Destination Bedford

Apocalypse Trivia Night
2025-11-26 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-03 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Every week there will be a wide range of categories to enjoy while also drinking your favorite beer or seltzer water!

SML Turkey Trot
2025-11-27 09:00 - 12:00 | Smith Mountain Lake State Park, 1235 State Park Road, Huddleston, VA, United States
Come to Smith Mountain Lake State Park for the region’s only turkey trot kid’s 1 mile and family friendly 5k on November 27th (Thanksgiving) at 9 am! Hosted by LAT Wellness Studio, this race is located on a scenic, asphalt route and welcomes walkers and runners to participate. A portion of proceeds is donated to the state park.
Register by October 31st to guarantee a shirt. There will be prizes for top qualifiers for runners plus the best dressed turkey family! Awards for runners start at 9:45 am. Kids are encouraged to participate!
Click here to register and for more information.

Music Bingo
2025-11-27 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-12-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
This is where the fun of bingo meets the excitement of your favorite tunes! Each round features hit songs across various genres, and you’ll mark your card to the beat. Win the coveted Music Bingo chain, gift cards, and of course, ultimate bragging rights! It’s a lively and unique way to enjoy great music, compete with friends, and score awesome prizes. Don’t miss the fun!

Festival of Trees
2025-11-28 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-29 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-30 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-01 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-02 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-03 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-04 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-05 09:00 - 17:00 and 1 more date | Bedford Area Welcome Center, 816 Burks Hill Road, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Join us for the 17th Annual Festival of Trees: Small Town Christmas!
Experience the magic of the season at this beloved, family-friendly event featuring 40 beautifully decorated trees created by local businesses and organizations.
Vote for your favorites for just $1 per vote. All proceeds benefit local charitable organizations. (Please bring cash for voting.)
Kids will love the holiday scavenger hunt and coloring sheet designed by local artist Terri Foster.
📍 Location: Bedford Area Welcome Center
🕘 Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
🌟 Extended evening hours: December 5–7 and 12–14, until 8 p.m.
📅 Event ends: January 4, 2026
The Welcome Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day, so please plan your visit accordingly.
For more information, call (540) 587-5681.

Creative Kids Christmas Market
2025-11-29 09:00 - 14:00 | 578 Blue Ridge Ave., Bedford, 24523
*Formerly known as the “All Good Things Christmas Market”

Come shop products created by creative young entrepreneurs! This is a kids only market, meaning all of the vendors are age 18 and under. They have been working hard to create amazing items and can’t wait to sell them to you!
Admission is $2 (cash only).

Lakeside Local
2025-11-29 10:00 - 13:00 | Halesford Center, 16483 Moneta Rd., Moneta, United States
Enjoy a vibrant market bringing talented local vendors to the heart of SML! Created & hosted by LAT Wellness Studio, Hawaii Fluid Art, and JBohnBishop Mercantile. Click here to see which vendors will be at this event each month.

Mistletoe Maker's Market
2025-11-29 10:00 - 15:00 | Bower Center for the Arts, 309 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA, United States
Celebrate Small Business Saturday and shop local handmade goods at Bower Center for the Arts! With over thirty exhibitors from around the region, you will be sure to find the perfect holiday gifts!
This event will also include chances to win door prizes, free face painting, caricatures with Kyle Edgell, selfies with Santa & Mrs. Clause, youth art activity stations, cookie decorating and more!
Admission is $2/adult at the door or a donation of art supplies for the Bower Center’s Little Free Art Gallery! Children 12 and under are free.

Train Exhibit at the Bedford Museum
2025-11-29 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-01 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-02 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-03 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-04 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-05 10:00 - 17:00 | Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library, 201 East Main Street, Bedford, VA, United States
Don’t miss this Christmas train display featuring landmarks of Bedford and much more! The trains are located on the 3rd floor of the Museum. Admission is $5, kids are free. A train pass is also available to purchase for only $10 in the Museum gift shop, which grants unlimited admission through December.

Community Tree Lighting
2025-12-01 17:00 - 18:00 | Bedford Memorial Hospital
Please join Bedford Memorial Hospital for their annual Christmas Tree lighting! Meet on the front lawn of BMH. Enjoy music, hot cocoa, and of course, SANTA!

Bower Center Exhibit
2025-12-03 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-04 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-05 11:00 - 15:00 | Bower Center for the Arts, 309 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA, United States
Come to the Bower Center for the Arts to view two new exhibits: Through the Lens II, An Invitational Exhibit and Andrea Wild: Caught In Old Lace Between the Stars & the Earth.
Gallery admission to view the exhibits is free!
The Bower Center is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and both of these exhibits will be on display until January 24th.

D-Day Memorial Lunchbox Lecture
2025-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 | National D-Day Memorial, 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Join the National D-Day Memorial for the 2025 Lunchbox Lecture Series.
All lectures will be held in real-time through Facebook Live and YouTube and also in person at the Memorial. Follow the National D-Day Memorial Facebook page and YouTube channel for notifications.
This month the Topic is: “Filming D-Day” with Jennifer Rossel.
Join the National D-Day Memorial for a conversation with Jennifer Rossel, the daughter of Richard Taylor of the 165th Signal Photography Company, the man who filmed the only known motion picture footage of Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Holiday Candlelight Tours
2025-12-05 17:30 - 20:30 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Celebrate the advent of the Christmas season in Jeffersonian style at Poplar Forest. Explore the president’s cherished hideaway by candlelight on this hour-long holiday tour. See how early Americans decorated with fresh greens for the holidays as your guide paints intimate portraits of the Jefferson family’s celebration and Christmas at the Quarter Site, drawn from true stories and anecdotes discovered in Jefferson’s letters and diaries. The tour is followed by refreshments in the Museum Shop. Admission is $30 per person. Reservations are required.
Dec. 5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19 at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Click here for tickets.

Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5K
2025-12-06 08:30 - 10:30 | Bedford Baptist Church, 1516 Oakwood Street, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
This will be the 46th Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic 5k organized by the Bedford Area YMCA! Location is the Bedford Baptist Church, 1516 Oakwood St. Bedford, VA 24523.

Early Bird pricing runs from September 8 – October 12
Early Bird Price: $25
After October 12, registration increases to $30

Sign up online at www.Christmasclassic5k.com
*Long sleeve t-shirts are included and guaranteed until Nov. 17th.
