The first tree to light up in Cary this year is at Waverly Place, on Friday, November 20. Fenton lights its tree the next evening, and the NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens across town that same Saturday. The Town of Cary waits until Saturday, December 5, to light the tree at Downtown Cary Park. It then fills that one day with so much that downtown's season effectively starts all at once.
So Cary gets two holiday kickoffs this year, about two weeks apart. The shopping districts go the weekend before Thanksgiving. Downtown goes the first Saturday in December. If you know the order, you can plan which nights you want and which ones you can skip.
| Date | Where | What | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Waverly Place | Waverly Tree Lighting | 5–9 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Fenton Square | Light the Square | 3–7 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens | Gates 6 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Downtown Cary Park | Tree Lighting Celebration | 9 a.m.–8 p.m., ceremony at 6 |
Friday, November 20: Waverly goes first
Waverly Place gets the first tree lighting of the season. It runs from 5 to 9 p.m. with live music by The Embers featuring Craig Woolard, free photos with Santa, and kids' crafts. Since it falls on a Friday, you can go straight from work and still have Saturday open for everything else.
Waverly also has new tenants coming. Its October announcement names Little Oak Collective, H&H Bagels, Eastcut Sandwich Bar, and South Block as incoming. Eastcut is hoping to open by the end of the year, and H&H Bagels is expected in early 2027. Matsumoto Craft Ramen, which opened in September at 525 New Waverly Place, Suite 103, is one dinner option close to the tree.
Saturday, November 21: two openings on one night
The next day is the busiest night of the early season, because two separate events start within hours of each other.
Light the Square at Fenton runs from 3 to 7 p.m. There's a Christmas Market, a kids' area with crafts and games, outdoor ice skating, and a live stage show at 6 p.m. with music, dance, and special performances. The night ends with a community countdown and thousands of lights on the tree in Fenton Square. Fenton's Makers Market is set up the same day, so you can do some early gift shopping while you wait for the countdown.
That evening, the NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens its eleventh season at Koka Booth Amphitheatre and runs through January 10, 2027. Fenton's stage show starts at 6 p.m., the same time the festival's evening gates open. If you want both on opening night, you'll have to choose an order. The festival takes evening arrivals until 9 p.m., so Fenton first and lanterns after is the easier sequence.
This year's festival has a few changes worth knowing about if you've been before:
- A 164-foot floating display on Symphony Lake. It's long enough that installing it took a crane and a 15-person crew.
- Lantern Street Cafe. A new night-market-style menu with Shanghai Street Dog, Char Siu Pork Rice Bowl, Silk Road Miso Ramen, Imperial Crab Rangoon, Chinese Donuts, and spiked hot chocolate.
- Twilight Session tickets. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for "Golden Hour" entry with smaller crowds.
On the ticketing site, opening-night evening tickets run $25.40 to $33.90 and Twilight tickets run $25.40 to $39.05. Children 2 and under get in free. Evening tickets cost more when you buy them on the day of your visit. Discounts for military, seniors 55 and up, and college students apply Sunday through Thursday nights, but not on Fridays, Saturdays, or holidays. Preferred parking is $10 in advance or $15 per car that night. About 1,500 general spaces in the amphitheatre's own lots are free.
The two weeks in between
The gap between November 21 and December 5 is when Fenton has the most going on, and it's already started. Skate the Square opens Friday, November 6, the day after this post goes up, and runs through February 7 at Fenton Square, 21 Fenton Main Street. Mondays are Cheapskates, with lower-priced tickets that include skate rental. Tuesdays are Blades and Badges, with special rates for veterans, military members, first responders, healthcare workers, teachers, and social workers.
Sports & Social becomes the Tinsel Tavern pop-up bar from November 12 to December 27. Fenton has Santa mini photo sessions on November 28 and Santa Paws pet photos on December 1 or 8.
Koka Booth has two dates to plan around in this stretch. On Thanksgiving Day, the Lantern Festival is open 6 to 9 p.m. with stage performances at 6:30 and 7:30 and no Twilight Session. It keeps the same short hours on Christmas Eve and closes Christmas Day. On Tuesday, December 1, it holds a Sensory-Friendly Night with lower-volume music, reduced attendance, no strobe or flashing lights, and a designated Quiet Area.
