Cary's Heart of the Holidays

9TH ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION

All day

Visit Downtown Cary as it is transformed into a walking gallery of amateur gingerbread houses. Local participants work hard to design, create, and display a gingerbread house that is yummy enough for an elf"s visit!

7TH ANNUAL GIFTING TREE PROJECT

Along S. Academy St. & Inside Downtown Park

Stroll along S. Academy Street and inside Downtown Park as it is transformed into a dazzling Christmas tree display. Local families, schools, and organizations decorate their tree in a competition to win a donation (provided by The Mayton Inn) to the nonprofit group of their choice.

LETTERS TO SANTA: SANTA"S MAILBOX

We"ve made special arrangement for Downtown Park to be a drop-off site for letters to Santa Claus! Little ones enjoy this annual tradition as we prepare for Santa"s flight over Cary. Drop off letters in the Santa Mailbox in Downtown Park before December 10 and your child will hear back from our jolly friend in red!

Include your child"s name and return address on each letter.

Christmas Tree Lighting

6pm

Welcome the holiday season with the official Christmas tree lighting for the Town of Cary. This festive night features actors, singers, and musicians from the community. We"ll also unveil the Cary Community Christmas Tree inside Town Hall. Over 125 community groups provide handcrafted ornaments to be displayed on the inside tree -- a true representation of the diversity of Cary.

List of Performers
Cary Elementary School Choir performing a Christmas medley
Hanne Hansen singing and playing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" on ukulele
Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Cary dancing to "Rockin" Around the Christmas Tree"
Davis Drive Middle School Advanced Quartet playing "Wizards in Winter" on electric string instruments
Graceful Expressions Contemporary Dance Company dancing to "Ave Maria"
Raqs al Dunya dancing to "Carol of the Bells"
Gabriela Bustamante and Duncan McSorley singing "O Holy Night"
Cary Ballet Company dancing "Polichinelles" from The Nutcracker
Zack Ledwell singing "This Christmas"
Thank you to our emcee for the evening, Steve Daniels from ABC11 Eyewitness News.

Cary Community Tree Unveiling and Reception
Join us after the show for the Unveiling and reception of the Cary Community Tree located inside Town Hall. The Cary Community Tree features over 125 ornaments donated by community groups from the past decade. This tree is a true representation of the diversity and inclusiveness of Cary. The reception will feature s"mores and hot chocolate stations.

Parking
Parking is available in the parking deck at Town Hall Campus (121 Wilkinson Ave.). Handicap accessible parking is available behind the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, with a short walk to the stage. A portion of Ambassador Loop will be closed for the Page-Walker Holiday Open House. Use Wilkinson Ave. as an alternate route to access parking options.