Charlottesville Holiday Guide

New Year's Eve Masked Ball at Veritas - Read More

Early New Year's at the Dairy Market - Great for Kids - Ball drop at 7PM - Read More

Three Notch'd New Years Eve Party - Bring your family in to welcome in the New Year with us! We'll have family-friendly festivities & a balloon drop at 6PM sharp! - Read More

New Year's Eve With Chamomile and Whiskey - Charlottesville favorite's Chamomile & Whiskey return for New Year's Eve at the Fry's Spring Beach Club with Ramona and the Holy Smokes. - Read More

Reason Beer's New Years Rock Band Eve - 2022 is ending the only way we know how, with the biggest Rock Band party of the year! Join us as we perform all of the songs we came to sing and love in 2022. - Read More

CANCELLED UNTIL 2023 Attend the First Night Virginia Event: Enjoy live music and entertainment from local artists, an illuminated parade, and a fireworks finale at this annual New Year's celebration.

Quirk Hotel Charlottesville - Lobby Bar and Rooftop will both have a midnight toast, insta worthy decor, and a special NYE drink! Hours are extended until 1am

Rapunzels - New Year’s Eve Party with the Quintessential Quartet and Boxcar Speakeasy. Doors at 8pm, $10 Cover (kids 10 and under free) Music at 9pm through 2023, champagne toast at midnight

The Bebedero - New Year’s 2023 DJ Marcela Biondo - $10 Cover - 10pm start, includes champagne toast

Rapture -NYE at Rapture with Disco Risque and Travis Elliott - 9pm to Close

Ix Park and Ix Park Looking Glass - Studio 51 Sounds of Love Copa Vida X Sean Thomas - Dance Party /Extraterrestrial costumes encouraged - $25

Boars Head Resort - The Winter Wander Trail of Lights already illuminates our rolling landscape, but all ticket holders for New Year's Eve night will have the added value of an electrifying fireworks show directly over top of the Winter Wander trail. This show is exclusive to Winter Wander guests, and a ticket to Winter Wander is required to view the fireworks.

Common House - NYE Prix Fixe Dinner - Dress to impress, arrive at 6pm for cocktails, dinner at 6:30pm - RSVP with Common House Concierge

Random Row Brewing - Family Friendly NYE celebration! Bring your family and friends for food, fun, and great craft beer (local wine and other craft beverages will also be available). Tickets include all you can eat Moe's BBQ and Wayside Chicken, dessert by Insomnia Cookies, 2 drink tickets each for adults, unlimited kids beverages, and a sparkling juice toast for all at "midnight" (7 pm).

Umma’s - Y2Rave Dance Party featuring Bobby Metronome x Zack Decker - rave classics, timeless hits, and Eurodance nostalgia

The Jefferson Theater - Special guests The BLNDERS and Palmyra will kick things off with 49 Winchester bringing us into the new year!

The Ridley - NYE Three Course Menu/sparkling wine/Live music 8pm-11pm

Millers - Jen Tal Band, no cover 10pm - 1am. Countdown at midnight!

Starr Hill Cville - 5:30pm - 7:30pm DJ Cle - 7pm balloon drop - 8-10pm The Near Passerines

Looking for a great place to Stay around Charlottesville for the New Year's festivities. Check out Stay Charlottesville.

The holidays are here, avoid the worry of shipping delays and supply chain shortages by supporting local businesses. Here is our list of the best holiday shopping locations for 2021. Get out there and help your community to make this a wonderful Winter of 2021.

Darling Boutique

Looking for something unique for the ones you love? Darling Boutique has am amazing selection of holiday gifts from ornaments to 100% Grinch Jar Candles to get that holiday scent into the air.

The Holiday Market at Pro Re Nata

Join Pro Re Nata for sights, sounds, and mimosas on Saturday December 4th.

The Charlottesville Grand Illumination

Enjoy a great Charlottesville tradition and see a large number of local vendors all in one place.

The Wool Factory - 1st Anual Holiday Market

Join the Wool Factory on the 11th or 12th of December for curated craft wines, pastries from Cou Cou Rachou and other fun and help support local businesses.

Know of a gift shop we missed? Email us at editor@charlottesvilleinsider.com to let us know. And if you are coming into town, Stay Charlottesville has the perfect place for you to rest after your busy shopping days!

If you are looking for a fun and beautiful getaway for the holidays, then look no further than Charlottesville, VA. The shopping is phenomenal. The events are spectacular. And the decorations rival any big city. Join us for any or all of these events this season: (photo above courtesy of Rob Garland Photography)

Special Shopping

Martha’s Market – November 15-17 at Boar’s Head Pavilion

This annual event brings together craftspeople and artisans from near and far, giving you a chance to shop for all of your Christmas gifts in one place while supporting a great cause, women’s healthcare programs at Martha Jefferson hospital.

