FanFare: Let Us Give Thanks For All This Fun
November 20, 2025
Here comes Thanksgiving and the calendar is stuffed with all sorts of great events, from marvelous musical performances to dazzling light displays. The holiday season is here, so let’s feast on some FanFare!
Tennessee Williams
University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)* is staging a production of Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo, November 20th through 23rd at the Patrons Theater (1533 S. Main Street, Winston-Salem). Set among a colony of Sicilian fisher-folk on the American Gulf Coast, this stormy drama is the story of a woman for whom love was stronger than death. November 20-23.
Ladies of Jazz
Middle C Jazz (300 S. Brevard Street, Charlotte) will host two performances by vocalist Tyra Scott on Friday, November 21st at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The Durham, North Carolina native and NCCU graduate will be interpreting the classic sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Etta James. Craft cocktails and small plates are served before each show. November 21.
Lots o’ Lights
Speedway Christmas, the Southeast’s largest drive-through holiday lights display returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway (5555 Concord Parkway South, Concord), November 21st through January 4th. You’ll see more than five million lights on a four-mile course, many of which are synchronized to music, plus drive-in Christmas movies and the Christmas Village with food, vendors, Ice Maze, and photos with Santa. November 21-January 4.
Bella Italia
The Western Piedmont Symphony* presents Masterworks: Italian Inspirations at Lenoir-Rhyne University’s P.E. Monroe Auditorium (775 6th Street NE, Hickory) on Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30 p.m. This musical journey through Italy will feature guest trumpeter Ashley Hall-Tighe and beloved works by Bach, Pärt, Sammartini, Haydn, and Mendelssohn. November 22.
Books for a Buck
You don’t have to wait until Black Friday to find some bargains. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has another book sale coming up at the West Boulevard Library (2157 West Boulevard, Charlotte) on Saturday, November 22nd from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fiction, non-fiction, young adult titles, cookbooks, children’s books, and coffee table books start at $1. Book donations are also currently accepted at all open library locations. November 22.
Crafty Christmas Shopping
The Piedmont Craftsmen are hosting their 62nd Annual Piedmont Craftsmen Fair with more than 100 artists, featuring handmade, functional, and decorative items. November 22nd and 23rd at the Benton Convention Center (301 W. 5th Street, Winston Salem). This sounds like a great opportunity to scoop up some unique holiday gifts. Passes are $11 for one day, $20 for both. Kids under 18 and K-12 educators (with valid ID) get in free. November 22-23.
Ren Fest Wrap-Up
Don’t miss the last weekend of the 2025 Carolina Renaissance Festival (16445 Poplar Tent Road, Huntersville), November 22nd and 23rd. In addition to the jousting, turkey legs, and general merriment, the “Final Huzzah” will include the Grand Fare-Thee-Well Costume Contest. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and tickets are date specific. Kids 12 and under get in free with a canned food donation for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. November 22-23.
Music at St. Alban’s
The 2025-26 Music at St. Alban’s (M@SA)* season continues Sunday, November 23rd, 3 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church (301 Caldwell Lane, Davidson). “Lagrime Mei: Songs of Lamentation, Disdain and Renewal” features Charlotte native and Grammy nominee Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano, and William Simms on theorbo. They duo will perform music of Dowland, Lanier, Rossi, and Monteverdi. Go early to catch the young pianists’ performance at 2:20 p.m. November 23.
Enchanting Echoes
The Charlotte Chamber Choir presents a soul-stirring afternoon of choral music and chant at Trinity Presbyterian Church (3115 Providence Road, Charlotte) on Sunday, November 23rd at 3:30 p.m. The program includes music by Hildegard von Bingen, Thomas Tallis, Ola Gjeilo, and Gregorio Allegri’s immortal Miserere. Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for students. November 23.
Maria Goes to Boone
What better place to watch The Sound of Music than in the mountains? The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country (559 W. King Street, Boone) is offering a 60th anniversary screening of the iconic 1965 film on Sunday, November 23rd at 2 p.m. Tickets are only $6. The hills are alive, indeed. November 23.
Improv for Grown-Ups
Davidson Community Players* are serving up some midweek madness and adult beverages at the Armour Theater (307 Armour Street, Davidson) on Tuesday, November 25th at 7:30 p.m. Charlotte-based theatrical improv team, Now Are the Foxes, take your ideas and turn them into unpredictable storylines with hilarious results. This unscripted, energetic, interactive comedy experience is recommended for adult audiences. November 25.
Pre-Turkey Parade
Before you settle in for a day of feasting and football, take your family to Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte for the annual Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade on Wednesday, November 26th. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. and will include dance groups, marching bands, fabulous floats, and even Cookies with Santa ($25). Of course, you can watch the parade for free, but VIP seating ($40) is also available. November 26.
Earning Your Pumpkin Pie
Since Thanksgiving and overeating go together like turkey and stuffing, remove some of the guilt of your gluttony by pre-burning a few calories. How? Sign up to run or walk in a local race.
The Bright Lights 5K and Fun Run takes place at Daniel Stowe Conservancy (6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont) on Wednesday, November 26 at 6 p.m. It’s also a great way to see a preview of their annual Holidays at the Garden lights display.
Then, the annual CPI Security Charlotte Turkey Trot steps off on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27 at SouthPark Mall (4400 Sharon Road, Charlotte). You can choose from the 8K (8:10 a.m.), 5K (9:10 a.m.), 1 Mile (8 a.m.), or Tot Trot events (8:30-9:30 a.m.).
Light the Knights
The Charlotte Knights’ season ended a while ago, but there’s still plenty going on at Truist Field (324 S. Mint Street, Charlotte) with their 6th Annual Light the Knights Festival, November 26th through January 4th. You can enjoy the holiday light show, the Christmas Market, snow tubing, and ice skating on the NHL-sized outdoor rink. November 26-January 4.
More Holiday Events & Festivals
- Wild Lights: Nightly snowfall, visits with Santa, and more than 60 larger-than-life handcrafted wildlife lanterns illuminating Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. November 21-January 11.
- Mooresville Fine Arts Festival: Enjoy and shop for the work of local and regional artists at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in Mooresville. Free admission. November 22.
- Christmas Open House: A special afternoon-long holiday dining and shopping event with the restaurants and merchants in Uptown Lexington, NC. November 23.
- Winter Glow at the Point: Festive holiday lights show with special events throughout the season at Truist Point Stadium in High Point. November 23-January 4.
- The Great Christmas Light Show: Drive-through display with over two million lights along two miles at North Myrtle Beach (SC) Park and Sports Complex. November 24-December 30.
- Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights: More than one million lights, shopping at the Red Barn Gift Shop, and tasty treats in S’moresville in Clemmons, NC. Through January 1.
- Founders Holiday Ice Rink: Open-air ice skating across from Fountain Park in downtown Rock Hill, SC. Through January 19.
- Winter at Whitewater: Outdoor ice skating, tree lot & winter market, and an illuminated winter trail at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte. Through mid-February.
Be sure to check the WDAV Events Calendar for new events being added all the time, and I hope you and yours have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Until next time…
FanFare is made possible in part by:
*Disclosure: UNCSA, Western Piedmont Symphony, Piedmont Craftsmen, Music at St. Alban’s, and Davidson Community Players are WDAV underwriters.
