Local | Love Dwells Here

Jennifer December 2, 2021 Local

Christmas in Charlotte | North Carolina

While you might not think about North Carolina as being super Christmas-y, given that we rarely have a white Christmas, there is actually PLENTY to do to celebrate the holiday season. If you’re planning to celebrate Christmas in Charlotte this year, here are some of our favorite, can’t miss Charlotte Christmas events – as well as things to do nearby!

Singing Christmas Tree

The Singing Christmas Tree has been a Charlotte tradition for decades. In fact, this year marks the 68th annual performance of the Carolina Voices Singing Christmas Tree. This year, they’ll be performing at the Halton Theater on the Main Campus of Central Piedmont Community College!

Tickets range from $13-$50. The show is seventy minutes of fun and is sure to get the whole family into the Christmas spirit! And back this year, the popular Singing Christmas Tree for Kids show is offered on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. Tickets are still available for all of the shows:

Fri December 9, 2022 – 7:30PM
Sat December 10, 2022 – 11AM (Kids), 3PM, 7:30PM
Sun December 11, 2022 – 1:30PM (Kids), 4PM

Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway

If you’re looking for Christmas lights in Charlotte, then Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the perfect place! From November 18 – January 8, Charlotte Motor Speedway is transformed into an amazing drive-through light show with over four million twinkling lights, many of which are synchronized to music. On weekends (Thurs – Sun), check out the infield Christmas Village with vendor displays, fire pits, a movie theater, and visits with Santa!

Purchase tickets online and if you’re planning to visit on a Friday/Saturday night, consider upgrading to the Express Lane which allows you to bypass much of the line.

Fri November 18, 2022 – Sun January 8, 2023 – 6-10PM
Closed December 24
Tickets range from $30-40 depending on the day of the week; Express Lane is $70

WinterFest at Carowinds

Gather the whole fam for a sleigh-full of fun as Carowinds transitions into a winter wonderland at WinterFest. The park is covered in millions of lights, there’s a 70-foot Christmas tree – one of the largest in the area, and the whole park is bursting with Christmas spirit. From holiday-themed shows to deliciously festive foods, there’s something for everyone at WinterFest. Check out this post from our first visit to Carowinds WinterFest!

Select nights from Monday November 21, 2022 – Sun January 1, 2023
Tickets start at $33 – purchase ahead of time, online for the most savings
Military and passholder bring-a-friend deals are also available
2023 Carowinds Season Passes (on-sale now) include unlimited admission to WinterFest 2021

Christmas Town USA

The quaint town of McAdenville, on the outskirts of Charlotte, is known throughout the country as Christmas Town USA. Every year, the town transforms into a Christmas wonderland with homeowners covering their houses in lights. For nearly 70 years, visitors have flocked to McAdenville to drive the 1.3-mile route through the town to see the Christmas displays.

Wed December 1, 2022 – Sun December 26, 2022
530-10PM EVERY night

Holidays at the Garden

Located at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Holidays at the Garden is a beloved Christmas tradition. The garden is transformed with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights and is a magical experience. Stroll through the light displays at your own pace and while you’re there, don’t forget to grab dinner from one of the food trucks!

Wed – Sun evenings from Fri November 25, 2022 – Sat December 31, 2022 – 5-9PM (closed Christmas Eve/Day)
Purchase tickets online – limited tickets may be sold onsite depending on availability
Adults – $20; Senior 60+ – $18; Children 2-12 – $10; Members receive a 25% discount

Ice Skating at National Whitewater Center

Ice skating totally screams holiday activity and the rink at the Whitewater Center is the largest around. It covers over 24,000 sq feet and has four distinct skating areas, including two ice trails. The newest addition is the skating trail in the Upper Pond.