Parades

2022 Barrack's Road Holiday Parade - December 3rd.

Ceremonies

Events at Wineries, Breweries, and Cideries

Veritas Illuminated

A spectacular 1/4 mile walk through the enchanting woods and vineyard at Veritas Vineyards and Winery illuminated by twinkling holiday lights and decorations.
The trail is open on select Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.November 17, 2022 -- January 8, 2023 (visit their website for full dates and availability)5:15 PM to 8:30 PMVeritas Vineyards and Winery
151 Veritas Lane
Afton, VA 22920
Adults: $15.00 Ticket price for adults includes a limited edition souvenir logo glass, while supplies last.
Children ages 4-13: $10.00

Events at Historic Sites

Concerts

The Oratorio Society of Virginia Presents: Christmas at The Paramount
Join Music Director Michael Slon and 80 of our community’s finest singers for this beloved Charlottesville holiday tradition. This year’s concert will feature the first cantata from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with guest soloists and orchestra, as well as traditional favorites and arrangements of holiday classics such as Joy to the World and O Holy Night, among others. December 17, 2022 2:30 PM & 7:30 PMThe Paramount Theater
215 E. Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Admission: $10.00; $29.00; $36.00; $54.00

Cville Band-- Brass Quintet Christmas Performance
Join Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery for a special performance in their Tasting Room as The Cville Band’s Brass Quintet performs all of your Christmas favorites to get you in the holiday spirit.
December 18, 2022
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery
240 Hazy Mountain Ln.Afton, VA 22920
Admission: FREE

Other Fun Events

Boar's Head Winter Wander

Holiday City Market

Special holiday editions of the City Market every Saturday through December 17th. Shop handcrafted items from a wide variety of artisans, home décor, kitchen utensils, jewelry, textiles, and more. Additionally there will be a great selection of produce, meats, and other groceries. Saturdays November 26, 2022 - December 17, 2022
8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
100 Water Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902Admission: FREE

Brunch with Santa at Restoration
Enjoy our delicious brunch menu while kids visit with Santa, and the whole family enjoys the festive atmosphere. Reservations highly suggested.
December 17, 2022
11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Restoration Restaurant
5494 Golf Drive
Crozet, VA 22932
Admission: FREE

Gingerbread House Making Contest
Join Hardware Hills Winery for their 1st Gingerbread House contest! Doors open at 12:00 PM to enjoy wine, sangria, mulled wine and food before the contest which begins promptly at 1:00 PM. Tickets include everything needed to create a gingerbread house, and feel free to bring additional items to make your house stand out. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Good luck!
December 18, 202212:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Hardware Hills Winery
5199 W River Rd
Scottsville, VA 24590
Tickets: $25

And if you are coming into town for any of these events, find great places to stay on our Where to Stay page.

Know of a holiday event that we missed? Leave it in the comments to share with everyone!

The holiday shopping season officially kicks off this week with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, and there's never been a more critical year to keep your dollars local. That's no sacrifice at all with Charlottesville's amazing array of locally owned stores where you'll find great gifts from original art to beautiful clothing and elegant home decor. And if you prefer to do your shopping online this year, most of these places have that base covered, too. What are you waiting for?

Bittersweet - You'll find jewelry, shoes and women's clothes with a boho vibe at this popular boutique on the Downtown Mall. This weekend, you'll get 20 percent off your whole purchase in-store and online! Use the code SHOPSMALL online Nov. 27-29.

Mincer's - 'Hoos across the land know Mincer's on the Corner as the go-to spot for all things UVA. You'll find orange and blue shirts, ball caps, gloves and much more. In fact, if you can put a UVA logo on it, Mincer's probably has it!

Folly - Sometimes you spot something you didn't even know you wanted. That's how we feel about these gorgeous wastepaper baskets at Folly, an eclectic home decor store in the North Wing of Barracks Road Shopping Center. Working from home never looked so good! 

Finch - Cozy sweaters, hip t-shirts, jewelry and home accessories like pretty bath balls make Finch a must-stop-to-shop on the Corner. And take a minute to say hello to the real birds that keep the store vibe alive with their cheerful chirping. Bonus for holiday shoppers: 20 percent off through Dec. 6.

C'ville Arts - The Charlottesville area is home to gifted artists and makers whose works make perfect gifts. From original photography and art to handmade jewelry and home goods, more than 50 artists display in this cooperative gallery on the Downtown Mall. We stopped to gawk at these handmade clocks by Allan Young.

Green Bean Baby Boutique - Soft organic clothing and other eco-conscious baby products make this boutique in the North Wing of Barracks Road Shopping Center. And some of their bib messaging is pretty fierce too!

Pawprints - In all the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, don't forget the four-legged family members! From collars with panache to cozy sweaters for your pup, Pawprints boutique in Central Place on the Downtown Mall has the perfect gift for dogs, cats and the humans who love them.