Where to dine for holiday feasts:

Pine Crest Inn 

Pinehurst Resort

Pretend to be the chef (your secret is safe with us!). There are many places offering to-go orders for you to enjoy at home. Be sure to order early!

195 American Fusion

Beefeaters

Elliotts on Linden

Embers BBQ

Karefree Produce

Pik N Pig

Sweet Feed Southern Pines

Time & Place Catering

Willabee Market

Don’t forget about all our local bakeries, personal bakers, and food trucks for delicious desserts!

Start the holiday season by joining in-person on Thanksgiving Day for the Blessing of the Hounds and Opening Meet. This beloved community event is a time-honored tradition in Southern Pines and the surrounding area and is a fun way to kick off the holiday season. The Blessing will begin promptly at 10:00 AM. Moore County Hounds is the oldest recognized pack of foxhounds in North Carolina and one of only a few remaining private packs. More info.

All aboard the Carolina Christmas Train in nearby Star, NC! Start the journey at the festive Carolina Christmas Village and enjoy a 50-minute holiday-themed ride through the Sandhills. This is a great experience for all ages. While there be sure to check out Starworks, a creative community experience with high-end art creators.

Join the fun on one of the many holiday trolley adventures with Sandhills Trolley Company! Don’t miss the Jingle Bell Glow – Christmas Light Cruise where you will ride through the Highlanders Farm light display. Or, enjoy the Festival of Lights Trolley Cruise. Even the biggest Grinch can’t help but feel the Christmas spirit as they cruise around town looking for the best holiday light displays in the Sandhills!

Nothing says holiday fun like a special Foodie Tour! Think beyond roasted chestnuts and fig pudding to the culinary delights the Sandhills has offer. Foodie Tours is cooking up something special and unique for the holiday season.

Mason’s Deli: Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini

Southern Supreme: Over 30 years of selling a gourmet nutty fruitcake

Pinehurst Resort– Mile High Key Lime Pie

The Gravy Train The Gobbler Grinder

The Sandhills offers the perfect backdrop for your holiday party!

Private Room Space for groups

• Ashten’s, Southern Pines
• Bob’s Pizza, Vass
• Cagle’s Diner, Robbins. Up to 100
• Homegrown, Vass
• Macs Breakfast Anytime, Aberdeen
• Pine Crest Inn, Pinehurst
• Red Bowl, Southern Pines
• Southern Prime Steakhouse, Southern Pines
• Table on the Green, Southern Pines
• Valenti’s, Vass

Hotels with onsite catering:

• Pinehurst Resort
• Pine Crest Inn
• Hilton Garden Inn- On Site Restaurant
• Mid Pines Terrace Room

Hotels that have meeting space 

• Hilton Garden Inn
• Homewood Suites
• Hampton Inn
• Days Inn

Larger Parties

• The Village Pine Venue
• The Fair Barn
• Rubicon Farm

Other possibilities for something outside the box:

• Soiree on South
• The Aberdeen Postmaster’s House
• Sandhills Woman’s Exchange
• Foodie Tour

Check out these local restaurants, breweries and more for their Holiday Specialty items.

A Christmas Carol Presented by: Virginia Repertory Theatre on Tour, December 3 @ Bradshaw Performing Arts @ Sandhills Community College

A Christmas Carol: Presented by: Temple Theater December 5 – 22 @ Temple Theater in Sanford

Irish Christmas in America: December 11 @ Bradshaw Performing Arts Center at SCC.

A Nutcracker Tea Party: Presented by: Encore Performing Arts Center Dec. 13, 14, & 15 @ Encore Center in Southern Pines

A Celtic Christmas: December 17 @ Bradshaw Performing Arts Center at SCC.

Enjoy the Christmas season at one of Moore County’s 733 farms!

Visit with Santa at White Hill Farm. December 21 from 1pm-3pm. They also offer one of Moore Co.’s largest produce markets open year-round.

Choose the perfect Christmas tree at Doby’s Christmas Tree Farm located in historic Cameron. They open Thanksgiving weekend and sell out quick!

Enjoy a hayride to Santa’s cabin and visit with Santa, Mrs. Claus & the Grinch! Visit Kalawi Farm for these memorable moments December 13 & 14.