Ice skating is available from mid-November – mid-February
Tickets are $25; otherwise, ice skating is included in the All Access Day and Annual Passes

Christmas at the Library

Every year, the Billy Graham Library puts on an impressive holiday event. Christmas at the Library features a live nativity, story-time, carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides (additional charge), an optional Christmas dinner, and the Journey of Faith tour (that is also offered during daytime hours).

Mon November 28, 2022 – Fri December 23, 2022
Mon – Thur 5-9PM
Fri – Sat 5-10PM
Advance reservations are required and are going quickly

Kersey Valley Christmas

While it’s not technically IN Charlotte, Kersey Valley Christmas near High Point/Greensboro is TOTALLY worth the drive! We were invited to check out all of the Christmas fun they’re offering and I have a feeling this event will be an annual tradition for our family. One of my favorite aspects is that aside from photos with Santa/the Grinch, your admission ticket includes unlimited access to all of the activities!

And they have LOTS of activities to choose from!! The Kersey Valley Express Train Ride and John Deere pulled Christmas Wagon Ride both offer views of the million-plus Christmas lights on the property. But they take totally different routes so make sure to do both!!

The Kiddie Zipline and Cow Train were a hit with Ellie and the bigger kids loved the jumping pillows and the 200ft Dual Super Mega Ride*n*Slide. If you’re not visiting with littles and you skip the activities that are geared towards little ones, there’s still plenty of fun at the Kersey Valley Christmas experience!

Select nights from Fri November 25, 2022 – Fri December 23, 2022
Fri – Sat 530-10PM
Sun 530-9PM
Dec 19 – 23 530-9PM
Tickets are $35.94 (including tax + service fee) for ages 4+
Senior tickets (65+) are available for $24.67
BOGO tickets are available for military with ID at the ticket booth

What’s your favorite Christmas in Charlotte tradition? We’re always excited to check out new places (or new to us!) so leave your suggestions in the comments!

Jennifer December 10, 2018 Local

WinterFest at Carowinds

Now that Halloween is over for another year, here in North Carolina, it’s time to get ready for WinterFest at Carowinds! Every year, the park is transformed into a magical, winter wonderland covered in 5 million twinkling lights, and the transformation is breathtaking– I never thought that our local amusement park could pull off such a magical feat!

Magic at WinterFest

The night begins with the tree lighting show at 5:30pm, at the giant, 70-foot Christmas tree. A full cast of singers and dancers, as well as Snoopy and his friends, countdown to the opening of the park and then the tree lights up and the Christmas-y family fun begins!

WinterFest Rides

Even though the big roller coasters are not open during WinterFest (due to the cold temps!), many of the attractions are still open and running. Of course, we ALWAYS ride the carousel since it’s Ellie’s fave!

The swings in the County Fair area of the park are always a hit as well! It’s so much fun to go on the rides in the dark and see all of the Christmas lights throughout the park.

WinterFest Snacks

Carowinds really upped their game in the seasonal snack department last year and I cannot wait to see what they add this year!! Our kiddos LOVED decorating the giant Christmas cookies from Mrs. Claus’s Kitchen. You do have to pay extra for them but at $14 for 4 ginormous cookies and unlimited frosting/toppings, we found it to be an excellent deal!!

Plus, they have to-go boxes if you can’t finish eating your creations– they’re REALLY big! They made for a great snack throughout the night.

WinterFest Fun

The Christmas lights adorn nearly every tree in the park, as well as many of the walkways, and they do a great job getting you into the Christmas spirit! They also make a great background for your Christmas card photos!

There is a really fun petting zoo that our crew adored!! Lots of goats, plus donkeys and a camel!!

We all had a great time at WinterFest last year and cannot wait to go again this season! It is easily one of our favorite places for Christmas fun in the Charlotte area!

