Uptown's Thanksgiving Eve Runs From Tryon Street to the Ballpark This Year

On Wednesday, Nov. 25, the Novant Health Thanksgiving Eve Parade steps off on Tryon Street at 5:30 p.m. and airs live on WCCB at 6:00 p.m., rain or shine. That same Wednesday is opening day for Light the Knights at Truist Field, 324 S. Mint Street. The festival runs through Jan. 3, 2027.

So a parade, a ballpark ice rink and Uptown's old Christmas market now open on the same evening, a short walk apart. A stadium tree lighting comes a week earlier, but over the past few years the biggest night of Uptown's holiday season has become the night before Thanksgiving. For anyone who lives in Charlotte, the night to plan around is Wednesday, Nov. 25.

The parade has been a Wednesday-night event since 2021

For most of its history, this was a Thanksgiving Day parade. In October 2021, the Charlotte Observer reported that Charlotte Center City Partners would move the 75th edition to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve, with illuminated floats, inflatables and marching bands. That year's parade ran along Tryon Street from Ninth Street to Stonewall Street. The year before, there was no live parade, only a broadcast of past parades put together for TV.

The press release WCCB published that November said the floats, units and bands would be "illuminated to celebrate the 75th Anniversary in style." It also noted that every float is built locally from original designs, and that more than 500 community volunteers work the parade as balloon handlers, costumed characters and marshals.

The anniversary format turned out to be permanent. This year is the parade's sixth evening edition, and step-off has moved half an hour earlier than the 2021 start, to 5:30 p.m. The parade's information page lists the route along Tryon Street, starting at 9th Street and ending at Good Samaritan Way, a longer stretch than the 2021 route that ended at Stonewall. A few practical details from the organizer:

• Seating: Bring your own chair to claim a spot along the curb, or buy a VIP seat through the parade site.
• Food: Several Tryon Street vendors sell food and hot and cold drinks along the route.
• Parking: There's parking all around Center City at different prices. The Uptown Charlotte getting-here page lists the options.

A 5:30 step-off means the parade is over in time for dinner, and on this particular Wednesday the next stop is just west of Tryon.

Light the Knights opens the same night, then closes for Thanksgiving

Light the Knights brings back its regulation-size ice rink on the field and a multi-lane, 150-foot snow tubing slope in right field, along with holiday lights, live entertainment, on-field concessions, gift vendors and Santa. Santa is usually there every day the festival is open until Christmas, and photos with him are free after admission if you bring your own phone or camera.

The schedule has its own pattern. The festival opens Wednesday night, Nov. 25, and is closed the next day for Thanksgiving. After that it goes dark on three Monday-through-Wednesday stretches: Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, Dec. 7 to 9 and Dec. 14 to 16. It's also closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In the first three weeks of December, that leaves Thursday through Sunday as the open days. Hours change from day to day, so check the Charlotte Knights' Light the Knights page before you head out.

Tickets come in two tiers. Admission only is $14.37. Admission with skating and tubing is $44.40, and you can't buy skating or tubing on its own. The preferred garage is the Mint Street Parking Garage at 410 S. Mint Street, right across from the ballpark, and you can buy parking there in the same checkout as your tickets. Other parking within one to three blocks is priced separately by each lot.

Uptown's Christmas market now sits behind center field

The parade and the ballpark used to feel like separate December outings. One reason they feel connected now is where the market has landed. Charlotte Christmas Village spent seven years as an authentic European-style Christmas market in Uptown. It now runs as a holiday pop-up retailer, and its Light the Knights location is "behind the Center Field fence," with the Village Bakery and Hans and Heidi's Holiday Haus.

The two have a long history together. WSOC reported in 2021 that Charlotte Christmas Village and Light the Knights were paired at Truist Field that season. What's changed is that the Village is no longer a separate destination. Today the bakery and the holiday shop are inside the ballpark gates, so the market comes with Light the Knights admission.

So the Thanksgiving Eve route has three stops: the parade on Tryon, dinner somewhere between Tryon and Mint, and the rink, tubing hill and market at Truist Field. Uptown's restaurant row has also changed a lot since last Thanksgiving.

The tables along the route are new since last Thanksgiving

Uptown added a long list of restaurants and bars in 2026, and many of them are on or right next to the parade route. Unless another outlet is named, the opening dates below come from the Charlotte Observer's running list of 2026 restaurant openings.

On Tryon Street

• Italo, at 100 N. Tryon St., is an Italian restaurant and wine bar that opened May 19 in the former Cicchetti space, according to Axios Charlotte. The Charlotte Observer's 2026 closures list notes that Cicchetti closed May 6 to make way for Italo, a new concept from the same owners.
• Coquette moved from 400 S. Tryon to 101 S. Tryon. The new location was set to open March 4, according to Axios Charlotte.
• Gotcha Matcha & Espresso opened its second Uptown café at 401 S. Tryon St. in January, Axios Charlotte reported. It's a good stop for something warm to hold while you wait at the curb.

On West Trade Street, a block off the route

• Casa Azteca opened April 8 at 129 W. Trade St., in the space that used to be The King's Kitchen.
• Picasso's Sports Café soft-opened next door at 123 W. Trade St. and set its grand opening for May 29, according to Axios Charlotte.

On Church Street, between Tryon and the ballpark

• Packard Tavern opened May 18 at 222 S. Church St., in the former Bar One space. It's on the way from the parade to Mint Street.

On Brevard Court

• Sonrisa, at 137 Brevard Court, opened in May and serves Latin American food.
• Sip Happens, at 128 Brevard Ct., serves cocktails and Southern and Creole food, Axios Charlotte reported.
• Crisp Kitchen and Cocktails at 132 Brevard Ct., Tiny Bar at 120 Brevard Ct. and Spurs Up Saloon at 127 Brevard Ct. are among the businesses that have filled in the court this year, according to Axios Charlotte's Brevard Court coverage.

East of Tryon, Sweet July Cafe opened July 20 inside The Ritz-Carlton at 201 E. Trade St., and Amina, an Afro-Mediterranean restaurant and lounge, opened April 3 at 225 E. 6th St. On parade night, any table within a block of Tryon is in demand, so it's smart to call ahead.

The weeks around the parade fill in on both sides

Thanksgiving Eve is the biggest night of the run, but Uptown's season starts a week earlier and carries into December. These are the dates for residents to put on the calendar:

The Panthers and Charlotte FC tree lighting at Bank of America Stadium is the first Uptown holiday event of the year, eight days before the parade. Camp North Pole is a second rink option outside Uptown. Admission is $18, or $15 for ages 10 and under, with skate rentals included.

The Blue Line dates matter if you ride the train in from the south. In an Oct. 26 release, CATS announced that from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4 and Dec. 7 to 11, all trains between New Bern and Bland stations will board from the northbound platforms, toward Uptown and UNC Charlotte Main Station. Expect extra travel time at peak and midday hours. The Rail Trail will also be closed on the southbound track side between the new pedestrian rail crossing and JETSET Pilates at 2161 Hawkins St. on those dates. Those two weeks overlap with two of Light the Knights' Monday-through-Wednesday closures. That makes Thursday through Sunday in early December the easiest time to get back to the ballpark, whether you ride the train or drive. The parade itself is on Wednesday, Nov. 25, before any of the December single-tracking starts.

If you're planning the parade, a ballpark night or dinner on Tryon for visiting family this year, BuyList Love Carolina would love to help you put together a holiday evening in Uptown. Let's Connect.