The Oakwood Waits started in 1984 when Haskell Fitz-Simons and a group of his friends, most of them residents of the Historic Oakwood neighborhood of Raleigh, NC, decided to join each other in singing carols for their neighbors during the holiday season. Early on, they adopted the current practice of performing in authentic handmade 1840’s Victorian attire, initially constructed by Vicki Olson, one of the founding members. As years passed, the ensemble evolved and assumed  the name Oakwood Waits. (The term “Waits,” from early English, refers to street musicians, especially singers.) The group grew in numbers to the current size of 17 singers. As of 2022, they have produced three CDs. They can be hired to perform holiday songs a cappella throughout the Triangle region (and occasionally beyond). They are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and hold a yearly benefit concert, the proceeds of which go entirely to a local nonprofit.