Downtown starts getting ready too. From November 16 to December 6, a Santa Mailbox on Academy Plaza in Downtown Cary Park takes letters to Santa.
Saturday, December 5: downtown starts everything at once
When the town finally lights its tree, it puts nearly all of its downtown traditions on the same day. The free Tree Lighting Celebration at Downtown Cary Park, 327 S. Academy St., runs all day:
| Time | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m.–12 p.m. | Cary Farmers Holiday Market | East Park Street |
| 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Photos with Santa | The Gathering House |
| 12–8 p.m. | Holiday Vendor Market | S. Academy Street |
| 2–5 p.m. | Art Cart | The Nest Pavilion |
| 2–6 p.m. | Reindeer Games | Park Street Arena |
| 2–6 p.m. | Snowball Fight Area and Face Painting | The Nest Pavilion |
| 3–5:15 p.m. | Community Performances | Great Lawn Pavilion |
| 6 p.m. | Official Tree Lighting Ceremony | Frantz Square Lawn |
Several other traditions start the same day. According to the town's November BUD newsletter, Victorian Christmas fills the 1870s Page-Walker Arts & History Center with carolers in Dickensian costumes, kids' crafts, and treats. The 15th annual Gifting Tree Project puts decorated trees along S. Academy Street and in the park through December 27, with local families, schools, and organizations competing for a donation to the nonprofit of their choice. The 16th annual Gingerbread House Competition and Stroll begins too, with houses on display at select downtown businesses through December 13. Over at Fenton, Elf plays all day on the outdoor screen beside the rink.
Getting there takes a little planning. Academy Street between Park Street and Dry Avenue closes from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The park lists the deck behind Cary Regional Library, the Charlie Gaddy Lane lot, the Town Hall Deck, and labeled street parking. It also suggests free GoCary service, which connects at Cary Depot, less than half a mile away.
If you're planning your walk around the park, The Cary Report said on October 28 that Willow Isle, the octopus pavilion in the lower pond, was still fenced off. The Skywalk was also still closed after a tree came down on its railing during the last big storm. The rest of the park was open.
If you'd like dinner downtown before the 6 p.m. ceremony, Chatham Street has more choices than it did a year ago. Lloyd's Full Service opened in late August in a restored 1950s service station at 107 E. Chatham St., WRAL reported. K38 Baja Grill, which the News & Observer reported opened in late August, is a few doors down at 147 E. Chatham St. We wrote about why that block keeps filling in earlier this fall.
After the fifth, downtown stays busy
Once December 5 has started everything, the downtown calendar stays full for the rest of the month:
- Monday, December 7: Hanukkah Menorah Lighting at Downtown Cary Park on the third night of Hanukkah, with a kids' activity, holiday music, and a sweet treat. The menorah at Cary Arts Center is lit each evening for all eight days.
- Wednesday, December 9: Fenton holds its own Menorah Lighting.
- Saturday, December 12: The 47th annual Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade runs 2 to 4 p.m. It starts on E. Chatham Street at Ward Street, heads east to S. Academy Street, and ends at Dry Avenue in front of the Cary Arts Center.
- December 18 and 22–23: Pop Up Broadway: Holiday Show plays The Cary Theater on December 18 at 7:30 p.m. Motown & Soul Christmas is at Cary Arts Center on December 22 and 23 at 7 p.m., with a 3 p.m. matinee on the 23rd.
Cary also celebrates Kwanzaa throughout December, and the town's GLOW lantern workshops run through January 9 for anyone who wants to make a lantern to carry in the Under the Silver Moon Lantern parade on January 16. This year's new workshops include floral lantern forms and rattan flowers with artist Gowri Savoor, papermaking with Ann Marie Kennedy, and an LED matrix class with Wes Swain.
Have a favorite of the three tree lightings, or a December tradition in Cary that you'd add to this calendar? I'd love to hear about it, and if you're expecting family in town this season, I'm happy to help you plan where to take them. Reach out to Jody Whitehurst Real Estate anytime. Let's talk about your next move, even if it's just from Waverly to Fenton to Downtown Cary Park.
