When does GardenFest of Lights open?

Late November, running into early January. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden sells tickets by date and time; this year's dates appear on this page once the garden posts them.

When is the Christmas Parade in Richmond?

Early December, on a Saturday morning, along Broad Street. The date appears on this page once the organisers post it.

Where can you see Christmas lights in Richmond?

27 places have holiday lights, tree lightings, markets and seasonal shows listed over the next 75 days: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, American Civil War Museum, Meadow Event Park, Goochland Farmers Market, Jolene Family Winery and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, and 21 more.

When do holiday events start in Richmond?

The listings run from Thursday, November 12 to Friday, December 25, with Sunday, December 6 the busiest day (9 listed). More dates get added as the season goes on.

Are any of them free?

1 of the 55 listings are free, including Tredegar Tree Lighting at American Civil War Museum.

How up to date is this list?

Every day. Events a venue cancels come off the page, and every listing links to the venue’s own page, which has the final word on the day.

Christmas lights and holiday events in Richmond

Holiday lights, tree lightings, markets, Nutcrackers, carols and visits with Santa around Richmond, with dates for each.

Updated Sunday at 8:34 PM.

55 listed over the next 75 days, in and around Richmond.

Thursday

November 12

11:30 AM

VMFA Shop Holiday Bazaar

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts · Richmond

Markets

Thursday

November 19

5 PMFree

Tredegar Tree Lighting

American Civil War Museum · Richmond

Arts & film

Friday

November 20

Time not listed

Illuminate Light Show & Santa's Village

Meadow Event Park · Doswell

Community

Saturday

November 21

11 AM

Holiday Market

Goochland Farmers Market · Goochland

Markets

Sunday

November 22

12 PM

Pop-Up Shop: The Checkered Rabbit Wreaths

Jolene Family Winery · Sandston

Markets

1 PM

Anime Holiday Bazaar

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery · Richmond

Markets

Friday

November 27

Time not listed

A Christmas Story The Musical

Broadway in Richmond · Richmond

Theatre & comedy

Time not listed

A Christmas Story: The Musical

Altria Theater · Richmond

Theatre & comedy

12 PM

Reindeer Run 5k and Christmas Sip and Shop at Wind Vineyards

Wind Vineyards · Richmond

Outdoors

Saturday

November 28

4 PM

Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration

West Broad Village · Glen Allen

Community

Sunday

November 29

2:30 PM

Rusted Rabbit Succulent Holiday Ornament Workshop | November 29th, 2026

James River Cellars Winery · Glen Allen

Classes

Tuesday

December 1

6 PM

Wreath Workshop

Maymont · Richmond

Classes · 5 more dates

Wednesday

December 2

10 AM

Locally Grown Dried Flower Winter Wreath Workshop

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden · Henrico

Classes

Friday

December 4

Time not listed

Tree Lighting

Goochland Farmers Market · Goochland

Community

Saturday

December 5

10 AM

Holiday Wreath Workshop, Dec morning

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden · Henrico

Classes

10 AM

Santa Brunch

Upper Shirley Vineyards · Charles City

Food & drink · 3 more dates

11:30 AM

Workshop: Holiday Wreaths with Freckled Flower Farm

Jolene Family Winery · Sandston

Classes

1 PM

Holiday Wreath Workshop, Dec afternoon

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden · Henrico

Classes

2 PM

The Nutcracker

Richmond Ballet · Richmond

Theatre & comedy · 5 more dates

2 PM

Magnolia Grange Christmas Open House

Magnolia Grange · Chesterfield

Arts & film

Sunday

December 6

Time not listed

An Afternoon With A Handsome Santa

Pharsalia · Glen Allen

Live music

11 AM

Lakeside Christmas Market

Twisted Carrot Farm and Market · Lakeside

Markets

2 PM$65

A 250th Colonial Candlelight Christmas Tavern Tea

Hanover Tavern · Mechanicsville

Theatre & comedy

2 PM

Holiday Wreath Making Workshop | December 6th, 2026

James River Cellars Winery · Glen Allen

Classes · 1 more date

5:15 PMFrom $59

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Christmas

Beacon Theatre · Hopewell

Live music

6 PM

Holiday Wreath Making

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery · Richmond

Live music

Thursday

December 10

6:30 PM$5299

Christmas Concert and Buffet with Mercy's Well

Keystone Antique Truck & Tractor Museum · Colonial Heights

Live music

Saturday

December 12

10 AM

Santa Paws 2026

Short Pump Park · Henrico

Community

3 PM

GreenSpring Presents - “Making Spirits Bright!” Annual Holiday Concert

American Youth Harp Ensemble · Richmond

Live music

Sunday

December 13

12 PM

Retro Vibes Holiday Market

Basic City Beer Co. · Richmond

Markets

12 PM

Yuletides at Agecroft: Christmas Open House

Agecroft Hall · Richmond

Arts & film

1 PM

DIY Floating Butterfly Ornaments

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden · Henrico

Classes

7 PM

A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Music of Vincent Guaraldi feat. R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND

The Broadberry · Richmond

Live music · 1 more date

Friday

December 18

6 PM

Santa Christmas Dinner

Wind Vineyards · Richmond

Food & drink

Saturday

December 19

8 AM

Breakfast with Santa

Hanover Tavern · Mechanicsville

Theatre & comedy

6:45 PMFrom $27

Dreamsicle: A Jimmy Buffett Musical Journey featuring Will Kimbrough A Caribbean Christmas

Beacon Theatre · Hopewell

Theatre & comedy

Sunday

December 20

12 PM

River City Witches Presents Yule Farewell Market

Basic City Beer Co. · Richmond

Markets

1 PM

Santa Luncheon at Wind Vineyards

Wind Vineyards · Richmond

Food & drink

Thursday

December 24

Time not listed

Christmas Eve – Winery Closed

Gauthier Vineyard · New Kent

Food & drink

Friday

December 25

Time not listed

Christmas Day – Winery Closed

Gauthier Vineyard · New Kent

Food & drink

The holiday season around Richmond

The holiday calendar around Richmond starts the weekend after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's. The first two weeks of December are the fullest: the Christmas Parade along Broad Street, the holiday concerts, the Nutcracker, the craft markets and the breweries' holiday weekends all land then.

