Experience the magic of the holiday season in Chesapeake, VA, where a variety of festive events await both locals and visitors. Delight in the nostalgic atmosphere of Winter Wonderland: The Coleman Collection, explore Chesapeake’s agricultural heritage at Christmas in the Country, and join the community around the Holiday Yule Log Bonfire & Holiday Marketplace.
From illuminated parades and music festivals to vintage decorations and traditional customs, Chesapeake offers a glimpse into diverse holiday traditions. Enjoy enchanting Christmas experiences that celebrate the region's rich cultural heritage and seasonal spirit.
Please contact us if you have suggestions or corrections!
Got questions? Like to help? Check out our Chesapeake Holiday discussion here!
The Top Christmas Events in Chesapeake
See these and even more events listed below!Chesapeake Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Holiday Brass
What to Expect:
All-brass holiday concert in historic venues
Description:
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Brass concert series brings resounding cheer to historic venues across Hampton Roads. This unique performance features the orchestra's brass section, filling centuries-old churches with rich, warm tones. Audiences can experience traditional carols reimagined through intricate brass arrangements. The concert series pays homage to Virginia's long history of brass bands, dating back to the Revolutionary War. As the powerful notes reverberate through these storied spaces, listeners are transported to holidays past and present.
Website:
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Holiday Brass
Chesapeake Other Holiday Activities
Christmas in the Country
What to Expect:
Rural holiday celebration showcasing agricultural traditions
Description:
Chesapeake's agricultural roots shine during Christmas in the Country. This event highlights the region's farming heritage with demonstrations of traditional rural holiday customs. Visitors can try their hand at making cornhusk dolls, a popular 19th-century Christmas gift. The celebration takes place on a working farm, offering a glimpse into the area's agrarian past. As you explore, the scent of fresh-baked bread from the farm's historic oven wafts through the air. This event began in the 1980s as a way to preserve and share Chesapeake's rural holiday traditions.
Website:
Nearby Events
Grand Illumination Parade (Norfolk)
What to Expect:
Largest illuminated parade in the region
Description:
Norfolk's Grand Illumination Parade ignites the holiday season with a dazzling spectacle of lights. This cherished tradition, dating back to 1984, features an array of illuminated floats, marching bands, and giant balloons. Spectators line the streets to witness the parade's radiant glow as it winds through downtown. You can secure a prime viewing spot along Granby Street to catch all the action. The parade pays homage to Norfolk's maritime heritage with nautical-themed floats, celebrating the city's deep connection to the sea.
Website:
Winter Wonderland: The Coleman Collection (Portsmouth)
What to Expect:
Extensive private collection of vintage Christmas decorations
Description:
The Coleman Collection transforms a Chesapeake home into a nostalgic holiday haven. This private assemblage of vintage Christmas decorations spans decades, offering a glimpse into holiday traditions of the past. Visitors can marvel at rare ornaments and decorations from the early 20th century. The collection includes a prized assortment of German glass ornaments, reflecting the region's rich immigrant history. As you explore, the gentle tinkling of antique music boxes fills the air, transporting you to Christmases long ago.
Website:
Winter Wonderland: The Coleman Collection
Holiday Lights at the Beach (Virginia Beach)
What to Expect:
Drive-through light display on the beach
Description:
Virginia Beach's shoreline transforms into a glittering coastal spectacle during Holiday Lights at the Beach. This unique drive-through experience allows visitors to cruise along the boardwalk, surrounded by twinkling displays. Marine-themed light sculptures pay tribute to the area's oceanic heritage. You can tune your car radio to a special station for synchronized holiday music as you drive. This event began in 1994 and has since become a beloved tradition, blending the charm of the beach with the spirit of the season.
Website:
Garden of Lights (Norfolk)
What to Expect:
Botanical garden transformed into a light display
Description:
Norfolk Botanical Garden's annual Garden of Lights event illuminates the natural beauty of flora and fauna. Miles of walking paths wind through meticulously crafted light displays, each inspired by the garden's diverse plant life. Visitors can warm up with a cup of hot cocoa while strolling through the twinkling landscape. The event showcases the garden's commitment to conservation, using energy-efficient LED lights throughout the displays. This luminous tradition began in 1995 and has grown to become one of the region's most anticipated holiday attractions.
