Update Friday: While the weather forecast for this weekend is bleak, it is not expected to be severe enough to cancel the Williamsburg Christmas Parade or Grand Illumination. If there are any updates, they can be found at the parade website or Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination website.
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Moving into December, the holiday events have kicked into high gear. Check out a full weekend of events in Historic Yorktown or listen to any number of concerts featuring holiday music.
We’ll be publishing What Yule Do — the holiday version of What You’ll Do — every week throughout the season to keep readers in the know about events happening in the area.
Have a holiday event you’d like to see highlighted? Submit to our free community events calendar, which you can find on the right side of the page.
Music
The Saint Bede Music Ministry will present an Advent Festival of Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m. today. The free concert will include assembly sung carols, Scripture readings, and choral music by the adult, youth and children’s choirs.
Hear some familiar tunes at the William & Mary Symphony Orchestra Winter Concert, 8 p.m. Friday. The student musicians will perform Nutcracker Suite No. 1 and excerpts from “Die Fledermaus,” an operetta. The concert is at Phi Beta Kappa Hall.
For more W&M music, the William and Mary Choral Winter Concerts are at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday at Phi Beta Kappa Hall. The joint concert features the W&M Choir, Botetourt Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus. Each group will offer holiday selections. There will also be an opportunity to raise your voice with the ensembles in some classic carols. The 2 p.m. concert features a family sing-a-long section.
You have three chances to catch the Williamsburg Symphonia’s Holiday Pops Concert: 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1:30 and 3 p.m. Sunday. The Symphonia will perform music for the holidays at the Kimball Theatre and feature singer/songwriter Susan Greenbaum. Learn more about the Symphonia’s 30th Anniversary Season here.
The local group Daughters of the King will be singing Christmas Carols on Sunday near the Seasonal Shop at the Williamsburg Pottery. The performance starts at 3 p.m., and there will be free hot cocoa and cookies.
Cantori, a vocal chamber ensemble, presents a repeat performance of its annual Christmas concert This Shining Night, at Hickory Neck Episcopal Church in Toano. The group is made up of a 12 professional musicians with extensive training and experience. The free concert will feature a cappella and accompanied sacred music for Christmas, and will start at 5 p.m.
Colonial Williamsburg
Since 1965, the Williamsburg Christmas Parade is an annual tradition. This year’s parade is 9 a.m. Saturday, beginning at Merchants Square.
At the 54th annual Christmas Homes Tour, tour private residences beautifully decorated for the holidays by local floral designers, garden club members, and friends. All of the houses are located on or near the Duke of Gloucester Street. Tours run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and proceeds fund scholarships and local horticultural projects.
Sunday marks the 80th Grand Illumination, with holiday music, refreshments and tours throughout the day. The traditional fireworks display, launched from three sites in Colonial Williamsburg, begins at 7 p.m.
See the full article on the Christmas Parade and Grand Illumination in the Hometown section.
Historic Yorktown
The festivities for Yorktown Holiday Weekend begin Friday with a Christmas Tree Lighting. The Procession of Lights, led by the Town Crier and the Fifes & Drums of Yorktown, will step off from the Victory Monument at 7:30 p.m. and proceed down historic Main Street to end at Riverwalk Landing. Participants are encouraged to gather at the monument by 6:30, and music by the U.S. Fleet Forces Band Brass Quintet will begin at Riverwalk Landing at 7 p.m. Santa will be present at the lighting ceremony and will greet children until 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, do some shopping at the 8th annual Christmas Market on Main Street. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can enjoy demonstrations, arts and crafts, living history exhibits, roasted chestnuts, food and more. Historic buildings and museums will be open and decorated for the holidays. Main Street entertainment begins at 10:30 a.m. with strolling instrumental ensembles, caroling and holiday arrangements, concluding at 1:45 p.m.
Following the market, the waterfront will light up with the 17th annual Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade. Decorated in holiday spirit, local sail, pleasure and work boats will parade the York River in competition for “Best in Show.” Waterfront events begin at 6 p.m. with free hot cider served by Boy Scout Troop 123 of Seaford. Musical performances by the Yorktown Chorale and The Fifes & Drums of York Town will take place before parade judging begins at 7 p.m. Families are encouraged to bring flashlights to assist in navigation around town at night.
To wrap up the weekend, the Gallery at York Hall will feature Cookies with Santa. Children of all ages are welcome for the free event, where refreshments will be available.
For more information on any of these events, visit Historic Yorktown’s website.
Other Celebrations
Ring in the Christmas season with hot cocoa, cookies, and an old-fashioned candlelight procession at Walsingham Academy’s 3rd Annual Christmas Lights on the Green. Sing along with students from Walsingham Academy’s Madrigals and Upper School Chorus Friday night, starting at 5 p.m. in McAuley Hall. The event will culminate with a visit from St. Nicholas and the season’s debut of Walsingham’s Sleigh of Service Christmas float.
The Williamsburg Winery is holding its annual Holiday Celebration from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Executive Chef Ika Zaken, using locally produced ingredients, will prepare small plates highlighting what each farm cultivates at eight food stations through Wessex Hall. Each dish will be paired with a Williamsburg Winery wine. Cellar tours will be given throughout the day.
Ongoing
Merchants Square will celebrate the holiday season with a number of events this year. Starting Nov. 28, enjoy “Master Thespian’s A Christmas Carol,” a 30-minute street production of the Christmas classic from the Virginia Theatre Machine. Back for its sixth year, all performances are outdoors on Duke of Gloucester Street and free to the public. Click here for a list of dates and times.
Father Christmas will be strolling the square, on select afternoons between Nov. 29 and Dec. 22. From 4 to 5 p.m. on these listed dates, he will be next to the Merchants Square Christmas tree on Duke of Gloucester Street (outside The Precious Gem).
Find Santa at the William & Mary Bookstore, this weekend until Dec. 22. Santa will be available for pictures Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. Click here for a list of upcoming dates and times.
Go for a glide at Holiday Skating in New Town. James City County, Town Management and Iron-Bound Gym are partnering for the second year in a row, with a synthetic rink open select days and hours through the end of January. Skating is $5 per person with skates, and $7 for those without. See the Hometown article on the rink’s second year here.
A Colonial Christmas offers a glimpse of 17th- and 18th-century holiday traditions from the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. Seasonal special tours and interpretive programs will run through Jan. 5 at the Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center. Call 253-4838 or visit the website for more information about hours and tickets.
SantaLand at the NewTown Shops on Main is located directly across the street from the Virginia Diner store and next to Blue-Green Aqua. Santa and Mrs Claus will be there every Saturday and Sunday through and including Sunday December 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santa encourages lots of photographs and family photos and has free giveaways for all children.
Greenfield Senior Living will be collecting for Toys for Tots every weekend until Christmas at SantaLand. Everyone who donates may enter a drawing to win an iPad. On Dec. 15, Veteran Sgt. John Coble of the U.S. Marine Corps will be personally collecting toys and free refreshments will be served. See this Hometown article for a full list of Toys for Tots drop-off locations.
