Virginia’s 16 most magical winter festivals
From festive lights and carolers to cookie decorating and ice skating, Virginia’s winter festivals are full of holiday fun. Discover the ones you can’t miss.
‘Tis the season for winter fun in Virginia. From dazzling light displays and festive parades to horse-drawn carriage rides and holiday treats, there is seasonal fun for the whole family at Virginia’s best winter festivals. Whether you need to finish your holiday shopping or want to let the kids visit with Santa, you can check off all your holiday to-do list items at these festive events throughout Old Dominion.
Keep reading to learn more about Virginia’s most magical winter festivals.
1. Winter Walk of Lights
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens gets a holiday glow-up for Winter Walk of Lights, which runs from early November through early January. Stroll along a half-mile trail through the gardens to see trees covered with festive lights and other illuminated displays depicting wintery and holiday themes.
Stay warm during your walk with hot beverages (boozy and non-alcoholic) and end the evening by making s’mores and taking home a limited-edition holiday ornament.
Date: Nov. 7 through Jan. 4
Location: 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna
Cost: Ticket prices start at $20.85.
2. Winter Lantern Festival
The Winter Lantern Festival combines art, tradition, and technology for a truly magical holiday event. The festival features handcrafted Chinese lanterns illuminated with glowing lights. Some designs depict Chinese legends and figures, while others celebrate nature or winter characters like snowmen and yetis.
You can also enjoy an acrobatic performance featuring award-winning performers and sample tasty treats and drinks from local vendors.
Date: Every Thursday through Sunday from Nov. 13 to Jan. 4
Location: Jamestown Settlement, 2110 Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg
Cost: Adult ticket prices start at $22.99.
3. Christmas Town
Christmas Town returns to Busch Gardens for another merry and bright holiday season. For the festival, the theme park is decorated with more than 10 million lights, making it one of the biggest light displays in North America.
The festival also features live holiday-themed shows, such as Elmo’s Christmas Wish and Scrooge No More, a Santa workshop, photo opportunities with Santa and other holiday characters, themed meals, including Santa’s Fireside Feast, and plenty of shopping.
Date: Select dates between Nov. 14 and Jan. 4
Location: Busch Gardens, 1 Busch Gardens Blvd., Williamsburg
Cost: Ticket prices start at $86.99; however, at the time of writing, Black Friday pre-sale discounts of up to 55% were available.
4. Ice & Lights–The Winter Village at Cameron Run
There is plenty of winter fun to be had at Ice & Lights–The Winter Village at Cameron Run. In the village, you’ll find winter-themed light displays, food vendors selling treats like hot chocolate, pizza, and s’mores kits, and private cabanas for rent. There is also an ice skating rink for day or night skating.
Date: Select dates between Nov. 15 and Feb. 28
Location: Cameron Run Regional Park, 4001 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria
Cost: General admission tickets start at $10.30. Tickets for skating sessions are sold separately.
5. Celebration in Lights
If you prefer to admire holiday lights from the comfort of your car rather than on foot, check out Celebration in Lights. This drive-through holiday light show is two miles long and features displays of snowmen, penguins, falling snow, and more created with more than one million lights.
Date: Nov. 27 through Jan. 1
Location: Newport News Park, 13560 Jefferson Ave., Newport News
Cost: Weekday tickets cost $15 per car, with the fee increasing to $20 per car on the weekend.
6. Winchester Winter Village
Winchester Winter Village is designed to resemble a European Christmas market with festive decor and a variety of vendors selling traditional food and crafts. The weekend-long festival will also include a Santa-themed pub crawl, horse-drawn wagon rides, carolers, and live music.
Date: Dec. 5-7
Location: Old Town Winchester
Cost: Free
7. McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival
Get your holiday shopping done at the McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival. This festival features goods—ranging from pottery and fine art to accessories and soaps—crafted by about 80 different regional artisans. There is also an on-site cafe where you can refuel or relax with a beverage after a long day of shopping.
