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Tuesday, 18 November 2025
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Written by Sheila D. Barker
Get ready to make your season merry and bright. Fayetteville Holiday Lights is back at Segra Stadium for another dazzling year. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, the home of the Fayetteville Woodpeckers will be transformed into a winter wonderland filled with over 2 million sparkling lights, festive displays, and joyful holiday experiences for the whole family.
Visitors can stroll through a breathtaking maze of lights, explore themed areas, enjoy choreographed light shows, and even roast s’mores under the stars. Santa Claus will also be making special appearances through Dec. 23, ready to hear holiday wishes and pose for photos. A variety of food options, along with holiday-themed drinks and concessions, will be available throughout the concourse — making it the perfect spot to sip, snack, and soak in the magic.
New this year will be a corn hole tournament, held Dec. 4. Thirty two teams will battle it out in a double elimination tournament. The entrance fee is $65 per team and includes admission into Holiday Lights as well as two drink tickets per team. First place wins $500, and second place will win $250. All proceeds go to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. To register, visit https://bit.ly/4pcQBnW
Here is the nightly line-up of promotions and deals:
Daily Deals
• Military Mondays: 12/1, 12/15, 12/22, 12/29-Every Monday, active duty service members and Veterans can receive a free ticket. Family and friends will receive $8 tickets, up to 6 tickets per order, with proof of military ID. This deal can only be done at the box office.
• Kids-Eat-Free:12/2, 12/16, 12/30-Kids eat free on select Tuesdays. Every kid 12 and under can get a free hot dog and drink with the purchase of a ticket. The “kids eat free” deal can only be done at the box office.
• Silver Bells (60+): 12/2, 12/16, 12/30-Anyone 60 years or older can be a part of the Silver Bells program and on select Tuesdays get an $8 ticket with proof of ID. This deal can only be done at the box office.
• Lights and Leashes: 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28-Bring your four-legged friends out to enjoy the beautiful light displays on any of these selected dates. NOTE: Dogs do not require a ticket. Those with dogs will need proof of updated vaccinations (Bordetella, DHPP, Rabies), and dog owners will have to sign a waiver before entering the park.
• Friday Night Flicks Deal: 12/5, 12/12, 12/26- Take advantage of the Friday Night Flicks Deal every movie night during Holiday Lights. For only $64, get four tickets to Holiday Lights, four popcorns, and four hot chocolates (or soda/water). Use the coupon code MOVIE when purchasing your tickets. This deal can only be done online. Have tickets scanned at participating concession stands. and you'll receive popcorn and a drink! The movies this season are: 12/5 - Home Alone; 12/12 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; 12/26 - Moana (Hawaiian Night)
• Family 4 Packs: 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28-Take advantage of their Family 4 Packs every Sunday during Holiday Lights. For only $56, get four tickets to Holiday Lights, four hot dogs, and four sodas/waters. Use coupon code CHEERS when purchasing tickets. Like the Friday Night Flicks Deal, have tickets scanned at concession stands to receive hot dogs and drinks!
Promotions
• Friday, Nov. 28: Opening night with fireworks
• Saturday, Nov. 29: First 500 fans through the gates will get a replica Christmas jersey
• Thursday, Dec. 4: Healthcare Appreciation Night Medical professionals get a free ticket and family and friends receive a discounted $8 ticket. Take advantage of this deal at the box office with proof of ID.
• Thursday, Dec. 11: First Responder's Appreciation Night All first responders will get a free ticket, and friends and family can get a discounted $8 ticket. This deal can be done online or at the box office with proof of ID.
• Saturday, Dec. 13: The first 500 fans through the gates will get a Bunker Santa Bobblehead.
• Thursday, Dec. 18: Teacher Appreciation Night. All teachers and school faculty can receive a free ticket and friends and family will receive an $8 discounted ticket. Take advantage of this deal at the box office with proof of ID.
• Friday, Dec. 19: fireworks at the end of the night.
• Saturday, Dec. 20: The first 500 fans through the gates will get to take home a Bunker Beanie.
Adding to the festivities is the return of Pints and Lights on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. For $40, guests can enjoy an exclusive evening featuring unlimited samples of 12 beers and seltzers, all-you-can-eat appetizers, and full access to Fayetteville Holiday Lights. The event will take place near the Right Field Bar and includes delicious bites such as Buffalo Chicken Sliders, Sausage and Brat Kabobs, Potato Wedges, and Cheese Curds.
Beer lovers can sample popular brews like Shiner Bock, Blue Moon Belgian White, Dirtbag Ales Blood Orange Kolsch, Hatchet Brewing Bragg N Rights, and Downeast Cider Guava Passionfruit, among others.
All tickets are general admission, giving guests full access to all attractions and activities. Children 2 and under are admitted free, and ticket prices vary by night. Once inside, guests are welcome to stay as long as they’d like to take in the sights. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.fayettevilleholidaylights.com/ or at the Segra Stadium box office at 460 Hay Street.
