3 things happening in NC: The Lake James Ice Festival, one of NC’s best-kept secrets, returns

In NC, 2026 kicks off with an eclectic mix of happenings, including one of the state’s most underrated winter celebrations, the Lake James Ice Festival.

The first Monday of the new year is a weird one. That’s an easy fact to forget but a hard one to ignore once it rolls back around. Here we are pretending that we’re working while wondering how we can rekindle that festive spirit that died sometime between midnight on New Year’s Eve and this morning. 

Forget about Sunday Scaries, some of us woke up with the 2026 Scaries. Don’t fret, there are ways to fight back! 

While some of the holiday festivities that we’ve covered in this column over the past two months are still open—this week marks your last chance to catch the Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary, for example—there are also all sorts of new opportunities to meet up with family and friends and make the start of the new year a memorable one. 

I’ve put together a list of three cool happenings to check out this week in North Carolina, with events scheduled in the mountains, the Piedmont and the coast. For past editions of “3 things happening,” click here. 

Good News Friday: Welcome the first NC babies of 2026

Jazz at the CAM in Wilmington

The Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington is one of those gems that all the locals know about but tourists often miss…to their own detriment. The museum’s annual jazz series, which takes place on the first Thursdays from September to April, is the perfect opportunity to check out the venue. 

Showcasing a range of jazz genres in intriguing combinations throughout the eight-month run, this week features the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, billed as one of the best high school jazz ensembles in the country. 

Selected eight times as a finalist for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s prestigious Essentially Ellington Festival and Competition in New York City, the ensemble was the only high school community band invited to perform at the renowned Midwest Clinic in Chicago in 2024. You’ll not only be catching some of the best up-and-coming jazz musicians in the country but supporting one of the state’s most important organizations increasing accessibility to music education.  

Be sure to check out the CAM Café for dinner while you’re there. 

 

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Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival in Raleigh

We’ve all got our vices, and every once in a while someone hosts a festival that showcases a couple (or a trio) of them together. The Chocolate, Wine & Whiskey Festival is a self-explanatory celebration of three guilty pleasures that allows attendees to embrace their weaknesses and cancel Dry January quicker than planned. 

The website promises cupcakes, cookies, cakes, candies, macarons, cake pops, bean-to-bar chocolates, popcorn, donuts, and more. And don’t forget your Champagne, Prosecco, premium wines, and fine whiskies. 

Tickets include endless chocolate samples—as well as a chocolate fondue bar—tasting pours from all participating wine and whiskey vendors, boozy milkshakes, candy cocktails, spiked hot chocolate, and all types of sweets…plus savory foods like pretzels, artisan cheeses, and charcuterie for purchase. 

 

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Lake James Ice Festival in Nebo

Every year at Lake James, the community hosts world-champion ice carvers during the Lake James Ice Festival. (Photo via Friends of Lake James)

The last time I visited Lake James State Park was in the summer of 2024. I enjoyed some stand-up paddle-boarding before jumping into the lake from the beachfront where dozens of other swimmers were seeking refuge from the sun. This week’s Lake James Ice Festival is certain to look nothing like that trip. 

Since launching in 2022, this winter celebration in one of the state’s best-kept secrets has become a seasonal staple. This year will see world-champion ice carver Aaron Costic turn huge blocks of ice into farm-inspired sculptures as attendees look on. 

The 2026 theme is “Down on the Farm: A Tribute to Fonta Flora & Whippoorwill Dairy,” honoring two businesses that play an integral part in the Nebo community. 

“This year’s theme is particularly meaningful because it honors our neighbors at Fonta Flora and Whippoorwill Dairy, who embody the farm-to-table spirit that defines our region,” said Lake James State Park Superintendent Nora Coffey. “We’re bringing together the artistry of ice carving with the agricultural heritage that makes this corner of Appalachia so unique. It’s a celebration of craft, community, and the landscapes we all share.”