Kids, Cookies and Candy Canes – Thursday 10:30am-12pm – Celebrate the holiday for children of all ages and bring the family to the Carrboro Century Center for cookies, crafts and a children’s show.
Weathervane’s Holiday Tea – Thursday, 3pm – Finger sandwiches, scones and decorative desserts abound at this festive afternoon event. $16-$29.
China Philharmonic Orchestra – Thursday, 7:30pm – Head to Memorial Hall and enjoy the beautiful symphonic music! Chen Yi’s Four Spirits, commissioned by Carolina Performing Arts for UNC Assistant Professor of Music Clara Yang, will be performed by one of the largest and best-known orchestras in Asia.
The May Queen – Thursday-Sunday, 7:30pm – Check out this new tragicomedy presented by PlayMakers Repertory Company.
Salute to Community Heroes presented by AT&T – Thursday, 6pm – Honor our first responders and citizen volunteers at this annual event, free and open to the public at University Place. Refreshments provided by Chick-Fil-A University Place and event includes a sing-a-long with the UNC Loreleis!
Gingerbread Village Display – Friday-Sunday, 9am-9pm – Contestants from Chapel Hill and surrounding areas will showcase their creativity and imagination with their edible masterpieces this holiday season in Carolina Inn. Competition is open to amateur and professional bakers alike, with separate categories for youth and adults.
Opening Reception At Frank – Friday, 6-9pm – FRANK Gallery at East Franklin Street holds an opening reception for “Natural Forces” and “Planting Hope”. It will also presents an opening for St.Nick Collection Kick-off, a program collaborated by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and FRANK Gallery to provide art supplies to patients and their caregivers in the N.C. Cancer Hospital.
“The Carolina Table” Reading – Friday, 6-7pm – Come hungry to Orange County Public Library for some delicious North Carolina food writing by Randall Kenan, Jill McCorkle, Nancie McDermott and more!
Stacy Lynn Waddell Artist Talk – Friday, 6pm – Celebrate 2nd Friday ArtWalk at Ackland Art Museum to discuss Waddell’s newly-installed, site-specific mural “Please Don’t Shoot Me.”
Chatham Artists Guild 24th Annual Studio Tour – Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday, 12-5pm – Visit the studios of 53 outstanding artists during one of the oldest studio tours in the state.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Holiday Parade – Saturday, 10am – Take part in this annual parade showcasing the rich diversity in our community. It will begin in front of the Morehead Planetarium, continue down Franklin Street and make its way to Carrboro Town Hall. Free.
Hometown Holiday Celebration – Saturday, 11am-2pm – Join Orange County Historical Museum for an afternoon of stories and crafting to celebrate Kwanzaa, Chanukah and Diwali.
Historic Hillsborough Tour – Saturday, 1-7pm – Want to explore historic Hillsborough’s neighborhoods? Meet at Town Hall Campus in downtown Hillsborough and take a miniature train ride through Hillsborough, which stops along the way to enjoy decorated yards & porches, live entertainment and a visit with Santa himself!
Sour Barn Bash – Saturday 2-6pm – Many of the best brewers of sour and funky beer in NC and beyond will gather in Rock Quarry Farm in Chapel Hill for a premier tasting event.
Lee Camp – Saturday, 7pm – The “Redacted Tonight” writer and host will be performing standup at DSI Comedy Theater for one night only this weekend.
Southern Culture on the Skids – Saturday, 9pm – Get out of the house this holiday season and over to Cat’s Cradle for this area rock ‘n’ roll favorite. $13-$15
The Carolina Inn’s Breakfast with Santa – Sunday; breakfast: 8:30-10:30am, brunch: 10:30-12:30 – Dine with Santa while enjoying entertainment by magicians and face painters. Also check out the holiday teas and other Twelve Days of Christmas festivities at the inn this season. Breakfast $30, brunch $40;
Winter Beer Release – Sunday, 12-10pm – Mystery Brewing will unveil its winter lineup of locally crafted sips at its Hillsborough location.
Decorate Your Own Gingerbread House – Sunday, 4pm – The Root Cellar invites kids of all ages to get creative with candy canes and icing. Supplies, decorations, hot cocoa and cookies included. Tickets: $25.
“Naughty and Nice – An Evening of Songs and Stories” – Sunday, 5pm – Authors Lee Smith and Jill McCorkle join forces with singer-songwriters Marshall Chapman and Matraca Berg for this wonderful revue of songs and stories at Leland Little Auctions in support of Burwell School Historic Site. Tickets: $75.
