Lucky you. You just found RALtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for that are taking place throughout Raleigh each month.
Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to this month. Psst: Don’t forget to bookmark this page and come back; we update our guide monthly.
All month
The Rink at Red Hat Amphitheater | Thursday, Dec. 4-Sunday, Jan. 4 | Times vary | Red Hat Amphitheater | $18+ | Book online through Ticketmaster and upgrade to a private igloo package for your group with a hot chocolate bar + snacks to fuel up between skating.
North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival | Thursday, Dec. 4-Sunday, Jan. 11 | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | $16+ | Cary is aglow with countless lanterns celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Skate the Square | Thursday, Dec. 4-Sunday, Feb. 8 | Fenton Square | $15+ | Before you start your holiday shopping, lace up on the ice. Plus, take advantage of Cheapskate on Mondays for $15 skating.
Illuminate Art Walk Sip n’ Stroll Tour | Friday, Dec. 5-Sunday, Jan. 4 | 5:45-6:45 p.m. | NC Court of Appeals Building | Pay what you can | Explore the annual display of lights in downtown Raleigh.
Seasonal
Marbles Evening with Elves | Friday, Dec. 5 | 6-8:30 p.m. | Marbles Kids Museum | $27+ | Your kiddos can visit a magical elf village complete with snacks, activities, and letters to the man in red.
Soulful Holiday Open House | Friday, Dec. 12 | 5:30-9 p.m. | John Chavis Memorial Park | Free | Expect holiday activities including carol-oke, themed rooms, crafts, live entertainment, and plenty of family photo ops.
GingerBuild Houses & Hops | Friday, Dec. 12 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Marbles Kids Museum | Have some fun like a kid again at this 21+ event featuring brews + gingerbread house building.
Winter Lantern Walk | Saturday, Dec. 13 | 4:30-6:30 p.m. | North Carolina Museum of Art | Free | Enjoy the quiet beauty of winter and bring donations to help your community.
Hanukkah Menorah Lighting | Tuesday, Dec. 16 | 5:30-6:15 p.m. | Downtown Cary Park, Cary | Free | Light the first flame to celebrate the festival of lights.
Menorah Lighting Celebration | Tuesday, Dec. 16 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Moore Square | Free | Head downtown to watch the first candle be lit to celebrate Hanukkah.
Winter 2025 Historic Oakwood Tour | Tuesday, Dec. 23-Saturday, Jan. 3 | Times vary | Oakwood Commons Park | Free | Explore historic homes with some holiday surprises along the way.
New Year’s Eve Celebration | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 9-12:30 p.m. | Downtown Raleigh | Free | Ring in 2026 in downtown Raleigh.
Arts
“The Nutcracker” presented by City Ballet | Friday, Dec. 5-Saturday, Dec. 6 | 7-8:30 p.m. | NCSU Stewart Theatre | $25+ | Watch this classic story unfold with over 80 students joining the cast.
“A Christmas Carol” Presented by Theatre in the Park | Friday, Dec. 5-Sunday, Dec. 7 | Times vary | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | The torch has been passed to Ira David Wood IV — see the holiday classic live.
“Cinderella” | Friday, Dec. 5-Sunday, Dec. 21 | Times vary | Raleigh Little Theater | $35+ | Celebrate 41 years of this show at the theater, including autographs after the show and a princess boutique.
Handel’s “Messiah” with the North Carolina Symphony and NC Master Chorale | Friday, Dec. 5-Saturday, Dec. 6 | Times vary | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | This stunning show will fill you with the joy of the holiday season.
“The Polar Express” 3D in IMAX | Saturday, Dec. 6-Wednesday, Dec. 24 | Times vary | Marbles IMAX | $12+ | Experience this holiday favorite on Raleigh’s largest screen. Pro tip: Visit the museum with your little ones after.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra — The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve | Thursday, Dec. 11 | 7 p.m. | Lenovo Center | $32+ | Rock out holiday style with this famed orchestra.
Carolina Ballet Presents “The Nutcracker” | Thursday, Dec. 11-Wednesday, Dec. 24 | Times vary | Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts | $75+ | Carolina Ballet presents this stunning take on the classic tale.
Markets
Welcome to the City of Oaks.
Photo by @dannyclarkephotography
MAKRS Holiday Fest | Saturday, Dec. 6 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | City Plaza | Free | Celebrate at the Fifth Annual MAKRS Holiday Fest, with over 200 local vendors, holiday wrestling ring, a rodeo and more.
Boylan Heights Art Walk | Sunday, Dec. 7 | 12-5 p.m. | Boylan Heights | Free | Boylan Heights will become a vibrant scene with a market, local artists, and a juried art show.
Cary Underground Market | Sunday, Dec. 7 | 12-4 p.m. | Bond Brothers, Cary | Free | MAKRS Society and Oak City Music Collective present this market and concert with 50+ local vendors and bumping live music.
Moore Square Winterfaire | Thursday, Dec. 11-Sunday, Dec. 14 | Times vary | Moore Square | Free | Stroll through four days of local vendors, food trucks, live performances, s’mores, holiday crafts, games, a beer garden, and even Santa during this free downtown fair.
Raleigh Twilight Market | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 5:30-9:30 p.m. | Smoky Hollow | Shop from local vendors, listen to local DJs, and watch local performers at this nighttime market.
More fun
Raleigh Underground Market | Sunday, Dec. 14 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | North Hills, Midtown Park | Free | Shop from unique vendors, jam out to local music, and grab drinks and food with your friends and family.
2025 NCAA DI Men’s College Cup Championship | Monday, Dec. 15 | 8 p.m. | WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary | The best of college soccer will assemble in Cary for a chance at a title and the championship trophy.
Carolina Hurricanes games, Lenovo Center | Various dates | Pick from eight December games to grab your Canes sweater and cheer the team on.
(Don’t see anything you like? Check out our full events calendar.)
Have an event of your own you want to share with us? Follow these easy steps to add your events to our calendar:
- Go to our Events page.
- Click “Add Event” in the top right-hand corner.
- Make sure to include a link and fill out important information like the date, time, location, and price of your event.
- Click “Submit,” and you’ve just added an event to our website calendar.