Hampstead's biggest holiday events this year are mostly fundraisers, and the two largest raise money for the grounds they're held on. The Hampstead Kiwanis Turkey Trot pays for improvements at Hampstead Kiwanis Park, where the Christmas tree is lit two weeks later. Poplar Grove's Merry & Bright, the light festival that runs most evenings from the day after Thanksgiving to just before Christmas, is the main fundraiser for the historic site where it takes place.
So when you register for a race or buy a family pass in Hampstead this season, you're helping pay for the park on Sloop Point Loop Road or the plantation grounds on US-17. Below is how that money moves through the calendar, week by week, starting with the race on November 21.
The race that pays for its own finish line
The Hampstead Kiwanis Park Turkey Trot is on Saturday, November 21, at Hampstead Kiwanis Park. It's the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The race page states the cause plainly: "all proceeds go to improving the Park."
Twenty-six acres of the park are still undeveloped, and plans for them include multi-purpose fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, trails and more parking. The Kiwanis Club of Hampstead works with Pender County Parks and Recreation to run the park as a place for sports, family and community events, and ball clubs already use it.
Here's how the morning runs, according to the Greater Topsail Area Chamber's listing and the 2026 race fees on RunSignUp:
| Event | Start time | 2026 fee |
|---|---|---|
| Packet pickup | 8:00 a.m. | none |
| 8K | 9:00 a.m. | $45 plus a $4.20 signup fee |
| 2-mile | 9:05 a.m. | $35 plus a $3.60 signup fee |
| Kids Sprint | 10:00 a.m. | $20 plus a $2.70 signup fee |
Every Kids Sprint runner gets a finisher medal. The 2-mile awards go to the top three male and female finishers overall and in each age group, starting with 8 and under and ending with 70 and older.
The Turkey Trot is one of several Kiwanis fundraisers, along with Wine and Dine and the pasta dinner the night before the race. Together they fund the club's broader work, including park maintenance and beautification, school supplies, Key Clubs and K-Kids, scholarships and children's programs, according to Visit Pender. A March 2025 Topsail Magazine profile said the club's high school scholarships usually come to $1,000 each, with the amount depending on how much the club raised that year. That last detail matters. A strong race year can mean larger awards for local students the following spring.
Two weeks later, the same park lights a tree
The Hampstead Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lighting is on Friday, December 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hampstead Kiwanis Park, 586 Sloop Point Loop Road, according to the Pender County calendar. The county says more details will be posted later. If you're checking other holiday roundups, Visit Pender's lists the tree lighting on December 5, but the county's 2026 listing has it on Friday, December 4.
The same club hosts both events at the same park, and the November race helps pay for the grounds where the December crowd gathers.
Poplar Grove's biggest fundraiser, by the weekend
The other half of Hampstead's season is on US-17 at Poplar Grove Historic House & Museum. Poplar Grove says its festivals raise money for the foundation's mission of education, conservation and preservation, and it calls Merry & Bright its most popular annual fundraiser. The 2026 edition of Merry & Bright, A Holiday of Lights, opens Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. It runs four blocks of evenings, all from 5 to 9 p.m.:
| Block | Dates | Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Opening weekend | Friday to Sunday, Nov. 27 to 29 | 3 |
| Second weekend | Friday to Sunday, Dec. 4 to 6 | 3 |
| Third weekend | Friday to Sunday, Dec. 11 to 13 | 3 |
| Final stretch | Friday to Tuesday, Dec. 18 to 22 | 5 |
That's 14 nights in all. Tickets are $10 per person, and children 2 and under get in free. A family pass is $35 and a season pass is $100. Both passes cover two adults and two children ages 2 to 11. A family of four buying single tickets pays $40 a night, so the family pass saves $5 each visit. The season pass costs less than three nights of family passes, which add up to $105. For a household planning three or more visits across those 14 nights, the season pass is the cheaper choice.
Admission covers the lit grounds and trees, visits with Santa, Grinch's Junk Shop, the Secret Gardens, Bumble's Snowball Party, Santa's Boot Camp and a Spirit of '76 Tavern for America's 250th anniversary. There are also campfires for roasting marshmallows, outdoor holiday movies and a decorated manor house with scenes from A Christmas Story. Mr. Twister makes balloon sculptures for kids. Vintage carnival games, food trucks, concessions and a juried gift show round out the evening.
A few house rules help with planning. Santa is at the Gazebo from 5 p.m., and the line closes at 8:30 p.m. Leashed, well-behaved pets are allowed on Sunday nights only. If your dog comes along for the lights, that leaves four nights: November 29, and December 6, 13 and 20.
The first weekend of December packs six events into three days
Hampstead's two main fundraisers overlap on December 4, and the wider Topsail area adds more events the next day. Here's how the weekend of December 4 to 6 lines up:
- Friday, Dec. 4. The Kiwanis tree lighting runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Kiwanis Park. Merry & Bright opens its second weekend at Poplar Grove from 5 to 9 p.m., and Santa's line there stays open until 8:30.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, daytime. The Greater Topsail Area Christmas Market runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Soundside Park, 517 Roland Ave. in Surf City, with handmade gifts, food trucks and entertainment. It's free.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, evening. In the Topsail Area Christmas Flotilla, decorated boats leave Bush Marina in Topsail Beach at 5 p.m. and travel the Intracoastal Waterway, reaching Soundside Park around 6 p.m. Watching from the park is free, so you can stay at the market until the boats arrive.
- Sunday, Dec. 6. Feast Down East holds its 3rd Annual Oyster Roast Fundraiser from 4 to 7 p.m. at its Food Hub in Burgaw's Historic Train Depot, 115 S. Dickerson St. Tickets are $100. That same evening, Merry & Bright is open for its second leashed-pet Sunday.
On Friday the timing works for both Hampstead events. The tree lighting ends at 7:30, and Poplar Grove stays open until 9, with an hour left before Santa's line closes. The Saturday events are free and share one park on the sound. The rest of the season is easier to spread out. After that weekend, Merry & Bright has eight more nights: December 11 to 13 and December 18 to 22.
Both of the places these events pay for are on Hampstead roads we drive often, and the Sherwood Strickland Group follows how Kiwanis Park and Poplar Grove change from year to year, because those changes shape daily life along Sloop Point Loop and US-17. If you have questions about Hampstead, or about how a planned park expansion fits into the area near your home, Request a Red Carpet Consultation and we'll share what we know.