Things to Remember When You Visit WinterFest

WinterFest at Carowinds is a ticketed event unless you have a Gold or Platinum season pass. If you buy your Gold Season pass now, it includes unlimited visits to WinterFest in 2018, plus admission to Carowinds for ALL of 2019- such a great deal!!
Tickets start at $26+tax and vary depending on the night you’re attending. Check online for the latest deals!
This year, WinterFest kicks off on November 18 and runs Fri-Sun through December 9. Starting December 14, WinterFest runs every night through the end of the year (except December 24-25).
Lots of people dress up for Christmas-y fun at Carowinds- we either wear Christmas-y shirts or sweaters!
Check the weather because it can get REALLY cold once the sun sets!

What’s your favorite holiday event in your city??

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Jennifer November 6, 2018 Local

A Day at the Carolina Renaissance Festival

We had the opportunity to visit the Carolina Renaissance Festival for the first time last weekend and we had an amazing time! In the suburbs of Charlotte, you can be transported back in time to a place where history comes alive.

A big thanks to the Carolina Renaissance Festival for hosting us for this fun, family event. We received complimentary tickets for admission but all of my opinions are honest and my own.

Carolina Renaissance Festival Entertainment

We watched a show with a dancing PIG!! We were lucky enough to snag front row seats to watch Snorkel, along with Rick and Jan, for their sole performance of the day. Let me tell you, Snorkel the pig has some awesome stunts up his sleeve– he was wearing clothes, so I think it’s safe to say “sleeve”. The humor during the show was definitely PG-13 but the jokes went WAY over the heads of our preteens!

Have you ever seen a ToryStellar?? We saw Zilch the ToryStellar and his way with words was ridiculously awesome. Again, the humor was PG-13, but the jokes were completely missed by our under 13 crowd. They were rolling in their seats at his rendition of “Rindercella and the Stwo Tugly Epsisters”!

The kids were most excited to see the jousting since they’ve never seen it before. We got to the arena about half an hour before the show and it was already pretty full— make sure to get there early if you want a shady spot or don’t want to look into the sun! They were shocked and amazed that people actually used to joust, but they all said it looked like fun and wanted to know if they could try it sometime.

Carolina Renaissance Festival Food

The food at the Renaissance Festival was delicious and surprisingly affordable. We’re used to paying Disney prices for food and we were pleasantly surprised. The turkey leg was $9 but had a TON of cooked to perfection, tender meat.

Ellie loved her sausage on a stick, and at $4.50, it was a great value.

The treats didn’t disappoint either— the pecan nut roll covered in chocolate was my favorite.

We had a great time at the Carolina Renaissance Festival and will definitely be adding it to our annual rotation of things to do in the Charlotte area. Even though a lot of the humor in the shows was PG-13 (and some are even R though we didn’t see any of those), we still found it to be a very family friendly option.

Things to Remember When Visiting the Carolina Renaissance Festival

Check the weather! While they operate rain or shine (barring the one day that they closed this season due to hurricane remnant rain) the walkways are mostly dirt and can get muddy.
LOTS of people dress up in Renaissance garb (or to coordinate with the theme of the week- Pirate Christmas, Time Traveller, etc) so feel free to dress up in your Renaissance finest!
If you want to see jousting, get to the arena early. There are a lot of food options right outside the arena so we actually recommend getting your lunch and bringing it into the arena maybe an hour before so that you can eat while you wait for the show.
We waited in a 40-minute line to see the new Mermaids this year and were completely underwhelmed. Unless you have a die-hard mermaid fan, if the line is more than 10 minutes long, it’s not worth it at all.
Check for FREE KIDS weekends. The next two weekends are free for kids 5-12 with an adult ticket purchased at the gate- no coupon needed! And kids under 5 are always free!

Jennifer October 23, 2018 Local

Fall Fun in Charlotte

I love when there’s a crisp breeze in the air and we can finally start wearing sweaters and boots. And I REALLY love when we can turn off the a/c and enjoy having the windows open (and enjoy the lower bills, too!!). Fall is one of my absolute FAVORITE times of the year to get out and do things with the family, especially since there are so many fun events happening in the Charlotte area, or at least within a couple hour drive!

