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December Kicks Off With Holiday Lights at Cape Fear Botanical Garden in Fayetteville

Author KC Atkins

If you’re a fan of extravagant Christmas light displays, look no further. Starting on December 1 and running right up to Christmas, Fayetteville’s Holiday Lights in the Garden 2023 is coming to the Cape Fear Botanical Garden!

Touted as Fayetteville’s original holiday lights event, Holiday Lights in the Garden is a surefire way to instill a sense of festive cheer and wonder just in time for Christmas. Visitors can visit the botanical garden every weekend in December to marvel at the vibrant lights and holly jolly decorations.

This year’s Holiday Lights event boasts thousands of light displays, as well as appearances from The Grinch and jolly ol’ Saint Nick himself for the children. Guests can also enjoy the various photo ops, holiday music, and refreshments as they peruse the vendor market.

There are also special one-night only events at the Garden. If you visit on December 10, you can enjoy a holiday-themed family concert by the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. This is at no additional cost.

In a promo video for the event, Director of Marketing for the Cape Fear Botanical Garden Sheila Hanrick highlights the importance of Fayetteville’s Holiday Lights showcase. “We need places to escape,” Sheila says. “There’s something peaceful about it that’s full of energy. We need places like this.”

Tickets to Holiday Lights in the Garden 2023 can be purchased here. If you and the crew are planning to attend, it’s suggested that you carpool, as parking will be limited. You may also have to park along the access road. Parking attendants will be there to assist you.

It’s also recommended that you bring a flashlight to the event. Though the Garden will feature many lights, having your own light source could help guide you on certain paths. Your phone’s flashlight should also serve you well enough.

Get your “ohhh” and “ahhh” fix in this holiday season with Fayetteville’s Holiday Lights in the Garden 2023!

KC is bringing you the Workday Wind Down, afternoons on KML. He’s a Carolina boy making Carolina noise! When he's not slinging music and mouth sounds on the BIG 95.7 WKML, you can catch him at the gym, live wrestling shows, open mics, or wherever fine pasta is sold. KC is a big fan of self-expression, as his many tattoos will show you. KC's favorite pastime is making others laugh. In his mind, if he can bring a smile to your face then it's a day well spent. KC likes to write about TV and film, especially Spider-Man, and Fayetteville happenings.

North Carolina Has One of the Cheapest Christmas Vacations

Christmas is a time to visit family and friends and get away from the daily grind. The holidays can be a wonderful time, but they can also be very expensive. From buying lots of Christmas gifts for family and friends to having to pay for plane tickets and travel, holiday expenses can really add up. But, the good news is that there are some affordable Christmas vacations in the U.S. that are available for a good deal. Also, North Carolina has one of the cheapest Christmas vacations in America.

One good thing about traveling during the winter months is that it’s often the off-season for popular vacation destinations. Of course, the holidays are a busy travel time. That makes late December a difficult time to find a deal for travel. But, if you don’t mind the cold and snow, some northern areas of the U.S. offer very good deals. That’s true even during the Christmas season.

Some tips for finding a good deal for holiday vacationing include searching a lot of booking websites, comparing different hotel dates to find the most reasonable ones and finding bundle deals. Also, keep your eyes open for special deals on resorts and hotels that are just opening. That’s because sometimes, during those opening months, new vacation spots try to attract a loyal clientele by offering special deals. One more tip is to search for airfare rates individually even if you are traveling as a couple or a group. If you put in a search for a group of tickets, the algorithms will often leave out information on one or two cheaper tickets being available. They’ll just send you a group of tickets, sitting together, all at the same price. So, you might get a deal if you search for one ticket, instead.

So, what are the best affordable Christmas vacations in the U.S.? Here are some popular spots that won’t break the bank. One is in North Carolina.

Cheapest Christmas Vacations in the U.S.

  • Frankenmuth, Michigan

    Frankenmuth, Michigan, is the self-proclaimed Christmas capital city of the world. Okay, so many argue that Strasbourg, France, takes that honor, but Frankenmuth is close, and it’s a lot cheaper to get there. No passport needed. The villiage’s Franconian-style architecture has given it the loving name “Little Bavaria.” Frankenmuth is also home to the world’s biggest Christmas store.

    Clock tower telling the story of the pied piper in Frakenmuth Michigan.

    Getty Images / Michael Deemer

  • Lancaster, Pennsylvania

    Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and it offers a beautiful view of snowy hills and Amish country. It’s a very old-fashioned type of town, making it a charming winter getaway. There are plenty of fun, holiday-type things to do in Lancaster that won’t break the bank.

    Rowhouse in Lancaster, PA

    Getty Images / 2windspa

  • Las Vegas, Nevada

    You might never guess, but Las Vegas, Nevada, is a great spot for an affordable holiday trip. Think about it. Most people wouldn’t think to go to “Sin City” for Christmas. Of course, it’s much less the “sin” part these days, as Las Vegas offers fun activities for the whole family.

  • Fort Myers, Florida

    Fort Myers, Florida, is a popular destination for snow birds. But, that’s doesn’t mean to skip it during the holidays. If you want to get away from the snow and ice, Fort Myers offers a great escape over Christmas and for prices that are more reasonable than in many other areas of Florida.

  • Charlotte, North Carolina

    Charlotte, North Carolina, is a great spot to visit in the holiday season, because it’s not as crowded as other times during the year. It’s also less expensive to visit during the holidays and offers beautiful decorations during Christmas. Don’t forget the many holiday markets.

    Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Skyline

    Getty Images / Sean Pavone

  • Boston, Massachusetts

    Boston, Massachusetts, gets cold in the winter, but it also has that classic Christmas charm. It’s a big city with a smaller city feel during the holidays. What’s more, it’s a more affordable winter vacation destination than many other areas, and you won’t have the fight the crowds.

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Author KC Atkins
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