Wayne County is gearing up for a festive holiday season with five Christmas parades and multiple tree lighting ceremonies scheduled over the coming weeks.

The celebrations begin Saturday in Seven Springs, where the town will host its annual Christmas parade at 3 p.m. on Main Street, followed by a new tree lighting at Whitehall Gardens at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature storytelling, music, hot chocolate, cookies, and letter-writing to Santa. Organizers will also collect unwrapped toys for the local elementary school.

Goldsboro’s holiday season officially kicks off with Downtown Lights Up on Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The popular event draws thousands each year for children’s activities, trolley rides, and the lighting of downtown decorations and the city water tower.

The first week of December brings more celebrations across the county. Mount Olive and Fremont will hold tree lighting ceremonies on Dec. 5, with parades to follow in each community on Dec. 6, along with the Goldsboro Christmas Parade that same afternoon. Pikeville rounds out the schedule with its parade on Dec. 7 at 3 p.m.

Mount Olive’s tree lighting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. downtown and include photos with Santa, cookie decorating, marshmallow roasting, food vendors, and a chance for children to enter a drawing to serve as junior grand marshal. Its parade begins Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. from Carver Elementary School.

Fremont’s eighth annual tree lighting will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 5 and include music, vendors, an ugly sweater contest, hot chocolate, and a reading of the Christmas story. The parade follows on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m.

Goldsboro’s parade steps off at 4 p.m. on Dec. 6, with registration open through Nov. 21. Pikeville will close out the holiday weekend with its parade at Dee’s Memorial Park.

With events planned across nearly every corner of Wayne County, residents can look forward to a full lineup of holiday cheer throughout the season.