The Glow

The Glow: A Jack O’Lantern Experience is so much fun for the whole family! There are over 5000 hand-carved pumpkins on the 1/3 mile trail through the pumpkin wonderland. The event runs through October 28th and you MUST purchase tickets ahead of time. We had a fantastic time when we went to The Glow a few weeks ago!

Great Pumpkin Fest

The Great Pumpkin Fest, included with your Carowinds admission ticket, is held on weekends from September 15-October 28 and is one of the best times to be at Carowinds. From 11am-5pm, it’s a family-friendly Halloween fest and it’s fun for all ages! We always make sure to pick out a (free!) pumpkin from the pumpkin patch while we’re at the Great Pumpkin Fest.

Scarowinds

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from mid-September through the weekend before Halloween, Carowinds is transformed into Scarowinds and is a scary good time! There are monsters and zombies and frightening creatures around every corner. Unlike the Great Pumpkin Fest, Scarowinds is definitely for the older crowd and a separate ticket is required.

Renaissance Festival

At the Carolina Renaissance Festival, history comes alive and you can spend the day watching jousting knights on horseback, checking out the games and arts and crafts that abound at the festival, and feasting on giant turkey legs. The Carolina Renaissance Festival is open on weekends through November 18.

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway, running through Virginia and North Carolina, is part of the National Park Service. For 469 miles, the Parkway twists and turns through some of the most beautiful parts of the country and during the fall, you’re treated to an amazing show of color.

Glassmine Falls, at Milepost 361.2 looks spectacular when surrounded by fall color!

Apple Picking

Nothing screams fall quite like apples and there is no shortage of places to pick them within a couple of hours of Charlotte. Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is one of our favorite places to go apple picking– they have 21 different varieties to choose from so make sure to check ahead of time if you’re looking for a specific kind.

Can’t beat an apple right off the tree for a delicious afternoon snack!

Pumpkin Patch

Like apples, pumpkins are another one of those things that just scream “fall” and luckily, there are lots of options for pumpkins near Charlotte. Starting in September, every store has boxes full of pumpkins, but it’s so much more fun to go to the pumpkin patch, wander up and down the rows, and then cut your pumpkin right off the vine!

Fall is quickly wrapping up here in the Charlotte area, especially since the overnight temps have been getting closer and closer to freezing! Have you done anything for fall fun in your neck of the woods? Are you ready for winter yet??

Jennifer October 12, 2018 Local

The Glow: A Jack O’ Lantern Experience in Charlotte

The Glow: A Jack O’Lantern Experience is the newest fall activity in the Charlotte area and it’s sure to delight your family, young and old! With over 5000 hand-carved jack o’lanterns, there really is something for everyone!

A big thanks to The Glow for hosting us for this fun, family event. We received complimentary tickets for admission but all of my opinions are honest and my own.

The Glow Charlotte is the newest location (you can also find The Glow in Washington DC, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh), and some of the pumpkins pay homage to the great state of North Carolina from the sports teams…

… to the historical figures. Look at that detail– the carvings were SO cool!

By putting pumpkins together, The Glow is able to create massive displays with everything from sea life…

… to dinosaurs!! We were all amazed at the level of detail in the carvings- especially since they’re all done by hand!

Pop-culture references abound so make sure to look for your favorite couple as you travel the 1/3 mile trail through the pumpkin wonderland. It typically takes 30-45 minutes to walk the trail but you can take as long as you want to make sure that you see everything.

The girls (really, all of us!) were super impressed with the castle display full of Disney princesses and villains. I think Jacob will have his work cut out for him when he’s helping the kids carve their pumpkins this year!!

Another favorite area was the Skeleton Band– make sure to look for the pumpkins featuring a variety of performers. Our kids kept asking if the pumpkins were real and the answer is that yes, a lot of them are real (and they come from local farms!) but some are molded from real pumpkins– ALL of them are carved by hand though.

