Grab your mittens and scarves and make your way to the heart of the center city for Raleigh's premier holiday event—the AT&T Raleigh Winterfest. Winterfest is a two-month long extravaganza featuring an outdoor skating rink with natural ice. This family-friendly celebration of fun-filled activities at the AT&T Raleigh Winterfest Ice Rink kicks off with a memorable event on Friday, December 4.

The opening celebration on Friday, December 4 will run from 5 pm until 11 pm and will feature performances by local choirs and bands, talented figure skaters and a multitude of other entertainers, a visit by Santa Claus, a reading by Ira David Wood III (star of Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol), delicious food and drink, a dazzling holiday tree lighting and Grammy-winning, country music headliner Michelle Branch. This FREE, community-wide kickoff event will be followed by two months of additional programming at the AT&T Raleigh Winterfest Ice Rink.