At 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 the tradition is tripled. WRAL will light towers at WRAL’s Western Boulevard studios, on American Tobacco Campus in Durham and at Rocky Mount Mills.
Join WRAL on Nov. 30 as we celebrate one of our favorite holiday traditions – the 64th annual lighting of the WRAL-TV tower, creating a 300-foot beacon to light Santa’s way to Raleigh.
We’ll also light the towers at our sister properties at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham and Rocky Mount Mills.
You can watch the WRAL Tower Lighting Special to see all three towers lit on WRAL-TV and WRAL News Plus from the comfort of your home.
Or choose to celebrate with us in person in Durham or Rocky Mount. Each ceremony has musical guests, prizes and photo opportunities.
WRAL Tower Lighting Special
Debra Morgan and Gerald Owens will head up the WRAL Tower Lighting Special 2022, with Dan Haggerty live from Durham and Michelle Mackonochie live in Rocky Mount. WRAL anchor/reporter Chris Lovingood will be the in-person emcee at the Durham celebration.
In Raleigh, we will turn the 300-foot WRAL TV tower into the area’s largest lighted tree for the 64th year.
There will be fantastic entertainment, including a performance by 9-year-old Broadway actress Ava Gail Prince, the Durham Children’s Choir and performing artists Sicily and Matty Russo.
Lucky Strike Tower lighting in Durham
Visit Durham’s American Tobacco Campus from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 to celebrate the season with the lighting of the Lucky Strike Tower!
The holiday event will feature special appearances by Wool E. Bull, Rudolph, Frosty, Imagine Circus, 3D Chalk creations by Lisa Gaither Art and Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
We’ll also have 2,000 light wands to distribute courtesy of our friends at Dominion Energy and NC 811.
Expect live performances from:
- Members of the cast of “ELF the Musical”
- Barriskill Dance Theatre School
- Durham Children’s Choir
- Elena Holder
- Empower Dance Studio
- Walltown Children’s Theater Group
After the tower is lit, grab a hot cocoa, stroll the river and enjoy post-show music, art and entertainment. And don’t forget to take that holiday selfie with the illuminated Lucky Strike Tower in the background! #WRALHolidays #ATCHolidays
Holiday tower lighting at Rocky Mount Mills
Rocky Mount Mills will host a festive night of live music, horse-drawn carriage rides and Santa from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Expect events full of holiday cheer like:
- The Matty Begs band live in the beer garden, playing before and after the tower lights
- Horse carriage rides through the festive campus
- From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in the smokestack courtyard
- Local breweries and restaurants planning holiday activities and cocktails
WRAL-TV special
Can’t join us in person? We will once again celebrate the 2022 holiday season by lighting the towers at all three locations in one very special TV event.
Watch from the comfort of your home at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 only on WRAL and wral.com.
Afterward at 7:30 p.m., WRAL will broadcast NBC’s coverage of the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City.
Find Out More
Thanks to WRAL.com and WRAL-TV’s Mark Bergin for this Capcom story.