When you exit the trail, you end up in a pumpkin patch FULL of pumpkins of all sizes. The kids had so much fun going through the pumpkins to pick out their favorite to bring home (pumpkins are an additional charge).

They also have fall food and drinks available so you can get a snack, or even dinner, before or after your stroll through the pumpkin trail.

The funnel cakes looked (and smelled!) absolutely delicious and come in several varieties so make sure to check those out as well!

We really enjoyed our visit to The Glow and will definitely include it on our list of fun things to do every fall. It’s really nice to have options that are family friendly since we have a wide range of ages of kids in our house. While our older ones like doing haunted houses and mazes, our youngest obviously does not, so it’s great to have activities that we can do together as a family!

Things to Remember When You Visit The Glow

The Glow Charlotte runs from October 4-28th at the Rock City Campground at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Tickets must be purchased ahead of time for a specific date and time slot- they only allow a set number of people to enter the trail at one time so make sure to buy your ticket soon before your preferred time slot is sold out! You CANNOT buy tickets at the door!!
Bring bug spray with you.!! The Glow Charlotte is located in a field and because of all the rain from Hurricane Florence, there were a TON of mosquitos. We didn’t think to pack any bug spray and we’re paying for it now.
While The Glow is definitely stroller friendly, the bulk of the trail is on a gravel path and it’s very rocky. We brought our Maclaren umbrella stroller and really wished that we had our bigger Phil & Ted’s jogging stroller instead.
The Glow does run rain or shine so make sure to plan accordingly, especially since you are unable to change your time or date. In the event of severe weather, check their Facebook page for updates.

What’s your favorite fall activity in your area??

Jennifer October 11, 2018 Local

The Carolina Renaissance Festival

We’re excited to visit the Carolina Renaissance Festival later this season with the whole family. This post is sponsored by the Carolina Renaissance Festival.

Our kids have been asking to go to the Carolina Renaissance Festival for years and there’s no better time than now since it’s the 25th Anniversary! Plus, this year features the new Living Mermaids exhibit that I just know the girls will adore!!

The boys are especially excited to see the jousting and to get their hands on a giant turkey leg! The Carolina Renaissance Festival clearly has something for everyone and we cannot wait to visit!

Time travel to the Carolina Renaissance Festival where history comes alive with non-stop day-long entertainments, arts and crafts, games and rides, jousting knights on horseback, feasting and so much more! Each day inside the 25 acre Village of Fairhaven is filled with an abundance of attractions and entertainments for all ages. Enjoy your best day out in history 8 consecutive weekends, September 29th – November 18th. Details online at Carolina.RenFestInfo.com.

My readers get to save with your visit! FREE Child Admission! – Receive one FREE child admission for children age 5 – 12 with purchase of one full price adult ticket at Festival gate. Children under 5 are always free. Coupon is valid at the Festival ticket booth!

No matter where you live in the Carolinas, or the Southeastern US for that matter, the Carolina Renaissance Festival provides a glimpse into Renaissance life and cannot be missed.

Click here for coupon

Jennifer September 7, 2018 Local

The Great Pumpkin Fest at Carowinds

Every fall, Carowinds hosts the Great Pumpkin Fest on the weekends from mid-September through Halloween. Camp Snoopy is transformed into a fabulous, fall festival with activities for kids of all ages to participate in providing a nice contrast from the Scarowinds activities that are offered at night for the older crowd.

There is a hay bale maze, a foam zone, and a variety of games and crafts to choose from. One of our favorite spots is the cute, little pumpkin patch, full of cute, little pumpkins- every kid is able to pick out their own pumpkin to take home!

Though not actually a part of the Great Pumpkin Fest, one of our favorite things about Carowinds in the fall is the cooler weather! Our kids love that they’re able to wear long sleeves, jeans, and even jackets as the days get cooler- and waiting in lines is so much more bearable when it’s not hot and humid.

