Colonial Williamsburg welcomes the Yuletide like no other, as candles shine through historic windows, decorative wreaths adorn doorways, and wassailers fill the streets with 18th-century melodies. With one-of-a-kind holiday programs, festive decorations, world-class dining experiences, and more, the holiday season is not to be missed. Come experience a holiday you’ll want to unwrap again and again.
Below you’ll find a complete list of our holiday programs and a printer-friendly schedule to help plan your holiday visit to remember. We’ll keep the cressets lit!
Special note: 2026 Holiday events open to the public for reservations on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Please note that programming is subject to change. Call 1-844-434-3243 for reservations and tickets after September 30, 2026.
You’ll find enduring traditions, charming decorations, and a season that still warms the heart.
We offer admissions options & special offers to customize your visit.
Your admission ticket agrants you access to multiple programs throughout the day on the Charlton and Play House stages as well as the expanded and Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Check out the Events Calendar to see what's happening each day, with interest filters to customize your visit.
Receive up to two complimentary length-of-stay admission tickets when you book your stay directly through Colonial Williamsburg Resorts!
Join the Colonial Williamsburg community as we celebrate the holiday season with three Grand Illumination weekends, December 5, 12, and 19 2026. Yuletide entertainment will include favorite holiday traditions, as well as heartwarming new additions to the festivities.
Bounce back and forth between Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens Williamsburg® for seven consecutive days.
As we celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary and Colonial Williamsburg's 100th, we welcome America — and the world — to join us in 2026 in honoring the past, engaging the present, and inspiring the future.
Celebrate America’s 250th year in the city that led to its first year.
The Virginia 250 Passport is your travel companion for the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Shop for America 250th, Virginia 250th, and Colonial Williamsburg 100th Anniversary collectibles and souvenirs in this category, plus more patriotic items to celebrate our nation's semiquincentennial.
Get into the holiday state-of-mind and enjoy the historic ambiance of twelve different fires around Colonial Williamsburg.
Fireworks shows could be elaborate events. Some featured a central structure with painted illuminations, which might convey political meaning. The show might include pyrotechnics on a stage as well as fireworks launched into the air. Some were simple, others elaborate. Most fireworks did not have color additives and exploded in a golden orange.
Christmas stirs warm nostalgia on cold nights. Envisioning a simple, sentimental past, Americans have developed many misconceptions about the holiday’s beginnings in North America. Explore a dozen of the most common myths.
The Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower searching for religious freedom. The Native people they encountered welcomed them and helped them survive. To celebrate their friendship, they sat down together to a Thanksgiving feast. Explore the traditional tale of the First Thanksgiving.
As you plan for the holiday season with gifts, travel and merriment, we hope you will consider a special gift to Colonial Williamsburg to help us continue our mission.
