Its here! The Ultimate Holiday Guide for Events in and around Richmond this holiday season. This year’s guide is full of events for the whole family.
To make it as easy as possible for you to find exactly what you’re looking for this holiday season, we’ve organized the events by category. If we’re missing your favorite events or traditions, let us know, and we’ll add them!
From the entire team at Richmond Moms Blog, we wish your family a joyful, peaceful, and fun holiday season!
Holiday Guide Categories
Event | Date/Time | Location |
The James Center Grand Illumination | Fri., November 30 5:50 – 7 pm |
James Center Plaza 1003 E Cary St Richmond |
Main Street Station Illumination Party | Fri., November 30 4-10 pm Illumination at 6 pm |
Main Street Station 1500 E. Main St. |
Light Up the Tracks! | Fri., December 1 6 – 9:30 pm |
500 South Center Street Ashland |
RVA Tacky Light Tour | December 1 – New Years | See website for locations. |
Community Menorah Lighting | December 13, 14, 18 & 19 5:45 pm |
Weinstein JCC Neil November Plaza Ave |
Dominion Gardenfest of Lights | November 23 – January 7, 2019 5 – 10 pm each night |
Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens Closed Dec. 24 & 25 |
The Illuminated Light Show & Santa’s Village | November 16 – December 31 5:30 – 10 pm each night |
Meadow Event Park 13191 Dawn Blvd Doswell |
Holiday Glitter: Monument Avenue After Dark | Wed., December 26 6 – 7:30 pm |
Monument Avenue median across from 1805 Monument Avenue. |
Event | Date/Time | Location |
The Game’s Afoot Holmes for the Holidays | November 30- January 6th Various Times |
VA Repertory Theatre |
Handel’s Messiah | December 8 7:30 pm |
Carpenter Theater 600 East Grace Street |
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer The Musical | November 23 – 25 7:00 pm |
Altria Theatre 6 N Laurel Street |
Chris Tomlin Christmas | December 6 7 pm |
Carpenter Theater 600 East Grace Street |
Music at Midday | November 27 – December 27 Select Days 12:00 pm |
Jefferson Hotel Palm Court or Rotunda |
Tea with Legendary Santa | December 1- 23 2:00 pm |
Hilton Richmond Downtown 501 East Broad Street |
Glorious Christmas Nights | November 29, 30 December 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Various times |
West End Assembly of God |
Trans-Siberian Orchestra | December 19 7:30 pm |
The Richmond Coliseum |
Cirque Music Holiday Presents Wonderland | December 11 7:30p pm |
Altria Theater 6 N Laurel Street |
Richmond Ballet’s The Nutcracker with the Richmond Symphony | December 14 – 23 Various Times |
Carpenter Theater 600 East Grace Street |
Hip Hop Nutcracker | December 30 7:00 pm |
Altria Theatre 6 N Laurel Street |
Christmas with the Richmond Pops | December 18 7:30 pm |
Altria Theater 6 N Laurel Street |
Check the websites for hours and prices.
Event | Date/Time | Location |
Sensitive Santa Sensory-Friendly Visit | November 29, 30 & December 1 5:30 – 8:30 pm Advanced Registration Required |
CMoR Central |
Richmond Moms Blog Annual Pancakes & Pajamas | December 8 various timesAdvanced Registration Required |
3601 Lauderdale Dr. Richmond VA 23233 |
Santa Cares Sensory=Friendly Visit | December 9 8:00 am – 10:00 am |
Chesterfield Towne Center |
Short Pump Town Center Santa Keepsake Photos | Now – December 24 | Short Pump Town Center: Pals Clubhouse on the Upper Level near L.L. Bean |
Bass Pro Shops Santa’s Wonderland | Now – December 24 |
Bass Pro Shops Ashland |
Virginia Center Commons Santa | November 27 – December 26
Breakfast with Santa |
Virginia Center Commons |
Children’s Museum Legendary Santa | November 23 – December 24 | CMoR Central |
Cabela’s Santa’s Wonderland | Now – December 24 | Cabela’s Short Pump |
Stony Point Fashion Park Santa Photos | Now – December 24 | Stony Point Fashion Park |
Westchester Commons Visits and Photos with Santa | November 16 – December 23 | Westchester Commons Santa’s North Pole Annex Train Station 317 Perimeter Dr |
Check sites for run registration deadlines.
