Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest Celebration Brings Holiday Cheer to Downtown Raleigh, December 6
Celebration to attract thousands to downtown for official Mayor’s holiday tree lighting and outdoor festivities
RALEIGH, NC (December 1, 2014) – Downtown Raleigh will transform into a winter wonderland to host the annual Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest Celebration on Saturday, December 6 from 3 pm-10 pm. The Celebration is located at City Plaza at the 400 Block of Fayetteville St. The holiday-centric festival offers a cornucopia of seasonal festivities for people of all ages, featuring downtown’s beloved tradition of the official Mayor’s holiday tree lighting and the new Taste of Downtown and Gingerbread House Contest. Each year, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance partners with the City of Raleigh to produce the free community-wide event to continue its holiday tradition, creating memorable experiences for downtown visitors.
This year’s Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest Celebration offers an interactive holiday experience featuring outdoor festivities, including the outdoor ice rink, sledding hill, horse-drawn carriage rides, and carnival rides—Bounce House, Carousel, the Ferris Wheel. The new Taste of Downtown will feature over 15 Downtown Raleigh restaurants offering unique holiday specials and delicious year-round favorites. In addition, the event will host its first Gingerbread House Contest, where festival goers can marvel over 20 creative candied houses and vote for their top three favorites. Winners will be announced between 8:30 pm-9 pm.
Throughout the event, there will be exciting live performances including this year's headliner, Grammy-award winning bluegrass legend, Peter Rowan Twang 'an Groove, and other blue-grass bands, Gasoline Stove, Lefty Williams Band, Mac & Juice Quartet, and The Outliers. Back by popular demand, the beer and wine garden returns as the winter social for adults, featuring craft beer, acoustic music, and cornhole games, a new addition. Beer and wine will be sold at $5 per beverage.
Between 7pm-7:30pm, Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane will light up the 40 ft Norway Spruce holiday tree at 7:30pm. Anna Laurel from ABC 11 Eyewitness News will serve as this year’s emcee.
The Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest Celebration is open to the public and admission is free. Tickets will be sold until 9:45 pm and all festivities will run until 10 pm. Locals who bring a new unwrapped toy at the event will receive one free Winterfest ride ticket. Tickets can be redeemed on the Ferris Wheel, Sledding Hill, Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, Bounce House, or Carousel. On behalf of Capital City Clauses, all toys collected will be given to the Salvation Army of Wake County Christmas Cheer Program.
Special thanks to our sponsors: Title Sponsor, Ipreo, for making the Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest possible; Holiday Tree Sponsor, Sheraton Raleigh Hotel; Main Stage Sponsor, Pepsi; and Media Partner, ABC11 Eyewitness News and Radio Partner, Clear Channel Communications for supporting the Ipreo Raleigh Winterfest.
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About Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA)
DRA is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose mission is to continue the revitalization of Raleigh’s downtown. The Alliance enhances the quality of life and positively impacts the economic success of downtown through five services: 1. Safety, Hospitality & Clean Ambassadors; 2. Strategic Branding & Community Communications; 3. Special Events Production; 4. Retail Attraction & Merchant Promotions; and 5. Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement. For more information about DRA, please visit www.youRhere.com.