Happenings December 17th - December 25th

 

The holiday season is in full swing and as people celebrate Chanukah and others prepare for Christmas, there are plenty of activities to keep everyone busy. From art exhibitions to botanical gardens, getting out and about with warmer weather on the horizon is giving everyone a reason to get outside.

The festivities start in Virginia at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens - the largest Botanical Gardens in Virginia – Garden of Lights. The National Award winning light show features one mile of lights and displays. For more information go to NorfolkBotanicalgarden.org.

Wild Side Media is hosting a free holiday art party at Union Station in Washington, DC on December 19^th from 8:30pm until midnight. The event includes tarot card readings, five-minute sketches, art books, vinyl dance party, immersive installations, pop-up podcast stations, live painting, record listening stations and one free drink. For more information and to RSVP go to @wildsidemediaco.

                       

In honor of World Meditation Day on December 19^st from 12pm -2 pm join The UN Office of Partnerships and the Chaka Khan Foundation for “a centre of stillness surrounded by silence.” The event is free and takes place online at UN Web TV. The meditation will be led by Michael Beckwith  and Gayle King will be moderating the event. King will also lead a conversation on the impact of inner peace. For more information go to the chakakhanfoundation.org.

A day later on December 20^th from 11am - 5 pm the National Museum of African Art in Washington, DC is hosting an African Art Marketplace with music, art and more.  The event includes educational artisans and honors the cultures of the African Diaspora representing various cultures and people on The Continent. For more information go to @smithsonian_africanart.

Atlanta Loves Art is activating The Beltline with a free art show on December 20th from 7pm –
11:30pm. The event is free to enter all night and will feature local artists from around Atlanta. For more information go to @atlantalovesart.

Just a short train ride north to Philly is the Ruth E. Carter exhibit Afrofuturism in Costume Design the African American Museum of Philadelphia. The traveling exhibit tells the story of Carter’s journey starting Springfield, Mass to Hollywood as a two-time Oscar winner. Carter is known for her work on Black Panther and has been capturing the African American narrative through costume design for almost 50 years. The exhibition features iconic costumes, personal sketches and more. For more information go to aampmuseum.org.

                                      

Just a couple states south in Raleigh, NC where they are taking public art to the next level with the 2025 Illuminate Art Walk. The art walk features light based art installations throughout downtown Raleigh and includes “Trumpet Flowers” – a bouquet of interactive large-scale flowers that can reach up to 19 feet tall. The petals and stems play music and display lights when buttons are pressed. Many of the pieces in the art walk run along Fayetteville Street and with “Trumpet Flowers” at One City Plaza. The art walk runs until December 5^th. For more information go to downtownraleigh.org.

 

                                                                         

In Miami Balmain has launched an immersive archival exhibition celebrating 80 years of its
history.  The exhibit features 20-25 archival garments, sketches, runway looks and a preview of Balmain’s 2026 pre- spring women’s collection - a treat for fashion followers, since Olivier Rousteing exited the house as Creative Director in late 2025 and was replaced with Antonin .  The exhibition is located in the Miami Design District at 140 NE 39th Street and runs through December 30^th. For more information go tohttps://downtownraleigh.org/illuminate miamidesigndistrict.org.

The Louvre and The Houston Museum of Fine Art collaborated to bring “Louvre Couture – Art and Fashion: Statement Pieces” to Houston from the museum’s first ever fashion exhibition. Haute Couture pieces in the exhibit include Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Balenciaga, Thom Browne, Iris Van Herpen and more. The exhibit runs through March 2026. For more information go to mfah.org.