Merry Christmas, Charlottesville!
Merriment & Magic.
If you like your holidays with a dash of razzmatazz, check out Charlottesville’s Christmas events. The Grand Illumination takes place at Ting Pavilion on the Downtown Mall on Dec. 6. The merriment commences just as evening falls and features vendors selling holiday crafts, tasty treats, and beverages, as well as a kid-friendly wonderland with bounce houses, face painting, games, and photo-ops.
Exciting musical acts perform your favorite holiday tunes on stage throughout the evening. At 7:30 p.m., it’s time to count down to the Grand Illumination of the Holiday Tree and watch 20,000 LED lights transform City Hall Plaza into a glowing fairytale.
Winter Wander at Boar’s Head is an opportunity to stroll through the resort’s rolling landscape, illuminated with thousands of lights. Especially appealing to the outdoorsy set, this trail of lights blankets the natural surroundings around Heritage Lake. Primarily a hard-surface route, it’s built for all walks of life.
A beloved tradition on the University of Virginia
campus is the Lighting of the Lawn, which began in 2001 in the wake of 9/11 to foster unity and inclusion in the local community. UVA students perform heartwarming musical acts as glow sticks, black lights, and neon balloons add to the cool vibe of this youthful holiday event.
For a more historical experience, join a behind-the-scenes tour of Monticello after dark. During the 90-minute tour (suitable for ages 7 and up), you’ll see Monticello decorated with the style of holiday greenery found during Jefferson’s era. You’ll also get an intimate look at how all who lived on the Monticello mountaintop celebrated the holidays.
Throughout the season, visitors and residents alike enjoy Magic on the Mall, featuring friendly elves, a scavenger hunt, peppermint treats, selfies with Santa, a Holiday Market every Saturday from Nov. 30–Dec. 21, the Holly Trolley, and a Hanukkah Celebration at Central Place on the Downtown Mall. VisitCharlottesville.org
More to explore…
Ashland
Ashland’s Christmas Market, Dec. 7, is styled after European open-air holiday markets with vendors, makers, and creators showcasing their wares. And don’t miss Light Up the Tracks, a mile-long twinkling spectacle that illuminates this charming railroad town throughout the season. Nov. 23–Jan. 1. AshlandVirginia.com
Lynchburg
The Lynchburg Community Market transforms into the Mistletoe Market during the holidays to showcase local vendors and purveyors—from coffee roasters to potters to bakers and more. Saturdays, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. LynchburgCommunityMarket.com
Fredericksburg
Downtown dazzles during Fredericksburg’s annual Christmas Parade. Stay late for Main Street After Dark, a late night shopping extravaganza. Dec. 7. FredericksburgChristmasParade.com
Merry Christmas, Virginia!
Christmas in Virginia wasn’t always celebrated with the pomp and circumstance it is today. Early colonists attended church, likely followed by a special meal. The big excitement was firing guns on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Photos with Santa, cut-your-own trees, jingle bells, and presents? These were not Christmas hallmarks or staples back in the day.
Today, it’s hard to imagine the holiday season in Virginia without decorating homes, making Christmas cookies, singing carols, and unwrapping presents around the tree on Christmas morning. Yuletide festivities seem to put everyone in a good mood—except maybe Ebenezer Scrooge, and eventually even he sees the light!
It’s a time of year when we open our doors to strangers and friends alike, and our traditions add to the cheeriness and warmth. My mother always made her Scottish grandmother’s shortbread. As kids, we helped “spank the dough” when Mom got tired of kneading. It’s a time for joyful experiences, whether cutting your own tree or attending a tree lighting in a festive town square.
If you’re ready to adopt new holiday traditions, Virginia is brimming with inventive ways and ideal places to celebrate. Need inspiration? Virginia Living breaks the state into five distinct regions. Here’s how a handful of Virginia’s small cities and towns across the regions celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
- Christmas in Northern Virginia
- Christmas in the Shenandoah Valley
- Christmas in Southwest Virginia
- Christmas in Eastern Virginia
This article originally appeared in our December 2024 issue.
