Fenton lights its tree on Saturday, November 21. Downtown Cary lights its tree on Saturday, December 5. The two are about two weeks apart, on opposite sides of town, and each one starts a different set of plans.
That split shapes the whole season. November happens near I-40, at Fenton and at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. December happens around Academy Street and Chatham Street, and downtown's biggest days come on two Saturdays a week apart.
November belongs to Fenton
Fenton's season starts first. Skate the Square opens Friday, November 6, at Fenton Square by Paragon Theaters, 21 Fenton Main Street. It runs through February 7, 2027. Hours change by day, so check the ticket link on Fenton's Skate the Square page before you head over.
A standard ticket costs $18 plus tax and fees, and a season pass costs $90. That means the pass pays for itself on your fifth full-price skate. Discount nights push that number higher:
- Cheapskate Day: every Monday, $15 plus tax
- Blades & Badges: every Tuesday, $15 plus tax for veterans, military, police, firefighters, EMS, doctors and nurses. Buy in person with a valid ID.
- Student Discount: Sunday through Thursday, $15 plus tax. Buy in person with a valid ID.
At $15 a visit, six skates cost the same as the $90 pass, before tax and fees. A household that mostly skates on Monday or Tuesday nights breaks even at six visits in the three-month season and comes out ahead on the seventh. A household that skates on Saturdays breaks even at five.
Families with young kids have an easy first outing. Little Fentonian Skate the Square is Saturday, November 7, from 10 to 11 a.m., for children under seven and their parents. In December the rink holds three Thursday DJ nights: Après Ski on December 3, Y2K on Ice on December 10, and Holiday Hits on December 17.
For food near the rink, Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café is new this season at 1 Fenton Main Street, Suite 190. Western Wake News reported in early September that it had quietly opened. Fenton's directory also lists Brewery Bhavana, AVA Rooftop Bar and Carriage House Coffee.
November 21 is the crowded night
Fenton's tree lighting is the event that defines November. Light the Square runs Saturday, November 21, from 3 to 7 p.m. It includes a Christmas market with local vendors, a kids' area with crafts and games, holiday photo backdrops, skating on the rink, and a live stage show at 6 p.m.
The NC Chinese Lantern Festival opens at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, 8003 Regency Parkway, that same night. This is the festival's eleventh year in Cary, with all-new lantern displays and nightly cultural performances on the main stage. It runs through January 10, 2027, normally open daily from 6 to 10 p.m. and closed Christmas Day. The Town notes that holiday hours may vary.
Two of the season's biggest openings fall on one Saturday evening, both in the hours after dark. If your group wants both, Light the Square's daytime market and kids' area run from 3 p.m., so they fit before the lanterns light up at 6. Otherwise, take the pressure off. The Lantern Festival is normally open nightly for seven weeks, so a weeknight in late November or December is an easy alternative. Check holiday hours before you go. Tickets are on Booth Amphitheatre's site.
Fenton keeps going after its tree lighting:
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Santa Igloo mini-sessions with Jessie Peloso Photography, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 29: Handmade Holiday Gifts workshop at Fenton's Igloo, 2 to 5 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: Santa Paws pet photos, 5 to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 9: Fenton's annual Menorah Lighting, 5 to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 19: Triangle Pop Up's Handcrafted Holiday Market, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Downtown holds off, then packs December 5
Downtown starts quietly. The Town's decorations go up November 25 and stay through January 4, 2027. The letters-to-Santa mailbox at Downtown Cary Park's Academy Plaza takes mail from November 16 through December 6. Downtown has no big event of its own until Saturday, December 5. That day it puts a full season's worth of programming into one free day.
The Tree Lighting Celebration at Downtown Cary Park, 327 S. Academy Street, runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
| Time | Program | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. to noon | Cary Farmers Holiday Market | East Park Street |
| 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Photos with Santa | The Gathering House |
| Noon to 8 p.m. | Holiday Vendor Market | S. Academy Street |
| 2 to 5 p.m. | Art Cart | The Nest Pavilion |
| 2 to 6 p.m. | Reindeer Games | Park Street Arena |
| 2 to 6 p.m. | Snowball Fight Area and Face Painting | The Nest Pavilion |
| 3 to 5:15 p.m. | Community Performances | Great Lawn Pavilion |
| 6 p.m. | Cary's Official Tree Lighting Ceremony | Frantz Square Lawn |
Several other events start the same Saturday. Victorian Christmas runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center. The 15th annual Gifting Tree Project goes on display along S. Academy Street and inside the park through December 27, with voting through December 20. The Gingerbread House Competition stroll through downtown businesses runs December 5 through 13, and the 2026 map is due out in November.
Plan your arrival around the street closure. Academy Street is closed from Park Street to Dry Avenue from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on December 5.
That weekend also has a smaller ticket worth booking ahead. A Peter Rabbit Christmas, a site-specific Applause! Cary Youth Theatre and Seed Art Share production, plays in Downtown Cary Park on Friday, December 4, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. A second performance runs Sunday, December 6, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and go on sale November 6, the same day Fenton's rink opens.
One week later, the parade takes over Chatham Street
The 47th annual Cary Jaycees Christmas Parade steps off Saturday, December 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. It starts on E. Chatham Street at Ward Street, follows E. Chatham to S. Academy Street, turns left, and ends at Dry Avenue in front of the Cary Arts Center.
The Jaycees' parade FAQ says traffic on E. Chatham and S. Academy is limited to parade participants from 12:30 to 1 p.m. From 1 to 4 p.m., E. Chatham, S. Academy, East and West Circle Drive, East Cedar, Ward, Hunter and Dry Avenue are all closed. If you're driving in, park before 12:30 p.m.
Lloyd's Full Service at 107 E. Chatham Street sits right on the route. The restaurant opened August 19. WRAL described it as a full-service restaurant from the group behind The Durham and The Mayton, with a menu that includes linguine and clams, burgers and roasted chicken.
Downtown's quieter December dates fill in around those two Saturdays:
- Friday, Dec. 4: Santa photos, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 7: The Town's Hanukkah Menorah Lighting at the Great Lawn Pavilion, starting at 5:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 8: A sensory-friendly Santa session, 10 a.m. to noon
- Sunday, Dec. 13: Dog photos with Santa, 2 to 5 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 18: One more Santa session, 5 to 9 p.m.
- Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 22 and 23: Motown & Soul Christmas at the Cary Arts Center, at 7 p.m. on the 22nd and at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the 23rd
Picking your kickoff
Both menorah lightings, both Santa photo seasons and both holiday markets follow the same split. Fenton's version comes earlier or on a weeknight, and downtown's version is tied to December 5 or the parade. Pet owners get two chances: Santa Paws at Fenton on December 1, and dog photos downtown on December 13. If you want to celebrate Hanukkah publicly, there's the Town's lighting on Monday, December 7, and Fenton's on Wednesday, December 9.
If November weekends are open and you want skating, lanterns and a tree lighting in one stretch near I-40, November 21 is your night. If December fills up early, December 5 and December 12 give you downtown's full lineup on two Saturdays, a short walk apart. As of now, Fenton's rink is the only skating announced for the 2026 season, and its daily hours are posted on the ticket page.
We'll be in Cary for every one of these weekends, and we pay attention to how each part of town changes from month to month. If a move is on your 2027 calendar and you want to know how your home fits into that picture, Hendren Realty Group would be glad to talk it through over coffee. Request a free home consultation and valuation whenever the timing feels right.
