From parades and Santa visits to Christmas tree lightings and and holiday markets, here are the best family-friendly holiday events for your family to check out during the first week of December.
This is the first of our December weekly guides to help you find the best events in advance! Stay tuned for future weekly guides:
December 1-7 Lynchburg Area Holiday and Family Fun Events for 2023 - The first of our December weekly event guides!
December 8-14 Lynchburg Area Holiday and Family Fun Events for 2023 - The second of our December weekly event guides!
December 15-21 Lynchburg Area Holiday and Family Fun Events for 2023 - The third of our December weekly event guides!
December 22-31 Lynchburg Area Holiday and Family Fun Events for 2023 - Our final December weekly+ event guide!
Add a few of these events to your calendar during December along with your family's annual holiday traditions to bring some holiday cheer into your family time.
Some of these events require advance reservations or tickets. Please check details for each event at the link.
** NOTE - First group of events below take place on multiple dates over an extended period and are not included in the daily listings below. Most weekend events are only listed once for the entire weekend on the first date if times are the same all days. **
Ongoing Events
Nov. 17 - Dec. 24 - Santa at River Ridge Mall - Daily hours vary; see schedule
Nov. 18 - Dec. 29 - Illuminights - Explore Park's Winter Walk of Lights (Nov. 18-19, Nov. 24-26, Dec. 1-23, and Dec. 26-29) starting at 5 PM
Nov. 18 - Jan. 14 - The Ice at River Ridge Mall - Daily hours vary; see schedule
Nov. 19 - Jan. 14 - Bright Nights on the Bluffwalk Festival on Nov. 19 from 4 PM - 8 PM; lights on Bluffwalk through Jan. 14
Nov. 21 - Dec. 14 - Trees of Hope at Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center (Monday through Friday from 8 AM - 5 PM)
Nov. 21 - Jan. 5 - Festival of Trees at Bedford Area Welcome Center from 9 AM - 5 PM daily (open until 8 PM Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 8-10); closed major holidays)
Nov. 23 - Jan. 1 - Fashions for Evergreens at Hotel Roanoke - Daily from 8 AM - 9 PM at Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke
Nov. 23 - Jan. 1 - Christmas Light Display at Liberty Lake in Bedford - Nov. 23 - Jan. 1 around the clock
Nov. 24 - Dec. 31 - Festival of Trees at Natural Bridge State Park from 10 AM - 5 PM (Closed Christmas Day)
Nov. 24 - Jan. 6 - Trains Exhibit at Bedford Museum - Monday - Saturday from 10 AM - 5 PM (open until 3 PM on Nov. 25 and Jan. 6; open until 8 PM on Dec. 1, 8, and 15; closed Sundays and major holidays)
Nov. 24 - Dec. 31 - Tree Lighting Ceremony at Tree of Life Ministries from 5 PM - 6 PM (lights will remain lit through the season)
Nov. 26 - Dec. 31 - Christmas Display at 1487 Church Street in Appomattox - Starts Nov. 26 at 7 PM; lit through Dec. 31
Nov. 26 - Appomattox Christmas Tree Lighting at 5 PM - lights will remain lit every evening through New Year's
Dec. 1 - Jan. 1 - Drive-Thru Winter Wonderland at Legacy Wealth Management Group from 5 PM - 11 PM (Community Night Dec. 1 from 5 PM - 8 PM)
Dec. 1 - Jan. 1 - Celebration of Lights at Riverside Park from 5 PM - 9 PM (no vehicles on special event nights)
Dec. 1 - Jan. 1 - Buchanan's Festival of Lights - Lights remain lit through Jan. 1
Dec. 1 - Dec. 31 - Christmas Lights Display at Spring Oak Bedford (Former Elks National Home) from 5:30 PM - 10 PM
Dec. 1 - Jan. 7 - Select Air Mechanical Christmas Light Show in Altavista from 5:30 PM - 10 PM nightly - shows every 30 minutes; last show starts at 9:30 PM *tentative dates
Dec. 6 - early January - Lighting of the Garden at Awareness Garden from 5 PM - 9 PM (sing-a-long on Dec. 6)
December 1-7 Lynchburg Area Holiday and Christmas Events
Nov. 30 - Dec. 2 - Christmas at Hydaway from 6 PM - 9 PM
Dec. 1 - Santa Visits with 'Old Fuzzy Face' at Liberty Tax in Lynchburg from 3 PM - 6 PM *Santa event
Dec. 1 - Cookies and Crafts with Santa at Amherst Town Hall from 4 PM - 6 PM *Santa event
