Our Holiday Fun Guide! Performances, Santa and MORE!

Performances & Plays

Mary Poppins – The Musical.  Today – December 31st.  November Theatre.  Performed by Virginia Rep.    Visit the website for showtimes and fees.

THE NUTCRACKER. December 9th – December 23rd.  The Richmond Ballet with the Richmond Symphony.    Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Arts Center, 600 East Grace Street, Richmond, VA 23219.  Visit the website for showtimes and fees.

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS. December 8, 7pm and December 9, 11am & 1pm.  Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.  Presented by Henrico Theatre Company! This classic animated television special comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation. All tickets $12.

‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.  Saturday, December 16th at 11am and 1pm.  Presented by VA Rep on Tour.  Don’t miss this holiday classic that’s fun for all ages! Inspired by the timeless poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” and by the real life of its author, Clement Moore, this hilarious musical introduces Santa in a particularly beneficent light.  All tickets $12.

Christmas with KOS and Susan Greenbaum.  December 16th at 4pm & 7pm.  Come join us for an evening filled with holiday favorites from Richmond’s own KOS and Susan Greenbaum. Listen to their unique arrangements of the seasonal songs you know and love. All tickets $10.

4th Annual RVA ​ Puppetfest.  ​December 27 – January 1st.   All performances are held at Richmond Triangle Players, 1300 Altamont Avenue (just a few blocks from the Science Museum). Visit the website for showtimes.   All tickets are just $10 each with no extra ticketing fees.   Watch for our awesome ticket giveaways!

“God Bless Us, Every One!” December 1st -10th . Friday shows are at 7:00PM. Saturday performances are at 2:00PM and 7:00PM and Sundays at 3:00PM.  Fairmount Christian Church, 6502 Creighton Road in Mechanicsville, just off the interchange of I-295 and Creighton Rd (East).  The story of the now grown-up Tiny Tim, some twenty years after the crippled boy warmed the cold heart of Old Ebenezer Scrooge best known from Charles Dicken’s beloved classic “A Christmas Carol”.   It’s Christmas 1870, where the community is mourning the loss of the beloved Mr. Scrooge. Tim Cratchit, now a well-known doctor, is about to embark on a new journey, setting his sights on the promise of acclaim and a new life in America. But before leaving for Boston, he must choose the life he so desires or the destiny that tugs at his own cold heart.   No tickets or reservations required.  Free.

Other Holiday Fun!

40th Annual Model Railroad Show.  November 24th – 26th.  Hours vary.  Science Museum of Richmond.  Friday, November 24 through Sunday, November 26.  Enjoy unique and traditional model train displays from across the state. Meet Clydesdales horses, watch a blacksmith in action and take a ride on the Teddy Bear Express! Learn how trains work, conduct experiments, check out special demonstrations and enjoy a holiday weekend filled with fun for the whole family.  The Model Railroad Show is included with Museum admission.

Young Chefs Academy Holiday Cooking Fun!  Young Chefs Academy, 2230 John Rolfe Parkway, Richmond, VA 23233.  Call 804.360.9797 or register online.
–  Jr/Sr Chefs Bake the Seasons Bright—Friday, December 8th from 5pm to 7pm
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Holiday Baking is a main ingredient to that wonder.  Join us as we create and taste delicious holiday treats.  Each class has a different menu.
–  KinderCooks and Jr/Sr Chefs GingerBread Houses—Sunday, December 10th from 1pm to 3pm
This event is a drop off event.  Let Young Chefs help your child create a cherished holiday memory.  We will have their gingerbread house ready, and all the supplies they will need. They will enjoy a festive atmosphere, light refreshments, and a great time decorating their own individual gingerbread house to take home. Cost $45 per house
 Jr/Sr Chefs Bake the Seasons Bright—Friday, December 15th from 5pm to 7pm
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  Holiday Baking is a main ingredient to that wonder.  Join us as we create and taste delicious holiday treats.  Each class has a different menu.

