With the Christmas season comes the holiday traditions, festive food, light shows, hot chocolate, holiday shopping and a lot more!
Get into the holiday spirit with us, and check out the best Christmas events in Williamsburg.
#1 Colonial Williamsburg
101 Visitor Center Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185 | Website
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, is a great place for a holiday trip. Here, you can have fun visiting the historic area of the Governor’s Palace and have a taste of the royal government in Virginia,
Visit the Capitol to feel the American government, Public Armory to see artifacts and testimonials of the people who took part in the Revolutionary War.
You can also visit the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg. Visitors will have suggested itineraries and can orient on the maps or ask for a guide.
#2 Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town
Busch Gardens1 Busch Gardens Blvd. Williamsburg, VA 23185 | Website
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town is a lifetime experience for the whole family.
Attractions of this park are:
- Pantheon, the world’s fastest multi-launch roller coaster
- Verbolten, multi-launch indoor/ outdoor coaster
- Apollo’s Chariot, 825 feet hyper coaster
- InvadR, 9 hills, and 74-foot plunge at speed of 50 miles per hour
- Christmas town express, Busch Gardens Railway, and 20 minutes train ride
- Finnegan’s Flyer, is Screamin Swing – an extreme swing ride
- Winter Wonderland
WHERE TO STAY: What to Expect at the Beautiful Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town offers Holiday shows & entertainment, joy for the whole family:
- Up on Haustop, Christmas classics performance
- Unto Us, chloral celebration of the Christmas
- Celtic Fyre, a Christmas celebration
- O’ Tannenbaum
- Scrooge No More! story of Ebenezer Scrooge
- Twas That Night, ice skating show
- Elmo’s Christmas Wish, Christmas at Sesame street
#3 Jamestown Settlement
2110 Jamestown Road Williamsburg, VA 23185 | Website
Jamestown Settlement is a museum with gallery exhibits, films, and the outdoor living history of 17th-century Virginia.
Open from 9 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids ages 6 – 12. Parking is free.
#4 Yorktown Victory Center
200 Water Street Yorktown, VA 23690 | Website
Yorktown Victory Center is the American Revolution Museum with indoor exhibition galleries, films, and outdoor living history experiences. Open from 9 am to 5 pm.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids ages 6 – 12. Parking is free.
#5 Christmas Parade
The Christmas Parade will be held on December 3rd at 5 pm. All visitors can enjoy festive floats, live performances, and a special visit from Santa himself.
Floating check-in is at the Kaplan Arena, and the parade will begin at Brooks Street and Richmond Road intersect.
#6 Kingsmill Resort
1010 Kingsmill Road, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185 | Website
Kingsmill Resort is Four Diamond Condominium Golf Resort, that offers fantastic accommodations, and many interesting recreational activities. Kingsmill Resort offers several vacation packages.
Ahead of the Curve is Kingsmill Elite Golf Package. They have Cottages – 3 and 4-bedroom Vacation Rentals for guests’ accommodations. You can organize all kinds of celebrations in Kingsmill.
#6 New Year’s Eve Fireworks
The Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg
301 S Nassau Street Williamsburg, VA 23185 | Website
All visitors are offered free community celebrations and fireworks. On the Lawn of the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg is a heated tent with large TV screens to watch the ball drop and beverages to purchase.
MORE WILLIAMSBURG FUN: Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg: Attractions & Discounts
#7 Go Ice Skating at Liberty Ice Pavilion
W Duke of Gloucester St, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Ice Skating at Liberty Ice Pavilion is family fun during the holiday season. Liberty Ice Pavilion in Colonial Williamsburg is one of the best places in Virginia to feel the vibe of American colonial history.
Visitors can park their vehicles at the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg in the Merchant Square for free or pay for parking in the garage on Henry Street. Liberty Ice Skating Pavilion’s working hours are every day from Nov. 18. to Feb. 26. This event place is open on holidays too.
#8 Virginia Living Museum
524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd. Newport News, VA 23601 | Website
This Museum offers Indoor exhibits with animals and plants from the Virginia region, Changing Exhibits, Outdoor Exhibits, and Gardens with birds and animals from the Virginia region in the Goodson Living Green House, Abbitt Planetarium with full-screen projector system projecting the solar system, planets, black hole, stars, and constellations.
Animals and Plants from the Virginia area are exhibited in this museum’s permanent Outdoor Exhibit is also Dinosaur Discovery Trail with 16 dinosaurs who lived in Virginia 150 million years ago in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
#9 An Afternoon Tea and a Holiday Movie at the Williamsburg Lodge
310 South England Street, Williamsburg, VA | Website
The Williamsburg Lodge is a place for visitors who wish to feel the charm of South America. Modern meets are traditional in The Williamsburg Lodge, placed in the center of historic Williamsburg. Visitors can enjoy the spa and the golf course.
This place is fun for the whole family and offers several packages: Fall Getaway package and Holiday Getaway Package, Romance package for two, Golden Horseshoe Unlimited Golf Package, Spa Escape Package, and Colonial Williamsburg Package.
The Williamsburg Lodge offers visitors the to taste Colonial Williamsburg, afternoon sweet, tea, and barley.
#10 Grand Illumination of Colonial Williamsburg
Website
Grand Illumination of Colonial Williamsburg is a three-weekend celebration of the holiday season.
Major events were the birthdays of regional rulers, military victories, or new colonial governor arrivals.
Colonial Williamsburg is celebrating the whole colonial era of this city. During these three weekends, Williamsburg is decorated with historic details.
