While Virginia’s Blue Ridge, an area surrounding Roanoke, may not be known for its white Christmases, it still offers plenty of holiday cheer through the month of December.

© Jennifer Griffin – Visit VBR
For more than 600,000 holiday lights, visit Explore Park and Illuminights. In the summer, the adventure park offers hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, camping and more, but in the winter, the park is taken over by glittering lights you can explore as you take to one of the park’s paths at your own pace.
Prefer to look at the lights while staying in the toasty confines of your car? Check out the drive-through light experience, Land of Lights, at Franklin County Recreation Park. A similar experience can be had at Buchanan Festival of Lights, which offers a walking experience during the week and a drive-thru experience on the weekends, Dec. 3–Jan. 1, 2024.

© Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Through New Year’s Day, check out the Fashion for Evergreens event at The Hotel Roanoke. There, myriad themed Christmas trees are on display. Vote for your favorites in an event benefitting community non-profits.
Need more ideas for things to do? The area boasts more than 20 Christmas shows and performances, ranging from musicals to the ballet, orchestral performances and beyond.
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