Holiday Lantern Tours: Seven Generations of Sheppard Family Christmases.  December 16th.  4:30pm – 8pm.  Meadow Farm. The air is alive with voices of the past as you stroll through the years of Sheppard family Christmases at Meadow Farm. Vignettes include conversations and activities from each of the seven generations– from William Sheppard in 1713 to General Sheppard Crump in 1960.  No registration is necessary. This is a first-come, first-served program. Check in starts at 4 pm.  Free

Clarke-Palmore Christmas Open House.  December 3th.  2pm-5pm.  Clarke-Palmore House Museum, 904 McCoul Street
Henrico, VA.  Tour the Clarke-Palmore House Museum and see what Christmas was like for a family during the 1930s. Families struggled through the Great Depression but still celebrated the holiday the best they could. Discover what Christmas traditions began during this decade. Free.

Old-Fashioned Christmas.  Sunday, December 3th.  Noon-4:30pm.  Maymont Mansion and Carriage House Lawn.  Celebrate a charming, old-fashioned Christmas and experience a tradition enjoyed by generations of families. Victorian ladies and gentlemen graciously welcome you and invite you to visit the Gilded Age mansion. Marvel at the grand Christmas tree and the beautifully decorated formal rooms, see the gifts and games of 1893, and stop by the Belowstairs area where holiday preparations are underway. Enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with St. Nick and Maymont’s Christmas Fairy, good food and drink, festive music, a roaring fire to cheer you, and special activities that are sure to fill everyone with a merry holiday spirit. Free admission; fees for activities. Guided mansion tours: $5 per person/$4 members and children 12 and under. Carriage rides: $5 per person/$4 members and children 12 and under.

Carriage Rides and Carolers at Stony Point Mall.  Carolers will stroll through Stony Point Fashion Park singing your favorite festive songs Sundays, November 19, December 3, 17 & 24 from 1 – 4 pm; Friday, November 24, 1-4 pm; and Saturdays, November 25 & December 9, 3-6 pm.  Visitors can also enjoy complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the center this holiday season.  Carriage rides begin at the Saks Fifth Avenue & Brooks Brothers entrance.   Horse-Drawn Carriage rides take place on Friday, November 24, Wednesdays and Saturdays from November 25-December 23 and Sunday December 24, 5:30-7:30 pm.   Free.

SOLD OUT: The Santa Train.   Climb aboard a James River Rambler alongside Santa for a 45-minute excursion. Sponsored by the Old Dominion Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, there’s no better way to get up-close and personal with Virginia rail history than by taking the family on a winter train ride!  Fee.

The Bizarre Bazaar.  NOV 30th – DEC 3rd.  Richmond Raceway Complex.  A Virginia tradition for over 42 years, with over 475 exclusive exhibitors with unique offerings include seasonal gifts and decorative accessories for the home and garden, gourmet food and cookbooks, fine linens, designer women’s and children’s clothing, toys, fine crafts and artwork, furniture and jewelry.  Fee.

Looking for Santa?

The Children’s Museum of Richmond is kicking off the holiday season with the highly anticipated arrival of the treasured Richmond tradition of Legendary Santa!  Thanks to the generous support of Genworth and Wegmans, Legendary Santa, the beautiful Snow Queen, and the playful elf will once again delight generations of fans beginning the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. A visit with Santa is free, however ticketed events such as Sunrise and Sunset with Santa at the museum, and Tea with Santa at the Hilton Richmond Downtown are on sale now.  Tickets can be purchased at www.legendarysanta.org.

This year, CMoR will offer two evenings with Sensitive Santa, thanks to generous support from the Altria Companies Employee Community Fund.  Thursday, November 30 & Friday, December 1 from 5:30PM-8PM.  These evenings with Legendary Santa are designed exclusively for the families of those with special needs.  Attending is FREE, but does require advance registration.

