KANNAPOLIS — The holiday season will get underway in Kannapolis on Nov. 13 with the city’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, beginning nearly seven weeks of Christmas activities that will include the Celebration of Lights, Winterland Express, Christmas Parade and performances at the Swanee Theatre.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Village Park, 700 W. C St. The event will include the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, live musical performances, the arrival of Santa Claus and a fireworks display.
The ceremony also marks the opening night of the Celebration of Lights, which will continue through Dec. 30.
The Celebration of Lights
Village Park will be illuminated with hundreds of thousands of lights in dozens of displays. The Celebration of Lights will be open from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The park will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Admission to the park and viewing the lights and entertainment are free. Tickets are required for the Winterland Express train and the Village Park Double Decker Carousel and cost $2.50 per person for each attraction.
The Winterland Express takes visitors through the park’s displays, including a trip through the 12 Days of Christmas. Train reservations will be available online for Sunday through Thursday rides, with walk-up tickets available if space allows.
On Fridays and Saturdays, as well as during the Nov. 13 Tree Lighting Ceremony, Winterland Express tickets will be sold at Village Park on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations will be available on those nights.
Tickets to events
Train tickets are scheduled to go on sale Oct. 14.
Carousel tickets will be available only at Village Park on a first-come, first-served basis. The Italian-made double-decker carousel features 1,800 lights, Brazilian oak decking and hand-painted Venetian murals. Both the trains and carousel can accommodate adults and children and are ADA accessible.
Santa Claus will arrive during the Tree Lighting Ceremony and will return to Village Park each evening during the Celebration of Lights. Families may take their own photographs with Santa at no charge.
The musical bears are back
Also returning this year is Maestro Leonard Bearstein and the Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra. The 18 animatronic bears will perform holiday music and comedy inside the Village Park Multi-Purpose Room.
The Kannapolis Singing Bears, known as the Chuckles Quartet, will perform outdoors in Village Park.
Other activities will include holiday crafts, a fire pit and s’mores. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Other holiday locations
Holiday activities will extend beyond Village Park this year.
The Swanee Theatre will host The Embers for its Christmas show on Dec. 8. The band will perform a mix of its music and holiday selections.
Sigmon Theatrical will present “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 18-20 at the Swanee Theatre. The production will incorporate music, dance, puppetry and illusions into the Charles Dickens Christmas story.
Performances are scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19 and from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 20. Tickets will be $25, with VIP tickets available for $35. The performances will include an intermission and a meet-and-greet following the show.
The Gem Theatre will continue showing first-run movies during the holiday season.
Another of the city’s largest holiday traditions, the Kannapolis Christmas Parade, will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, in downtown Kannapolis.
The nighttime parade travels through downtown and is expected to continue until approximately 7:30 p.m. Organizations and businesses interested in entering a float or becoming a parade sponsor have until Nov. 1 to submit applications.
Additional Christmas events are expected to be announced as the holiday season approaches. Information, schedules and ticket details will be available through the City of Kannapolis and Discover Kannapolis websites.
