Just 35 Min from Gastonia — Tickets from $10
Nov 27–Dec 30 · Ballantyne, Charlotte · Free Parking
Looking for Christmas lights near Gastonia, NC? Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular is Charlotte's favorite Christmas light show — just 35 minutes from Gastonia at Ballantyne's Backyard in Charlotte, NC, open select nights November 27 – December 30, 2026. Looking for Christmas lights near Gastonia, NC that the whole family can enjoy? Load up the car and make a night of it at Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular in Charlotte. Families from Gastonia, Belmont, Mount Holly, and surrounding communities can enjoy millions of Christmas lights along with interactive Magic Snowflake Wands, the Real Santa, amusement rides, live entertainment, festive food, and plenty of opportunities to make memories together. New this season: Santa's Private Workshop — Elf Academy — offers ten children per night a private, unforgettable experience with the Real Santa you simply can't find closer to home. With tickets starting at just $10, it's a Christmas outing designed to pack a lot of holiday fun into one family night. Let the kids make the magic happen, take a spin on the Ferris wheel, find Santa, and enjoy being together. Because the best part of Christmas isn't how much you spend — it's who you spend it with.
Entrance: Wells Fargo building only11611 N. Community House Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
Free parking on-site. Not the Ballantyne Bowl entrance.
Gastonia families know how to stretch a dollar and make a night memorable. Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular delivers more lights, more magic, and more entertainment than anything else in the region — and tickets start at $10.
From the moment you step in to the moment you step out, there is no dark. Forty-plus illuminated scenes — each one different from the last — run continuously from entrance to exit. Concrete and decked throughout, fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. Families from Gastonia, Belmont, and Mount Holly walk at their own pace. Most take 60 to 90 minutes and don't want it to end.
Plan Your Visit →
Illuminated snowflake stations are hidden throughout the trail. Touch the wand tip to the glowing center — and something happens that you didn't expect and can't describe without spoiling it. More than 15 surprises, none of them the same.
Nothing like the Magic Snowflake Wand exists in Gastonia, Belmont, or Mount Holly. Nothing like it anywhere in Gaston County. It's 35 minutes east — and the kids will ask to go back before you reach the car.
Discover the Wand →$20 advance · Available at the Wand Hut inside the show
Before the trail opens each night, ten children get private time with the Real Santa. Thirty minutes — just your child and Santa in the workshop. An official Elf Academy Certificate signed by Santa. A commemorative keepsake. Free photos. $49 presale. For a night your child will never forget, that's the easiest decision you'll make this December. Ten spots every night. First come, first served.
Reserve Elf Academy →$49 presale · $68 after · online only — no gate sales · 10 children max · Check-in by 5pm
Free live entertainment every night — ballerinas in illuminated snow globes, live holiday singers, dancing elves. Santa on-site through December 23rd. Entrance to the Winter Wonderland Carnival is included with every ticket. Want to ride the Ferris wheel and more? Up the Magic and add your ride tickets at checkout. With tickets from $10, this is the most holiday for your money within 35 minutes of Gastonia.
Get Tickets →Gastonia and Gaston County families know how to make a night out count — and Visit Gaston County lists holiday events across the region. Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular is built exactly for that — a full evening of lights, magic, entertainment, rides, and Santa for a price that doesn't make you think twice. Families from Belmont and Mount Holly have an even shorter run on US-74 East. Load the kids in the car and show up to something that's genuinely different from anything else in the region.
All prices are online advance pricing. Prices increase at the gate. Children 2 and under are always free.
All tickets at lightsmagicjoy.com · Add-ons: Magic Wand ($20), Carnival Ride Tickets 4-pack ($20 online), Santa's Private Workshop ($49 presale · $68 after)
"Last year was our first year visiting and it was spectacular!! Would love to go again this year and take some friends."
"Have never been. Would love to go. Looks like so much fun for the whole family!"
"Would love to take my family!! Looks amazing — the perfect Christmas tradition."
Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular is approximately 35 minutes from Gastonia via I-485 East to Exit 61A Johnston Road. The show is at 11611 N. Community House Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277. Park and enter at the Wells Fargo building. Free parking on-site.
From Belmont and Mount Holly, Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular is approximately 30 minutes via US-74 East to I-485 East, Exit 61A. A short, easy highway run. Free parking at the Wells Fargo building entrance.
The Twilight Ticket starts at $10 per person — available Monday through Wednesday with entry at 8pm. Children 2 and under are always free. Buying online at lightsmagicjoy.com gets the advance rate. Prices increase at the gate, so online is always the better deal.
Elf Academy is Santa's Private Workshop, new for 2026. Limited to 10 children per night — 30 minutes of private time with the Real Santa, an official Elf Academy Certificate signed by Santa, a commemorative keepsake, and free photos. Check-in by 5pm. $49 presale · $68 after — advance purchase only, no gate sales. No late arrivals, no refunds. Add it at checkout.
Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular is the favorite Christmas light show in the Charlotte region — millions of lights end to end, magic wands with 15+ hidden surprises, free live entertainment every night, the Real Santa through December 23rd, and a full winter carnival. Families from Gastonia who've come say the kids asked to go back before they got home.
Early bird pricing, Elf Academy dates, and show updates — before they go public.
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