2026 Holiday Event Guide for Hampton Roads Families

The holidays in Hampton Roads are packed with family-friendly (and often FREE!) things to do. This is our 2026 Holiday Event Guide, a showcase of featured holiday events from local organizations. Each featured event below is sponsored by the organization that presents it.

Please verify every event by following the website link in its listing before you go. Dates, times, tickets and reservations can change.

Coming November 1: Our Holiday Experiences Gift Guide

Give experiences, not stuff! Our 2026 Holiday Experiences Gift Guide launches November 1 with giftable local memberships, classes, camps, tickets and offers.

Holiday Performances

Nutcrackers, concerts, sing-alongs and family shows.

Holiday Featured EventSponsoredVirginia Symphony OrchestraPB&J Family Series: Jingle Bell JamDecember 5 | 3PM | Pre-Show Activities at 2PMCNU's Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport NewsAll for the little ones’ holiday joys at the beloved Jingle Bell Jam! Who wouldn’t want to go and celebrate the festive season with a family-fun filled afternoon of holiday magic?Learn More

Holiday Featured EventSponsoredVirginia Symphony OrchestraPB&J Family Series: Jingle Bell JamDecember 19 | 3PM | Pre-Show Activities at 2PMSandler Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia BeachAll for the little ones’ holiday joys at the beloved Jingle Bell Jam! Who wouldn’t want to go and celebrate the festive season with a family-fun filled afternoon of holiday magic?Learn More

More holiday performances

• Dec 4-6 Hurrah for the Holidays, Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Virginia Beach
• Dec 8 Handel’s Messiah Presented by GSA Vocal Music, Monticello Arcade, Norfolk
• Dec 10 Bow Creek Holly Jolly Music Fest, Bow Creek Recreation Center, Virginia Beach
• Dec 12 Olde Towne Holiday Music Festival, Olde Towne Portsmouth
• Dec 12 and 18 Candlelight: Christmas Classics, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Portsmouth

See every holiday performance event on our calendar or read the full roundup.

Events with Santa

Pictures, visits and special appearances with Santa and his friends.

• Nov 7 Pictures With Santa, Virginia Beach Farmers Market, Virginia Beach
• Nov 20 A Visit with St Nick, Isle of Wight County Museum, Smithfield
• Nov 22 Santa’s Holly Jolly Show, The Historic Cavalier Hotel, Virginia Beach
• Nov 27-29 Planes, Trains and Santa, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach
• Dec 5 Cookies with Santa, Bayside Recreation Center, Virginia Beach
• Dec 12 Christmas Past & Present, Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum, Chesapeake

See every Santa event on our calendar or read the full roundup.

Dining with Santa

We list Dining with Santa events on our calendar and in our roundup as organizers confirm them.

See every Dining with Santa event on our calendar or read the full roundup.

Holiday Parades

We list holiday parades on our calendar and in our roundup as dates are confirmed.

See every holiday parade event on our calendar or read the full roundup.

Holiday Lights

Drive-through displays, lantern walks and light shows.

• Nov 6 to Jan 3 Winter Lantern Festival, Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg
• Nov 13 to Jan 2 Winterfest on the Wisconsin, Nauticus, Norfolk
• Nov 26 to Jan 2 Deck the Hall (drive-through light display), Chesapeake City Hall, Chesapeake

See every Holiday Lights event on our calendar or read the full roundup.

Have a Holiday Event to Share?

Add your event to our free community calendar. Want extra visibility? See holiday promotion options.