Highlander Farms has a drive-thru Christmas Light Show that is not to be missed. Meander around their farm as many times as you would like and top the night off with ice cream made on the farm or hot cocoa. Starts Thanksgiving weekend through December 30, Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Get into the old-time Christmas spirit with annual Christmas Open Houses at Moore County’s historic homes:

Travel back in time to the 1820s Bryant House and 1760s McLendon Cabin Sunday, December 8th from 1-4pm. Every Yule visitor can get a little taste of how early settlers celebrated Christmas. There will be hot cider, hot cocoa, cookies, and entertainment. Free.

Step back in time and experience an 18th century Christmas at the NC Historic Site The House in the Horseshoe. Interpreters will portray members of the community who have gathered for a festive party during the holiday season among fresh greenery and candlelight. Saturday, December 13th 3-6:30pm. $8 per person.

The Sandhills Woman’s Exchange, a 200 year old cabin in the Village of Pinehurst will host breakfast with Santa on December 14th from 9am-11am.

The Shaw House Holiday Open House is Saturday, December 14th from 1-4pm. Enjoy old-time decorations, warm apple cider and homemade cookies in a 1700-1800s Christmas style. Free.

Celebrate the spirit of the 1800s at Malcolm Blue Farm.  The farmhouse will be open and decorated in the fashion of the 1800s. Music and light refreshments will be provided. The pack house will be open with children’s activities such as letters to Santa with feather pens and making bird feeders. The museum will also be open to visitors. December 14 from 1pm-5pm. Free. 

Walk the streets of Downtown Southern Pines and enjoy streets filled with community-decorated Christmas trees lighting the path.

Candlelight Tour of Homes by the Episcopal Day School is December 8 1-5pm touring 5 beautifully decorated homes.

The Light Show Display at Aloha Safari Park in Cameron has over 2 million lights to enjoy!

For community light displays check out the Best & Brightest Facebook Page. A few favorites: Holly Jolly Lights in Pinehurst, David House Drive Thru Christmas Lights in Robbins, Highlander Farms massive drive-thru light display in Carthage and the Farley Family Light Show in Cameron.

It’s easy to support our local shops and artists, many of which carry goods made right here in Moore County.

Against the Grain Shoppe in downtown Southern Pines sources more than 85% of their inventory in North Carolina.

Willabee Market in Vass invites you to join the movement to living a more eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle.

Twigg & Co has a plethora of local homemade goods made with love and passion.

Go directly to the source for the perfect one-of-a-kind present: Discover Seagrove , ArtWorks Vass, The Artist League, Starworks.

Get creative and make something yourself at Wine & Design, 9th of September or Hammer & Stain in Southern Pines. Art Works Vass also offers classes in stained glass, glass-blowing and more!

Enjoy these sounds of the season in the Sandhills:

Pinehurst United Methodist Christmas Celebration December 7th at 4pm.

Pinecrest Choral Holiday Concert: Friday, December 13th at Pinecrest High School

Moore Philharmonic Orchestra proudly presents their 10th Annual Holiday Concert on December 14th at 7pm at Pinecrest High School Auditorium.

Moore County Concert Band: Holiday Concert, Sunday, December 15th at Pinecrest High School

Moore County Choral Society presents A Golden Christmas on December 15at SCC Bradshaw Performing Arts Center.

North Carolina Symphony Holiday Pops concert will be at BPAC at Sandhills Community College, Thursday, December 12 at 7:30pm. 

Santa makes many stops in the Sandhills.

One of the first places Santa visits is his favorite The Little Toy Shop in Southern Pines, the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving. He makes his rounds to all the parades and you can follow along with our very own Santa of the Sandhills as he and other Santa’s helpers make appearances all over Moore County.

Weather permitting, Santa will make his grand entrance via airplane, the second Saturday in December around 1pm accompanied by his skydiving elves at the Pik n Pig in Carthage.

He will be so many places from the Given Memorial Library & Tufts Archives to the Carthage Historical Museum because Santa loves to spend time in the Sandhills.

Santa will make a stop at Sandhills Horticultural Gardens  Sunday, December 1 @ 1pm

Yates-Thagard Church offers a free Live Nativity Drama. A seven set/30+ minute walk-thru experience designed to immerse you into the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. December 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th, & 15th.

Christmas Eve candlelight service at 5pm & 7pm will be held at Pinehurst Fair Barn hosted by Pinehurst United Methodist Church on Dec. 24th.

Candlelight service 9pm at The Village Chapel.

