Morganton's Winter Carnival kicked off the holidays, more celebrations to come throughout Burke

Downtown Morganton eased into the holiday season Saturday with a Winter Carnival that felt more like a sunny spring fling — only with more elves. Unseasonably warm weather and a broad sweep of blue sky set the tone as crowds drifted between the November Holiday Market and the Courthouse Square, turning the heart of the city into a celebration that didn’t need snow to feel festive.

Check out these upcoming holiday celebrations plus live music this weekend.

— AKC

MORE HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Morganton Christmas Parade: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2

Valdese Hatley Memorial Tree Lighting: 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2

J. Iverson Riddle Development Center’s Storybook Holiday Parade: 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4

Hildebran Christmas Tree Lighting: 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5

Valdese Christmas Parade: 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6

Glen Alpine Christmas Parade: 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6

Drexel’s Christmas on Main: 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13

Rutherford College’s Light the Night Christmas Parade: 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.

LIVE MUSIC & THEATER 

CoMMA presents “Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol” on Sunday, Nov. 30. Right Angle Entertainment and Paul Couch are proud to present the national tour of Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, a new musical featuring songs by Dolly Parton and book by David H. Bell, adapted by Bell, Curt Wollan, and Paul T. Couch. Set in the 1930s in the Smoky Mountains, this incredibly heartwarming, unforgettable production and amazing cast imagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys and gifts of the season. Show begins at 7:30 p.m. Adult tickets range $48-$98, youth ages 18 and younger, $38. 401 S. College St., Morganton. Learn more at commaonline.org.

Guitarist Eli Laughrum is returning to Perry’s Berry’s Vineyard & Winery on Saturday. 2-4 p.m. 1136 Browning View Road, Morganton.

Silver Fork Winery is hosting the music stylings of Aaron and Crystal McIntosh. Their style is described as a blend of southern rock mixed with some blues and the folk/bluegrass side of country music. Artists that they enjoy listening to range from Tom Petty to Robert Earl Keen, Pearl Jam to Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin to Sugarland, and that diversity shows in the music that they play. 2-5 p.m. on Saturday. 5000 Patton Road, Morganton.

B Chord Live Presents Still Walkin' Saturday from 8-10:30 p.m. B Chord Live opened in early 2025 as a live music venue, brewery, and restaurant, and is open seven days a week. 47 Duke St., Granite Falls.

Brown Mountain Bottleworks is bringing popular Morganton-based band Almost Vintage to its stage on Friday, Dec. 5. Members Meghan Liedkie, Chris Clapp, Michael Cain, and Jimmy Allen play an incredibly fun and danceable mix of music from the ’60s to the present. 7-10 p.m. 117 E. Union St., Morganton.