Weekend best bets: Lantern Fest, Rudolph

RALEIGH, N.C. — The holiday shopping season kicks off this weekend, as does a lot of holiday-themed performances and festivals. Here are our picks:

The Christmas Carousel - The annual holiday gift market starts Friday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds' Jim Graham Building. Tickets are $8 for adults. There will be tons of vendors to help you get started with that gift list.

Small Business Saturday - Shop Local Raleigh will hold a pop-up shopping event behind Raleigh Beer Garden on Glenwood Avenue Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Enjoy shopping at local vendors and sip on hot cocoa and dine on donuts.

Hops and Shop Market - Head to City Market in downtown Raleigh on Sunday to check out work from more than 30 artisans, in addition to a farmers market and local beer. Admission is free.

Black Friday Cask Festival - Enjoy more than 30 casks of local craft beer, in addition to some great food truck cuisine at Triangle Brewing Company in Durham on Friday. The event starts at 4 p.m. Admission is $35 in advance and $45 at the door.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: The Musical - See the holiday classic come to live at Fletcher Opera Theater starting Friday night. Shows run through December. Tickets start at $22.

A Dickens Holiday - Fayetteville will celebrate the holidays on Friday with characters from "A Christmas Carol." It's all part of "A Dickens Holiday," which includes carriage rides through downtown, holiday music and carolers. Admission is free.

NC Symphony - Get into the holiday spirit with the North Carolina Symphony's Holiday Pops concert featuring selections from "The Polar Express," "Frozen," and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Shows are Friday and Saturday at Meymandi Concert Hall.

NC Chinese Lantern Festival - Koka Booth Amphitheatre will be the host of this festival, which kicks off Saturday. There will be more than 20 displays featuring thousands of LED lights. Tickets start at $12. The event runs through Jan. 3.

Glen Hansard - This Academy Award-winning principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist wrote and starred in "Once" on Broadway. See him at DPAC Friday night. Tickets start at $30.

Straight No Chaser - See this a cappella sensation live on stage at DPAC Sunday night. Tickets are $47.

Godfrey - The comedian who you might remember from his stint as the spokesman for 7-Up, will play Goodnights Comedy Club Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $22.