Event | Date/Time | Location |
Jingle Bell Run | December 5 Registration: 8 am Race: 9 am Includes a kid run |
Mary Munford Elem. |
Tacky Light Run | December 8 Race: 6 pm |
Midlothian Mines Park |
Run-A-Latke | December 9 5K: 10:00 am 1 Miler: 9:30 am |
Weinstein JCC 5403 Monument Ave |
Toy Run 5K | December 9 5K: 1:00 pm Kid’s Run: 12:30 pm |
Glen Allen |
Event | Date/Time | Location |
Dominion Energy Christmas Parade | December 1 10 am |
From the Science Museum on W. Broad Street to 7th Street |
Petersburg Parade and Illumination | November 29 6:30 – 8:00 pm |
2223 South Crater Road to 3500 South Crater Road |
Powhatan County Christmas Parade | December 8 |
Powhatan Courthouse Village 3880 Old Buckingham Rd Powhatan |
Chester Christmas Parade | December 9 2:00 – 5:00 pm |
From the Chester YMCA and to Centre Street/Harrowgate Road |
James River Parade of Lights | Cancelled this year for boater safety |
Libby Hill Park, Dutch Gap Boat Landing, and Henricus Historical Park. |
Event | Date/Time | Location |
Bethlehem Walk Interactive Outdoor Nativity | November 28 6 – 9:00 pm November 29 6 – 9:00 pm November 30 6 – 10:00 pmDecember 1 4 – 9:00 pm December 2 3 – 8:00 pm |
Salem Baptist Church 465 Broad Street Road Manakin, VA 23103 (6 miles west of Short Pump) |
Miracle of Christmas – Live at the Zoo | December 21, 22, and 23
Three shows each evening at 7:00, 7:45, and 8:30. Zoo gates open at 6:15 p.m. for the first show. |
Richmond Zoo 8300 Beaver Bridge Rd Moseley, VA 23120 |
The Living Nativity at Broadus Church | December 6,7,8 & 13,14,15 | 5351 Pole Green Road Mechanicsville |
Event | Date/Time | Location |
Holiday Classics at the Byrd Theater | Various movie events | Byrd Theater |
Colonial Christmas at Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown | December 9 12 pm to 5 pm |
Ashland |
Annual Court End Christmas | December 9 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
The Valentine |
Victorian Holidays at Maymont | Various family-friendly events from
November 16 – January 6th |
Maymont |
The Rink at West Broad | Now – January 27th | West Broad Village |
Stony Point on Ice | Now – January 16th | Stony Point Fashion Park |
Event | Date/Time | Location |
The Central Virginia Children’s Book Bank | Ongoing | CMoR |
Coats for Kids | Collects coats through the month of November | Puritan Cleaners |
Toys for Tots | Now – December 15 | Various locations |
Season of Hope – St. Joseph’s Villa | Now – December 15 | St. Joseph’s Villa Brook Rd – See website for drop off times |
Event | Date/Time | Location |
Willey’s Chrsitmas Tree Farms | November 24 – December 24 | 6305 Mechanicsville Turnpike Mechanicsville, VA 23111 |
Mountain Road Nursery | Limited supply this year so get your trees early
See their site for hours |
16829 Mountain Rd Montpelier, Virginia |
Windy Knoll Farm | Not Open this year while their trees grow | 10094 Windy Knoll Dr Mechanicsville, Virginia |
Olde Church Christmas Tree Farm | Closed this Holiday Season to allow trees to grow | 2204 Old Church Road Powhatan, VA 23139 |
Holly Berry Christmas Tree Farm | December 2 & 3 only from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm | 3901 Fordham Rd. Richmond, VA 23236 |