Your 5-minute guide to the Top 10+ things to do this week

Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…. Who are we kidding. All creatures = stir crazy. That annual “can’t wait to hole up at home for the holidays in my jammies and stream all of Netflix” feels so ... 2019.

Well, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, A Cynical Festivus to you, and Happy Kwanzaa — there are plenty of ways to get (safely) get lit (all the puns intended) around town and even still sport your holiday jammies.

Here’s our top 10. #SpreadLove, y’all — and a very happy holidays to you and yours.

The Drive-In at Carraway Village presents A Holiday Spectacular

Spotted: Santa… in Chapel Hill’s Carraway Village. Word from the North Pole has him slated to reappear Dec. 18–20 at The Drive-In at Carraway Village Presents: A Holiday Spectacular. Don those Xmas jammies, BYO blankets and cozy up with the crew for three days of holiday magic in your car. In addition to the magical toy maker himself, the fam-friendly event will feature some of the season’s favorite film classics, a choreographed holiday laser show, goodies for the children, and a special “Wave-By” from Santa Claus.

On Friday (Dec. 18) take an elfie near Santa (6 p.m. arrival and gates open) before viewing quintessential holiday film “Elf.” Then Saturday, after your 4:30 p.m. Santa sighting (gates open), stay as the Film Fest 919 and Optic Media Laser present A Holiday Laser Show in which your fave Christmas songs play soundtrack to this 30-minute fully choreographed “lit” light show for all ages. Spot Santa again Saturday at 6:15 p.m. before embarking on “The Polar Express” to the North Pole (aka watch the movie).

And Sunday take your last chance to wave bye to Santa (pre-chimney sighting, of course) in the Village before moving those dancing sugar plums from your head to screen for The Royal Ballet’s glorious production of “The Nutcracker.” Food trucks will be on-site each night – order and it’s delivered to your car. Tickets are $12.90 for General Admission; $10.75 for kids 4-10, and will be sold for each show at wwwcarrawayvillagedrivein.com.

Laser Light Show

Let there be light … in the Bull City as part of the Bull City Holidayz at Durham County Memorial Stadium! The free 30-minute themed holiday laser light extravaganza is a drive-in style event (rain or shine) with a tune-in radio supporting festive soundtrack to get even the grumpiest grinch in the spirit. Enjoy the spectacle Saturday, Dec. 19 at any of three showtimes (5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). While the show is free, registration is required at dprplaymore.org. Gates open 1 hour before show time.

You must remain in your car unless using the restroom (mask required out of vehicle). And: Give-back bonus, at each of the Bull City Holidayz Events nonperishable food items will be collected for those in need. If you are able, please bring an item from each person in your car, which will be collected at check-in. dprplaymore.org/calendar.aspx?eid=1808

Christmas Light Hayrides

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? On the farm, hay is glistening! Slide into the holiday season in Zebulon at Lazy Hound Farms via holiday hay rides through all the Christmas lights. Hay rides are $8 per person (2 and under free). Admission to the farm is free this winter — while you’re there, enjoy the playground and farm animals, plus hot chocolate and candy for sale. And, the Jolly Ole Elf himself will be available for pictures on Saturdays. facebook.com/Lazyhoundfarms

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party and more at Unscripted Durham

Sugar and spice and everything nice unfolds at Unscripted Durham on Saturday (Dec. 19, noon–3 p.m.) for the Gingerbread decorating workshop, where you can celebrate the holiday season with an afternoon of family fun while decorating your very own gingerbread man. They provide the gingerbread man, icing and all of the candy you could ever want; you a smile (we love smiling; smiling’s our favorite). Tickets are $20 and includes a complimentary specialty ginger cocktail for those 21+. Reserve your spot here.

Then, Sunday (Dec. 20, all day), sport your best Christmas jammies and relax all day at Unscripted’s first Pajama Jam with a cozy brunch featuring mimosa, Bellini and Bloody Mary specials. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.

Then, … so many ugly sweaters. So little time. But, luckily, options to sport them. Once you nurse your (accidental, of course) hangover, get back on the sleigh Wednesday (Dec. 23, all day) to round out your hot holiday week with Unscripted’s Ugly Sweater Party . They’ll provide the cheer, you bring the ugly sweater, obviously. And your winning attitude. See you there. unscriptedhotels.com/events/

Virtual Adult Nights: Snowed In

Oh, the weather outside is frightful — but anything called Adult Nights has to be delightful. If you haven’t gotten your fill of ugly Christmas sweater fun yet (or at all), don’t fret. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’s virtual holiday event is here for it. So pull out that ugly sweater for some winter wonder and festive frivolity Friday (Dec. 18, 7–9 p.m.) while you explore our state’s impressive Tundra Swan.

