News

From Peppermint Bear to Apple Rise, here's the holiday calendar

Releve dance company headlines the Light up the Night Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 2.

By Lightning Reports, Published: November 23, 2023

Here’s the roundup of holiday season events from start to finish:

Ongoing

• Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas: Presented by UNC Health Pardee, Postero, Southern Alarm & Security, Andy Oxy, Highland Lake Inn & Resort and Knox Law, the show runs through Dec. 21. For tickets visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
• Peppermint Bear Scavenger Hunt, through Dec. 23: a fun-filled hunt for Peppermint’s lost cubs, which are hiding in downtown businesses. New to the scavenger hunt this year are frosty treats from two businesses located on the Hendersonville Ice Cream Trail — Celtic Creamery and Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt.

Friday, Nov. 24

Christmas Tree Lighting, Historic Courthouse plaza: In the unofficial kickoff of the season, Santa makes a Hollywood-style entrance, emerging from a limo onto a red carpet amid flashing cameras and search lights beaming across the sky. Along with Santa’s tree lighting, the evening includes carriage rides, Christmas choirs, music from the Peggy Ratusz & Friends Band and sweet treats.

Friday, Dec. 1

Old-Fashioned Christmas: Downtown shops and galleries extend their hours to serve holiday treats while choirs and carolers stroll the sidewalks. Santa visits with kids on the courthouse plaza, while carriage rides return to Main Street. The llamas of Ellaberry Llama Farm dress in their holiday finest for festive photo ops.

Dec. 1-2

Holiday Greenery and Craft Sale, Bullington Gardens: The sale, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2, features premium Fraser fir trees in three sizes. The native trees, grown in the Western North Carolina mountains, are wrapped for protection during transport. Also available are premium garlands in 25-foot lengths, plus unadorned 12-inch wreaths. Holiday greenery must be ordered online or by phone by Nov. 22 for pickup during the Holiday Craft Sale. Visit www.bullingtongardens.org or call 828-698-6104 to order.

Saturday, Dec. 2

Land O’ Sky Garden Club Christmas Bazaar, J&D Produce, South Church Street: The sale offers a dazzling array of Christmas gifts and holiday décor, including handmade wreaths that can be embellished on the spot, terracotta pots of paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs, artistic Yule Logs adorned with the fresh local greenery and baked holiday goods of every kind.

Light up the Night Christmas parade, 6 p.m. Releve Performing Arts Center will perform two new exciting routines. Studio owner Jamie Osteen partnered with The Sports Network to film one of the routines in the studio that will air at the start of the parade at 6 p.m. The other routine will be performed live in front of the Historic Courthouse.

Sunday, Dec. 3 and 10

Santa appears at Mast General Store 1-4 p.m. Dec. 3 and 10. Bring your own camera for a family photo op. Mast Store always welcomes well-behaved four-legged friends, and encourages families to bring their pet so it can have its place in holiday memories.

Dec. 8 and 9

Candlelight Christmas Tours at Historic Johnson Farm.

Dec. 15-17

A Christmas Memory, St. John in the Wilderness Parish Hall,1895 Greenville Highway: Actor and theologian E.R. Haire Jr. performs Truman Capote’s beloved short story as a one-man show. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 16, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. The show is free to the public but seating is limited to 55 people per performance and RSVP is required. To RSVP visit bit.ly/christmasmem23 or www.stjohnflatrock.org.

Saturday, Dec. 16

Holly Jolly Train Rides: Kids can hop aboard the train while parents shop at the Mountain Fresh Orchards pop-up marke on Main Street.

Sunday, Dec. 31

New Year’s Eve Apple Rise, Historic Courthouse Plaza. Hendersonville pays tribute to its status as North Carolina’s Apple Capital by raising a giant apple high above the courthouse plaza. The free event features New Year’s Eve swag, a DJ dance party, games and hot cocoa, all leading up to a kid-friendly apple rise countdown at 7 p.m.

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Have we missed your (nonprofit, open-to-the-public) event? Send an email to news@hendersonvillelightning.com. Make subject line HolidayBrief so we can easily search for it.