The kiddos can go trick-or-treating through Camp Snoopy- and they can even wear their costumes! Every day there are two costume parades with the Peanuts Gang in their Halloween costumes, too.

While the Great Pumpkin Fest is running in Camp Snoopy, the others areas of the park are abuzz with their usual activity.

We typically start our day at Camp Snoopy for the Halloween fun and then spend the afternoon exploring the rest of the park and going on all of the thrill rides.

And we always stop at the North Carolina – South Carolina state line for a picture on our way out of the park!

Things to Remember When You Go to the Great Pumpkin Fest

The Great Pumpkin Fest is included in your daytime admission ticket (or season pass).
In 2018, it runs on the weekends from September 15 – October 28, from 11a-5p

What’s your favorite fall activity in your city??

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Jennifer September 4, 2018 Local

Why We Get Season Passes to Carowinds

We live less than an hour away from one of the best amusement parks in the Southeast and have been season passholders for the last several years. Carowinds, originally opened in 1973, is now part of the Cedar Fair family and combines great thrill rides with family fun and a water park! Even with five kids ranging in age from 4-15, we’ve found that Carowinds has something for everyone and a season pass is the best way to experience that fun all year long.

Most Fun in the Carolinas

Carowinds is the only amusement park in the country that is actually in two states: the park sits on the North Carolina – South Carolina state line! As you walk through the park, you criss-cross back and forth over the state line and some of the rides take you over the line, too, so it truly is the most fun in the Carolinas!

Fury 325 opened in 2015 and it is the world’s tallest giga coaster (a roller coaster between 300-400 feet!) and it holds the record for the fastest non-launched roller coaster in the world. It’s the tallest and fastest ride in the park and definitely a favorite for our family! As you’re going down the 320-foot drop at 95mph, you can see the Charlotte skyline in the distance (on the right side of the horizon in this pic).

In addition to the height and speed of Fury 325, Carowinds offers more thrills with Nighthawk, one of 13 coasters in the park. Nighthawk is a flying coaster with five inversions and offers incredible views of the park.

Interestingly, the ride originated as Stealth at California’s Great America and was relocated to Carowinds in 2003– I cannot imagine how much it cost to disassemble, move, and reassemble all that track on the other side of the country!!

While it doesn’t have any inversions and isn’t the tallest or fastest coaster, the Intimidator is our family’s favorite thrill ride in the park because of all the negative-G “airtime”. The out-and-back track provides a smooth but totally thrilling 75mph ride and is a standout at the park.

In addition to thrill rides, Carowinds has a variety of rides that are more family-friendly like the classic bumper cars.

Something New and Exciting Every Year

One of our favorite things about Carowinds is that every August, they announce something new and exciting for the upcoming season. The start of the 2015 season brought Fury 325, 2016 introduced Carolina Harbor (the newly redesigned water park), the County Fair area opened in 2017, and 2018 showcased the retheming of Planet Snoopy into Camp Snoopy– along with a huge expansion!

We were at Carowinds on opening weekend for 2018 and the cold weather kept most people home so we got a chance to enjoy Camp Snoopy with minimal crowds!

Even though Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies is a fairly basic jump around ride, it was the clear favorite in our house and ALL five kids love going on it!

Beagle Scout Acres, 8000 square feet of fun, was added as part of the Camp Snoopy expansion.

Our kids LOVE this area and it’s a great place for them to run around and play– a nice break from waiting in lines. And bonus, there’s covered seating for parents!!

I love that Carowinds has a couple of kids’ coasters so that even Ellie can get in on the thrill-ride fun when we’re there!

We’re really looking forward to 2019 at Carowinds! An all-new immersive area, Blue Ridge Junction, celebrating the western part of NC, was just announced. The highlight of Blue Ridge Junction will most certainly be the new Copperhead Strike, the first double-launch coaster in the Carolinas!

