Where do you need to be for most of downtown Morganton's holiday season this year? The Historic Burke County Courthouse Square, from about 5:30 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday.
The 2026 calendar puts the carnival, the lighting, the carriage rides and Santa on that one block, almost always on weekend evenings. The Christmas Parade is the one outdoor event that leaves the square and the weekend. It runs on a Tuesday night, along Green and Sterling streets. Other than a couple of ticketed weeknight shows at CoMMA, planning the next five weeks comes down to picking which Friday or Saturday works for you, then keeping Dec. 1 open.
Saturday Gets It Started on the Square
The season opens Saturday, Nov. 21, with the Winter Carnival on Courthouse Square. From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. there are Santa visits, free carriage rides, an ice slide, face painting, Letters to Santa, and hot chocolate at Frosty's Diner. From 5:30 to 6 p.m., the Downtown Lighting Ceremony and a Fire and Ice Demo close out the afternoon.
Last year, The Paper's preview of the 2025 carnival described ice carver Aaron Costic carving a Grinch out of a block of ice during the demo. If you want a spot near the front for this year's demo, get there before the lights come on, since it shares the same half hour.
The carnival has been on the square for a while. The City held it there in 2024 too. What's new in 2026 is that the square doesn't empty out after carnival day. The City's listing for Visits with Santa says Santa's Workshop "is relocated to the Historic Burke County Courthouse Square," with Friday and Saturday evening visits from Nov. 28 through Dec. 20. So the place where the season starts is also where it spends the rest of December.
The Weekend Calendar, at a Glance
Here's the full downtown and CoMMA lineup from publish day on, using the City's 2026 listings:
| Date | What | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Winter Carnival, then Downtown Lighting and Fire and Ice Demo | Courthouse Square | 2:30 to 6 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Holiday carriage rides | Courthouse Square | 5:30 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Small Business Saturday; carriage rides; Santa's first night | Downtown and Courthouse Square | Rides 5:30 to 9 p.m.; Santa from 5:30 p.m. |
| Mon., Nov. 30 | A Motown Christmas featuring The Motortown All-Stars | CoMMA | 7 p.m. |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Christmas Parade, "Motown Express" | Green and Sterling streets | 6 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 and Sat., Dec. 5 | Carriage rides and Santa | Courthouse Square | From 5:30 p.m. |
| Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 20 | Santa's Workshop | Courthouse Square | From 5:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 16 | Western Piedmont Symphony Holiday Spectacular | CoMMA | 7 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Barter Players' Frosty: A Musical Adventure | CoMMA | 2 and 7 p.m. |
The carriage rides are the one part of the square that takes a little planning. Rides leave from the corner of East Meeting and South streets, behind the stage. The ticket window opens at 5 p.m., you add your name to a list, and there are no call-ahead reservations. A ride costs $5 per person. There are only four paid ride nights this year, Nov. 27 and 28 and Dec. 4 and 5, so if a carriage ride is on your list, those are the evenings to plan around. If you'd rather skip the line, the rides at the Nov. 21 Winter Carnival are free.
Five Days After Thanksgiving
Look at the table again and you'll see the busiest stretch of the season runs from Friday, Nov. 27, through Tuesday, Dec. 1. In those five days you get two carriage ride nights, Small Business Saturday, Santa's first night on the square, a concert at CoMMA and the parade.
Monday's show at CoMMA is a third-party rental, separate from CoMMA's own productions. The Motortown All-Stars bring vocalists who have performed with The Miracles, The Contours and other Motown acts, backed by a live band from Detroit with a brass section. CoMMA's listing calls it the show's "only area appearance this holiday season." Adult tickets run $22 to $72 and youth tickets, for ages 18 and under, $12.50 to $37.50. Those prices include a $3 facility fee, and the 6.75% NC sales tax is added on top.
The timing is a nice coincidence. The night after a real Motown revue plays CoMMA, the parade rolls out under a theme with Motown in its name.