Date: Dec. 5-7
Location: McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean
Cost: $5
8. Alexandria’s Biggest Holiday Weekend
As the name implies, Alexandria’s Biggest Holiday Weekend is packed with holiday fun, including the 54th annual Scottish Christmas Walk Parade and the Holiday Boat Parade of Lights. Some memorable boats from last year’s parade include one called Santa’s Floating UFO and another dubbed Reindeer Rave.
Select small businesses in the area will host hands-on activities for children, such as ornament and sustainable gift making, writing letters to Santa, and crafting Christmas crowns.
Date: Dec. 5-7
Location: Old Town Alexandria
Cost: Free
9. Winter Wonderfest
Winter Wonderfest packs tons of holiday fun into one day. There will be all the activities you expect from a winter festival, including photo opportunities with Santa, carriage rides, live performances, and shopping, plus some more unique attractions, including a gingerbread house competition.
Date: Dec. 6
Location: Downtown Harrisonburg
Cost: Free
10. Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade
Yorktown puts on a special kind of holiday light show every year. At the Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade, boats decked out in festive lights cruise down the river at night as onlookers admire them from land. Before the parade kicks off, there will be musical performances, a holiday story hour, free hot cider, and carolers spreading joy throughout Riverwalk Landing.
Date: Dec. 6
Location: Yorktown Waterfront, 331 Water St., Yorktown
Cost: Free
11. Santa’s Wonderland and Winter Festival Parade
Mark your calendars for the 39th annual Santa’s Wonderland and Winter Festival Parade, scheduled to take place on Dec. 6. This holiday event begins with a parade and appearance by Santa Claus. Other activities and attractions include holiday-themed arts and crafts, cookie decorating, a toy drive, vendors selling unique gifts and edible treats, a fire pit, and more.
Date: Dec. 6
Location: Town Hill, Washington Ave., Colonial Beach
Cost: Free
12. A Very Merry ALX Jazz Fest
The culminating event of the 2025 Alexandria Jazz Festival, A Very Merry ALX Jazz Fest, will fill the George Washington Masonic National Memorial with the sounds of jazz on Dec. 12. In addition to the live music, this event will feature art, poetry, visits with Santa Claus, food and drinks from local vendors, and tours of the Masonic Observation Deck.
Date: Dec. 12
Location: George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr., Alexandria
Cost: Free
13. Herndon WinterMarkt
Transport yourself to Europe this Christmas—no plane ride required. The Herndon WinterMarkt brings the charm of a European Christmas market to Herndon, with plenty of food, drinks, unique gifts, and handcrafted holiday decorations available for purchase.
Date: Dec. 13
Location: In front of the Herndon Municipal Building (777 Lynn St.), Historic Herndon
Cost: Free
14. Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon
Have you ever wondered what George Washington’s home might have looked like at Christmas time? You can find out at Christmas Illuminations at Mount Vernon, a holiday event featuring historic spaces throughout the famed estate illuminated with festive lights, plus fireworks over the Potomac River, an artisan market, and tasty treats like s’mores and gingerbread.
You can also learn about colonial-era holiday traditions and the life of Revolutionary War soldiers, dance to 18th-century music, play games in a tent, and meet Aladdin the Camel.
Date: Dec. 20-21
Location: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon
Cost: Adult, general public (non-member) tickets cost $58.
15. First Night Alexandria
First Night Alexandria is a New Year’s Eve celebration that’s been bringing people together to close out the year every year for more than three decades. The family-friendly event features live music and performers, a dance party, and two firework displays over the Potomac River.
Date: Dec. 31
Location: Multiple locations throughout Old Town Alexandria
Cost: Free
16. Winter Wildlife Festival
Winter Wildlife Festival is a multi-day celebration of coastal wildlife in Virginia Beach. The festival kicks off with a free event on Jan. 24 featuring workshops, activities for the kids, special exhibits and vendors, food trucks, and a silent auction.
The fun continues with multiple events every day through Feb. 1, ranging from wildlife photography courses to birding walks to night hikes. (You can see the full schedule of activities, along with their location and cost, here.)
Date: Jan. 24 to Feb. 1
Location: Multiple locations (varies based on activity)
Cost: Prices vary based on your chosen activities.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
