Joyner Park's free Evening Holiday Walk runs 6 to 9 p.m. nightly Dec. 5-31. Plus Santa's mailbox, Calls from Santa, markets and the Hill Ridge lights.

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates come from the Town of Wake Forest’s Tis the Season holiday schedule and each organizer’s page, linked below.

Wake Forest’s main holiday light display is the free Evening Holiday Walk at E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly, Saturday, Dec. 5, through Thursday, Dec. 31. The town tree is lit at the Lighting of Wake Forest on Friday, Dec. 4; times, parking and the parade question are on our separate Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Updated Oct. 29: Pictures with Santa registration opens at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9; details below.

Updated Oct. 25: Hill Ridge Farms says its Festival of Lights opens Thanksgiving night, Nov. 26, 5 to 10 p.m.

Who to call

  • Joyner Park and Calls from Santa: Wake Forest Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, 919-554-6726
  • Town events office: 919-435-9430
  • Renaissance Centre box office: 919-435-9458
  • Hill Ridge Farms: 919-556-1771

Holiday lights

Evening Holiday Walk at Joyner Park. Dozens of colored lights wrap the crepe myrtles and shrubs in the park’s Walker Garden and Performance Garden, with a nearly 20-foot Christmas tree on the Performance Garden stage. It is free and open to everyone, 6 to 9 p.m. every night from Dec. 5 to Dec. 31, according to the town’s event page.

Hill Ridge Farms Festival of Lights, Youngsville. The farm north of town advertises more than 2 million lights and holiday displays along its covered wagon ride, a lit train ride, Santa’s Mailbox, bonfires and s’mores supplies, with hot chocolate and cider at the snack shack, on its Festival of Lights page. The page lists Superpass admission for ages 2 to 64, military and 65-plus. The farm’s home page says it closes after the pumpkin festival on Nov. 6 and reopens for the Festival of Lights on Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov. 26, from 5 to 10 p.m. The full 2026 nightly schedule and prices were not posted when we checked on Oct. 25. Address: 703 Tarboro Road, Youngsville.

Santa in Wake Forest

  • Letters for Santa mailbox: in Jones Plaza, South White Street at East Jones Avenue, from Saturday, Nov. 21, through Tuesday, Dec. 22. No postage needed, and the town offers a printable letter from Santa.
  • Lighting of Wake Forest: Santa arrives at the tree lighting, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, in Centennial Plaza at Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St.
  • Pictures with Santa at the Downtown Holiday Open House, Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, 350 S. White St. Slots are limited and advance registration is required at bit.ly/WFSantaPics from 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9. Each booking gives an arrival time, and the photos are available after 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, according to the town’s announcement.
  • Calls from Santa: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, for children ages 3 to 9. Registration forms appear in November online and at the Joyner Park Community Center, 701 Harris Road, and Town Hall. They are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7. No phone sign-ups; free, but calls must be local. Details.

Holiday markets and shows

  • Downtown Holiday Open House and Holiday Artisans Market: Saturday, Dec. 5, downtown and in the Town Hall plaza. More on our holiday shopping page.
  • Little Women: Firebox Theatre’s holiday-season staging at the Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12-13. Tickets.
  • Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience: Run Run Rudolph: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 17-18, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Renaissance Centre. Tickets start at $40 and $45, the town’s holiday schedule says.
  • Snowball Dance: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at the Joyner Park Community Center, for residents with disabilities ages 10 and older. $15, preregistration required. Details.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 runs Dec. 4-12, according to Chabad of Raleigh, which lists public menorah lightings at Lafayette Village and Crabtree Mall in Raleigh. Its 2026 times had not been posted when we checked. No public menorah lighting in Wake Forest had been announced; we will add one if it is.

Nearby: Rolesville tree lighting

Rolesville, about four miles southeast, lights its tree from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, at Redford Place Park, with photos with Santa, according to the Town of Rolesville.

What this means for you

  • Free lights: Joyner Park, any night Dec. 5-31, 6 to 9 p.m.
  • Write to Santa by Dec. 22; sign up for a call by Dec. 7.
  • After Christmas, the town collects live trees at the curb with yard waste; see New Year’s Eve in Wake Forest for the holiday trash schedule.

Related: Thanksgiving in Wake Forest, things to do this month and kids’ activities.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see Christmas lights in Wake Forest?

E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, is lit from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly from Saturday, Dec. 5, through Thursday, Dec. 31, with lights in the Walker Garden and Performance Garden and a nearly 20-foot tree. It is free.

Where is Santa’s mailbox in Wake Forest?

The Letters for Santa mailbox stands in Jones Plaza, at South White Street and East Jones Avenue, from Saturday, Nov. 21, through Tuesday, Dec. 22. No postage is needed.

How do I sign up for Calls from Santa in Wake Forest?

Calls go out from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, to children ages 3 to 9. Forms are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, online or at the Joyner Park Community Center or Town Hall. It is free, but calls must be local.

Is there a drive-through or wagon light show near Wake Forest?

Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville runs a Festival of Lights with more than 2 million lights seen from a covered wagon ride and a train. The farm’s home page says it reopens for the Festival of Lights on Thanksgiving night, Thursday, Nov. 26, from 5 to 10 p.m.; the rest of its 2026 schedule is still to be posted.