Places with holiday events listed right now include The Broadberry, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Maymont and others.

Christmas lights

The big display is GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, which runs on evenings from late November into January and is ticketed by date and time, so book the weekends before Christmas early. Richmond also has a long tradition of neighbourhood houses decorated over the top. Those are not listed here; the ones on this page are events a venue has put on its calendar.

Holiday markets and shows

Holiday markets are mostly on weekends from late November to mid December, at the museums, breweries and market halls. The theatres run holiday shows and the Nutcracker through December; the libraries run free storytimes and crafts for children.

Where to go

27 places

The Broadberry
Richmond
Days: Thu, SunNext: Tue Oct 13108 listedthebroadberry.com
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Henrico
Days: Wed, Sat, SunNext: Wed Oct 1464 listedlewisginter.org
Maymont
Richmond
Days: Tue, Wed, Thu, FriNext: Wed Oct 1455 listedmaymont.org
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
Richmond
Days: SunNext: Tue Oct 1350 listedhardywood.com
Basic City Beer Co.
Richmond
Days: SunNext: Tue Oct 1346 listedbasiccityrva.com
Jolene Family Winery
Sandston
Days: Sat, SunNext: Thu Oct 1539 listedjolenefamilywinery.com
James River Cellars Winery
Glen Allen
Days: SunNext: Wed Oct 1431 listedjamesrivercellars.com
Beacon Theatre
Hopewell
Days: Sat, SunNext: Fri Oct 1627 listedbeacontheatreva.com
Agecroft Hall
Richmond
Days: SunNext: Tue Oct 1325 listedagecrofthall.org
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Richmond
Days: ThuNext: Wed Oct 1417 listedvmfa.museum
Gauthier Vineyard
New Kent
Days: Thu, FriNext: Fri Oct 1615 listedgauthiervineyard.com
Meadow Event Park
Doswell
Days: FriNext: Thu Oct 2215 listedmeadoweventpark.com
Wind Vineyards
Richmond
Days: Fri, SunNext: Fri Oct 1615 listedwindvineyards.com
Upper Shirley Vineyards
Charles City
Days: Sat, SunNext: Thu Oct 1513 listeduppershirleyvineyards.com
Richmond Ballet
Richmond
Days: Fri, Sat, SunNext: Thu Oct 2212 listedrichmondballet.com
Altria Theater
Richmond
Days: FriNext: Sat Oct 1711 listedaltriatheater.com
Hanover Tavern
Mechanicsville
Days: Sat, SunNext: Fri Oct 2310 listedhanovertavern.org
Magnolia Grange
Chesterfield
Days: SatNext: Sat Oct 179 listedchesterfieldhistory.com
American Civil War Museum
Richmond
Days: ThuNext: Thu Oct 158 listedacwm.org
American Youth Harp Ensemble
Richmond
Days: SatNext: Mon Oct 127 listedgreenspringmusic.org
Goochland Farmers Market
Goochland
Days: Fri, SatNext: Sat Oct 244 listedgoochlandva.us
Keystone Antique Truck & Tractor Museum
Colonial Heights
Days: ThuNext: Fri Nov 134 listedkeystonetractorworks.com
Twisted Carrot Farm and Market
Lakeside
Days: SunNext: Fri Oct 304 listedtwistedcarrotfarm.com
Broadway in Richmond
Richmond
Days: FriNext: Tue Nov 32 listedbroadwayinrichmond.com
Pharsalia
Glen Allen
Days: SunNext: Tue Oct 272 listedpharsaliaevents.com
West Broad Village
Glen Allen
Days: SatNext: Sat Oct 312 listedwestbroadvillage.com
Short Pump Park
3329 Pump Road, Henrico, VA, 23233
Days: SatNext: Sat Dec 121 listed

Missing a place? Tell us and we will add it.

Questions

When does GardenFest of Lights open?: Late November, running into early January. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden sells tickets by date and time; this year's dates appear on this page once the garden posts them.
When is the Christmas Parade in Richmond?: Early December, on a Saturday morning, along Broad Street. The date appears on this page once the organisers post it.
Where can you see Christmas lights in Richmond?: 27 places have holiday lights, tree lightings, markets and seasonal shows listed over the next 75 days: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, American Civil War Museum, Meadow Event Park, Goochland Farmers Market, Jolene Family Winery and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, and 21 more.
When do holiday events start in Richmond?: The listings run from Thursday, November 12 to Friday, December 25, with Sunday, December 6 the busiest day (9 listed). More dates get added as the season goes on.
Are any of them free?: 1 of the 55 listings are free, including Tredegar Tree Lighting at American Civil War Museum.
How up to date is this list?: Every day. Events a venue cancels come off the page, and every listing links to the venue’s own page, which has the final word on the day.