Winston-Salem Jaycees Holiday Parade

Start your Holiday season off at the WS Jaycees Parade! Parade route begins on 4th St. and takes a right on Liberty St.

City Tree Lighting Celebration

When the parade is over, come down to Corpening Plaza to watch the tree get lit!

Tuba Christmas

Celebrating 48 years, Tuba Christmas will be in the city among 300 other cities throughout the country. Come listen to a FREE hour of your favorite Christmas carols performed by dozens of tuba players.

Holiday Gallery Hop

DADA invites you to "Look Forward, Travel Back" with the Gallery Hop and Historic Bethabra. Triad Trollies will pick up arts and historyy lovers in front of Studio 7. Trade St. will host a performance from the Bethabra Moravian Band. Annual Holiday decoration contest, luminaries, & hop & shop holiday sales throughout the Arts District.

Twin City Santa - 18th Annual Toy Drive & Semi-Formal

Hosted by the Twin City Santa nonprofit group, this semiformal holiday party brings hundreds of young professionals together for a good time and a good cause. Live music, hors d’ouerves, and complimentary beer/wine with ticket purchase and toy donation.

The WS Symphony Presents Handel's Messiah

This powerful and moving production has quickly become one of Winston-Salem’s most anticipated holiday concerts.

Bunker Dogs Holiday Improv Show

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays: Holiday Exhibition and Art Sale

Now Through December 31st, Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County will host a Holiday Exhibit and Art Sale in the Main Gallery at Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts. This exhibit and art sale will feature artists of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and encourage patrons to shop and support local artists during the holiday season. Guests are sure to experience a mix of media including art on canvas, handmade jewelry and accessories, leather goods, woodworking crafts, fiber arts, and more. A special sip and shop reception will be held on Thursday, December 9, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm with featured exhibition artists.

Sawtooth Artists Market

Nothing sparks holiday magic like the sight of hand-made ornaments, sparkling jewelry, and beautiful textiles. From 4 to 8 pm Dec. 3, and 10 am-4 pm Dec. 4, artists will be demonstrating and selling their work in the studios and galleries. This new holiday gift-giving and fundraising event will include work for sale by more than 30 Sawtooth artists. All attendees must where masks and observe social distancing. All staff, volunteers, and guests will be required to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR lab test taken within 72 hours of the event. Admission is free with a donation of any amount at the door.

Hip Hop Holiday Screening at a/perture

Admission to the screening is free with a donation of a non-perishable food item. Items will be given to the Food Pantry at The Shalom Project. a/perture is excited to host the screenwriter, Cas Sigers Beedles of Hip Hop Holiday for a special Q&A following the film.

Twas the Chaos Before Christmas Screening at a/perture

Admission to the screening is free with a donation of a non-perishable food item. Items will be given to the Food Pantry at The Shalom Project. a/perture is excited to host the screenwriter of Twas the Chaos Before Christmas, Cas Sigers Beedles, for a special introduction to the film.

Artfolios Holiday Bazaar

This is a a pop-up event from 1:00-4pm at Current. Shop the collections of 18 artists while enjoying performances by local vocalists: Luscinda Dickey (1:15pm), Tara Flury (2:15pm), and Kira Arrington (3:15pm). Drinks from Moji Coffee + More and desserts from Salem Kitchen.

The Nutcracker Presented By UNC School of the Arts

“The Nutcracker” returns to live performance at the Stevens Center. Join us to experience the lush score, vivid staging and extraordinary performances that have made our UNCSA production a beloved holiday tradition. Dance faculty member Ilya Kozadayev will choreograph the 2021 production. Guest Conductor Jiannan Cheng, who is on the faculty of Rowan University, will lead the UNCSA Nutcracker Orchestra. Orchestra seating only. All patrons and performers are required to wear a mask while indoors. If you'd prefer to see the production from the comfort of your own living room, purchase one ticket for your household for $75 to gain exclusive access to the “Nutcracker On-Demand Experience” through the UNCSA Events App. The experience includes exclusive on-demand access to a filmed version of the 2021 production beginning Mon. Dec. 20, 2021, along with fun games, trivia and more.

Elf the Musical

In this heart-warming musical, Santa narrates the story of Buddy, an apparently oversized elf who has been raised in the North Pole. Elf is a modern day holiday classic that aims to spread Christmas cheer for all to hear!

Christmas for the City

This one-of-a-kind celebration unites the local arts community, businesses, nonprofits, and churches for a free holiday party. Highlights include live entertainment, art displays, kids’ activities, toy workshop, a visit from Santa, and more.

Salem Saturdays at Christmas

Salem Saturdays will be on November 27th, December 4th, December 11th, and December 18th, from 10AM to 2PM. On those days, interpreters at Miksch House will be demonstrating how to paint and display illuminated manuscripts; Christmas Cakes flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves will be baked. At Boys School, visitors will learn about the history of the Moravian Star, as well as how to decorate a Pyramid or build a Putz, while enjoying Music of the Season performed by guest musicians. At the Pottery, the potters will be demonstrating the making of chocolate cups on the potters wheel and the making of children’s toys using molds, and the visitors will learn about the symbolism in pottery as well as the traditions of the Lovefeast service by examining love feast mugs made by the potters. Throughout the beautifully decorated historic district, live music and carriage rides will also be offered on Salem Saturdays. While you enjoy the simple, yet meaningful Christmas traditions as found in 18th and 19th century Salem, North Carolina, don’t forget to shop at Old Salem’s Christmas Market at the E.A. Vogler building, and taste the Christmas season at Winkler Bakery

Candle Tea on Salem Square

The Candle Tea of Home Moravian Church this year allows you to stroll through Salem Square to view, hear, smell, and taste the wonders of the Advent season. This will include sugar cake and coffee, Moravian stars, beeswax candles, and Christingles for sale. Listen to carols with the Moravian band and learn about Advent traditions. The making of the beeswax candles will also be demonstrated with the molds used by Home Moravian church members as they make all the candles used for Christmas LoveFeast celebrations.