. During the day, see the Bennehan house decorated for the holidays, listen to music, and shop the local vendors from all over North Carolina with everything from pottery, to jewelry. At night, step into the antebellum period and see how enslaved people celebrated the holidays.

The Durham Museum of Life and Science also has a highly popular Santa Train that runs from December 1–5, 8–12, and 15–20 which features a train ride to the North Pole to see Santa, free hot chocolate, free make n’ take crafts, and free face painting. 

For more information about top events in North Carolina take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in North Carolina.

Visit www.durhameventcalendar.com to search for other events happening through the New Year in Durham.

Six Days of Crafts, Arts, and Innovation in November

Winston-Salem’s fall festival – Six Days in November – is one of the south’s premier pre-holiday destinations for arts and crafts devotees. While billed as “Six Days” running from Tuesday November 16 to Sunday November 21, early birds can catch a Garrison Keillor performance at the vintage Stevens Center the Sunday before and also have a full day of activities on Monday.

Now in its third year, “Six Days in November” is chock-a-block arts and cultural activities clustered around Piedmont Craftsmen’s Fair, the Southeast’s premier fine crafts show.

During “Six Days”, Winston-Salem, the City of the Arts and innovation, is abuzz with activities, including symphony and jazz concerts, theater, art exhibitions, dance, films, food events and innovative experiences that apply computer and digital technology to the arts world. One huge crowd pleaser is a cutting edge light show in the heart of downtown presented by UNC School of the Arts lighting students.

A popular coffee house will present short documentaries on southern food and foodways with topics as diverse as red hotdogs, soft shell crabs, tamales and oysters. Many activities will be in the downtown Restaurant and Entertainment District. It is anchored by the new Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts. There will be opportunities to view an exhibition by renowned Penland School craftspeople and catch a show in the Hanesbrands black-box theatre.

Winston-Salem’s Art District is within easy walking distance with its galleries, shops, and restaurants. Winston-Salem attractions include Old Salem Museum and Gardens; Reynolda House Museum of American Art; Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA); Delta Fine Arts; Children’s Museum; and Sci-Works, the Science and Environmental Park of Forsyth County.

For more information about top events in North Carolina take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in North Carolina.

For more information on Winston-Salem’s Six Days in November, visit www.cityofthearts.com.

WORLD CLASS MUSICIANS FOR NORTH CAROLINA JAZZ FESTIVAL

For 30 years the North Carolina Jazz Festival has brought world-class jazz musicians to Wilmington and the Cape Fear Coast.

During the weekend of February 4 through 6, the North Carolina Jazz Festival (a 2010 Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event) will celebrate those 30 years with concerts by more than a dozen traditional jazz artists who perform in a cabaret-style setting at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside's newly renovated ballroom. Fans can see and hear their favorite traditional jazz musicians perform live, along with opportunities to meet and mingle with the artists.

This year's North Carolina Jazz Festival kicks off on Thursday night with a "Styles of Jazz" concert vocalist Stephanie Nakasian & the Hod O'Brien Trio; New Orleans style jazz by the Duke Heitger Sextet; and local favorites Grenaldo Frazier (piano, vocals) and Kevin Kolb Quartet.

On Saturday morning festival patrons will enjoy a musical birthday cruise along the Cape Fear River with New Orleans style jazz and North Carolina barbecue. On Friday and Saturday nights the festival features 14 world-renowned musicians.

Presented in partnership with the Cape Fear Jazz Society, the North Carolina Jazz festival is the only traditional jazz festival of its size from Virginia to Georgia. Advance reservations are recommended, as this event often sells out. Individual concert ticket prices vary.

Wilmington & North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast beckons year-round with a historic riverfront town and the island communities of Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach.

For more information about top events in North Carolina, take a look at the Top Events USA selection of the annual main festivals and events in North Carolina at www.topeventsusa.com/state-events-north-carolina.html

Or, take a look at the official web site for Wilmington/Cape Fear Coast CVB at www.cape-fear.nc.us/