Concord's two biggest holiday traditions both start at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 20, 2026. Downtown, the City of Concord holds its free 29th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony from 6 to 9 p.m. Across town at 5555 Concord Parkway South, Charlotte Motor Speedway opens Speedway Christmas presented by Atrium Health at the same hour.
The two openers don't run on the same kind of calendar, though. Almost all of downtown's holiday events are free, and each one happens once, on a set date. Speedway Christmas runs most nights into January, and its own calendar charges different prices on different nights. The downtown dates are fixed, and the Speedway trip can go in the gaps between them.
What Friday, November 20 Looks Like in Each Place
| Downtown Concord | Charlotte Motor Speedway | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 6 to 9 p.m. | 6 to 10 p.m. |
| Cost | Free | $60 General, $95 Express on opening night |
| Main draw | Tree lighting, fireworks, Santa Land | A drive-thru course of more than 5 million lights |
| Entertainment | Saddletramp on the main stage, a youth stage, a Polar Express screening | Music synced to the lights on 101.3 FM, drive-in movies |
| How many times it happens | Once | Most nights through January 3 |
Downtown has a lot packed into three hours. The City's Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade page lists food trucks, a kids' zone and fireworks to close the night. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Santa Land, presented by Propst Brothers Commercial Fuel, in a snow-filled Courthouse Plaza. This year there are two stages. The main stage sits at Union Street and Barbrick Avenue, where Saddletramp, an Asheville-based show band, will cover classic and outlaw country hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s. A youth entertainment stage is set for Church Street and Means Avenue.
The Friday Night Flicks series also ends downtown that night, with a free showing of The Polar Express from 6 to 8 p.m. as part of the tree lighting. If you take kids to the movie, it ends an hour before the downtown festivities wrap up. The Speedway stays open until 10.
Downtown's Season Comes Down to a Few Dates
The downtown events can't be moved around, and they come close together. Here's the order:
- Friday, November 20, 6 to 9 p.m. The 29th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
- Saturday, November 21, 2:30 p.m. The 98th Concord Christmas Parade, presented by Eli Lilly. The City calls it one of the oldest continuously running Christmas parades in North Carolina.
- Saturday, November 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Small Business Saturday Holiday Trail.
- December 4 to 6. The Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County's 22nd Annual Festival of Trees at The Hotel Concord, 14 Union Street N.
The parade starts at Church Street N and Lake Concord Road. It runs more than two miles along Church Street, Buffalo Avenue and Union Street and ends at Union Street and Corban Avenue. The judges' stage, sponsored by Harris Teeter this year, is near Barbrick Avenue and Union Street. That's the same corner where Saddletramp plays the night before. Bands and floats pass the judges in four categories: School Bands, Schools, Churches and Civic Organizations.
A week later, Small Business Saturday spreads out past the downtown blocks. Downtown Concord says more than 60 indoor and outdoor businesses will set up along the streets and sidewalks. Two trolleys will run between downtown, Gibson Mill Market and Southern Strain Brewery, and Santa will make an appearance. Explore Cabarrus lists it as free.
The Festival of Trees is the only ticketed event on the list, and it's three separate events over one weekend. Explore Cabarrus lists them as the Deck the Halls Gala on Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight, the Holly-Day Hop on Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. with Too Much Sylvia, and the Fa-la-la Lunch on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission ranges from $45 to $150.
Speedway Christmas Charges Different Prices on Different Nights
The Speedway works differently. Its four-mile course loops the oval, pit road and the infield road course, and it's open from 6 to 10 p.m., rain or shine, according to Charlotte Motor Speedway's event page. The season runs from November 20 through January 3. The calendar marks Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, as closed.
The prices posted for the first week show how much the night you pick matters:
| Night | Calendar label | General | Express |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Village Night | $60 | $95 |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Village Night | $60 | $95 |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Village Night | $60 | $95 |
| Mon., Nov. 23 | Value Night | $46 | Not listed |
| Tue., Nov. 24 | Value Night | $46 | Not listed |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Value Night | $46 | Not listed |
General admission on opening weekend is $60. On the Monday through Wednesday before Thanksgiving, it's $46. That's $14 less for the same four miles of lights. The calendar labels opening weekend as "Village Night" but doesn't say what the village includes this year. The Speedway's 2025 announcement described a Christmas Village with vendors, a lit walking trail and Santa photos. That was last year's lineup, though, and the 2026 page doesn't confirm it.
The Speedway is also open about when the lines are longest. Its traffic tip says Friday and Saturday nights in December are traditionally the busiest and may mean longer waits to get in. It suggests Thursday or Sunday nights for faster entry, along with arriving early. The Speedway's general FAQ encourages buying tickets online, offers phone sales, and says tickets are digital download only.
How the Two Calendars Fit Together
Lined up, the two calendars hardly overlap. Downtown's events fall on specific Fridays and Saturdays. The Speedway's best prices and shortest lines, by its own description, are on weeknights and Sundays.
Thanksgiving week shows how this works. The parade wraps up Saturday afternoon, November 21. Sunday, November 22, is still a $60 Village Night, and then Monday through Wednesday, November 23 to 25, are the Speedway's $46 Value Nights. Then Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, and the Holiday Trail fills downtown that Saturday, November 28. A family could catch the tree lighting, the parade, a lower-priced trip around the lights and the Holiday Trail in about eight days without any two of them competing for the same evening.
In December, the free events move away from Union Street. On Saturday, December 5, the ClearWater Annual Holiday Market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at ClearWater Arts Center & Studios, 223 Crowell Drive NW, with local artists, artisan goods and food trucks. Admission is free. It lands in the middle of Festival of Trees weekend, so you can spend the daytime browsing and the evening at the Holly-Day Hop. On Saturday, December 12, St. John's Lutheran Church holds a free Christmas Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with free parking, local makers, live music, and food and drink. Jim Avett is among the listed performers.
Both December markets fall on Saturdays and end by mid-afternoon. December Saturday nights are when the Speedway expects its longest lines, so if you're going to the lights that day, you'll be competing with the busiest crowds. The Speedway points to the Sunday night after either market as the easier time to get in.
Before November: Dates and Deadlines in the Next Few Weeks
A few things land before the lights go on, and some have deadlines this month.
- Friday, October 23, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday Night Flicks shows Toy Story 5 at Les Myers Park. It's free, and food is sold before and during the movie.
- October 23 is also the last day of parade registration, unless spots fill sooner. Community organizations, civic groups, churches, schools and sports teams can sign up through the City, and professional float rentals can be reserved there too.
- Youth stage applications for the tree lighting are available by email through the City's event page for schools and youth community organizations.
- Festival of Trees tickets went on sale October 1, according to the Boys & Girls Club.
- October 29 to 31 and November 4 to 7 are racing dates at the Speedway's Dirt Track: the World Short Track Championship, then the World of Outlaws World Finals.
Once the World Finals wrap up on November 7, the next big date on Concord's calendar is the tree lighting on November 20, the same night the Speedway lights come on.
If visiting family and friends start asking about the neighborhoods close to Union Street or the Speedway this holiday season, the team at Jeremy Ordan is happy to talk Concord with you. Start your next move with a trusted team — let's talk.
