Weekend Packed With Holiday Celebrations

By Amber Lester Kennedy Friday, December 03, 2010

The Yorktown Boat Parade is one of several holiday events in the Historic Triangle this weekend.

Tree lightings, parades and parties will fill the weekend in Williamsburg, James City County and York County. Here’s a guide to getting into the season’s spirit this weekend.

Friday

Gather at the Victory Monument for the Christmas Tree Lighting at 7 p.m. in Yorktown . Glow sticks will be handed out to symbolize a candlelight procession and to honor military servicemen and women around the world. The Town Crier will lead the procession, accompanied by the Fifes and Drums of York Town, through the historic area down to Riverwalk Landing. The Yorktown Chorale will perform holiday songs and Santa Claus will pay a visit to the celebration.

In Williamsburg, pop by New Town to enjoy special celebrations and treats at shops and restaurants from open to close.

Saturday

Start the weekend with holiday cheer at the Williamsburg Community Christmas Parade, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Merchants Square. Led by Grand Marshal Carl Lum, the new president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg, more than 105 participants, including floats, will proceed along Richmond Road to William & Mary Hall. Call (757) 229-6511 for more information about the parade.

Later in the morning, steal some decorating ideas from the homes included in the 51st Annual Christmas Homes Tour. This year, the homes of the President of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the College of William and Mary are included on the tour. Noted Williamsburg residences will open their doors to visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; tickets cost $25 (or $7 to tour a single building) and include use of a shuttle bus from the Visitor Center. Tickets can be purchased at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center and the Williamsburg Lodge from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Learn more here.

At 10:30 a.m., the Christmas Market on Main will open to shoppers on Historic Main Street in Yorktown. Buyers can admire arts and crafts, classic cars, strolling entertainment and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The event is free and runs until 4 p.m.

Great Wolf Lodge will start its month-long holiday celebration, Snowland, with a tree lighting ceremony and visit from Santa Claus at 6 p.m. Santa will visit with children until 8 p.m., with photographs available in the Cub Club. For the rest of the month, the Lodge will host visits from Santa each night; nightly Winter Wonderland trolley rides from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, and 17-30; musical performances and indoor snow in the Grand Lobby; Santa’s Workshop; and the North Pole University for Elves, where kids can learn all it takes to become an elf. Find the full schedule of events here.

On Saturday night, pull on some boots and head down to the Yorktown beach at 7 p.m. to watch decorated boats parade by for the annual Lighted Boat Parade. Bonfires and hot cider will keep revelers toasty, and music will entertain until the parade begins. The event is free. If you’d like to grab a bite to eat prior to the boat parade, reserve a spot for Riverwalk Restaurant’s wine dinner, at $74.95 per person. Call (757) 875-1522 to make a reservation.

Sunday

Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town will start the day bright and early with an 8K dash at 8:30 a.m. Runners of all levels will race through the holiday-themed attraction alongside Chick-fil-A cows to benefit Toys for Tots. To register, click here.

Enjoy fireworks, music and festive decorations at Colonial Williamsburg’s annual Grand Illumination event on Sunday. Starting at 11:30 a.m., visitors can listen to traditional Virginia tunes played by CW’s musicians at the DeWitt Museum while they wait for the real event, which kicks off at dusk around 4:45 p.m. Guests can watch performances until fireworks light up the winter sky at 6:15 p.m. Fireworks displays will be presented in three locations – the Palace, Magazine and Capitol. Watching the fireworks is free, but tickets are required for the other events in the historic area.

If guests want to continue the celebration, they can enjoy candlelight tours of the Capitol starting every 15 minutes from 7:30 to 8:30. Visitors hoping to grab a bite to eat before the festivities can make reservations for tavern fare at Christiana Campbell’s, King’s Arms and Shields Taverns for seatings at 4:15 and 4:30 p.m. For information about reservations and tickets, click here.

For those who’d like to enjoy an elegant meal before the fireworks, Williamsburg Winery is hosting wine dinners with round-trip transfers to-and-from the winery and Historic Williamsburg. The holiday meals will be from noon to 4 p.m., with transfers running from 3 to 9 p.m. For $30 a person, diners can enjoy dishes from seven chefs paired with Williamsburg Winery wine, including the transfer rides.

To find more holiday events, visit the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance here.