Why Tuesday, and What "Motown Express" Means
The parade isn't on a Tuesday by accident. The 2025 parade was at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, according to The News Herald. In 2024, the City had it set for Tuesday, Dec. 10. Weather moved it, and the rescheduled date was another Tuesday, Dec. 17. Even when it rains, the parade stays on a Tuesday.
This year's parade steps off Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m., along Green and Sterling streets. The City's announcement says the Morganton Downtown Development Association is putting it on, with floats, characters and marching bands. It also explains the theme:
"imagine Downtown Morganton transformed into a magical Christmas train, where every float, vehicle, and walking group becomes a festive passenger car, all linked together and rolling the same merry direction down the rails."
So "Motown Express" is a train theme, and the Motown is Morganton. The announcement says 6 p.m. "sharp," and if Tuesday doesn't work for you, it will be broadcast on CoMPAS X-Stream and re-aired on CoMPAS throughout the season. Questions go to 828-438-5252 or [email protected].
Dinner on a Monday or Tuesday Night
Because the parade and the Motown show fall on Monday and Tuesday, dinner takes a little more planning than it would on a weekend, when most places have their longest hours.
Fonta Flora Brewery's Morganton tasting room is the historic flatiron building at the northern tip of downtown, where the brewery got its start. It posts Monday and Tuesday hours of 5 to 9 p.m. On Friday it's open noon to 10 p.m., and on Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Inside, there are 14+ draft lines plus wine, cider and plenty of non-alcoholic options, which helps if the kids are along for the parade.
Two spots right on the parade streets are worth knowing. The Morganton Main Street dining directory lists Uptown Wing Bar at 116 N. Sterling St., open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Ono Poke Bowl at 313 N. Green St., open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Holiday weeks can change hours, so a quick call before you head out is a good idea.
For the weekend square nights, The Hedge Counter & Cocktails sits a short walk away at 203 Queen St., in a restored 1950s savings-and-loan building. The Paper's report on its opening described counter service, an open kitchen, a large patio, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Small Business Saturday brunch there leaves plenty of time to shop before carriage rides start at 5:30.
Two Corners of Union Street
If you walk Union Street between square events, you'll see two buildings in transition.
Wells Fargo set Nov. 18 as the last day for its branch and ATM at 101 W. Union St., which has been a Wells Fargo location since 2010, when the bank acquired Wachovia. Service moves to the Morganton Plaza branch at 801 S. Sterling St. The Paper reported that Wells Fargo still owns the downtown building.
A few doors down, at 112 W. Union St., Cranford Hospitality is turning the former Bella Vino building into The Union, a new American grill. It's the family's first business in Morganton, from the same group behind Granny's Country Kitchen and Standard Oyster Company in the Hickory area. The Paper's report on the project said the company bought the building from the City for $425,000 at the end of December 2025. The development agreement calls for construction to be substantially complete by the end of 2026, so the restaurant can open by March 1, 2027. During demolition, crews found a glass brick bar behind the upstairs bar top, and the family plans to keep it. They also expect the restaurant to add about 30 jobs.
After the Parade, the Square Runs Through Dec. 20
Once the parade is over, the season goes back to weekend nights on the square, plus two CoMMA dates:
- Dec. 4 and 5: The last two carriage ride nights, plus Santa, both on Courthouse Square starting at 5:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 16: The Western Piedmont Symphony's Holiday Spectacular at CoMMA at 7 p.m., with a 5:30 p.m. VIP reception for season-pass holders.
- Saturday, Dec. 19: The Barter Players' Frosty: A Musical Adventure at CoMMA at 2 and 7 p.m.
- Through Dec. 20: Santa's Workshop on Courthouse Square, Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:30 p.m.
On Dec. 19, you can pair the 2 p.m. Frosty matinee with Santa's last Saturday on the square that evening.
I'll be downtown for a few of these nights. If you're out at the carriage ride line or along Sterling Street on parade night and want to talk about Morganton, whether you're thinking about a move or just catching up, come say hi. You can always reach me through Mark Causby by phone or email. Let's Connect.
