Holiday lights and Christmas events in Durham 2026

Last checked Nov. 3, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates come from the organizers, the Downtown Durham calendar and Discover Durham’s holiday events guide. Where a 2026 date is not out yet, we say which year a date is from.

Durham’s biggest light display is inside the downtown ballpark, which turns into FestiBull of Lights from the week before Thanksgiving to Jan. 2. Around it sit the American Tobacco Campus tower lighting, holiday shows at DPAC and the Carolina Theatre, and an evening with Santa for dogs. The Durham Holiday Parade and the CCB Plaza tree lighting are on their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Updated Oct. 25: the downtown tree lighting is 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at CCB Plaza; the Durham German Market is confirmed for Dec. 5; FestiBull of Lights dates and prices rechecked.

Updated Nov. 3: the American Tobacco Campus tower lighting is 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2. Holidays in the Park still lists no 2026 dates.

Who to call

• FestiBull of Lights tickets: Durham Bulls box office, 919-687-6500
• Durham Parks and Recreation (Santa Paws, parade): 919-560-4355; weather line 919-560-4636, then 8
• Museum of Life and Science: 919-220-5429
• Emergency: 911

FestiBull of Lights

Nov. 19, 2026, to Jan. 2, 2027, 5:30 to 9 p.m. nightly, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell St. It is closed Nov. 26, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 25. Thousands of lights are synchronized to holiday music, and the ticket covers Christmas Tree Alley, a Jingle Bell dance floor, photos with Santa, a holiday craft zone, a scavenger hunt, letters to Santa and fire pits, according to the event page.

• Tickets: $12 a person in advance, $13 on the day, for everyone 3 and up. Buy online or at the Bulls box office, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 919-687-6500.
• Train: the NC by Train Holiday Express circles the field; it is a $5 add-on and seats are limited each night.
• Last entry is 8:30 p.m.

Lights and tree lightings

• American Tobacco Campus tower lighting, 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, on the campus lawn, 318 Blackwell St. The Lucky Strike tower is lit in step with the WRAL tower in Raleigh and the Rocky Mount Mills tower, with a live segment on WRAL. Jeanne Jolly and The Mistletoes play the Tower Stage at 6 p.m. and Fust at 7:15 p.m., with family activities all evening. It is free, according to the campus event page; parking and the full schedule are on our ATC Tower Lighting page.
• Holidays in the Park, Museum of Life and Science, 433 W. Murray Ave. In 2025 the museum ran lights, shimmering paths and train rides on select nights beginning Nov. 30. Its Holidays in the Park page describes “evenings in December,” with timed entry at $18 or $21 with the train ride. It still gave no 2026 dates on Nov. 3; children 2 and under are free.
• Downtown tree lighting: 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at CCB Plaza, 201 Corcoran St., with music, dancing, Santa, treats and a kid zone, according to the Downtown Durham calendar. More on our parade and tree lighting page.
• Durham German Market, 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Durham Central Park, 501 Foster St.: “thousands of lights,” more than 100 artisan vendors, German food and mulled wine. See our Durham German Market page.
• Christmas by Candlelight at Duke Homestead, 2828 Duke Homestead Road: candlelit tours of the Duke family farm as it might have looked at Christmas in 1870. The 2026 dates were not posted on Nov. 3; 2025’s ran Dec. 5 and 12. See our Christmas by Candlelight page.
• Mangum Family Christmas Lights, a free drive-in light show set to music on 90.3 FM, ran through New Year’s Eve in 2025, according to Discover Durham; the family posts updates on its Facebook page.

Santa visits

• Santa Paws, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at the Durham Armory, 212 Foster St. Durham Parks and Recreation’s evening for dogs: photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, an ugly sweater contest, a holiday pet market and a canine food and toy drive.
• FestiBull of Lights includes photos with Santa and Wool E. Claus in the ticket price.
• The Black Santa Experience from Santas Just Like Me has booked visits at the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St., in past seasons; check its booking page for 2026 dates.
• The Streets at Southpoint lists its Santa set on Where Is Santa; 2026 hours were not posted on Oct. 12.

Holiday shows

Dates are from the Downtown Durham calendar and Discover Durham, rechecked against the DPAC and Carolina Theatre event pages Oct. 27 and the American Tobacco Campus calendar Nov. 3. Times, ages and parking for all four Nutcrackers are on our Nutcracker in Durham page. Buy tickets from the theater’s own box office.

Holiday markets and parties

• Durham German Market, 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Durham Central Park.
• Senior Holiday Party, Saturday, Dec. 5, from Durham Parks and Recreation’s special events list.
• Holiday at the Lodge, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at Spruce Pine Lodge, 2235 Bahama Road.
• Durham Craft Market Holiday Market, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, under the Durham Central Park pavilion.

The full market list is on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, Dec. 4. No public menorah lighting in Durham had been announced when we checked. Congregations and community groups planning one can send the details through our contact page and we will add them.

What this means for you

• The free tower lighting on Wednesday, Dec. 2, starts at 5 p.m.; the music begins at 6.
• FestiBull of Lights sells a limited number of tickets each night; December weekends go first. The $3 flex add-on lets you move your night if the weather turns.
• The Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 12, closes downtown streets in the morning; see road construction and closures.
• For New Year’s Eve plans, see our New Year’s Eve page.

Frequently asked questions

When is FestiBull of Lights 2026?

Nov. 19, 2026, to Jan. 2, 2027, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. nightly at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, closed Nov. 26, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Dec. 25. Last entry is 8:30 p.m.

How much is FestiBull of Lights?

The Durham Bulls list tickets at $12 a person in advance and $13 on the day, for everyone 3 and up. The holiday train is a $5 add-on.

When is the Durham Christmas parade 2026?

The Durham Holiday Parade is at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, on Main Street downtown. Our Christmas parade and tree lighting page has the details.

When is the American Tobacco Campus tower lighting?

5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2026, on the American Tobacco Campus lawn, 318 Blackwell St. It is free, with Jeanne Jolly and The Mistletoes at 6 p.m. and Fust at 7:15 p.m., according to the campus events page.

When is Santa Paws in Durham?

Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the Durham Armory, 212 Foster St., run by Durham Parks and Recreation.