Fuquay-Varina's Holiday Week Is in December. The Ways to Take Part Close in November.

The Town of Fuquay-Varina bills its Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 3 as "the official start to the holiday season." Three nights later, the Christmas Parade comes down Main Street on Sunday, December 6, at 4 p.m. The Fuquay Varina Chorale's holiday show falls between them. Those four days hold most of downtown's holiday season.

You can march in the parade, give to the town's holiday drive, or do your shopping downtown, and the dates for all three come before December 1.

Four Dates Before December

Here is the November side of the calendar, in order:

1. Friday, November 20, noon to 4 p.m. The Fuquay-Varina Police Department and Embracing Hearts are running a holiday donation drive at Walmart, 1051 East Broad Street. They're asking for nonperishable food, household and cleaning supplies, and paper goods.
2. Wednesday, November 25, 7:30 p.m. The Embers Holiday Show plays the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center the night before Thanksgiving. Tickets are $22.
3. Saturday, November 28. The Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association has Small Business Saturday on its 2026 events calendar.
4. Monday, November 30. Parade entries are due. The Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade says entries are open until that date.

The last date matters most. A neighborhood group, a youth team, a church, or a small business that wants to be in the parade has until the end of the month to register. This year's theme honors "American Heroes." A free community event run by the Writing, Music & Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, puts on the parade. Entering means joining the volunteers who make the parade happen, not just reserving a spot on Main Street.

Thursday, December 3: The Tree Lighting Runs Four Hours

The tree lighting itself happens at 6 p.m., but the Town's program starts two hours earlier and fills the evening around it. Here is the published schedule:

The Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association hosts the sleigh rides that night.

If you came last year, the shape will be familiar. The 2025 Tree Lighting, held Thursday, December 4, 2025, had ice skating and the Artist Night Market at the same hours and on the same streets. That repeat is useful. Skating opens two hours before the lighting and the market opens an hour before, so families with young kids can do both and be at the Vance Street lot by 6 without hurrying.

Once the tree is lit, the evening splits. The choral performances stay in the Vance Street lot, and Santa photos move to Fuquay Mineral Spring Park. Both run until 8 p.m. With two of you, one adult can hold a spot in the Santa line while the other stays for the music.

Friday and Saturday Move Indoors

The Arts Center hosts the middle of the week. The Fuquay Varina Chorale's holiday show, Blessings, plays three times: Friday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m., then Saturday, December 5 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are sold through the Chorale's event listing.

The Saturday 2 p.m. show is the only matinee of the week. It suits grandparents in town for the holidays and kids who won't last through an evening program. It also leaves Saturday night open before Sunday's parade.

Sunday, December 6: The Parade Takes Over the Afternoon

The parade starts at 4 p.m., but streets begin closing three hours earlier. The parade's participant rules say Main Street closes at 3:30 p.m. and "several other roads" close at 1 p.m. According to the parade site, Main Street and parts of Raleigh, Vance, and Academy streets close before the parade.

The route starts at Academy Street and S. Fuquay Avenue and ends at Main Street and Woodrow Street. Entrants arrive in waves. The lineup page gives each zone an arrival window, from 2 p.m. for Zone A to 3:15 p.m. for Zone F, and units stage on side streets off Main Street. If you live near those side streets, floats and bands will be gathering there for most of the afternoon.

The parade's FAQ lists these places for spectators to park:

• Centennial Square Lot, about 32 spaces
• Broad Street Lot
• Durham Street Lot
• The S. Main and E. Vance public lots
• Street parking near E. Vance Street and S. Fuquay Avenue

The FAQ also says to arrive early because curb space fills up. The organizers suggest bringing folding chairs and blankets. For anyone who stays home, the parade streams live on Facebook and YouTube starting at 4 p.m.

The same corner shows up all week. The Vance Street lot at S. Main is where the tree is lit on Thursday, and the S. Main and E. Vance lots are on the parade's parking list for Sunday. Once you know your way into and out of that block, you're set for both events.

Eating Around It: Thursday and Sunday Hours Differ

Both of the busiest nights are planned around downtown Fuquay, but the restaurants' hours don't line up the same way on each. These hours come from each business's own website:

On Thursday, The Mill at 146 S. Main Street is the only place on this list still open after the tree lighting ends at 8 p.m. that stays open past 9. It lists itself as a coffee, beer, and wine spot and keeps Thursday hours until 10 p.m. The Mason Jar Tavern, a few doors down at 305 S. Main, is open until 9. Stick Boy Bread Co. closes at 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, half an hour after the tree is lit, so get there before the lighting or right after it.

Sunday works differently. Cultivate Coffee Roasters at 128 S. Fuquay Avenue opens at 1 p.m. and closes at 6, and it sits on S. Fuquay Avenue, the street where the route begins at Academy Street. Duke's Kitchen & Taphouse is next door at 132 S. Fuquay Avenue and serves until 8:30 p.m. Nil's Mediterranean Cuisine on Broad Street closes at 3 p.m. on Sundays, an hour before the parade, so plan an early lunch there. Stick Boy is closed all day Sunday. The Mason Jar Lager Co. taproom, just off Broad Street, is open Wednesday through Sunday.

For dinner after the parade, which starts at 4 and finishes at Main and Woodrow, The Mason Jar Tavern open until 9 and Duke's open until 8:30 have the most room in their Sunday hours.

Earlier this fall we wrote about how Fuquay-Varina's two downtowns are turning into one night out. The holiday week is more concentrated. From skating on E. Vance Street to the parade's finish at Woodrow Street, nearly all of it happens within walking distance of the Vance Street lot. For more on the town year-round, our Fuquay-Varina neighborhood page gathers what we know.

If a parade entry is still on your list, your group has until November 30 to register, and that deadline won't move for anyone. At Crumpler Realty Group, we're glad to talk with neighbors about Fuquay-Varina any time of year. If a question about your home comes up while family is in town for the holidays, book a free consultation and we'll give you a straight answer.