Fuquay Mineral Springs Park lights up in the evenings during the holiday season. Photo courtesy of the Town of Fuquay-Varina.
Learn How Fuquay-Varina Celebrates the Holiday Season—and Where to Buy Delicious Baked Treats
BY DREW BECKER
Between bustling outside gatherings and cozy indoor events, the holiday season in Fuquay-Varina offers fun for everyone. Most events take place in or within walking distance of downtown Fuquay-Varina. Prepare to join friends and neighbors at these events to share seasonal joy.
If you’re new to the area, you’ll find a warm welcome! Here are some of the first things newcomers can do in this area to learn what Fuquay-Varina has to offer.
Holiday Music Events
To kick off the holiday celebrations, the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center features Christmas with The Embers featuring Craig Woolard on November 27. Many know The Embers as the preeminent beach music band in the Carolinas, and they are bringing their well-received Christmas show back to Fuquay-Varina this year.
The Fuquay-Varina Arts Center will also host three performances of the Fuquay-Varina Chorale Holiday Concert on Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, December 7 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets will sell for $10 each. This group performed at Carnegie Hall just over a year ago. Join them for a delightful set list of holiday favorites.
On Saturday, December 21 the Gerald Parker Jazz Orchestra Holiday Concert will be held at the Arts Center. Tickets will be available for $10. This big-band orchestra will delight audiences with their special brand of 1940s and ’50s swinging holiday tunes.
Check out the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center webpage at fuquay-varina.org/1111/arts-center for more information on these and other holiday events at this venue.
The Town Tree Lighting
On December 5, the annual Tree Lighting will take place in downtown Fuquay-Varina. Come see the spectacular show with a new 26-foot tree festooned with decorations and multicolored lights. Attendees can stay and watch several other events after the lighting. Explore an artists’ village at Fuquay Mineral Spring Park and enjoy student choral performances from local schools. An 11-foot menorah will also be lit, with an accompanying ceremony.
During the Tree Lighting, the Fuquay-Varina Downtown Association will offer sleigh rides. The rides will begin at T.R. Ashworth Station (120 S. Main Street) in the Fuquay district. This is a paid event, and tickets are limited. If you don’t get a ticket, you can still enjoy watching picturesque sleighs being pulled down Main Street.
Family Fun Around Town
Beginning the first week in December, holiday lights at Fuquay Mineral Spring Park will dazzle visitors. This display will be open nightly until 10:00 p.m. for self-guided tours, through early January. Santa will set up here for pictures on the night of the tree lighting.
Youngsters can write a letter to Santa, and they will receive a handwritten response. Families can submit letters beginning December 6. The children’s letters can be dropped off at Santa’s Mailbox in the gazebo at Fuquay Mineral Spring Park. The city’s art staff and volunteers will ensure Santa responds to any letters submitted by December 18.
The Fuquay-Varina Junior Woman’s Club and the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center host the fifth annual Gingerbread House Competition and Fundraiser this year. Contestants will create gingerbread houses composed completely of edible materials for the competition. Forty to fifty gingerbread kits are sold or donated (first come, first served), with profits benefitting Fuquay-Varina community schools, maintenance of the police department’s McGruff the Crime Dog costume and other organizations.
Prizes are awarded in adult and children’s categories. Entries are displayed at the Fuquay-Varina Arts Center gallery from mid-December through the end of the year. Registration is open November 1–22. Learn more at fuquayjuniors.org/gingerbread.
The Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade
The annual Fuquay-Varina Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will take place on December 8 this year. With over 80 floats and cars, this beloved annual event draws 1500+ people and is one of the grand highlights of the town’s seasonal celebrations. Classic cars and trucks, extravagant floats and costumed participants make their way along the parade route through the Historic Downtown Fuquay District. The community comes together to line the streets and watch the pageantry pass by.
The town of Fuquay-Varina loves the holiday season, and invites everyone to join them in celebrating. Many events are free and will give visitors a chance to mingle with Fuquay-Varina residents and others who attend from nearby cities and towns. Happy holidays!
Check out stories from around the Western Wake at 5westmag.com
Where to Go: Fuquay-Varina Bakeries
BY HEATHER HANKINSON
If the holiday season has you in the mood for delicious baked goods, Fuquay-Varina has options galore. From brick-and-mortar hometown bakeries to food truck deliciousness, your sweet tooth will certainly be satisfied.
Stick Boy Bread Company
127 S. Main Street, Fuquay-Varina
This family-owned and operated bakery has been a local favorite since it opened its doors in 2008. Serving baked goods that are made from scratch and use only natural ingredients, Stick Boy offers bread, pastries, cakes, pies and more. Take your order home to the family or enjoy it at the shop with a specialty coffee or fruit smoothie.
La Farm Bakery
1900 Broad Street, Fuquay-Varina
La Farm is dedicated to creating breads and baked goods using the freshest locally sourced ingredients available. Owner Lionel Vatinet emphasizes Old World techniques and uses a European stone-hearth oven to bake La Farm’s delicious breads and pastries. Offering a wide variety of baked goods and a cafe, La Farm has been a popular stop across Wake County for 25 years.
Granny’s Sweets Food Truck
This local, mobile cakery offers custom-decorated cakes, cake slices, cakes in a jar, cupcakes, pies and other sweet treats. Using only the highest-quality and freshest ingredients, Granny’s Sweets takes pride in offering “lovin’ from the oven” and is a staple at Fuquay-Varina events. Custom and seasonal orders can be placed through their website.
Stella Cake
stellacakebake.wpenginepowered.com
Stella Cake is a mini pound cake bakery offering a variety of flavors of delicious cakes. An emphasis on flavor—from traditional flavors like lemon and blueberry to seasonal flavors like orange cranberry, pumpkin spice and white chocolate peppermint—is the cornerstone of this unique pop-up bakery’s success. Stella Cake is a regular vendor at the Fuquay-Varina Grower’s Market and sells cakes at several local retailers in and around the Triangle.
