How many holiday events can Winston-Salem fit into one Saturday? On December 12, a free Moravian music festival, the last Saturday of Candle Tea, an evening party at Reynolda House and Old Salem's candlelit tours all land on the same day.
That pile-up is the story of the 2026 season. Lay the official calendars side by side and most of the big moments sit on three dates: November 21, December 5 and December 12. Everything that falls on a weekday around them is where you get room to breathe, and in one case some savings.
Here's how each of those Saturdays builds, and where the weekday options fit around them.
November 21: The Season Starts With Two Free Afternoons
The Saturday before Thanksgiving opens the season twice over.
Downtown, 500 W 5th is bringing back its free Holiday Market and Christmas Tree Lighting for a second year, from noon to 7 p.m. The schedule lists more than 40 artisan vendors, food and beer trucks, a Downtown Grille pop-up and a kids' area on the second floor of the lobby supported by Kaleideum, open until 6 p.m. Martha Bassett, a past Evening in the Atrium performer, plays holiday music on the plaza with guests and a local children's choir from 3 to 7 p.m. The tree lights at 6. Fire pits and s'mores kits are free at the front of the plaza, and donations go to Crisis Control and Crossnore Ministries.
Across town that same afternoon, the Reynolda Village Holiday Stroll runs from 1 to 5 p.m. It's free too, with carolers, Santa, decorations and free carriage rides from 2 to 5 p.m.
The Reynolda stroll ends at 5, and the 500 W 5th tree doesn't light until 6. Start at Reynolda Village after lunch, catch a carriage ride, then head downtown for Bassett's set, the s'mores and the lighting.
December 5: The Parade Has a Deadline This Year
The first Saturday of December is the busiest day downtown, and this year it runs on a tighter clock.
The Winston-Salem Ambassadors Holiday Parade steps off Saturday, December 5, along Fourth and Liberty streets. The organizer's registration page explains why this year's parade is smaller:
"Due to space constraints and the fact that the City of WS depends on the parade being done by 6:30 PM for the Tree Lighting in Corpening Plaza, we are capping entries at 75 this year."
Registration closes at midnight on Friday, November 6. The Ambassadors say they may close it early if they hit 75 entries, and no late entries will be accepted. If your church, scout troop or business wants a float, apply soon. If you're just watching, the 6:30 finish matters because the city tree lighting follows right after. In 2025, the city's ceremony in Corpening Plaza ran from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with hot drinks, food, entertainment and a countdown with the mayor. The city's page only lists last year's details, so check it before you build your evening around a set program.
Old Salem has plenty going on the same day:
- Home Moravian Church's Candle Tea at the Single Brothers' House runs 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Old Salem's calendar lists the day as one of its Christmas Salem Saturdays.
- Old Salem's Joy of Christmas evening tours run that night, with start times from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.
At Reynolda, the last wreath decorating workshop of the week is a daytime session, 1 to 3 p.m.
You can't do all of that in one day. Pick a morning in Old Salem or an afternoon and evening downtown, and leave the rest for a weekday.
December 12: Four Events, One Afternoon
The pile-up gets tightest the second Saturday of December. If you plan to do several things that day, here's the order the schedules point to:
- ChristmasFest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Moravian Music Foundation's fifth annual Advent and Christmas festival and holiday market takes over Salem College's Elberson Fine Arts Center at 430 Leaders Ave. and the Archie K. Davis Center at 457 S. Church St. Admission is free, you don't need a ticket, and it goes on rain or shine. The foundation says to use the Leaders Avenue address for parking directions.
- Candle Tea, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is the last regular Candle Tea Saturday. The full tour takes about an hour and 45 minutes. It includes carol singing in the Saal with the 1787 pipe organ, a candle-making demonstration, coffee and sugar cake in the historic kitchen, the Putz and the Nativity. The church admits a group of 30 every 15 minutes, a limit set by the fire code, and says tickets will sell out. Walk-ups are still accommodated, though there may be a short wait.
- An Enchanted Christmas at Reynolda, 5:30 to 8 p.m. The evening includes organ music, treats, art-making and games. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for youth, or $20 and $8 for museum members.
- Joy of Christmas in Old Salem, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. start times. Each tour runs about an hour and costs $60 for adults and $40 for children.
