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From Sugar Plum Fairy Tea to Santa brunches, Carolina Inn lines up holiday events
The Carolina Inn has lined up a months worth of special events to mark Christmas and New Year's Eve. Many of the events have become long-time traditions for families around here.
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By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall
The Carolina Inn has lined up a months worth of special events to mark Christmas and New Year's Eve. Many of the events have become long-time traditions for families around here.
Here's what's scheduled. At last check, there is still good availability for most of these events though the horse drawn carriage is a popular one.
- Holiday Afternoon Tea, Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, except Christmas Day, from 2 p.m. to 5 pm. Enjoy festive holiday decorations and music while the Inn’s staff serves teas in vintage china cups and saucers along with an array of savory tea sandwiches and delectable sweets. Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance by calling 919-918-2777 or emailing crossroads@carolinainn.com.
- Gingerbread Village Display, Dec. 1 to Jan. 3. Amateurs and professional bakers alike, with separate categories for youth and adults, will showcase their creativity and imagination with their edible masterpieces this holiday season. The winners, selected by Pasty Chef Sara Thomas, will be announced on Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. (The deadline for applications was Nov. 23).
- Breakfast/Brunch with Santa, Dec. 13, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24. Magicians and face painters will be on hand to entertain everyone. Each child is welcome to sit on Santa’s lap and share their Christmas wish list. Every child will leave with a holiday treat. Breakfast is 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 am, $30 per person (3 and under are free). Brunch is 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $40 per person (3 and under free). Reservations required.
- Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., Dec. 13. Join the Triangle Youth Ballet for its annual Sugar Plum Fairy Tea. Ballerinas will dance as you sample treats from the land of sweets. Enjoy Nutcracker story time. See a magic show and get your picture taken with the Sugar Plum Fairy. $25 per person. Reservations required.
- Children’s Etiquette Luncheon,11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Dec. 21. A five-course dining tutorial taught by certified etiquette and protocol professional, Cecilia Budd Grimes. Children 8 to 12 will learn dining do’s and don’ts. Each child will receive a certificate and The Little Book of Etiquette at the graduation ceremony following lunch. Sunday dress code applies; jackets for boys (ties not required). $45 per person. Reservations required.
- Make Your Own Gingerbread House, 2 p.m., Dec. 22 and Dec. 23. The afternoon begins with a story of Christmas magic. Each child will then be able to assemble and decorate their own Gingerbread House complete with an apron, chef’s hat and all the holiday sweets and goodies that their imaginations can hold. At the end of the class, each child will take home a completed Gingerbread House and accessories. $45 per child ages 5-12. Reservations required.
- Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, noon to 4 p.m., Dec. 20, Dec. 22 and Dec. 23. Rides are every 30 minutes. Enjoy the sites of Chapel Hill, North Carolina as you take a leisurely ride through the campus of UNC Chapel Hill. Tours leave from The Carolina Inn main entrance. $10 per person. Limited seating and reservations required.
The Carolina Inn also offers holiday meals. The inn's website has all of the details.
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