Dec. 1 - Christmas Crawl on Bedford Ave from 5 PM - 8 PM *Santa event
Dec. 1 - First Friday at Academy Center of the Arts from 5 PM - 8 PM
Dec. 1 - First Friday at in Lynchburg at Lynchburg Art Club and Art Galleries from 5 PM - 8 PM
Dec. 1 - First Friday at Vector Space from 5 PM - 8 PM
Dec. 1-3 - Flames of Memory at National D-Day Memorial from 5 PM - 9 PM
Dec. 1 - Ecclesia School of the Arts Presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at Court Street UMC at 6 PM
Dec. 1 - Cookies with the Clauses at Hill City Montessori School (3 sessions: 6 PM, 6:45 PM, and 7:30 PM)
Dec. 1 - Community Night at Legacy Wealth Management Group from 6 PM - 9 PM (lights remain lit through Jan. 1)
Dec. 1-2 - Grand Illumination of Buchanan's Festival of Lights from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM *Santa event Lights remain lit through Jan. 1
Dec. 1 - Amherst Christmas Parade at 6:30 PM
Dec. 1 - Christmas Concert with The Church Sisters at Timberlake Church at 7 PM
Dec. 1-2 - Choral Ensembles Winter Concert at University of Lynchburg at 7:30 PM
Dec. 2 - Pancake Breakfast with The Grinch at Monelison Volunteer Fire Department from 7 AM - 12 PM *Grinch event
Dec. 2 - Breakfast with Santa at Concord Rescue Squad from 8 AM - 10 AM *Santa event
Dec. 2 - Very Merry Vendor Fair at the Jamerson YMCA from 8 AM - 1 PM *Santa event from 9-12
Dec. 2 - Lynchburg Community Market Mistletoe Market from 8 AM - 1 PM
Dec. 2 - Breakfast with Santa at Acorn Hill Lodge from 8 AM - 12 PM *Santa event
Dec. 2 - 44th Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5K and 1 Miler - 5K at 8:30 AM; 1 Miler at 9:45 AM
Dec. 2 - 2nd Annual Breakfast with Santa at Appomattox Volunteer Fire Department from 9 AM - 12 PM *Santa event
Dec. 2 - Makers Market at LaHaye Event Space at Liberty University from 9 AM - 1 PM
Dec. 2 - Timberlake Garden Club Holiday Gift and Craft Bazaar at the Barn from 9 AM - 1 PM *Santa and Mrs. Claus event
Dec. 2 - The Happiest of Holidays Makers Market at Amherst Second Stage from 9 AM - 1 PM
Dec. 2 - Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church 4th Annual Christmas Bazaar from 10 AM - 2 PM
Dec. 2 - Village Wonderland at Campbell County Public Library in Rustburg from 10 AM - 2 PM
Dec. 2 - Holiday Open House at Simpson Salvage Company from 10 AM - 2 PM
Dec. 2 - Christmas Open House and Wreath Auction at Old City Cemetery from 10 AM - 3 PM
Dec. 2 - Christmas At The Barn at Seneca Lake Venue from 10 AM - 3 PM
Dec. 2 - Bedford Christmas Parade at 11 AM
Dec. 2 - Christmas Craft and Photos with Santa at Amherst Library at 11:30 AM *Santa event
Dec. 2 - Free Photos with the Grinch at Petco from 12 PM - 2 PM *Grinch event
Dec. 2 - Santa Visits with 'Old Fuzzy Face' at Liberty Tax in Lynchburg from 12 PM - 3 PM *Santa event
Dec. 2 - Tree of Life Children’s Choir - Sounds of the Season at River Ridge at 2 PM
Dec. 2 - Bedford Christmas Tree Lighting from 3 PM - 6 PM (tree lighting at 6 PM) *Santa and Grinch event
Dec. 2 - Altavista Christmas Parade at 5 PM
Dec. 2 - Elon Community Christmas Tree Lighting at 5 PM *Santa event
Dec. 2 - Christmas in Wartime at National D-Day Memorial from 5 PM - 9 PM
Dec. 2 - Happy Holidays with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra at Academy Center of the Arts at 7:30 PM
Dec. 3 - Advent Lessons and Carols at St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 10 AM
Dec. 3 - Christmas at the Firehouse at Gladys Volunteer Fire Department from 11 AM - 4 PM *Santa event
Dec. 3 - Shop Small Buy Local Christmas Event at New London Ruritan Club from 11 AM - 5 PM *Santa event
Dec. 3 - Christmas Open House at Historic Sandusky - Lynchburg College from 1 PM - 5 PM *Santa event
Dec. 3 - Santa Event and Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Timberlake Tavern from 1 PM - 5:30 PM *Santa and Mrs. Claus event 2:30-5:30 PM
Dec. 3 - Liberty University School of Music Ensemble - Sounds of the Season at River Ridge from 1 PM - 7 PM
Dec. 3 - Christmas Open House at Patrick Henry's Red Hill from 1:30 PM - 4 PM
Dec. 3 - Chamber Strings Concert at University of Lynchburg at 2 PM
