11 Virginia Christmas Villages That Only Appear In December
Virginia puts on quite a show when December rolls around, and you do not need to squint too hard to notice the shift.
Ordinary parks, college campuses, and historic downtops suddenly sprout twinkling lights, vendor stalls, and cozy firepits like they have been planning this transformation all year.
These temporary villages pop up for a few weeks, draw crowds bundled in scarves and mittens, then vanish as quietly as they arrived once January hits.
Some take over theme parks, others commandeer fairgrounds or turn main streets into pedestrian wonderlands packed with carolers and horse-drawn carriages.
Each one feels like a secret world that exists only in the narrow window between Thanksgiving and New Year. If you time your visit right, you can wander through a dozen different holiday universes without leaving the state.
The trick is knowing where to look and when to go, because these villages do not stick around long enough to show up on regular maps.
Ready to chase some lights and hot cocoa across the Commonwealth.
1. Busch Gardens Christmas Town – Williamsburg
My first glimpse of Christmas Town at Busch Gardens felt like walking straight into a storybook street where someone turned the holiday brightness up to maximum.
The park at 1 Busch Gardens Blvd, Williamsburg, VA 23185 transforms from roller coaster central into a full Christmas village, with more than 10 million lights strung across European-themed streets and plazas from mid-November through early January.
I like to start in the Germany section, where the park becomes the North Pole, complete with towering trees, themed shows, and a train that rolls past glowing scenes all around the park.
By the time I am sipping something warm and watching the giant tree lighting synchronized to music, it feels less like a theme park and more like a temporary village that only exists for a few chilly December weeks each year.
2. Ice & Lights: The Winter Village at Cameron Run – Alexandria
On a cold December evening in Alexandria, I like to follow the glow along Eisenhower Avenue until the trees start shining in every color.
Ice & Lights at Cameron Run Regional Park, 4001 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304 turns a warm-weather waterpark into a winter village from mid-November through February, with December as the prime stretch when lights and ice skating run daily.
I usually lace up skates first, circling the rink under lit trees while families pose for photos in front of tunnels of lights and oversized ornaments.
Later, I drift toward the firepits for snacks and hot drinks, and in those moments, the park feels like a compact, glowing village that appears each December along the beltway and quietly disappears once the ice melts.
3. Bull Run Festival of Lights & Holiday Village – Centreville
Driving into Bull Run Regional Park in December, I always feel like my car has been conscripted into a parade of twinkling brake lights and holiday music.
The Bull Run Festival of Lights at 7700 Bull Run Dr, Centreville, VA 20121 finishes its drive-through show with a Holiday Village that adds rides, carnival games, and treats on select nights.
I like to park after the light tunnel, wander over to the village area, and watch kids bounce between the small rides and vendors while families grab snacks and pose under the giant displays.
Because the whole setup runs only for the holiday season, it always feels like a temporary fairground town that erupts from a quiet park for a few December weekends and then folds neatly back into the woods.
4. Winchester Winter Village in Old Town – Winchester
Strolling down Loudoun Street in December, I like how Old Town Winchester suddenly trades its everyday rhythm for something that feels delightfully European.
The Winchester Winter Village centers on 1 N Loudoun St, Winchester, VA 22601, creating a pedestrian-mall market filled with modern and traditional food and craft vendors over a December weekend.
I usually start by browsing handmade goods in the stalls tucked along the brick walkway, then join the line for complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides that clip-clop past the lights and shop windows.
When carolers start singing and the smell of hot snacks drifts through the air, the pedestrian mall feels less like a simple main street and more like a three-day winter village that reappears on calendars every December.
5. Christmas Village at Chester Village Green – Chester
Pulling into Chester on a December afternoon, I always know I am close when the lights around Chester Village Green start to glow.
Christmas Village at Chester Village Green, 11801–11810 Centre St, Chester, VA 23831 turns the green into a holiday market for one packed evening with vendors, live performances, cookie kits, and plenty of photo-ready décor.
I like to drift between stalls selling crafts and treats while kids dart toward Santa’s corner or clutch cups of cocoa bigger than their mittens.
By the time the music is in full swing and the square is crowded, the usually calm village green feels like a tiny Christmas town square that flickers into existence for just a few December hours.
