Charlottesville's Grand Illumination is Saturday, Dec. 5, an all-day Downtown Mall event ending with the tree lighting. The Barracks Road parade is Nov. 28.

Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. This page is updated each year. Facts come from the City of Charlottesville’s Grand Illumination listing, its 2025 releases on event safety rules and the weather postponement, the city’s markets page and Barracks Road Shopping Center.

Charlottesville lights its Christmas tree on Saturday, Dec. 5, at the end of the city’s 29th Grand Illumination, which this year becomes a full-day event across the Downtown Mall, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The city does not hold its own parade; the area’s holiday parade is the Barracks Road Holiday Parade at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at Barracks Road Shopping Center on Emmet Street.

Who to call

Grand Illumination, Saturday, Dec. 5

The city says the 2026 event has been “reimagined” as a full-day celebration on the Downtown Mall, with performances, family activities, interactive installations and hospitality spaces at several venues, instead of a single evening at one stage. The day ends with the annual tree lighting next to City Hall, scheduled “slightly earlier this year” so families can have dinner on the Mall or get young children home. The full schedule and lighting time are still to come; the city says “more details coming soon.”

How it worked last year. The 28th Grand Illumination was set for 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at Ting Pavilion, with free admission and free parking from 5 to 10 p.m. in the Market Street and Water Street garages. Weather forced the city to cancel that evening and move the event to Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Rules the city brought in for 2025:

  • One clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag per person, no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches; medical exceptions after inspection.
  • Security screening for everyone at the gates; re-entry through the main gates only.
  • Not allowed: luggage, firearms, knives or other weapons, fireworks or confetti, alcohol, coolers and drink containers (baby bottles and toddler food containers are allowed), aerosols, laser pointers, bicycles and skateboards.
  • Service animals only.

Expect the city to post its 2026 rules on the event listing before Dec. 5.

Barracks Road Holiday Parade, Saturday, Nov. 28

Barracks Road Shopping Center, 1117 Emmet St., lists its Holiday Parade at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28. Merchants sign up through the center’s parade participation form. Route and parking details had not been posted as of Oct. 18.

Holiday Market at the City Market

The City Market’s Holiday Market runs Nov. 28 to Dec. 19, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 100 E. Water St. See our farmers markets guide.

Around the holidays

  • Trash: no pickup on Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, or New Year’s Day, Friday, Jan. 1; Friday routes move to Saturday. See the trash guide.
  • Christmas trees: the city collects trees at the curb for one week in January; last season it was the week of Jan. 12. The new date is posted by mid-December.
  • Buses: last year Charlottesville Area Transit ended service early on Dec. 24 and ran no buses on Dec. 25. Check CAT’s holiday schedule.
  • Schools: Charlottesville City Schools’ second grading period ends Friday, Dec. 18. See the schools guide.

What this means for you

  • Save two Saturdays: Nov. 28 for the Barracks Road parade and the first Holiday Market, and Dec. 5 for Grand Illumination.
  • Pack light for Grand Illumination: if last year’s rules return, only one small clear bag gets in.
  • The tree lighting is earlier than in past years; check the city’s listing for the time.

Related guides: things to do this month, getting around Charlottesville and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Grand Illumination in Charlottesville in 2026?

Saturday, Dec. 5. The city’s 29th Grand Illumination runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. across the Downtown Mall and ends with the tree lighting next to City Hall, earlier in the evening than in past years.

Does Charlottesville have a Christmas parade?

The city itself does not run a parade. Barracks Road Shopping Center, 1117 Emmet St., holds its Holiday Parade at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.

Where is the Charlottesville Christmas tree lighting?

On the Downtown Mall next to City Hall, 605 E. Main St., at the end of the Grand Illumination on Saturday, Dec. 5. The city has not yet published the exact lighting time.

Can I bring a bag to the Grand Illumination?

In 2025 the city allowed one clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches per person and screened everyone at the gates. It banned alcohol, coolers, weapons, fireworks, bikes and skateboards. Check the city’s page for 2026 rules.