Dec. 3 - Fill The Fire Truck Toy Drive at Madison Heights Walmart from 2 PM - 5 PM *Grinch event
Dec. 3 - "Olde Town Christmas Open House" at Madison Heights Baptist Church from 3 PM - 5 PM
Dec. 3 - Lynchburg Christmas Parade at 4 PM
Dec. 3 - KIDSing Presents "A Tree Lot Christmas" at Liberty Baptist Church in Appomattox at 7 PM
Dec. 5-9 - Rustburg Vines Winter Wonderland - Dec. 5-8 from 10 AM - 6 PM; Dec. 9 from 10 AM - 4 PM *Santa and Grinch event
Dec. 5 - Santa Claus at Chick-fil-A Wards Road from 5 PM - 7 PM *Santa event
Dec. 5 - Santa at Patrick Henry Memorial Library in Brookneal from 6 PM - 7:30 PM *Santa event
Dec. 6 - Christmas Cookie Decorating at River Ridge from 1 PM - 3 PM
Dec. 6 - Santa at the Airport from 4 PM - 6 PM (also Dec. 11) *Santa event
Dec. 6 - Lighting of the Garden and Holiday Sing-a-Long at Awareness Garden at 5 PM
Dec. 6-9 - T.C. Miller School for Innovation Presents "Shrek the Musical, Jr." - Dec. 6-9 at 6:30 PM; Dec. 9 at 2 PM
Dec. 7-15 - Hanukkah begins at sundown on Dec. 7 and ends at nightfall on Dec. 15
Dec. 7 - Buena Vista Community Christmas Tree Lighting at 5:30 PM
Dec. 7-10 - Amherst Middle School Drama Club Presents "Elf, Jr. the Musical" - Dec. 7 at 6:30 PM; Dec. 8-9 at 7 PM; Dec. 10 at 3 PM
Dec. 7 - Buena Vista Christmas Parade at 7 PM
Dec. 7 - Brookneal Christmas Parade at 7 PM
Dec. 7-9 - Drive-Thru Nativity at Tree of Life from 7 PM - 9:30 PM
Dec. 7-10 - Brookville Theatre Presents "Bring It On the Musical" - Dec. 7-9 at 7 PM; Dec. 9-10 at 2 PM New dates: Jan. 18-20 at 7 PM; Jan. 21 at 2 PM
Dec. 7-8 - Wind Symphony and Orchestra Winter Concert at University of Lynchburg at 7:30 PM
As always, we've created separate guides this year for the November and December events and then broken down the month of December by week to help you plan around your busy schedule. Check the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid calendar of events for detailed information about these and many other family-friendly events in Lynchburg and the surrounding counties.
Make time for family fun while holiday planning. Soon enough, the kids will be out of school for the holidays. Pile in the car and go look at Christmas lights together. Walk around the mall and take selfies at all of the pretty displays. Visit the Bluffwalk in downtown Lynchburg and check out all of the lights. Bake cookies or make holiday treats. Making memories together is what Christmas is all about.
If you have a large holiday display at your home or business, reach out to us on our Facebook page or by email to sandyw@macaronikid.com to have your location added to our guide!
Check the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid 2023 Christmas Holiday Guide for links to all of our holiday guides as well as holiday crafts, foods, gift ideas, and much more all in one place.
Holiday Shopping Events in Lynchburg and Central Virginia
Lynchburg Christmas Lights and Area Holiday Tree Lightings Guide
Lynchburg Macaroni Kid Visits with Santa Guide - Sponsored by Danielle Kramer, Realtor with Keller Williams Lynchburg
Live Christmas Tree Locations in Lynchburg and Central Virginia
Local Shopping in Lynchburg and Central Virginia - Sponsored by Bedford Area Welcome Center
Give the Gift of LOCAL Family Fun for the Holidays in 2023 - Sponsored by FunQuest Family Entertainment Center
8 Ways To Celebrate Hanukkah - Hanukkah is observed Dec. 7-15 in 2023
The list is updated as information is received about local family-friendly events. To add your organization’s Christmas or holiday family-friendly event to the list, message us at our Lynchburg Macaroni Kid Facebook page or click the “submit an event” link on our website. You’ll find more information about many of the local festival on the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid calendar of events.
December is always a busy month for families with so many fun activities and events for children of all ages. Make time to make some memories this month!
Let Lynchburg Macaroni Kid help you Find Your Family Fun® for the holidays in Central Virginia!
