Live Out Your Hallmark Christmas Movie Dreams in Williamsburg Virginia
If you want to live inside a Hallmark Holiday movie, book a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. It turns into a magical place throughout the holiday season with romantic carriage rides, boat parades, epic holiday light displays, and charming holiday markets, to name just a few.
A Local’s Best Advice
Its central Northeast location is within one day’s drive for a large portion of the U.S. population. So skip those expensive holiday flights, and drive or even take Amtrak to a magical Williamsburg Christmas vacation. Here are the best ways to enjoy a Williamsburg Christmas from local resident Wander With Alex.
Even the town thinks the last week of the year is “the most wonderful week of the year” in Williamsburg. There are many idyllic holiday things to do on a Williamsburg Christmas trip. Let’s get to them!
Busch Gardens Christmas Town
Busch Gardens Christmas Town is a holiday activity for the entire family to enjoy. Busch Garden Williamsburg turns into a magical Christmas wonderland from November to January. Touting “10 million twinkling lights,” Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers one of North America’s largest Christmas light shows!
In addition to your favorite amusement park rides, your family can enjoy ice skating, light shows, and delicious food from around the world! And let’s not forget the ever-popular Christmas shows! Enjoy annual musicals such as ‘Twas That Night and Up on the Haustop. Your Williamsburg Christmas vacation isn’t complete without a visit to Busch Gardens Christmas Town!
Colonial Williamsburg Christmas Events
Colonial Williamsburg holds several different events during the Christmas season. First, the Grand Illumination is held three weekends in December. First, take a walk or carriage ride through the grounds and enjoy the beautiful Christmas décor. Then, enjoy holiday traditions from the 18th century and end the night watching spectacular fireworks at the Capitol Building.
Colonial Williamsburg also offers ice skating on the Historic Duke of Gloucester St. at the Liberty’s Ice Pavilion Outdoor Ice-Skating rink. So enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or cider and watch the kids have fun on the ice. Or, better yet, join them out there! Ice skating season passes and day passes are available as skate rentals.
Enjoy many other holiday traditions, such as the Yule Log celebration, the 12 Days and Nights before Christmas, and a Christmas decoration walking tour.
Christmas Tree Lighting
Take the family to the community Colonial Williamsburg Christmas tree lighting! Located in Market Square on Duke of Gloucester St., the annual tree lighting offers Christmas décor, holiday carols, and a 40ft Christmas tree with over 7,500 lights!
Another fun Christmas tree lighting ceremony occurs nearby Yorktown at Victory Monument & Riverwalk Landing. This lighting tradition started in 1945 and has continued to this day. Enjoy live music and local holiday traditions, and take the kids to see the Clauses!
Winter Carriage Rides in Williamsburg
Carriage rides, and wagon rides, can accommodate 1 to 4 people. Enjoy Christmas decor, music, and the aroma of the holiday season while touring the grounds of Historic Colonial Williamsburg. Carriage rides are an excellent activity for families and friends or a romantic outing with your significant other!
Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade
Street parades are a traditional family activity during the holiday season, but have you ever been to a lighted boat parade? If not, you’re in luck! Yorktown, just 15 minutes from Williamsburg, holds an annual lighted boat parade free to the public! So, grab a cup of hot chocolate, grab a seat, and marvel over the beautifully decorated boats floating along the York River this holiday season. Oh, and don’t forget your flashlights and lawn chairs!
Williamsburg Christmas Market
If you love Traditional European Christmas Markets, you’ll want to head to the Downtown Williamsburg P6 parking lot on Francis Street this holiday season! Free to the public, the newly assembled Williamsburg Christmas Market offers live entertainment, fire pits, Christmas music, and 60 different vendors throughout the event. Drink cider and wine while shopping and trying locally made goods.
Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra: Holiday Pops
If you love the music and sounds of the holiday season, then you’ll love the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra’s annual holiday concert, Holiday Pops! The December concert series occurs the weekend of the Grand Illumination in Colonial Williamsburg. Perfect for the entire family, the Holiday Pops series showcases classics, carols, and an atmosphere that will surely get you in the Christmas spirit.
Annual Williamsburg Christmas Parade
Now, who doesn’t love a good Christmas parade? A local tradition since 1965, the annual Williamsburg Christmas Parade is a fun family community activity. So relax on the sidelines, bundled up with your loved ones, with a cup of hot chocolate in hand!
Enjoy decorated floats with hundreds of twinkling lights, performances by local school bands, live entertainment, and even Mr. Clause himself! The parade begins on Brooks Street and Richmond Road and ends in the Colonial Williamsburg employee parking lot.
Christmas at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
If you’re a history buff, you’ll love learning about 17th and 18th-century Christmas traditions at two popular living museums in Yorktown! An interactive outdoor learning experience will involve reenactments, live music, and storytelling.
Referred to as “Christmastide in Virginia,” you’ll first want to visit the Jamestown Settlement outdoor living museum. See buildings decorated in greenery, watch traditional holiday cooking, and learn about hunting in those times.
Then visit the American Revolution Museum and learn all about what it was like for the Continental Army during Christmas—they were living in camps! You will also learn about rationing, muskets, and Christmas traditions.
Holiday Dining in Williamsburg
Traditionally, Christmas meals are a big deal in Williamsburg. Many taverns and local restaurants are open for Christmas breakfast and brunch. Shield’s Tavern, King’s Arms Tavern, and Christiana Campbell’s Tavern have their waitstaff in costume. You’ll also enjoy your Christmas breakfast or brunch while listening to carolers sing some of the classics.
If it’s dinner you are looking for, be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. Popular Williamsburg Christmas dinner restaurants include the Colonial Williamsburg Lodge, Campbell’s Tavern, Kingsmill Resort, and the Williamsburg Winery.
If given the opportunity, the experience at the Colonial Williamsburg Lodge is one of a kind. Attend the Yuletide Supper on Christmas Eve, and then have an 18th-century style feast for Christmas dinner while enjoying live classical music.
NEXT: A Top Player Picks The 10 Best Golf Courses in Williamsburg Virginia
Have you heard about the picturesque golfing paradise of Williamsburg, Virginia? Nestled amidst this historic region’s rolling hills and verdant landscapes, Williamsburg boasts an impressive array of golf courses that are sure to delight enthusiasts of all skill levels. From meticulously designed championship layouts to scenic fairways framed by lush foliage, this charming destination offers an authentic golfing experience.
“Williamsburg has 12 championship courses designed by some of the sport’s greatest players such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Pairing pristine fairways, challenging bunkers, and natural landscapes with temperate weather and easily accessible greens, Williamsburg invites golfers of all levels to come and play at one of the mid-Atlantic’s premier golfing destinations,” said Victoria Cimino, CEO Visit Williamsburg.
A Top Player Picks The 10 Best Golf Courses in Williamsburg, Virginia
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