Website:
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens (Williamsburg)
What to Expect:
Theme park transformed into European-inspired Christmas village
Description:
Busch Gardens Williamsburg metamorphoses into a European-inspired Christmas Town, transporting visitors across the Atlantic. The park's distinct country-themed areas take on holiday personas, from Germany's festive markets to Italy's Nativity celebration. Guests can soar above the twinkling lights on the park's thrilling roller coasters. Christmas Town pays homage to Virginia's colonial history, with special nods to 18th-century holiday traditions. Since its inception in 2009, this event has grown to encompass millions of lights and scores of themed attractions.
Website:
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens
Olde Towne Holiday Music Festival (Portsmouth)
What to Expect:
Multi-venue music festival in historic district
Description:
Portsmouth's Olde Towne district resonates with the sounds of the season during the Holiday Music Festival. This multi-venue event showcases local and regional musicians performing in historic churches, theaters, and outdoor spaces. Attendees can hop from one performance to another, experiencing a diverse range of musical styles. The festival highlights Portsmouth's rich musical heritage, which dates back to the colonial era. As you stroll between venues, the aroma of roasted chestnuts fills the air, adding to the sensory experience of this unique celebration.
Website:
Olde Towne Holiday Music Festival
Holiday Yule Log Bonfire & Holiday Marketplace (Virginia Beach)
What to Expect:
Combines traditional Yule log ceremony with artisan market
Description:
This event in Chesapeake melds ancient tradition with modern festivities. The centerpiece is the lighting of the Yule log, a custom dating back to medieval times. Around this warming bonfire, a bustling holiday marketplace springs to life, featuring local artisans and craftspeople. Visitors can participate in the age-old ritual of tossing a sprig of holly into the fire for good luck. The marketplace showcases the region's rich tradition of handcrafts, from quilting to woodworking. The crackling fire and scent of pine create an immersive seasonal atmosphere.
Website:
Holiday Yule Log Bonfire & Holiday Marketplace
Holiday Parade at the Beach (Virginia Beach)
What to Expect:
Beachfront holiday parade
Description:
Virginia Beach's oceanfront transforms into a holiday promenade during this unique seaside parade. Floats adorned with seashells and sand dollars roll down Atlantic Avenue, blending coastal charm with holiday cheer. Spectators can catch candy canes tossed by passing parade participants. This event, which began in the 1960s, celebrates Virginia Beach's evolution from a small resort town to a vibrant coastal city. The parade culminates with Santa's arrival on a surfboard, a nod to the area's beloved beach culture.
Website:
Nauticus WinterFest on the Wisconsin (Norfolk)
What to Expect:
Holiday festival aboard a WWII battleship
Description:
Nauticus transforms the Battleship Wisconsin into a floating winter festival during WinterFest. This unique event combines maritime history with holiday cheer aboard the largest and last battleship built by the U.S. Navy. Visitors can explore festively decorated decks and participate in scavenger hunts throughout the ship. WinterFest honors the Wisconsin's service, including its role in Christmas celebrations at sea during World War II. The sight of the mighty warship adorned with twinkling lights creates a striking contrast against the night sky.
Website:
Nauticus WinterFest on the Wisconsin
Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade (Yorktown)
What to Expect:
Parade of illuminated boats on the York River
Description:
Yorktown's waterfront comes alive during the annual Lighted Boat Parade. A fleet of boats, from small skiffs to large yachts, adorned with dazzling light displays, glides down the York River. Spectators can vote for their favorite boat designs from the shore. This nautical parade reflects Yorktown's maritime heritage, which dates back to its founding as a colonial port in 1691. The reflection of the lights on the river's surface creates a mesmerizing display, doubling the visual impact of this floating festival.