Santa Brunch or Dinner at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  If these events are sold out, kids can visit Santa on Merry Mondays before Dec. 25 during Dominion GardenFest of Lights.

SOLD OUT: St. Nick’s Christmas Party.  Sunday, December 3rd. 1pm & 2:30pm. Maymont  Garden Hall.  Both holiday parties with St. Nick are sold out. Maymont currently has a waitlist for interested individuals. For information, call 804-358-7166, ext. 329.

Santa Paws  December 10th.  11am-1pm.  Short Pump Park, 3329 Pump Road, Henrico.  Enjoy a holiday photo keepsake with Santa himself, shop local vendors for one-of-a-kind gifts for your furry friends, and let your pup play in the dog park.  Concessions will be available for purchase.  Free.

Santa at Stony Point Fashion Park. Capture your child’s special visit with Santa with a photo!  Santa will be available for photos through Sunday, December 24th 5:00 pm.  Santa is located near Dillard’s.  Each child visiting Santa will receive a complimentary gift.  Fee.

Visit with Santa at Short Pump Town Center.  Keepsake Santa Photos available now through December 24th in the Pals Clubhouse on the Upper Level near L.L.Bean!  Fee.

Santa at Chesterfield Towne Center.  Take a picture with Santa this holiday season at the North Pole located outside of At Home!  Fee.

Illuminate Light Show & Santa’s Village.  November 17th – December 31st.  Nightly 5:30pm – 10:00pm.   The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia.   The light show consists of hundreds of thousands of LED lights synchronized to music from your car radio.  At the conclusion of the drive, guests can visit Santa’s Village, which will include opportunities for photos with Santa and more!  Fee.

Spiritual Events

Bethlehem Walk.  November 29th – December 3rd.  Salem Baptist Church/Broad Street Campus, 465 Broad Street Road, Manakin, VA 23103.  An interactive outdoor drama where guests experience first century Bethlehem.  As you enter the city, allow the sights, sounds and smells to carry you to a period of time that changed the world. Journey through the heart of the city to the marketplace that is bustling with activity from over a dozen authentic shops; enjoy samples from the baker’s shop, see the blacksmith at work making crucifixion nails, marvel at the potter’s crafts and listen for the rumor of a king’s birth from excited townspeople.   The tour is outside and takes approximately 45 minutes. Wait times for the event could be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. Dress appropriately for the weather. The rough terrain is not suitable for wheelchairs; however they do have “chariots” to accommodate person who need help. Admission is free and parking is available on the property. Shuttle service is provided to and from satellite parking locations. Donations to help defray the costs of construction and maintenance are accepted.   Visit the website for times and fees.

Miracle of Christmas – Live at the Zoo.   December 21st, 22nd, and 23rd.  Metro Richmond Zoo.  A live nativity pageant at the Metro Richmond Zoo, celebrating the birth Jesus Christ, through a live re-enactment of the Christmas story featuring animals from the zoo.  The twenty minute pageant will be presented 3 times each evening.  Live musical performances before and after each pageant will be provided by local churches and performing arts groups. Three shows each evening at 7:00, 7:45, and 8:30.The Zoo gates open at 6:15 p.m. for the first show.  The twenty minute pageant takes place outdoors just inside the Zoo’s entrance. Admission and parking are FREE, overflow parking is available.

Glorious Christmas Nights.  November 29th-December 10th. West End Assembly of God, 401 N. Parham Road.  Glorious Christmas Nights will bring you a spectacular holiday musical called “FANtastic Christmas!” It’s a thrilling “show within a show” set in the Richmond Fan District in 1967.  Fee.

CANCELLED   The Richmond Community Nativity Pageant.  December 22nd.  7pm.  Carillon in Byrd Park.  The oldest public Christmas tradition in Richmond. The “Nativity” is a live presentation out of doors with a cast and choir of approximately 200 persons.