The holiday season is here, and in Raleigh there are many activities to do to celebrate. If looking for something to do over the holiday break, here are a few ideas to do with friends and family. Illuminated trees, festive light displays and local art installations will delight visitors of all ages once again at the WRAL Nights of Lights drive-through event at Dorothea Dix Park. The 1.3-mile driving route features towering oak trees, open fields and rolling hills—plus views of the Raleigh skyline peaking above the trees—making it a perfect location for this holiday event. This is a ticketed experience, and purchases must be made in advance ($20 per vehicle with up to eight passengers) and tickets can be purchased online. Keely Waerness drove through the light show with her family and said, “ all the lights were so pretty and music was synced to the lights.” 

  Enjoy the thrill of ice skating in a wintry village created in the heart of downtown Raleigh! THE RINK features a natural ice skating rink with stunning views of the downtown Raleigh skyline, cozy lounging stations with heat warmers and fire pits, a snack bar, games, photo opportunities and more! This is a ticketed event, with recommendations that you purchase in advance ($6 for non-skaters, $11 includes skate rental). 

   Another family-friendly idea could be the Chinese Lantern Festival. Made up of thousands of LED lights, displays light up the skies and mesmerize visitors on this one-hour walking tour (have your cameras ready for the spectacular Chinese Dragon that sits on Symphony Lake!). Senior Roman Jankowsky visited the festival and said, “It was so cool to see the lights and all of the different patterns.” Beyond beautiful lanterns, the ticketed festival also welcomes a showcase of Chinese culture—nightly performances featuring martial arts, traditional dance, acrobatics, drum performances and more. All of these activities are fun things to do over break to celebrate the Chrstmas season.