Photo by Mary Ann Barton
Colonial Williamsburg wreath
Looking to get away? You can head to Greater Williamsburg, just a two-hour drive from Alexandria, brimming with traditions both old and new throughout December.
Note: Due to coronavirus restrictions, it's important to be as safe as possible when you go. Wear a mask at all times and maintain social distancing (both indoors and outdoors). In addition, the CDC and local health officials are recommending you get a COVID-19 test both before you leave and a few days after you return. You should also quarantine as much as possible after your return while waiting for test results.
In Colonial Williamsburg, visitors can enjoy special holiday events throughout December. In addition to caroling at the Courthouse, visitors can enjoy walking tours highlighting colonial Christmas decorations and the galleries of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
Other holiday events include visits with Father Christmas, ice skating at the Liberty Ice Pavilion and the community Christmas Tree lighting with special readings of “The Night Before Christmas.”
Other traditional holiday events include the Lighting of the Cressets on historic Duke of Gloucester Street with strolling musicians and tidings of good cheer Dec. 17 - 24. Still need to finish up some holiday shopping? There are plenty of opportunities to shop for unique colonial gifts such as wreaths, centerpieces, and more.
The Busch Gardens Christmas Celebration runs on select dates through Jan. 3, featuring new village entertainment, 15 roller coasters and rides, a gingerbread scavenger hunt, festive holiday shopping, sweet culinary offerings and meeting Santa in his workshop.
In Yorktown, catch the Yorktown Christmas Tree Lighting, a community tradition that goes back to 1945, on Dec. 4. The Christmas Market on Main Street, Dec. 5-6, features 60 vendors for holiday gift shopping along with holiday music, The Fifes and Drums of Yorktown, festive food and drink and an appearance by Santa on York County’s first fire truck.
On Dec. 6, enjoy Cookies with Santa at the Gallery at York Hall and learn about ancient Norse influences on modern Christmas culture at the Viking Yuletide Celebrationat the Watermen’s Museum. Shop for holiday gifts while enjoying chowders, soups, baked goods and other treats at the Mistletoe Market at Riverwalk Landing, Dec. 12, also featuring a live ice carving demonstration and a Toyland Parade.
From Dec. 19-31, Christmastide in Virginia at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown recalls 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions through special interpretive programs and musical entertainment of the period. At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, hear accounts of Christmas and winter in military encampments during the American Revolution and glimpse holiday preparations on a Revolution-era farm. A Jamestown Settlement, compare and contrast English Christmas customs of the period with how the season may have been observed in the difficult early years of the Jamestown colony.
At Berkeley Plantation, enjoy Centuries of Christmas, Dec. 5 - Jan. 1, when the elegant 1726 mansion will be beautifully decorated with fresh greenery from Berkley’s gardens. Highlights include costumed guides sharing four centuries of stories, tours, workshops, teas and other special events.
If you're planning to spend a night or two Kingsmill Resort and the Williamsburg Inn offer a variety of options.