#11 Christmastide in Virginia at the American Revolution Museum
200 Water St, Yorktown, VA 23690 | Website
The American Revolution Museum in Yorktown offers visitors a program to experience 18th-century holiday celebrations.
The concept is to present Christmas and winter in a military encampment during the war. This is a unique chance for all guests to feel the atmosphere of farm holiday preparation.
This is the presentation of winter camp life, with holiday cooking in the farm kitchen. Visitors will watch films about the Christmas holiday. The artifacts from this era are presented to visitors and 4 -D experimental theater.
#12 Go Christmas Shopping at the Christmas Shop on the Duke of Gloucester Street
415 Duke of Gloucester Street Williamsburg, VA 23185 | Website
The Christmas Shop on Duke of Gloucester Street is the oldest in Williamsburg specializing in Christmas celebrations merchandise.
All visitors of Williamsburg and Duke of Gloucester Street have a chance to shop for Williamsburg ornaments in this beautiful shop.
The working hours are on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 8 pm, and Monday to Friday from 10 am to 8 pm.
#13 See the Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Governor’s Palace
Market Square, Williamsburg, Virginia | Website
The Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is an event on the Night before Christmas, starting at 5 pm.
This event happens in front of the Courthouse Steps on Market square. The light displays are fun for the whole family.
There is an interesting story about the first Christmas tree in Virginia. Father Christmas lightens the 40-foot spruce with 7500 twinkling holiday lights.
The date of this ceremony is December 1 from 5 pm to 5:30 pm.
#14 See Of Christmas Past
Governor’s Palace East Advance, Williamsburg, Virginia | Website
Of Christmas Past is the story of memories of a newly arrived servant to the colony with his master about his mother country, and holiday celebrations, life, and tradition in the mother country.
This is an interesting event for the whole family. Visitors of all ages are welcome.
#15 Take a Christmas Decorations Walking Tour
James Geddy House, Williamsburg, Virginia | Website
Christmas Decorations Walking Tour is a great chance for all visitors of Williamsburg to see Colonial Williamsburg decorated with fantastic traditional Christmas decorations.
The building exteriors and streets of Williamsburg are at that time decorated traditionally with materials and constructions from the Colonial era of American History.
The event place is James Geddy House. The date of the Christmas Decoration Walking Tour is November 25, from 10 am to 11 am.
#16 Take the Ashland Santa Train to Colonial Williamsburg
104 S Railroad Ave, Ashland, VA 23005 | Website
The Ashland Santa Train to Colonial Williamsburg excursion starts at 7:30 on Dec 3rd. At 8 am Santa arrives at Ashland station and the excursion starts.
The program includes a trip from Ashland to Williamsburg, a Short walk from the train station to Historic Area or Merchant Square, a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, and many more activities.
Ticket prices for Adults are $110 and for Children 2 – 12 $55. Kids under 2 are welcome to travel for free.
#17 Participate in a Campground Christmas Decorating Contest
Anvil Campground, 5243 Mooretown Rd, Williamsburg, VA | Website
Campground Christmas Decorating Contest is an event organized every weekend from Thanksgiving weekend to New Year for the best Christmas-decorated campsites. This is a fun time for the whole family.
All visitors can participate in this event and decorate their site. The Anvil’s Christmas Lighting Weekends starts in late November.
The time of that event is from 2 pm to 11 p. Tickets for Anvil’s Christmas Light Weekends visitors can buy online too.
#18 A Celebration of the Yule Log
The Magazine Yard, Williamsburg, Virginia | Website
A Celebration of the Yule Log is a special event in Williamsburg. Visitors follow the Yule log. The starting point is Capitol Circle. The celebration line is going to Market Square.
During this event, there is live music, Christmas lights, and an 18th-century community as well as a present-day community of Williamsburg.
The Place of a celebration of the Yule Log is Magazine Yard.
#19 Watch the Annual Lighted Boat Parade
Riverwalk Landing Piers331 Water Street Yorktown, VA 23690 | Website
The Annual Lighted Boat Parade is in Yorktown organized this year for the 25th time. Come early for the pre-parade!
Live entertainment and caroling around the beach together with free hot cider are starting tune of the whole event.
The time of this event is from 7 pm to 8 pm and the place of the Annual Lighted Boat Parade is Riverwalk Landing Piers.
#20 Attend the Holiday Pops Concert
Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, 215 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, Virginia | Website
The Holiday Pops Concert is an event with music director Michael Butterman, and guest Artist Sarah Jane McMahon. This event is a great experience for the whole family.
Coloratura Christal soprano Sara Jane McMahon will perform Holiday classic themes, well known to all quests.
#21 See Holiday Brass on the Virginia Symphony
St. Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, Virginia | Website
For all visitors who love the sound of brass music, this event is a unique holiday experience. This concert is a new holiday tradition. It will be performed with holiday music featuring the Virginia Sound Orchestra brass and percussion section.
More in Williamsburg
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in Williamsburg on Christmas?
There is a lot to do during Christmas in Williamsburg. The events on Christmas in Williamsburg to be good to be missed are Lighting of the Cressets, Holiday Brass at the Virginia Symphony, the Holiday Pops Concert, the Annual Lighted Boat Parade, Campground Christmas Decorating Contest, and many more.
Is Christmas a good time to visit Williamsburg VA?
Christmas is the best time to visit Williamsburg because of all events specially organized during the Holiday season.
Does Williamsburg decorate for Christmas?
Williamsburg’s historic buildings and Streets are decorated in traditional colonial style with traditional colonial materials and ornaments.
