Holiday Lights & Events on the Peninsula, 2026

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens, the lights at Newport News Park, three nights of Grand Illumination in Williamsburg, a boat parade on the York River. The Peninsula does December well. The catch is that half of it lands on the same weekend.

Here's the whole season in order: the dates, the times, where to park, and which nights to skip if you hate crowds. There's also the one night you can walk Celebration in Lights instead of driving it.

Saturday, December 5 is the big one

Three of the season's biggest events happen within a few hours of each other. Hampton's Holly Days Parade runs from 5 to 7. Yorktown's lighted boat parade starts at 7. Grand Illumination kicks off in Williamsburg the same evening.

You can't do all three. Pick the one closest to home, or save Grand Illumination for the 12th or 19th, when it runs again with smaller crowds.

The season, stop by stop

Families walking a path lined with glowing holiday lights at night.

01 ★

Walk Celebration in Lights

Walk it: Tuesday, November 24 · Drive it: nightly, 2026 dates not posted yet
Newport News Park

Celebration in Lights is the Peninsula's classic drive-through. You roll through Newport News Park with the radio on. For one night only, they close it to cars and let you walk it. That's the Holiday Light Stroll, a benefit for the Center for Child & Family Services.

Tickets are timed, and parking is only at Woodside High School. A shuttle takes you into the park and everyone walks the two miles back, so bring the stroller. Last year the drive-through ran nightly from 5:30 to 10 PM through New Year's Day. The city hasn't posted 2026 dates yet, and we'll send them in the weekly email when it does.

Stroll tickets → · Woodside High School parking →

Holiday lights and decorated trees glowing around an evening crowd.

02 ★

Busch Gardens Christmas Town

Select nights, November 13 – January 3
Busch Gardens Williamsburg

The biggest light show around, with the whole park turned over to lights, holiday shows and seasonal food. It's a separate ticket from regular admission. If you already have a Busch Gardens membership (Basic or higher) or the 2026 Military Pass, it's included, so check yours before you buy.

It runs on select nights rather than every night, so look at the calendar before you plan around a date.

Dates and tickets →

A candlelit colonial dining room decorated with holiday greenery.

03 ★

Grand Illumination

Saturdays: December 5, 12 and 19
Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area

Williamsburg's big holiday tradition now runs on three Saturdays instead of one, with fireworks over the Capitol and the Governor's Palace.

Pick the 12th or the 19th if you can. The 5th is the same night as Hampton's parade and Yorktown's boat parade, and the whole Peninsula comes out. Check Colonial Williamsburg's page for which evening programs need a ticket.

Plan your visit →

A riverside promenade at night with glowing trees and families walking.

04 ★

Yorktown Celebrates Christmas

December 4 – 12
Riverwalk Landing and Historic Main Street

Yorktown packs its holidays into two weekends along the river, and most of it is free.

Fri, Dec 4 · 7:30 PM: Christmas tree lighting at the Victory Monument
Sat, Dec 5 · 10 AM – 3 PM: Christmas Market on Main (also Sunday, 11 AM – 3 PM)
Sat, Dec 5 · 7 PM: Lighted boat parade on the York River
Sun, Dec 6 · 1 – 4 PM: Cookies with Santa at York Hall
Fri, Dec 11 · 5 – 8 PM: An Enchanted Evening on Main Street
Sat, Dec 12 · 8:30 AM: Breakfast with Santa at the Riverwalk Restaurant, then the Mistletoe Market until 3

If the weather looks iffy, York County's event hotline (757-890-3520) will tell you if something's been called off.

Yorktown's holiday page → · Riverwalk Landing map →

05 ★

Hampton Holly Days Parade

Saturday, December 5 · 5 – 7 PM
Downtown Hampton

Hampton's lighted parade, with floats, marching bands and community groups. It ends at 7, exactly when Yorktown's boat parade starts, so you'll have to choose one.

Hampton events →

An outdoor holiday market with craft stalls and string lights.

06 ★

Phoebus Holiday Illumination & Craft Market

Friday, December 4 · 11 AM – 5 PM
Behind the Phoebus Library

Local makers, food trucks and music in downtown Phoebus. It's a good daytime stop before the Yorktown tree lighting that evening.

Hampton events → · Map →

07 ★

Williamsburg Christmas Parade

Sunday, December 6 · 5 PM
Williamsburg (route not posted yet)

This year's theme is "Twinkle Through Time," so expect floats built around moments in history. The Chamber hasn't released the route yet.

Parade details →

Shoppers browsing handmade gifts in a warmly lit shop.

08 ★

Hampton Holiday Fine Arts Bazaar

December 12 – 13
Downtown Hampton waterfront

Handmade work from local artists. It's the place for a gift that didn't come off a shelf. It opens at 11 on Saturday and wraps up at 3 on Sunday.

Hampton events →

09 ★

Winter Lantern Festival

2026 dates not posted yet
Jamestown Settlement

Huge lit-up lantern sculptures you walk through. Last year it ran Thursday through Sunday evenings from mid-November into January, with tickets from $18. We'll send this year's dates in the weekly email once they're out.

Festival page →

Three ways to do it

With little kids

Walk Celebration in Lights on November 24 (get tickets early), then Cookies with Santa in Yorktown on December 6 and Breakfast with Santa on the 12th.

Date night

An Enchanted Evening on Yorktown's Main Street on December 11, or Grand Illumination on the 12th or 19th, when it's calmer.

One big weekend, December 4 – 6

Friday: the Phoebus market by day, then the Yorktown tree lighting at 7:30. Saturday: pick your parade. Sunday: the Williamsburg Christmas Parade at 5.

Newport News This Week is one short email a week about what's going on around here. The Celebration in Lights and Winter Lantern dates go out there as soon as they're posted.

Read this week's issue

Dates come from each organizer's own site. Plans change, so check the link before you head out.

Get the whole guide free

Nine stops from Williamsburg to Hampton with dates, times and parking, plus the Celebration in Lights dates when they're posted.

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