The Food

We ALWAYS add the dining plan to our season passes and have found it to be a great deal for our family, especially since it includes Panda Express (one of our kids’ fave places anywhere)!

For about $90 per pass, you can eat twice a day (4 hours apart) at the parks, all season long, at a variety of locations. Panda Express and Harmony Hall are our go-to picks to please the whole family.

While it’s not included in the dining plan, the GIGANOURMOUS funnel cake from World’s Greatest Funnel Cakes (the one by the South Gate) is a great deal for a big family. For only $20, you get a funnel cake the size of a large pizza, topped with ice cream, chocolate syrup, strawberries and whipped cream- we make sure to split at least one every year!

Carolina Harbor

Though there has been a waterpark attached to Carowinds since 1982, the completely redesigned and expanded Carolina Harbor opened in 2016 and has been a staple of summer fun in the Carolinas ever since. Admission to Carolina Harbor is included with a Carowinds ticket or season pass, and season passholders get the added benefit of early entry (30minutes!) to Carolina Harbor to snag chairs as well as discounts on cabana rentals.

Just like Carowinds, Carolina Harbor has great dining options– our kids LOVE the chicken tenders from Harbor House!

With two massive wave pools, thrilling slides, and a huge kids area, Carolina Harbor has something for everyone! The lazy river even goes back and forth across the state line!

Great Pumpkin Fest

The Great Pumpkin Fest (weekends from September 15-October 28) is one of our favorite times to be at Carowinds. From 11am-5pm, it’s a family-friendly Halloween fest and it’s fun for all ages!

In addition to the rides at Camp Snoopy, the Great Pumpkin Fest has fun Halloween themed activities like hay bale mazes and a foam zone, for kids of all ages, and it’s all included in the price of admission. For more details about our experiences at the Great Pumpkin Fest, head here.

Scarowinds

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from September 14-October 28, Carowinds is transformed into Scarowinds and is full of frightening fun.

There are monsters around every turn, as well as scare zones and haunted mazes to turn your night into a horrifyingly exciting experience. Unlike the Great Pumpkin Fest, Scarowinds is most definitely a PG-13 experience so exercise caution when taking the kids. Scarowinds does require its own ticket unless you’re a Gold/Platinum season passholder.

WinterFest

New in 2017, WinterFest is the premier holiday celebration in the Carolinas, and the fun kicks off with the nightly tree lighting. Like Scarowinds, you do need to buy a separate ticket for WinterFest if you’re not a Gold/Platinum passholder.

Over 5 million lights twinkle through the park, transforming it into a magical holiday wonderland perfect for getting you into the Christmas spirit.

Although all of the rides aren’t open during Winterfest, there’s still plenty to do with holiday activities, live shows, and carolers. Our kids loved decorating the giant Christmas cookies at Mrs. Claus’s Kitchen– and at $14 for 4 giant cookies and unlimited frosting/toppings, it’s really not a bad price!

Year after year, we’ve found that Carowinds season passes are a great fit for our family. We get to have fun (and food!) throughout the year and attend all of the special events, for one low price!

Things to Remember About Carowinds Season Passes

A Carowinds Gold season pass gets you into the park every day that its open, and includes free parking, as well as unlimited visits to Scarowinds and WinterFest.
If you buy your Gold Season Pass now, you get unlimited free visits and parking for the rest of 2018 in addition to ALL of 2019! Check out the details here.
We buy our season passes in the fall and set them up on the interest-free payment plan to spread out the cost a bit– especially since we have six to buy!
For a limited-time, Carowinds is offering a free Pre-K Season Pass for kids between 3-5. You need to register online and activate at the park (and bring a birth certificate or passport to verify the age) but it’s a great deal for those with preschoolers. Kids under 3 are always free!

Do you have or would you consider getting Carowinds Season Passes?? If not, what would make a Season Pass more appealing to you??

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