The City of Kannapolis will celebrate the holidays with several festivities. The season will officially kick off at Village Park with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony & Celebration of Lights at 6 p.m., Saturday, November 20. The Celebration of Lights will continue thru December 30 with new opportunities for fun including community groups performing and a holiday market. The Kannapolis Christmas Parade will be in downtown Kannapolis at 6 p.m. on December 11.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony is at 6 p.m. at Village Park, 700 West C St. Celebrate the start of the Christmas season in Kannapolis with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and the arrival of Santa Claus from the North Pole. Enjoy live music from Brass Act, a brass instrument quintet. Fireworks will follow the Tree Lighting around 6:15 p.m. Free Admission. No reservations required for the Winterland Express or carousel this evening. Tickets are $2 per person per ride.
The Celebration of Lights includes thousands and thousands of Christmas lights and holiday displays. Adults and children can take a ride on the Winterland Express and countdown the 12 Days of Christmas and take a spin on the double decker carousel. Manufactured in Italy, it features 1,800 lights, Brazilian oak decking and charming handpainted Venetian murals.
Admission to the park and viewing of the lights is free; advance reservations are required to ride the train. You may purchase tickets to ride the carousel once you arrive at the park. Tickets are $2 per person per ride.
The Celebration of Lights is open every evening, November 20 – December 30 (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) from 6-9 p.m., Sundays – Thursdays, and from 6 – 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays.
With the exception of the Tree Lighting Ceremony, you must make a reservation and pay in advance to ride the Winterland Express. Train reservations will open on Monday, November 15. The link will be posted on this page.
Reserve a row on the train for $6. A row can typically hold three children or two adults with a maximum of three people per row. If there are any unsold rows, per train ride, those will be sold each night at the Village Park ticket office on a first come basis.
Kids of all ages will be able to visit Santa every night. The park will also feature performances from our very own Kannapolis Singing Bears, who will entertain you with a Christmas Carol performance and the popular holiday model train display.
This year, visitors will also be able to shop locally and find holiday gifts at the holiday market located at Village Park. Craft vendors will be at onsite Thursday through Sunday. Various food vendors will be at the park daily.
Local community groups and musicians will perform your favorite Christmas songs at the Celebration of Lights from December 7-9 and December 14-16. If your group would like to perform, please contact Laura Wolf at lwolf@kannapolisnc.gov by November 30. Groups will perform for 45 minutes.
Tree Lighting Ceremony
6 p.m. November 20 at Village Park, 700 West C St.
Celebrate the start of the Christmas season in Kannapolis with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony and the arrival of Santa Claus from the North Pole. Enjoy live music from Brass Act, a brass instrument quintet. Fireworks will follow the Tree Lighting around 6:15 p.m. Free Admission. No reservations required for the Winterland Express or carousel this evening. Tickets are $2 per person per ride.
Celebration of Lights
November 20-December 30 (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) Open 6-9 p.m. Sundays thru Thursdays; 6-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Come to Village Park and enjoy all the beautiful lights and displays in celebration of the holidays. Visit with Santa, do a craft, enjoy smore’s around the fire pit and much more. Purchase gifts from local arts and crafts vendors at the Holiday Market. Enjoy local food truck fare. Ride the Winterland Express and Carousel. Advance reservations required for the Winterland Express beginning November 21.
Kannapolis Christmas Parade
6 p.m. December 11 in Downtown Kannapolis
This special nighttime parade travels through the streets of downtown Kannapolis and usually lasts until 7:30 p.m. If you are interested in participating in the parade as a sponsor or a float entry please click here. A limited number of professional floats are available, or you can enter your own float. Float registrations are due November 11.
Note: The Celebration of Lights may be closed due to inclement weather. Please call 704-920-4343 for up to date information.