Hours for Fayetteville Holiday Lights are Sunday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (last entry at 8:00 p.m.) and Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (last entry at 9:00 p.m.). On New Year’s Eve, the celebration continues until midnight, offering a magical way to ring in 2026 with lights, laughter, and fireworks.
(Photo courtesy of Segra Stadium's Facebook page)
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Tuesday, 18 November 2025
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Written by Dr. Shanessa Fenner
Christmas will always be my favorite time of the year. There is something so captivating about watching the Christmas tree lights, my Black Santa figurines and the gas fireplace roaring while Babyface’s Christmas album plays in the background. A lot of us will never outgrow loving Christmas, and this is why A Dickens Holiday, which will take place Friday, Nov. 28, from noon to 9 p.m. in the heart of historic downtown Fayetteville, is so successful.
“A Dickens Holiday is a celebration of the opening of the season of the holidays downtown,” said Elaine Kelley, chair of A Dickens Holiday Committee. “It started out as a traditional thing to try to get people to join us downtown on what is known as Black Friday.”
She added, “It turned into a tradition of holiday shopping, community and fun.”
The day-long Fayetteville tradition includes businesses with seasonal specials, shopping with artisan street vendors, carriage rides, people dressed in Victorian costumes, selling of handmade goods and holiday treats, characters from Charles Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol, including Ebenezer Scrooge, the ghost of Marley, Tiny Tim, The Cratchit Family, the Queen and her court, holiday music, contests, performers, local kids from dance and theater groups, carolers, specialty events and more.
“You can come at 1 p.m. to the Hay Street United Methodist Church to hear Dr. Elliot Engel, professor, talk about A Christmas Carol and how it transformed to what we know as Christmas today,” said Kelley.
“You can attend A Royal Tea and Tour of the Sandford House, which is the Heritage Square Historical Society’s property, and have a tea with some light things to eat, get a tour of the facilities and take pictures with Queen Victoria.”
The horse-drawn carriage ride is an event favorite, and reservations fill up quickly.
“You pay for the carriage ride that lasts about 15 minutes in downtown Fayetteville," said Kelley. "You can have between 4 to 6 people in your carriage and have a lovely time together.”
With any great event, there is great food.
“There will be hot cocoa, apple cider stops and an area where there will be food trucks,” said Kelley. “In addition to our restaurants that are always going to be open, many of them have specialty items just for A Dickens Holiday.”
Kelley added, “You can get everything from street food to being able to sit down or grab a quick bite all the way through the day and into the evening.”
Step into the Fezziwig Ball at A Dickens Holiday. Come dressed in Victorian attire and enjoy afternoon dance instruction with Jeremy Gershman and the Cape Fear Heritage Dance Club at Volta Space from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and an evening celebration at Skyview on Hay Street from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
There is a gingerbread house contest that will run the entirety of the day, and public voting takes place between noon and 7 p.m. Come dressed in holiday attire or Victorian attire and enter the Photo Contest for Best Dressed. Vendor booths will also be judged for the most festive and creative décor.
“We had lots of Cumberland County Schools that participated, and it was just so much fun to see the creations that students, young adults and professionals had made,” said Kelley. “We will also have Victorian llamas, a magician, a balloon twister and picture opportunities with Father Christmas and the llamas.”
She added, “The gingerbread house contest and the costume contest winners will be announced on the Person Street stage between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.”
The most popular attraction of the event is the Candlelight Procession that will begin at 5 p.m.
Cape Fear Valley Scottish Clans and Cross Creek Pipes & Drums will play and lead the procession. “Thousands of people light candles and we walk down the street to the lighting of the Christmas tree and have a small ceremony,” said Kelley. “It is just a magical moment, and if you have not been there before, you will find that this is the thing that you will remember above all.”
Kelley added, “After that, we are going to have Elves’ Night Off, where Santa’s helpers, who are so tired from working and need some time off, come down and spend the evening enjoying our nightlife. We want to encourage everyone to go to the Segra Stadium and see the Holiday Lights. The evening will conclude with a dazzling fireworks display in Segra Stadium at 9 p.m.”
“This event has had a 26-year run, and we have enjoyed anywhere between 18,000 to 21,000 people through the course of the day,” said Kelley. “We are looking forward to celebrating the holidays in full force, and this year’s event is spread throughout downtown Fayetteville on Hay Street, Franklin Street, Person Street and Maxwell Street.”
The event is free and open to the public; however, there are some special ticketed events that cost an entrance fee. The first 100 patrons will receive exclusive “Dickens Dollars” that can be used that day at participating shops. For more information, visit www.adickensholiday.com or email director@adickensholiday.com.
(Top Photo: The Ghost of Christmas Present makes an appearance in Downtown Fayetteville. Bottom Photo: Marley's Ghost haunts the streets of Fayetteville during A Dickens Holiday. Photos courtesy of A Dickens Holiday)
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