Notes of Merriment Rise at North Carolina Attractions
With COVID-19 threatening to make a mockery and a misery of well-loved traditions, holiday lovers can seize the opportunity to reinvent their celebrations. In place of an extended family gathering, a North Carolina road trip with household members will buoy spirits and inspire an expanded rendition for 2021. Most attractions below are participants in the statewide Count On Me NC initiative, which offers free training in science-based protocols and also asks the public to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Check websites for specific COVID-19 protocols.
Greensboro: What better place to launch a tradition than a destination with a brand new celebration. Winter Wonderlights transforms the zoo at Greensboro Science Center into a holidayscape of 12 Magical Realms of light, color and excitement. Outdoor experiences include a walk through the Ice Age, a forest of light and a fountain featuring dancing penguins. Visitors can also head indoors to visit Santa, hear carolers and see a giant living snow globe.
Clemmons: As the home of Tanglewood Park near Winston-Salem, Clemmons shares the glory of the Festival of Lights, a dazzling display along a 5-mile wooded route. The attraction’s Christmas Village will be closed, but families and small groups can opt for a horse-drawn carriage ride or tractor-pulled hayride. Book an RV campsite, the Manor House Inn or cottage to spend the night at Tanglewood, which also boasts two golf courses, a nature trail, arboretum and gardens.
Concord: Bright lights and movie nights make Charlotte Motor Speedway a holiday highlight. Hear seasonal tunes as you drive the 3.75-mile course used by NASCAR champions and see displays created with 4 million LED lights. Thursday through Sunday, guests can park in front the Speedway’s giant screen to watch a holiday movie. Extend the fun with a stay at Great Wolf Lodge, which offers grab-and-go crafts and other activities for its Snowland celebration.
Charlotte: After spending summer on the sidelines, Carowinds amusement park reopens for a Taste of the Season. The outdoor event features holiday sweets and savories. shows, shopping and family rides. A Charlotte stay places you near the action in Concord, Christmas Town USA in McAdenville and Holidays at the Garden at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont.
Bryson City: Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s Polar Express excursion remains the holiday star in this mountain town. Bryson City extends the spirit brilliantly with a 50-foot Christmas tree; 200,000 LED lights enhancing stores, bridges and lamp posts; and a red caboose decorated for photo ops.
Blowing Rock: Tweetsie Railroad, the Wild West theme park, steams through an adorned mountain landscape for Tweetsie Christmas, which also opens its rides and other activities. It pairs beautifully with a stay at Chetola, which creates a free drive-through Festival of Lights across its 87 acres.
Wilmington: Come to the coast to see the lights at Enchanted Airlie, a self-guided stroll set to music at Airlie Gardens. At Carolina Beach, events related to the Island of Lights celebration have been canceled, but travelers can still walk through light displays at Carolina Beach Lake Park.
For more ideas, drop by VisitNC.com.
Media Contacts
Suzanne Brown, Media Relations Specialist, [email protected]
View and download assets, view North Carolina's Media Hub
If you publish anything as the result of any Visit North Carolina's story ideas, please let us know so we can share your work across our social media platforms and say thank you!
Greensboro: What better place to launch a tradition than a destination with a brand new celebration. Winter Wonderlights transforms the zoo at Greensboro Science Center into a holidayscape of 12 Magical Realms of light, color and excitement. Outdoor experiences include a walk through the Ice Age, a forest of light and a fountain featuring dancing penguins. Visitors can also head indoors to visit Santa, hear carolers and see a giant living snow globe.
Clemmons: As the home of Tanglewood Park near Winston-Salem, Clemmons shares the glory of the Festival of Lights, a dazzling display along a 5-mile wooded route. The attraction’s Christmas Village will be closed, but families and small groups can opt for a horse-drawn carriage ride or tractor-pulled hayride. Book an RV campsite, the Manor House Inn or cottage to spend the night at Tanglewood, which also boasts two golf courses, a nature trail, arboretum and gardens.
Concord: Bright lights and movie nights make Charlotte Motor Speedway a holiday highlight. Hear seasonal tunes as you drive the 3.75-mile course used by NASCAR champions and see displays created with 4 million LED lights. Thursday through Sunday, guests can park in front the Speedway’s giant screen to watch a holiday movie. Extend the fun with a stay at Great Wolf Lodge, which offers grab-and-go crafts and other activities for its Snowland celebration.
Charlotte: After spending summer on the sidelines, Carowinds amusement park reopens for a Taste of the Season. The outdoor event features holiday sweets and savories. shows, shopping and family rides. A Charlotte stay places you near the action in Concord, Christmas Town USA in McAdenville and Holidays at the Garden at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont.
Bryson City: Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s Polar Express excursion remains the holiday star in this mountain town. Bryson City extends the spirit brilliantly with a 50-foot Christmas tree; 200,000 LED lights enhancing stores, bridges and lamp posts; and a red caboose decorated for photo ops.
Blowing Rock: Tweetsie Railroad, the Wild West theme park, steams through an adorned mountain landscape for Tweetsie Christmas, which also opens its rides and other activities. It pairs beautifully with a stay at Chetola, which creates a free drive-through Festival of Lights across its 87 acres.
Wilmington: Come to the coast to see the lights at Enchanted Airlie, a self-guided stroll set to music at Airlie Gardens. At Carolina Beach, events related to the Island of Lights celebration have been canceled, but travelers can still walk through light displays at Carolina Beach Lake Park.
For more ideas, drop by VisitNC.com.
Media Contacts
Suzanne Brown, Media Relations Specialist, [email protected]
View and download assets, view North Carolina's Media Hub
If you publish anything as the result of any Visit North Carolina's story ideas, please let us know so we can share your work across our social media platforms and say thank you!