Cary's Holiday Season Starts at Its Shopping Centers, Three Weeks Before Downtown Lights Its Tree
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
The Town of Cary's Tree Lighting Celebration at Downtown Cary Park is set for Saturday, December 5. Three other Cary trees will be lit by then. Parkside Town Commons lights its tree on November 14, Waverly Place on November 20, and Fenton on November 21, the same night the NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens at Koka Booth Amphitheatre.
The shopping centers hold their lightings between November 14 and November 21, each on a different night. Downtown then fits most of the Town's holiday programming into a ten-day stretch in early December. Here's how the season runs this year, in order.
| Date | Where | What | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Parkside Town Commons | Sparkle Night tree lighting, free | 4 to 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Waverly Place | Waverly Tree Lighting | 5 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Fenton | Light the Square | 3 to 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Koka Booth Amphitheatre | NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens | 6 to 10 p.m. nightly |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Downtown Cary Park | Tree Lighting Celebration | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
Sparkle Night at Parkside Town Commons, 7119 O'Kelly Chapel Road, kicks off the shopping-center season on Saturday, November 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. It's free. The center lists the lighting of its Christmas tree, Santa, face painting, games and prizes, trackless train rides, a "snow" effect and music. If the weather doesn't cooperate, the rain date is Sunday, November 15.
Parkside also has a large new restaurant this season. Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants set November 9 as the opening date for its Cary location at 1131 Parkside Main Street. FSR Magazine reported that it's the chain's first restaurant in the Triangle and its second in North Carolina, after Greensboro. The details matter if you're booking for December. The restaurant has 330 seats, a covered, heated patio with 68 seats and two private dining rooms that together seat up to 48 guests. FSR also reported that the design takes its cue from Cary's railway roots and Victorian character, and that the tasting room is styled like a residential library.
Waverly Place comes six days after Parkside. Its tree lighting runs Friday, November 20, from 5 to 9 p.m. The center's calendar also lists The GRL Market on Saturday, November 14, and Saturday, December 5, both from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Two of the season's biggest openings fall on the same Saturday.
At Fenton, Light the Square runs from 3 to 7 p.m. on November 21. It includes a Christmas Market, photo spots, a kids' area, ice skating and a live stage show starting at 6 p.m. Fenton's holiday guide says the night ends with a community countdown to light the tree in Fenton Square, and that its Makers Market of handcrafted gifts from Triangle artisans also sets up that day.
That same evening, the NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens at Koka Booth Amphitheatre for its eleventh year. It runs through January 10, 2027, open daily from 6 to 10 p.m. and closed Christmas Day. ABC11 reported in August that Chinese artisans were building all-new displays from hundreds of pieces and thousands of LED lights, and that cultural performances run nightly on the main stage.
The festival runs for seven weeks, so opening night is optional. A few details from Koka Booth help you choose a night:
Children 2 and under get in free. Groups of 20 or more get special pricing Sunday through Thursday.
Fenton's season started before its tree lighting and runs well past New Year's. Skate the Square, its outdoor rink, runs from November 6, 2026, through February 7, 2027. Hours vary by day, so Fenton points skaters to its ticket calendar. According to Fenton's holiday guide, the rink holds Little Fentonians family time every Saturday at 10 a.m., lower-priced Cheapskates tickets with skate rental on Mondays, and Blades and Badges every Tuesday with special rates for veterans, military members, first responders, healthcare workers, teachers and social workers. Thursday DJ nights on the ice include Après Ski on December 3, Y2K on Ice on December 10 and Holiday Hits on December 17.
Here's what else Fenton has on the calendar:
The Elf screening falls on December 5, the same day as the Town's tree lighting, so Fenton and downtown overlap that day.
The Town's Heart of the Holidays calendar starts quietly. The Letters to Santa mailbox at Downtown Cary Park is open from November 16 through December 6. Most of the in-person events then fall between Friday, December 4, and Sunday, December 13.
The biggest day is Saturday, December 5. According to the Downtown Cary Park schedule, the Cary Farmers Holiday Market runs from 9 a.m. to noon, Photos with Santa from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Holiday Vendor Market from noon to 8 p.m. Reindeer Games, a Snowball Fight Area and a Holiday Photo Backdrop each run from 2 to 6 p.m. The same afternoon, Victorian Christmas at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center runs from 2 to 5 p.m., with carolers in Dickensian costume, a kids' craft, cookies and cider in the 1870s hotel building. The Town's Gifting Tree Project runs December 5 through 20, and the Gingerbread Competition runs December 5 through 13.
Here's the rest of downtown's ten days:
After the ten days, Santa returns to the park on December 18 for another round of photos.
Downtown and Fenton each hold a menorah lighting, two days apart: Monday, December 7, at Downtown Cary Park and Wednesday, December 9, at Fenton. Dog owners also get two chances, with Santa Paws at Fenton on December 8 and Paws with Claus downtown on December 13.
Bar O Bar, a South Indian restaurant from Sama Hospitality, is scheduled to open in December at 2301 Corley Road. The News & Observer reported that the restaurant group behind Morrisville's Fusion Nine is opening it, and that Chef Vikash Vumudi, who trained in Michelin-recognized kitchens, leads the kitchen. The paper reported that the opening menu includes Donne biryani and Ghee & Gunpowder, with cocktails inspired by Indian desserts. The name comes from "barobar," a word meaning "perfect" in several Indian languages.
Between Cooper's Hawk at Parkside in November and Bar O Bar on Corley Road in December, Cary will have two new places to book for holiday dinners this season.
If the holidays are also when you start thinking about a move in 2027, whether to a different part of Cary or across the Triangle, SB Real Estate can walk you through the parts of town where these traditions happen, from Parkside to Fenton and downtown. When you're ready, Schedule a Personal Consultation and we'll start with the part of Cary you already know best.
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