Winter Wander lights Boar's Head Resort Nov. 13 to Jan. 2, with Santa through Christmas Eve. Holiday Market, Magic on the Mall and closings.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from Winter Wander, Friends of Charlottesville Downtown’s Magic on the Mall, the City of Charlottesville and UVA Today.

Charlottesville’s big light display is Winter Wander at Boar’s Head Resort, which opens Friday, Nov. 13, and runs on set nights to Saturday, Jan. 2. Santa is there from opening night through Christmas Eve. Downtown, the city’s Holiday Market fills Water Street on Saturdays from Nov. 28, and the Grand Illumination tree lighting is Saturday, Dec. 5. The Grand Illumination and the Barracks Road parade have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

At a glance

  • Nov. 13 to Jan. 2: Winter Wander lights, Boar’s Head Resort, 200 Ednam Drive (ticketed, timed entry)
  • Nov. 28 to Dec. 19: Holiday Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 100 E. Water St.
  • Sat. Dec. 5: Grand Illumination on the Downtown Mall
  • Mon. Dec. 21: Winter Wander drone shows, 6 and 8 p.m.

Winter Wander at Boar’s Head Resort

Winter Wander is a walking trail of lights, just over half a mile long, around Heritage Lake behind the main hotel at Boar’s Head Resort, 200 Ednam Drive, west of the University of Virginia. The trail is hard-surfaced and works for most strollers and wheelchairs, and an elevator inside the resort reaches the ticketing level. Parking is free.

Nights and hours, from the 2026 ticket page:

Dates Hours
Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 20-22 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 27-29 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Dec. 3-6, 10-13 and 17-23 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Thu. Dec. 24 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 26-31 5 to 9 p.m.
Jan. 1-2 5 to 8:30 p.m.

It is closed on any date not listed, including Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

  • Tickets: online only, for a 30-minute entry window. Prices vary by night and are higher on the day. Tickets are not refundable, but can be moved to another date online until 11:59 p.m. the night before.
  • Santa: at Winter Wander from opening night through Christmas Eve; photos cost extra and personal photos with Santa are not allowed.
  • Drone shows: 200 drones on Monday, Dec. 21, at 6 and 8 p.m. (details).
  • New Year’s Eve: fireworks at 8 p.m. Dec. 31. See our New Year’s Eve page.
  • The event is cashless, runs rain, snow or shine, and does not allow pets, bikes or vehicles on the trail.

Magic on the Mall, downtown

Friends of Charlottesville Downtown runs Magic on the Mall, a free holiday program on the Downtown Mall. Its 2026 schedule had not been posted as of Oct. 19. Last season it included:

  • Letters to Santa, Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, with a reply for every child whose parent filled in the online form
  • Elves in Cville, a scavenger hunt for lost elves in downtown shops from Nov. 15 to Jan. 11, with North Pole Passes at J Fenton Too, Magpie Knits and the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library central branch
  • Snapshots with Santa, free photos at the Paramount Theater, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving
  • Downtown Holiday Express, a ride along the Mall on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More around town

  • Grand Illumination, Saturday, Dec. 5: the city’s all-day event on the Downtown Mall ends with the tree lighting by City Hall. Details are on our parade and tree lighting page.
  • Holiday 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.
  • Lighting of the Lawn: the University of Virginia’s student-run light show on the Lawn is held each December. The 25th was on Dec. 5, 2025; the 2026 date had not been announced as of Oct. 19.
  • Family Holiday Concerts: the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia and the UVA University Singers play Old Cabell Hall at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The symphony’s concert page says the concerts are not recommended for children under 6, every child needs a ticket, and tickets are sold through the UVA Arts Box Office.
  • Hanukkah begins at sunset Friday, Dec. 4, and ends at nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12. We will list public menorah lightings when their organizers announce them.

Closings over Christmas

Thu. Dec. 24 Fri. Dec. 25 Thu. Dec. 31 Fri. Jan. 1
City offices Closed Closed Open Closed
Recreation centers Closed Closed Shorter hours Closed
Trash pickup Not a trash holiday None; Friday routes Saturday Not a trash holiday None; Friday routes Saturday
Downtown garages Normal rates Free Normal rates Free

Sources: the city’s holiday calendar, Parks and Recreation’s holiday hours sheet, the trash holiday rule and the garage page. Charlottesville Area Transit ran no buses on Christmas Day 2025; check its holiday schedule for 2026.

Schools: Charlottesville City Schools’ winter break runs Dec. 21 to Jan. 1. Monday, Jan. 4, is a teacher workday, and students return Tuesday, Jan. 5.

Christmas trees: the city collects trees at the curb for one week in January. See our trash guide.

Know of a light display, Santa visit or menorah lighting open to the public? Send it to us with the date, time, place and the organizer’s link.

What this means for you

  • Book Winter Wander early for December weekends; same-day tickets cost more and many nights sell out.
  • Weeknights early in December (Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16) the trail is closed.
  • Save Saturday, Dec. 5, for the Grand Illumination downtown.

Related guides: Black Friday and holiday shopping, New Year’s Eve and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see Christmas lights in Charlottesville?

Boar’s Head Resort’s Winter Wander, a half-mile walking trail of lights around Heritage Lake at 200 Ednam Drive, runs on set nights from Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 2, 2027. Tickets are sold online for timed entry.

When is Winter Wander open in 2026?

Nov. 13-15, Nov. 20-22 and Nov. 27-29, most nights in December except Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 and 25, and Jan. 1-2. It is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Where can kids see Santa in Charlottesville?

Santa is at Winter Wander from opening night, Nov. 13, through Christmas Eve, with photos for an extra fee. Last year Friends of Charlottesville Downtown also held free Santa photos at the Paramount Theater the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

When is the UVA Lighting of the Lawn?

The university had not announced its 2026 date as of Oct. 19. The 25th Lighting of the Lawn was held Dec. 5, 2025.

Is trash picked up on Christmas Day in Charlottesville?

No. Christmas falls on Friday, Dec. 25, so Friday routes move to Saturday, Dec. 26.