Holiday lights and Christmas events in Cary 2026

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates and times come from each organizer’s own page, linked below. Some town events had not posted 2026 dates yet; we say so where that is the case.

The town’s Tree Lighting Celebration (Saturday, Dec. 5) and the Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade have their own page: see our Christmas parade and tree lighting guide. This page covers the light displays, Santa visits, markets and the rest of the season.

Who to call

• Koka Booth Amphitheatre and the lantern festival: 919-462-2025
• Town holiday events: Cary 311, or 919-469-4000 from outside town limits
• Emergency: 911

North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival

The region’s biggest light display returns to Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway, from Nov. 21, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027, according to the festival page:

• Open nightly 6 to 10 p.m.; arrive by 9 p.m.
• Closed Christmas Day.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve: gates 6 to 9 p.m., stage shows at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. only.
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day: normal hours.
• A limited early Twilight Session opens the gates at 4:30 p.m.
• Sensory-Friendly Night: Tuesday, Dec. 1.
• Tickets are mobile only, children 2 and under are free, and the venue is cashless.

Santa in Cary

Downtown Cary Park, Gathering House. Photos with Santa on four dates. The park says the line may close about 30 minutes before the end time and parents must stay with their children:

• Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (details)
• Tuesday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m. to noon (details)
• Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1 to 3 p.m., sensory friendly: softer lights, quieter music, fewer people inside and sensory bags (details)
• Friday, Dec. 18, 5 to 9 p.m. (details)

Waverly Place, 302 Colonades Way. Free photos with Santa at the shopping center’s tree lighting, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, with live music by The Embers featuring Craig Woolard and kids’ crafts (event page).

Santa’s Workshop, Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Free crafting of ornaments and handmade gifts at the Academy Pavilion and Plaza, ahead of the Christmas parade (event page).

Hanukkah

The Menorah Lighting is 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, the third night of Hanukkah, at the Downtown Cary Park Great Lawn Pavilion, with a children’s activity, holiday music and a sweet treat. Through the eight nights of Hanukkah, Dec. 4-12, the menorah at the Cary Arts Center is lit each evening (event page).

Holiday shows

A Peter Rabbit Christmas, a site-specific family play by Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and Seed Art Share, moves through Downtown Cary Park: Friday, Dec. 4, at 5 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 and 5 p.m. The park says ticket details are coming (event page).

Legacy of Jazz: My Favorite Things plays The Cary Theater, 122 E. Chatham St., at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 (theater calendar).

Town traditions not yet dated for 2026

The Town of Cary runs a string of downtown holiday traditions under its Heart of the Holidays banner. These had no 2026 dates posted when we checked. Here is when they ran in 2025, from the town’s November 2025 newsletter:

• Victorian Christmas at the Page-Walker, Dec. 6, 2025, 2 to 5 p.m., with cookies, carolers and holiday stories
• Gingerbread House Competition, entries in downtown businesses Dec. 6-14, 2025, then the winners at the Cary Arts Center Dec. 16-29
• Gifting Tree Project, decorated trees along Academy Street and in Downtown Cary Park Dec. 6-26, 2025
• Grinch Candy Cane Hunt, Dec. 13, 2025, 10 to 11 a.m., Bond Park, with registration required
• Kwanzaa Celebration, Dec. 29, 2025, 1:30 to 6 p.m., Cary Arts Center
• Downtown holiday decorations stayed up Nov. 28, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026

We will add the 2026 dates when the town posts them.

What this means for you

• Planning a group trip to the lantern festival? The amphitheater offers no group discounts Dec. 14 to Jan. 3.
• Go early for Santa at Downtown Cary Park, because the line closes before the end time.
• Holiday shopping and markets are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping guide, and New Year’s Eve is on our New Year’s Eve page.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary in 2026?

Nov. 21, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027, at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway. It is open nightly 6 to 10 p.m. and closed Christmas Day; Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve hours are 6 to 9 p.m.

Where can kids see Santa in Cary?

Downtown Cary Park’s Gathering House has Photos with Santa on Dec. 5, Dec. 8 (including a sensory-friendly session) and Dec. 18. Waverly Place offers free Santa photos at its tree lighting Nov. 20.

Is there a menorah lighting in Cary?

Yes. Downtown Cary Park lights its menorah from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, the third night of Hanukkah, and the menorah at the Cary Arts Center is lit each evening Dec. 4-12.

When is the Cary tree lighting?

The town’s Tree Lighting Celebration is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at Downtown Cary Park. Waverly Place holds its own tree lighting from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.