The Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra has long been a treasured tradition in Charlotte. The 18 animatronic bear musicians could be found year after year in Uptown Charlotte’s Founders Hall, spreading holiday cheer as they performed holiday music, and engaged in spirited banter. It was a must-see event for many kids and adults.
The orchestra is lead by Maestro Leonard Bearstein, and includes three vocalists (Ella, Bubbles and Bentley), a string section, brass and woodwind musicians, and a percussion section with drummer Gene at the helm. Solos by trumpet player William “Wild Bill” and sax player Hodges are two of the high points of the show.
They haven’t performed locally since 2019. In 2020 and 2021 they didn’t play at Founders Hall, and this year they weren’t included in Bank of America’s plans for Founders Hall.
On December 2nd, 2022, the Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra announced on Facebook that they have found a new home in the Charlotte region for the 2022 holiday season. Charlotte folks will have to drive a little bit to get to it, but the drive will be well worth it, because the performances will be part of one of the best holiday attractions in the whole Charlotte area.
The Leonard Bearstein Symphony Orchestra will be performing nightly at Kannapolis’ Celebration of Lights and Winterland Express, which takes place at Village Park, 700 W C Street, Kannapolis. Village park is 27 miles from Charlotte.
Kannapolis did what Charlotte couldn’t do. It brought back the bears.
Check out our huge day-by-day list of holiday events in the Charlotte area! We update it every day!
Celebration of Lights is free to attend. The display boasts more than 250,000 lights. Walk through the park and see if you can spot all “12 Days of Christmas!” In addition, go for a ride on the Winterland Express train or the carousel. Rides are $2 each.
The hours for Celebration of Lights are Sunday to Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m., every night through December 30th, 2022, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The bears will perform at the top of the hour, every hour, with a 15-minute intermission in between sets. They will be in the Village Park Multi-Purpose Room at Village Park, where there is plenty of indoor seating.
You might have seen a different ensemble from the Orchestra, the Chuckles Quartet, at Kannapolis’ Celebrations of Lights. The quartet, consisting of Maestro Bearstein’s nieces and nephews, will continue to perform every night as well, in a separate location at the Celebration of Lights.
So now, Kannapolis’ Celebration of Lights actually will have two animatronic bear musical groups performing every night. How many cities can make that claim?
Make sure to check out the rest of Kannapolis’ revitalized downtown while you’re there!
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Check out our huge day-by-day list of holiday events in the Charlotte area or see a few here.
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