2017 DTR Holiday Happenings

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and we officially kick off the holiday season, we thought we would put together a list of holiday happenings in downtown Raleigh.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, lace up those running shoes, get all decked out in your favorite holiday costume and come on out to the Jingle Bell Run 5K hosted by the Arthritis Foundation of North Carolina. The run starts at 9 a.m. at Saint Mary's School on Hillsborough St. For more information, click here.

Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration

On Saturday, Dec. 2 from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., the Downtown Raleigh Alliance in partnership with the City of Raleigh will host the Downtown Raleigh Tree Lighting Celebration to kickoff the winter season. You can expect a giant inflatable slide, Gingerbread House competition, Santa himself and of course the Mayor's Official Tree Lighting ceremony. For more information, click here.

On Sunday, Dec. 3, Purr Cup Cafe is hosting a Pop-Up Holiday Cat Market at Raleigh Provisions from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. This event will raise money towards the start up costs for the first ever cat cafe coming to downtown Raleigh, Purr Cup Cafe. For more information, click here.

Related Story: Raleigh couple plans to bring first cat café to town

On Wednesday, Dec. 6, Woody's at City Market will host the 7th Annual Toys for Tots. For the beer drinker out there, Woody's will be tapping 7 rare specialty beers for this event and everyone who brings a new, unwrapped toy or donates money to Toys for Tots will be entered into a raffle. For more information, check Woody's Facebook even here.

On Thursday, Dec. 7, Seaboard Wine & Tasting Bar will host its 21st Annual Champagne & Sparkling Wine Tasting from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. There will be Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world to sample. Space is limited and reservations are required. Tickets are $39 per person and must be prepaid. For more information, check out the Facebook event here.

N.C. Executive Mansion Open House

From Wednesday, Dec. 6 through Saturday, Dec. 9, the N.C. Executive Mansion will host its annual Holiday Open House. Guests will be able to tour the home and enjoy seasonal music by local entertainers. Admission is free. Click here for more details.

Related Story: Executive Mansion Holiday Open House

Holiday Lantern Tour at the Mordecai House

On Saturday, Dec. 9 from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. the Mordecai House will be host to the annual Holiday Lantern Tours and take guests back in time to how the holidays would have been celebrated in years past. Tickets are $5.

Related Story: Raleigh's Mordecai House celebrates with open house for the holidays

Saturday, Dec. 9 and Sunday, Dec. 10 come on out to enjoy the 46th Annual Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour. The hours are from 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. The homes in Historic Oakwood date back from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. This event affords you the opportunity to tour the interior of some of these homes. There will be about a dozen homeowners who will open their doors to visitors. For more information, click here.

Friday, Dec. 22 Oak & Dagger will host its Yule Ball Holiday Soiree starting at 6 p.m. Featuring new beer releases, special holiday buffet, full bar with holiday themed cocktails as well as live music. Tickets are $30. Click here for more information.

Now through Saturday, Dec. 30 is the Adults Only Downtown Holiday Lights Tour! For $37 per person, yourticket includes two-hour adults-only tour aboard the Great Raleigh Trolley, the sights and sounds of DTR light displays, complimentary Absolut seasonal shooter at Isaac Hunter's and priority entrance into the best dance club in Raleigh!

The tour begins at Paddy O'Beers Bottle Shop and ends at Coglin's Raleigh at 1 am. This is a 21 and over tour. For more information, click here.

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Upcoming holiday events at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical runs until Dec. 24 at Fletcher Opera Theater

Theatre In the Park: A Christmas Carol runs from Dec. 6 - 10. Celebrating its 43rd Anniversary, this is Ira David Wood III's musical comedy and take on this classic. This is a highly recommended must-see at least once. For ticket information, click here.

The Raleigh Ringers will perform on Dec. 9-10. Photo c/o Raleigh Ringers.

Raleigh Ringers 2017 Holiday Concert Dec. 9 - 10. If you've never had the pleasure of attending a Raleigh Ringers concert, this is another must-do that we recommend. The Raleigh Ringers are an internationally acclaimed handbell choir founded in 1990. To learn more about the Raleigh Ringers, click here.  

Joy of the Season - NC Master Chorale concert will be on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. This holiday concert features 170-voice Chorale and the NCMC Chamber Choir joined by brass choir featuring selections such as "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," "Gloria," "Here We Come A-Wassailing," "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and many more to warm your heart to the season. To learn more about the NC Master Chorale, click here.  For ticket information, click here.

Nutcracker - Carolina Ballet takes place Dec. 15-24. This holiday tradition is perfect for the whole family. For more information on this performance as well as the Carolina Ballet, click here.