In December 2023, Living in Winston-Salem is working with the community to bring you the city’s first-ever Living Advent Calendar!
A Living Advent Calendar includes 24 different holiday displays throughout the Winston-Salem area. Like a traditional Advent Calendar where you open a “window” each day in the countdown to Christmas, 24 participants will unveil a new holiday display each day from December 1st through the 24th. The idea is to spread holiday cheer while supporting and promoting local entities! Of course, we’re adding an element of competition with category winners, which we will announce at the end of the month.
Day 1 – Camel City Beauty Co.
Camel City Beauty Co. is beautifying more than eyebrows over on Burke Street. They kicked off our holiday countdown with this adorable snow-themed window by Chuck Johnson (IG: @chuckjohnson).
Day 2 – Wilkerson Moravian Bakery
December 2nd was the Grand Opening of the new Wilkerson Moravian Bakery store at 593 S Stratford Road, and the Living Advent Calendar reveals holiday decorations from the new store! The bakery makes Winston-Salem classics like Moravian sugar cakes, cookies, and cheese straws.
Day 3 – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
At the historic 1928 building on the edge of the West End neighborhood in downtown Winston-Salem, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is busy with the start of Advent traditions leading up to Christmas! The building is noted for its architectural significance as a monumental and richly detailed late Gothic Revival-style church reflecting Winston-Salem’s “Era of Success,” according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Day 4 – Bamboo Lounge
Have yourself a Bamboo Lounge Christmas with this pop-up holiday-themed bar. Fair warning: the spiked hot chocolate is indeed SPIKED! Bamboo Lounge is open Wednesday through Sunday at 3 p.m.
Day 5 – Old Salem
The Heritage Bridge spans Old Salem Parkway and connects the visitors center with the village of Old Salem and has become one of Winston-Salem’s most recognizable holiday decorations. The bridge is accessible to the public, making it the perfect backdrop for social media posts, holiday cards, and engagement proposals.
Day 6 – Dog-Eared Coffee Company
Dog-Eared Coffee Company is a charming coffee shop, and Day 6 on the Living Advent Calendar! Perfect for coffee and book lovers, parents, and children, there’s a cozy “hideaway” where the kids can play while you watch and take a moment to yourself. With reasonably priced and delicious coffee drinks, Dog-Eared Coffee is a game-changer for parents and book lovers in the Winston-Salem area.
Day 7 – Foothills Brewing
If you visit Foothills in December, check out their creative holiday theme, “The Brews at Brewville,” Day 7 of the Winston-Salem Living Advent Calendar. The Brews at Brewville are ahead of schedule this year and planning an epic Brew Year’s Eve night!
Day 8 – The Reynolds Building
The Reynolds Building is always classically and beautifully decorated for the holidays. The Art Deco building represents R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s influence on Winston-Salem’s uprise in the 1920s. Today, The Reynolds Building is home to the Katharine Brasserie & Bar, a restaurant on the main level named for Katharine Smith Reynolds; the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel on the first six floors; and The Residences @ the R.J. Reynolds Building, apartments on the top floors.
Day 9 – Ronald McDonald Charities Piedmont Triad
Day 9 honors the Ronald McDonald House Charities Piedmont Triad. The Winston-Salem community has been lighting luminaries in honor of Ronald McDonald House families since 1987. This holiday tradition has helped to provide a “home away from home” for over 25,000 families. Luminary kits are $10.00 and contain six bags, candles, and sand. Retail stores and volunteer Street Captains sell them. Light your luminaries on December 24, with each light shining to honor a RMHCPT family.
Day 10 – Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
The Moravian star atop Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has helped welcome the holiday season in Winston-Salem for more than 30 years. The star is 31 feet tall and weighs 3,400 pounds. Its 27 points range in length from seven to 11 feet.
Day 11 – Boho Depot
Every day, Boho Depot donates 5% of all sales to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and on Mondays, they donate 10%!
Day 12 – Be Kind Coffee Co.
Be Kind Coffee Co. brings people together through food and drinks with time-honored recipes and techniques from the owners’ families. In 2020, the owners opened Be Kind Coffee to bring the world more joy, even through something as simple as a cup of coffee and a smile.
Day 13 – Körner’s Folly
Körner’s Folly is a historic home in Kernersville, N.C. It was built in 1880 by Jule Gilmer Körner and is a 6,000-square-foot, 3+1⁄2-story, eccentric brick dwelling with a shingled, cross-gable roof. Every year, volunteer decorators transform Körner’s Folly into a magical holiday experience by decorating all 22 rooms from floor to ceiling with Victorian-inspired trees, wreaths, garlands, ornaments, and lights. This year’s decorating theme 3 is Flights of Fancy, featuring fantastic designs from soaring imaginations! Click here for their holiday events!
