Let NC By Train take you home for the holidays and to your favorite seasonal events. Skip the traffic and parking, relax, and enjoy a comfortable ride to family gatherings, festive lights and holiday celebrations.
With 10 daily trips between Charlotte and Raleigh, seven stops in between and service beyond North Carolina to the Northeast, holiday travel has never been easier.
Purchase tickets and discover holiday adventures by train.
Coming Soon: Santa Train!
Celebrate the holidays aboard NC By Train’s Santa Train! This year, the one-day-only tradition travels from Raleigh to Charlotte and back, bringing Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, refreshments and festive fun to passengers along the entire route. Hop on to see Santa, plan a stop along the way for more holiday adventures, then ride ho-ho-home in comfort.
November
NC By Train makes seasonal travel easy. Students save 15% every day, and groups can save even more with Share Fares, making it affordable to travel together. Leave the driving to us and spend more time making holiday memories.
Head to Kannapolis for Village Park’s Celebration of Lights. Stroll among the holiday displays, enjoy the singing bears and take a ride on the Winterland Express or illuminated carousel. The season kicks off with the city’s tree lighting, making Kannapolis a festive stop along the NC By Train route.
Travel to Greensboro for a holiday evening at the Greensboro Science Center. Winter Wonderlights combines more than a million lights, handcrafted lanterns and a glowing, walk-through tunnel experience. A new holiday laser show and Merry Mermaid storytelling add to the 2026 festivities.
Celebrate the season at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park as FestiBull of Lights transforms the ballpark into a dazzling winter wonderland. Stroll through spectacular holiday light displays, visit Santa, ride the NC By Train Holiday Express around the field and enjoy one of the Triangle's favorite holiday traditions.
Kick off the holiday season at the Raleigh Christmas Parade! Marching bands, dancers, giant balloons and festive floats fill downtown with music, color and holiday cheer along a roughly 1.4-mile route through the heart of the city.
Celebrate the season in downtown Burlington with school bands, dance performances, community groups and Santa. The annual Burlington Christmas Parade offers a festive reason to visit the city’s downtown shops and gathering places, with the Burlington train station providing a convenient starting point for your outing.
Experience one of North Carolina's most beloved holiday traditions with a ride to Cary for the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival at Koka Booth Amphitheatre. More than 40 handcrafted lantern displays, cultural performances and interactive exhibits create an unforgettable evening for visitors of all ages. Let the journey be part of the magic and travel by train.
Take NC By Train to High Point for an afternoon of marching bands, decorated floats, dancers and Santa. The High Point Holiday Festival Parade follows Main Street through downtown, continuing a local tradition that dates to 1925. Pair the parade with time to explore downtown before catching your train home.
Begin Thanksgiving weekend with a rail getaway to Charlotte and an evening of parade entertainment on Tryon Street. The Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade returns for its 80th year, bringing a long-standing Charlotte holiday tradition to Uptown before Thanksgiving Day.
Step off the train in Cary and explore downtown’s holiday lights and seasonal celebrations. The Heart of the Holidays brings decorated streets, family activities and performances to the downtown area, with the Dec. 5 Tree Lighting Celebration offering a full day of festive programming at Downtown Cary Park.
Travel to Charlotte and experience Light the Knights at Truist Field, where thousands of lights, festive displays, holiday entertainment, shopping, ice skating and snow tubing create one of North Carolina's premier holiday attractions.
December
Celebrate the Greensboro Ballet’s 60th anniversary season with The Nutcracker at the historic Carolina Theatre. Clara’s Christmas adventure unfolds through dancing snowflakes, enchanted toys and the Kingdom of the Sweets. Live accompaniment by the Greensboro Ballet Orchestra makes this downtown performance a festive addition to a rail getaway.
Make holiday memories with a train trip to Raleigh for the Carolina Ballet’s The Nutcracker at Memorial Auditorium in the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts. Follow Clara on a magical adventure filled with toy soldiers, swirling snowflakes and sweet surprises, brought to life through dazzling dance, colorful scenery and Tchaikovsky’s beloved music performed live.
Other Events & Offers
Discover the magic of Thomas Dambo's larger-than-life troll sculptures across North Carolina. From Raleigh to High Point and Charlotte, these whimsical works of art combine nature, storytelling and imagination into a one-of-a-kind adventure. Let NC By Train connect you to each destination while you sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.
Add some Spartan spirit to your holiday plans with a trip to Greensboro to cheer on UNC Greensboro. Gather family and friends for college sports and make game day part of your seasonal getaway.
Make college sports part of your holiday traditions with a trip to cheer on the Elon Phoenix. Travel to Burlington with NC By Train, then head to nearby Elon for a game and time together with family and friends.
Presented by NC By Train and the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild
Explore North Carolina's craft beer scene by rail. The Ale Trail by Rail makes it easy to discover breweries, taprooms and local flavors throughout the Piedmont. Whether you're planning a weekend getaway, attending a festival or exploring a new city, leave the driving behind and make the journey part of the experience with NC By Train.