The first two are a short walk apart on the Salem College and Old Salem side of downtown, and both start early enough to fit into one morning and early afternoon. The two evening events overlap almost completely, so you're choosing between them. Reynolda's Enchanted Christmas has a second date on Tuesday, December 15. That makes the Old Salem tour the one to book on the 12th and Reynolda the one to move to a weeknight.
Tanglewood Shows Why the Weekdays Matter
The Festival of Lights in Clemmons isn't on the Saturday calendar, but its new prices push in the same direction. This year the gap between weeknights and weekends got bigger.
Forsyth County's Festival of Lights page lists the 2026 season as November 13, 2026, through January 1, 2027, nightly from 6 to 11 p.m. Here's how this year's prices compare with what the Clemmons Courier reported for 2025:
| Ticket | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Family vehicle, Mon–Thu | $20 cash / $23 card | $20 cash / $23 card |
| Family vehicle, Fri–Sun | $20 cash / $23 card | $25 cash / $28 card |
| Discount nights | $10 cash / $13 card | $10 cash / $13 card |
| Reserved carriage ride | $100 | $110 cash or check |
| Hayride | $100 | $190 cash or check |
Weeknight prices didn't change. Weekend prices went up $5 a car. The cheapest nights are the four discount nights: Monday, November 16; Tuesday, November 17; Monday, November 23; and Tuesday, November 24. Family vehicles pay $10 cash or $13 card on those nights. On a weekend, a family paying by card now pays $28. On a discount Monday, the same car pays $13.
There's also one payment change that helps. Last year's coverage said a 2.75% card fee applied to admission. This year, the county's page says that fee applies only in the Gift Shop, not to Festival admission.
The site also streams live traffic cameras, donated by TrueLook for the 2026 season. Check them before you leave the house.
The Weekday Version of the Season
The same thinking applies to the rest of the calendar. Most of the traditions on those three Saturdays have weekday dates too:
- Candle Tea, Thursdays and Fridays. Regular tours run 1 to 7:30 p.m. on December 3, 4, 10 and 11. Tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for children 3 to 12, and free for children 3 and under. Tickets are non-refundable, and the church asks you to arrive 15 minutes before your time and check in at the front door of the Single Brothers' House.
- Caroling Fridays at Reynolda. A half hour of carols from 2:30 to 3 p.m. on December 4, 11 and 18, included with museum admission. Registration is encouraged but not required.
- Reynolda wreath workshops. Evening sessions run 6 to 8 p.m. from Monday, November 30, through Friday, December 4. They cost $65, or $55 for Friends of Reynolda Gardens and WFU affiliates.
- Joy of Christmas on Friday nights. Old Salem runs the tours on Fridays as well as Saturdays, from Friday, November 27, through Saturday, December 19.
- Old Salem's Christmas Kick-Off. This one is a Saturday, but it's November 28, the Thanksgiving weekend, before the December pile-up. It runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with hands-on holiday activities and traditional music, included with a standard holiday admission ticket. St. Nick visits on December 19 for family photos.
New Places to Eat Between Events
A few places opened this fall that fit around those outings. The Go-To Winston-Salem reported in its October 13 newsletter that Artesano Bakery is now open at 329 Jonestown Road. Owners Jessica and Rey Hurtado sell conchas, tres leches and other Mexican breads, plus coffee drinks. The Winston-Salem Journal reported that KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot opened October 6 at 1615 Fox Trot Court, where you cook your all-you-can-eat meal at the table. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers opened October 6 at 4484 Kester Mill Road, with a drive-through and patio seating.
If you want one more seasonal stop before December, the Journal reports that the Black Lagoon Halloween pop-up at Katharine Brasserie & Bar, 401 N. Main St., runs through the end of October. It has themed décor, cocktails and collectible glassware.
Book Candle Tea and the Joy of Christmas tours first, since those are the ones with timed tickets and limited space. Then circle a Monday or Tuesday discount night for Tanglewood before November 16.
If you're hosting family for the holidays and the drive to Tanglewood has someone asking what it would take to live here year-round, I'm glad to talk it through. Melanie Pipes works with veterans, first-time buyers and growing Triad families, and the conversation starts with a free consultation. Schedule yours when the calendar slows down.