6. Mosaic Holiday Village Markets – Fairfax
Whenever I head to Mosaic District in December, it always surprises me how a modern mixed-use development manages to lean into cozy village mode.
The Mosaic Holiday Village Markets in and around 2910 District Ave, Fairfax, VA 22031, bring rotating vendors, curated stalls, and festive décor to the district on selected dates from late November through mid-December.
I like to grab a warm snack from one of the regular restaurants, then weave through the outdoor market where local makers sell everything from candles to handmade scarves beneath string lights.
With live music and families lingering around the central plaza, the normally sleek shopping area briefly feels like a modern holiday village that only pops up during the lead-up to Christmas.
7. Light Up the Tracks – Ashland
When I reach Ashland in December, I love how the train whistles mix with holiday music along the tracks.
Light Up the Tracks runs along Railroad Ave and England St near the historic station in Ashland, VA 23005, turning the corridor into a vintage Christmas village filled with lights, decorated storefronts, and special events through the season.
I like to walk the length of downtown, stopping for photos under the glowing garlands while real freight trains roll past the center of town.
With the buildings outlined in lights and sidewalks full of strolling families, Ashland feels like a rail-side Christmas village that appears only while the December decorations are up.
8. Christmas in Middleburg – Middleburg
Arriving in Middleburg during its Christmas celebration, I always feel a little underdressed compared to the horses trotting past in full holiday finery.
The town based around Washington St, Middleburg, VA 20117, turns into a classic holiday scene during early December, with a tree lighting, the Middleburg Hunt review, a long Christmas parade, carriage rides, and shops decked out like a Victorian village.
I like to grab a warm treat, then find a spot along the parade route where foxhounds, horses, and bands pass just a few feet away before the sidewalks fill with shoppers ducking in and out of boutiques.
For that one packed weekend, Middleburg feels like a period-drama Christmas village that fades back into a quiet hunt country town by New Year.
9. Old Town Alexandria Christmas Market & Holiday Craft Show – Alexandria
On certain December Saturdays in Old Town Alexandria, I enjoy watching John Carlyle Square turn from a city green into a full holiday marketplace.
The Old Town Alexandria Christmas Market & Holiday Craft Show at John Carlyle Square, 300 John Carlyle St, Alexandria, VA 22314, gathers dozens of vendors, live music, kids’ craft stations, food options, and Santa photos from late morning to afternoon.
I like to arrive early, circling the booths for handmade gifts and local snacks before the midday crowds arrive, then settle near the stage where music mixes with the hum of shoppers.
By late afternoon, the square feels like a small Christmas village tucked inside the city, gone again the moment tents come down and weekday commuters reclaim the space.
10. Mobile Hope Christmas Village – Leesburg
Pulling into Leesburg on event nights, I always feel a quiet shift as I get closer to Hope’s Village and see volunteers rushing in with bags of toys.
Mobile Hope’s Christmas Village at 302 Parker Ct SE, Leesburg, VA 20175 creates a walkthrough holiday village on select December evenings, welcoming local families for gifts, food, clothing, and festive fun in a setting built just for this outreach event.
I like to watch kids step off the bus into a space filled with decorations, wrapped presents, and volunteers who treat every guest as if they have been expected all year.
Once the event ends and the decorations are stored away, the campus returns to its everyday role, and the Christmas village exists only as a short, bright chapter in December.
11. Holiday Village at the Frontier Culture Museum – Staunton
Rolling into Staunton on a December evening, I always notice how the Frontier Culture Museum trades its usual daytime buzz for something softer and more candlelit.
The Holiday Village at 1290 Richmond Rd, Staunton, VA 24401 opens on select December nights, filling the historic farm buildings with period decorations, costumed interpreters, traditional craft demos, and the glow of lanterns along pathways that connect centuries-old homesteads.
I like to start at the German farm where volunteers bake treats in a wood-fired oven, then wander to the Irish cottage where storytellers share old holiday tales beside a crackling hearth.
By the time I circle past the American farmstead and hear fiddle music drifting across the fields, the museum feels less like a history lesson and more like a working village that only celebrates Christmas a few nights each year.