Christmas In Davidson 2018: Events, Parking, Trolley Details

DAVIDSON, NC -- This weekend marks the start of the holiday season in Davidson as the town hosts its annual signature event, Christmas in Davidson.

The festivities begin Thursday, Nov. 29, and will run each evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 1.

Santa Claus will arrive at the town green in Davidson Thursday at 6 p.m. to accompany Mayor Rusty Knox in the tree lighting ceremony. If you miss his big entrance, don't worry. He'll be on hand to visit with children each night at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church's Congregation House located at 218 Concord Road.

Here are other highlights of the three-day festival:

• Free holiday crafts for kids
• Horse-drawn Carriage rides
• Live nativity
• Strolling Victorian carolers and other live entertainment
• Carousel
• Free Hay wagon rides
• Dog fashion show,
• Ugly holiday sweater contest

A full event schedule can be found here.

Carriage Rides
Horse-drawn carriage rides will be offered at $10 per person and will depart regularly from Davidson Town Hall. Payment for carriage ride tickets may be done in advance online to expedite the process. Click here to buy advance tickets. Visitors can also sign up at the booth in front of town hall each night (while tickets last).

Parking, Trolley Service
Parking for the event will be available at Homewood Suites and Harris Teeter parking lots at the Circles@30, and a free trolley service will run continually between downtown, South Main, satellite parking areas, and some neighborhoods. Maps of trolley routes may be found here.

Trolleys will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each evening on a continuous loop of about 15 minutes, starting at the farthest points from town. Trolley stops will be marked with a sign in locations at the Circles@30, downtown and at the South Main commercial district.

Street Closures
Main Street will close each evening at 5 p.m., from Concord Road to Jackson Street. Lorimer Road from Concord Road to the CVS parking lot will also be closed. Handicapped parking spaces will be available in the library parking lot along Lorimer Road, and an attendant will be present to allow drivers in.

Doggie Fashion Show
The Doggie Fashion Show is on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. on the Davidson Public Library stage. Participants can register here.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest
The Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest is on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. on the Davidson Public Library stage. No registration is required – simply show up in your festive sweater! Winner walks away with $100 prize and a trophy.

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Photo: David Allen/Patch