Enjoy doing a (FREE) Scavenger Hunt! Work together as a team or compete against each other while learning something new about the Sandhills.

Looking for something fun to do with family or friends? Get nostalgic with Music Bingo at locations throughout Moore County, or join Rudino’s for karaoke.

Holiday Market December 8 from 11am-4pm at the Rec Room.

Claus-mopolitan Crawl Ladies night – Shop, Sip, and Support Local! Head to Downtown Southern Pines Wednesday, December 11th to celebrate the Christmas season. Enjoy a signature cocktail and special holiday discounts at EACH participating business.

Pop Up in the Pines will be at Hatchet Brewing Sunday, December 15th 11am-4pm. Over 70 vendors, food trucks, and live music! Shop Artisan Made Products, Locally Made, Boutiques, Food Items, & More!

Have fun with your furry companion on Satruday, December 14 at Jingle Tales & Ales Mini Market

Get into the festive spirit by visiting Carolina Hotel for the Festival of Trees. It is a great place to take the first photos of the season and support a good cause.

Festival of Trees

Wednesday, November 20 – Saturday, November 23, 2024.

This favorite community event is located at Pinehurst Resort’s Carolina Hotel with an annual display of more than 100 trees. This annual fundraiser has raised more than $200,000 each year for Sandhills Children’s Center. You can support the cause and bid on these amazing and creatively decorated trees. The Carolina Hall is transformed into a sparkling winter wonderland that is sure to delight the young … and the young-at-heart. Donations appreciated. For more information, watch this video

The Outdoor Wonderfest & Market is a fantastic occasion for the whole family to go walkin’ in a Weymouth Wonderland! For two days, our grounds will be transformed into a holiday family funderland featuring:

• Local vendors and artisans
• Weymouth’s own Holiday Shoppe
• Crafts and face painting
• Food from some of our area’s most popular trucks
• Wandering minstrels and choristers
• Santa’s magical toy shop!

And don’t forget to visit the fully decorated Boyd House and the stables to say a holiday “Hey” to our horses.

December 7th & 8th from 10:00am-5:00pm

Free and open to the public! Enter with any monetary donation. 

Second Saturday of December @ 1pm. Downtown Southern Pines, NC.

The Moore County Driving Club decorates their horses and carriages for Christmas and drives them through the historic downtown Southern Pines. Trotting along Broad Street, this unique parade is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

Buggy Town Christmas is a full day of festivities on Saturday, December 14th with historic home tours, holiday shopping, visit with Santa to the special night Christmas Parade!  For a Full list of the Fun Click here!

Aloha Safari Park’s third annual Christmas Wonderland of Lights is just around the corner! Come drive through our beautiful Christmas light show display with over 2 million lights and when you’re finished you can come inside the zoo for even more holiday fun! Santa will be coming to visit us with his baby kangaroo, you can feed giraffes, and see the rest of all our furry friends!

Oh what fun it is to ride on a one horse open sleigh!

Join us for one of our nights of merriment this holiday season as we travel through the Mini North Pole’s dazzling lights! Although smaller in scale from previous years, our goal is to create a holiday experience that is one of a kind!

This year, the North Pole will be open December 14th & 21st. Gates will open at 5 pm and close at 9:30 PM. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $20/person.

End the year with a picturesque moment at the First Eve Celebration in downtown Southern Pines. The pinecone drop ceremony happens at 8pm and is perfect for family and friends of all ages. You’ll have plenty of time to get home and into your jammies or celebrate later at one of local establishments.

Want to stay up late? Stay at the iconic Pine Crest Inn and enjoy their Grand New Years Eve Celebration or hang out at The Rec Room New Year’s Eve Party.

Santa Paws December 7 @ 1pm

Paint your favorite animal at ARTworks Vass Thurs. Dec. 14 @ 1-4pm. Cats, Dogs, Lizards, Fish, Pigs, and more! You name it, and Ken will help you paint your favorite pet or animal. Or, if you’ve always wanted to paint a landscape, go for it, his is the perfect class to try it out!

Pick up your passport to fun and start traveling to our local breweries, collecting stamps at each stop! The Sandhills Pour Tour Passport is designed to guide you around Moore County to where you can enjoy a beverage and our cool Southern vibe. So, whether you play golf, or not, anyone can tee up a good time with some friends, a passport and a few rounds at our favorite 19th holes.

For wine enthusiasts, we offer The Sandhills Wine Trail Passport.