Spice up the night by discovering how to make your own electricity with household items, get schooled on unusual global traditions, test your emoji IQ in Merry Moji movie challenge, earn bragging rights in trivia and more. You must be at least 21 years old to attend. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Registration is required; each registration = one unique device login. Once you complete your registration, you will receive an email with instructions on how to join the program. naturalsciences.org

Holiday Cookie Baking Class with Ashley Christensen

C is for Cookie and that’s good enough for me! Plus C is for Christensen (aka chef Ashley Christensen)! And C is for chef Kelly Fields (of Willa Jean in New Orleans). Spoiler alert: it’s like if your inner cookie monster and gastronome merged. It’s a Holiday Cookie Baking Class with James Beard Award-winning chefs Christensen and Kelly Fields (2019 outstanding pastry chef). Calling all bakers, pastry chefs, confectioners, foodies and people who eat food — and especially cookies — to this can’t-miss sweet treat of a virtual event, Sunday, Dec. 20 (2–3:30 p.m.), where Christensen and Fields will lock in your cookie-making skills with three different cookie recipes from Fields’ new cookbook, “The Good Book of Southern Baking,” with a convo on the book to boot.

Each ticket includes the private Zoom class, a signed copy of Fields’ cookbook, and a kit of the ingredients you’ll need to cook along with the chefs! (Kits will be available to pick up from the ClubHouse location at 1519 Brookside Drive on Friday, Dec. 18). Recipes featured include: Sugar cookies with royal icing, dark chocolate espresso crinkle cookies and pecan sandies. Each recipe makes approximately two to three dozen cookies. Tickets are $85 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/holiday-cookie-baking-class-with-ac-and-chef-kelly-fields-tickets-132084836301

A Walking Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour

Take a walk on the historic side with the 49th installment of the annual Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour through historic Oakwood (through Dec. 27). This year, peep the chance to see 23 properties in this special outdoor-only digitally guided walking version of the beloved annual event, starting at The Tucker House and meandering through some of Oakwood’s best (and best-decked) homes. Hear history along the way — and maybe even spy an interior photo or two. BYO headphones (recommended).

“The tour application contains audio for walking directions and house descriptions. Please help avoid disturbing homeowners and other tourgoers while on tour by using headphones.” The tour is free but $5 donation recommended to the SPHO, a 501c3 non-profit organization, to help defray the costs of making this event possible. Donations are tax deductible. You can donate here. historicoakwood.org/candlelight-tour-2020

Black Friday Market

Black Friday may have come and gone but the Black Friday Market is just getting started in Downtown Raleigh. Jingle all the way over to the DTR brick-and-mortar (23 W. Hargett St.) with a dope department store layout, opening Dec. 18, to support North Carolina Black-owned businesses. You can also shop its wares online. https://blackfriday.market

DPAC’s A (Virtual) Christmas With The Griswolds

ICYMI, “This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here.” DPAC’s can’t-miss A (Virtual) Christmas with The Griswolds will close the (virtual) curtain this Saturday, Dec. 19. Nog up and sit down for an “Evening With Chevy Chase & Beverly D’Angelo” (aka Clark and Ellen Griswold a la National Lampoon fame), which promises to light up your holidays with hilarity as the comedic legends lead the audience through this live event, sharing fan-fave clips from he flick, fave memories and answer your riveting questions in a live audience Q&A. Visit dpacnc.com for tickets.

Current Wellness + East Street Run Club

ICYMI there’s a new physical — and mental! — therapist in DTR (219 S. East St.). Current Wellness is now open with low-capacity classes, outdoor and online classes, yoga and coaching — plus an outdoor run club (aka the East Street Run Club), which runs weekly on Wednesdays. There also are therapeutic services as massage, chiropractic and more by appointment. The center dedicates itself to destigmatizing mental health and normalizing help-seeking. With that mission in mind, Current Wellness offers free and sliding scale services for those facing financial hardship, in part via its Pay-It-Forward Wellness fund, through which 100% of donated funds (by the community for the community) goes directly to providing sliding scale services for fitness, mental health counseling, nutrition counseling, and more. Let’s be well together, Raleigh. currentwellnessraleigh.com