Hampstead's Holiday Calendar Now Runs Through Kiwanis Park, and the Turkey Trot Helps Build It

Last December, Hampstead's Christmas Tree Lighting took place at the Hampstead Annex on US 17. This year the tree goes up at Hampstead Kiwanis Park on Sloop Point Loop Road. The same park hosts a movie night, the Turkey Trot, a drive-in bingo afternoon and a children's holiday event, five community events in five weeks at one address.

The venue makes sense once you see how much the park has grown. It also loops back on itself. The Turkey Trot, the season's second event, raises money for the park that hosts all five.

A Park That Grew Into the Role

Most Hampstead families first came to Kiwanis Park for ball games. Pender County's facility page lists fields for baseball and softball, football, soccer and lacrosse. It also lists batting cages, sand volleyball, a practice turf field, a walking trail with fitness stations, two playgrounds, a picnic area, restrooms and parking, all with free admission.

Then came Phase IV. In August 2025, Pender County announced six tennis courts, four pickleball courts, two basketball courts, two multipurpose fields, an extended multiuse path, a reservable picnic shelter, modern restrooms and expanded parking. The county's FY 2026–27 adopted budget confirms that Phase IV opened in September 2025.

"This expansion reflects Pender County's commitment to meeting the recreational needs of our growing community," Parks and Recreation Director Zach White said in that county announcement. "This multi-generational park will enhance the quality of life for our residents and visitors for many years to come."

Look at who paid for it. The county credited a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant, a United States Tennis Association Facility Assistance Grant, and Hampstead Kiwanis Park Inc. The courts are already getting use beyond casual games. In November, the county's recreation calendar shows Greater Wilmington Tennis Association championship reservations on the park's tennis courts.

The Phase IV section has its own address, 484 Sloop Point Loop Road. The main park address used for the holiday events is 586 Sloop Point Loop Road. If you are meeting friends at the pickleball courts and not at the ballfields, use 484 for directions.

Five Weeks, One Address

Here is the county's calendar for the park, in order.

Movie Night is this evening. If you are reading this over breakfast, there's still time to grab a blanket before 5:30.

One park rule applies to every event on the list. Dogs are not permitted at Hampstead Kiwanis Park, and the Turkey Trot's race page asks runners to leave their dogs at home. If your usual weekend loop includes the dog, plan a different walk for these days.

The Race That Feeds the Park

The Turkey Trot is in its 16th year, and it is the one event on the calendar that raises money for the park. The race page on RunSignup calls it a charity race for Hampstead Kiwanis Park, with all proceeds going to park improvements. It also says the Kiwanis Club of Hampstead works closely with Pender County Parks and Recreation to provide a place for sports, family and community events.

The Kiwanis connection runs through both the race and the park's construction. A Kiwanis-affiliated nonprofit helped fund Phase IV. A Kiwanis race raises money each fall for further improvements. In December, the tree lighting carries the Kiwanis name at the park.

Registration fees, as listed on RunSignup:

• 8K: $45 plus a $4.20 signup fee
• 2-Mile: $35 plus a $3.60 signup fee
• Kids Sprint: $20 plus a $2.70 signup fee

Race shirts were guaranteed to people who registered by November 2 and attend. If you sign up now, you can pick from the sizes left while supplies last. Every Kids Sprint finisher gets a medal.

Race Weekend, Step by Step

1. Friday, Nov. 20, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Packet pickup is off-site at Surf City Brewing Company, 400 Alston Boulevard Ext., which helps if you want to skip the morning line.
2. Saturday, Nov. 21, 8:00 a.m. Race-day packet pickup and registration open at the park.
3. 9:00 a.m. The 8K starts.
4. 9:05 a.m. The 2-Mile starts.
5. 10:00 a.m. The Kids Sprint runs entirely inside the park.
6. About 10:15 a.m. Awards.

The 8K and 2-mile courses start in the park and use paved roads through nearby neighborhoods. They pass near Harbour Village Marina and run along the Intracoastal Waterway, then turn at the halfway point and come back the same way. The course works for strollers and wheelchairs, so families can do the 2-mile together. The 8K has awards for the top three men and women, top masters finishers, and age groups from 10 and under through 70 and over. The 2-mile has age groups starting at 8 and under.

If you live near the route, that Saturday morning brings runners through the neighborhood streets around the marina from a little after 9:00.

The Day After, and the Week Before Thanksgiving

Drive-in Turkey Bingo is listed at the park for Sunday, November 22, at 3:30 p.m., the afternoon after the race. Together the two events fill that weekend before Thanksgiving: a run Saturday morning and bingo from your car on Sunday afternoon.

The Tree Moves to Sloop Point Loop Road

The Hampstead Kiwanis Christmas Tree Lighting is set for Friday, December 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the park.

Last year's county tree lighting was on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Hampstead Annex, 15060 US Highway 17, during the same 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. window. It was free. The 2025 listing promised princesses, a snow zone, a snow globe inflatable for photos, local food vendors and a visit from Santa. That was last year's program at the old site. For this year, the time and the park are set.

The bigger change is how you get there. Last year's lighting was on US 17. This year's is on Sloop Point Loop Road, at a park with the expanded parking added in Phase IV.

Friday in Hampstead, Saturday on the Sound

The tree lighting lands the night before a big Saturday up the road. On December 5, the Greater Topsail Area Christmas Market runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Soundside Park, 517 Roland Avenue in Surf City. The Annual Topsail Area Christmas Flotilla leaves Bush Marina in Topsail Beach at 5 p.m. and is expected at Soundside Park around 6 p.m.

That gives Hampstead families a two-night holiday kickoff: the tree at Kiwanis Park on Friday evening, then the market and boats in Surf City on Saturday.

One More Afternoon at the Park

The last park event on the county's December calendar is the Gingerbread Pirate Adventure on Tuesday, December 8, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. It's an hour long, right after school, and it wraps up a season that started with a movie night in early November.

The park Hampstead built in phases, with state grants, a tennis association and its own Kiwanis nonprofit, is now where the community gathers for the holidays. The 8K, 2-mile and Kids Sprint on November 21 all raise money for its next round of improvements.

If you're watching how Hampstead is changing, from new courts on Sloop Point Loop Road to where the tree goes up each December, I'd love to compare notes. At Savannah Holman, keeping up with these local details is part of how we help clients feel at home here. Let's Connect.