My Virginia Holiday Guide --
Your Key to Holiday Fun in Southeast Virginia

My exclusive Virginia Holiday Guide is our personally-selected passport to the top festive events in Southeast Virginia. Use it to make some memorable family fun!

Look below for:

- Busch Gardens Christmas Town discounts

- Our favorite itineraries for holiday fun

- November holiday events

- December holiday events

- Yankee Candle - Christmas 365 days a year!

- Winter fun from whale-watching to indoor winter parks

Busch Gardens Christmas Town discount tickets

Nowhere is as exciting as Christmas Town, the park's holiday-themed event, which features thousands and thousands of spectacular light displays, holiday-themed shows and dining, rides, and shopping. Even if you're not a roller coaster fan, you'll find plenty to do and enjoy hot cocoa, yummy food, and a special holiday atmosphere at this family-friendly event, which runs select days after Thanksgiving through the end of December.

And you'll be even MORE excited when you see the EIGHT different ways I've found for you to get Christmas Town discount tickets. 

To learn more, go to my Christmas Town page.

Holiday Guide to Lights, Events & Festivals

Courthouse Galleries Winter Wonderland

Looking for a parade? A holiday light show? My holiday guide has great events ranging from Colonial Williamsburg's annual "Grand Illumination" and Virginia Beach's "Holiday Lights at the Beach" (where you can drive along the boardwalk and see amazing light displays) to "Scuba Santa" shows at the Virginia Aquarium.

Here's a list of popular events by month:

• November Holiday Events
• December Holiday Events

And if you're looking for events and places to go that span the season (like winter whale-watching and great cold-defying fun spots - like Great Wolf Lodge and Massanutten water park-- check out this page:

• Winter Fun Holiday Guide

My Favorite Holiday Itineraries

There are many reasons that winter is a great time to visit Virginia! Just to name a few...

1) No crowds! You can enjoy the area's many indoor attractions without the summer hustle and bustle.

2) Rock bottom hotel prices!

3) Awesome winter events, like whale watching, Christmas festivals and lights, and once-a-year tours of historic homes.

4) A great excuse to snuggle up with your honey on a romantic weekend getaway...

True, only polar bears might want to jump in the water now, but there's still so much to do in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Colonial Williamsburg, and beyond.

So here's a holiday guide to FIVE of my favorite itineraries:

1) Virginia Beach - Watch Santa scuba dive and feed the fish at the Virginia Aquarium...grab a delicious meal deal at a Virginia Beach restaurant along Atlantic Avenue...then view spectacular Holiday Lights as you cruise the Virginia Beach Boardwalk (the only time of year you can drive on the Boardwalk)...

Courthouse Galleries Winter Wonderland has great photo ops!

2) Williamsburg - Stroll Colonial Williamsburg's Market Square to see the holiday lights and decorations in the Historic Area (see a lot of it for free with my "Cheap Colonial Williamsburg" guide). Cap off your visit with chocolate treats at Whyte's Candy Store in Merchant Square.Then, drive to nearby Yankee Candle Factory for aromatic candles, shopping, candle-dipping, a free kids show on the hour, and a Christmas store where it "snows" 365 days a year. 

3) Oldtowne Portsmouth - start your day with a free Mermaid scavenger hunt in downtown Norfolk. Stop for a nostalgic lunch at Doumar's drive-in. Then proceed to Portsmouth to stroll past antique cars, share goodies in local shops, and visit the Coleman Winter Wonderland. If you still have room, stop by Baker's Crust in nearby Ghent for dinner and dessert crepes.

4) Garden of Lights Evening - Go to the Chrysler Museum of Art to see the latest exhibits. Stop by Rowena's Tea Room, for spectacularly delicious afternoon tea and pound cake. Then drive over to the Norfolk Botanical Garden to see the "Garden of Lights."

5) Williamsburg Shopping & Historic Area Holiday Lights - Spend the day shopping at the Prime Outlets Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Pottery. Stop for dinner at our favorite super (and inexpensive) buffet at Peking Garden or the famous Pitts Barbeque.