Kannapolis’ annual month-long holiday celebration kicks off with A Kannapolis Christmas Festival on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 2 to 9:30 p.m. in Village Park. Festival activities include craft vendors, carnival rides, live entertainment, a gingerbread house contest, inflatables, Santa, the Kannapolis Singing Bears, a holiday display contest, model trains and more.
The official Kannapolis Christmas tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. will mark the beginning of the Celebration of Lights. More than 175,000 lights illuminate Village Park from Dec. 3 to Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). For those wanting to take a train ride through the lights, the Winterland Express runs nightly from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $2 per person.
The Kannapolis Singing Bears perform each hour on the hour and an interactive model train display will be open through Dec. 19 in the Village Park community room. Kids can visit Santa in his studio from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly.
New this year, Nativity Night on Saturday, Dec. 17 brings a live nativity, petting zoo, pony rides, choir music and more to Village Park. Nativity Night begins at 4 p.m. and is sponsored by The Compass Agency. For more information on A Kannapolis Christmas events, visit the City of Kannapolis website, www.cityofkannapolis.com.
Another holiday tradition, the Kannapolis Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Cabarrus Events Association, will be held in downtown Kannapolis on Saturday, Dec. 10 beginning at 6 p.m. For more information, visit the Cabarrus Events Association website, www.cabarrusevents.org.