18 Ways Greensboro Is Absolutely Rocking The Holidays

From Hanukah gelt being thrown out of a helicopter to 20-foot Christmas balloons, Greensboro, North Carolina knows how to do this whole Holiday celebration thing. If these things that Greensboro has this Holiday season don’t put you in the Holiday spirit, you must be Scrooge himself. Seriously, Greensboro brings it.

1. Festival of Lights

Antlers + live music all along Elm Street + marshmallow toasting + a community tree lighting = One killer Holiday celebration.

Just be glad you’re not the one paying the electric bill. The City has graciously decided to pay for the light installments across downtown so you, your family and your pets can enjoy them.

2. Jaycees Holiday Parade

How many people does it take to lift this balloon Frosty?

3. Greensboro College Nativity Scene

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Jesus is on the scene! This life-sized, hand-crafted antique nativity scene will help you get your “oh holy night” on.

4. Old Dominion Holiday Concert

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Has Greensboro got the fix for your Holiday music addiction or what? Greensboro Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concert covers all your Holiday favs. And it’s FREE. No one can overlook that.

5. Candle Tea at First Moravian Church

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Hold off on the eggnog for a night and class it up with some tea. First Moravian Church’s Candle Tea takes you back in time to 18th century Eastern Europe, with artisans, a live nativity and all the seasonal drinks and treats to get you in the Holiday spirit.

6. Lighted Christmas Balls

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These balls made of chicken wire and wrapped in Christmas lights are such a hit that an annual race called Running of the Balls has been named in its honor. You’re the one running though, not the balls.

7. Winterfest

So we’re in the South -- so what? That doesn’t stop us. Greensboro’s Winterfest has an ice skating rink right Downtown for two whole months. What better than that? THE ICE COASTER! Prepare to ho-ho-holler.

8. Christmas China Patterns

Picture is from the USA Today pitch drop box

There’s your grandma’s china, and then there’s the ALL the grandmas of the world’s CHRISTMAS china. If they don’t have it, they’ll find it at Replacements, Ltd. So it’s okay to get a little extra cheery this year maybe break a glass or two, because Replacements can replace it.

9. Hanukkah in Center City Park

NBD, Greensboro’s Chabad Jewish Center only dropped tons and tons of chocolate gelt in Center City Park to celebrate the first day of Hanukah.

From this thing…

Yeah, Greensboro doesn’t mess around with its celebrating.

10. Community Tree Lighting

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Because it wouldn’t fit in our living room, Center City Park is rocking the Ginormous tree.

11. Christmas classic at the Carolina Theatre

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In Greensboro, we don’t sit around in footie pajamas watching the “25 Days of Christmas” special for the millionth time. We go old school and watch classic Christmas films and plays in a historic theatre, on the big screen.

12. Bring on the Boitano!

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We know you were three inches from your TV watching ice skating legends Brian Boitano give a good Christmas twirl during the Holiday Celebrations of Ice on ABC last month. But we got the live version – since it was filmed right here in the ‘boro.

13. A Beautiful Star: An Appalachian Nativity

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It’s an Appalachian musical revue of one of our history’s most historic births -- oh sweet baby Jesus – written by locals and first premiered in Greensboro. By the end of the play, you’ll be standing saying, “Hellur Hellelujer! Praise da Lort.”

14. All Things Santa

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You can’t sit on this Santa’s lap but he can wave at you. This decades-old Santa in Friendly Shopping Center has been a staple of Greensboro’s Christmas spirit for years.

15. Christmas Shoes Performance

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We promise, you will have a hearty Christmas cry like Kim K while watching this ballet highlighting the season of giving.

16. Christmas with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith

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All the Christmas music you hear on the radio, except this one’s live in Greensboro.

17. Santa at Natty Greene’s

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In Greensboro, Santa is in his true environment, the pub.

18. Toast with your bros

No date for New Year’s? That’s not a problem, ‘cause we’re hanging with 20,000 of our closest friends at the Greensboro Coliseum, ringing in 2016 with the Avett Brothers!