The nearby City of Kannapolis, North Carolina, always goes above and beyond in its holiday festivities, and 2026 will be no exception. Read on to learn about the Tree Lighting, the Celebration of Lights, and the Christmas parade.
Jump to the section about the parade.
Downtown Kannapolis has undergone an incredible revitalization. Learn about all the fun things to do in Downtown Kannapolis!
Tree Lighting Ceremony
The annual tree lighting ceremony will take place on Friday, Novemer 13, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., at Village Park, 700 West C Street, Kannapolis. Enjoy live music and entertainment, kids’ activities and even fireworks. This is the first night of the Celebration of Lights. Free admission.
Kannapolis Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express
Kannapolis’ Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express returns for 2026, at Village Park, 700 West C Street.
It will take place November 13 through December 30, 2026, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Hours are:
- Sunday through Thursday: 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
This attraction features over 250,000 lights. Admission to the park and viewing the lights is again FREE. Walk through the park and see if you can spot all “12 Days of Christmas!”
Rides on the Winterland Express and carousel rides are $2.50 each. The Winterland Express is Village Park’s g-24 scale replica CP Huntington engine, decked out for the holidays. You can find a link to purchase them here starting October 14, 2026. You can also walk up and buy tickets, if available.
The Village Park Carousel, which was manufactured in Italy, features 1,800 lights, Brazilian oak decking, and handpainted Venetian murals. Tickets are $2.50.
Again, this year, kids of all ages will be able to visit Santa in his studio each night. There’s no charge for the Santa visits.
Leonard Bearstein and his animatronic orchestra will be performing nightly again.
Make s’mores around the fire pit, do a craft, and enjoy performances.
Kannapolis Christmas Parade
The Kannapolis Christmas Parade takes place December 12, 2026. It starts at 6 p.m. and will end around 7:30 p.m.
The parade will begin at the intersection of Main Street and Laureate Way at the parking deck of the North Carolina Research Campus, travel down Laureate Way past Kannapolis City Hall & Police Headquarters, turning on West Avenue at the Gem Theatre and traveling down West Avenue ending at the intersection of Vance Street and West Avenue.
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More Holiday Events
Check out our comprehensive day-by-day list of holiday events in the Charlotte area.
Veronica Clarke says
would love to know would free things is for 5year old ty.