Christmas at Smith Mountain Lake
2025-12-14 17:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | EastLake Community Church, 1201 Timberwood Lane, Moneta, VA, 24121, United States
Join EastLake Community Church for one of the most festive weekends of the year as we bring the joy of Christmas to Smith Mountain Lake! Guests will enjoy an evening filled with laughter, music, and family fun.
What to Expect:
Christmas Variety Show — Performances at 6 PM and 8 PM
Food Trucks offering a variety of seasonal favorites
Craft Vendor Fair featuring local artisans and handmade gifts
Santa Photos — capture the magic with family and friends
Carolers spreading Christmas cheer throughout the evening
Ice Skating for a little winter adventure
Snowmazing — an inflatable maze filled with snowy surprises
Movie in the Courtyard — featuring a Christmas Favorite

Festival of Trees
2025-12-15 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-16 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-17 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-18 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-19 09:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-20 09:00 - 17:00 | 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.

Train Exhibit at the Bedford Museum
2025-12-15 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-16 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-17 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-18 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-19 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-12-20 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.

Bower Center Exhibit
2025-12-16 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-17 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-18 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-19 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-20 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.

Concert at the Bower Center
2025-12-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Bower Center for the Arts, 305 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Come to the Bower Center for a Celtic Christmas with Kinnfolk! $20 in advance/$25 at the door.

Apocalypse Trivia Night
2025-12-17 19:00 - 21:00 | 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!

Holiday Candlelight Tours
2025-12-18 17:30 - 20:30, 2025-12-19 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.

Bower After Hours: Holiday Party
2025-12-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Bower Center for the Arts, 309 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA, United States
Get ready to eat, drink, and be merry at Bower Center for the Arts’ festive Bower After Hours: Holiday Party! Don your ugliest Christmas sweater and join us for a night of holiday cheer, music, and good company.
Dance along to your favorite holiday hits
Rock your best (or worst!) ugly Christmas sweater
Enjoy a cash bar with festive drinks
Whether you’re feeling naughty or nice, grab your friends and come celebrate the season with us. Let’s toast to the holidays and make some merry memories!

Music Bingo
2025-12-18 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!

Live Music @ Apocalypse Ale Works
2025-12-19 19:00 - 22:00 | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Come to Apocalypse Ale Works for great beer and live music. For more information and to see who is playing each week, click here. Food by Bunker 42 Bar Bites will also be available for purchase!

Santa on the Farm
2025-12-20 10:00 - 15:00 | Lottie J Farm, 4787 Patterson Mill Road, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
For the fifth year in a row, Santa is coming to Lottie J Farm! Feel free to take your own pictures.
Meet Santa, do a little Christmas shopping in the farm store, visit with the critters in the barnyard, explore the Play Barn, and make s’mores by the fire pit, all while taking in those beautiful mountain views!
The Hot Dog Girl and Hot Mocha will be joining on site!
Admission is only $7 per person and ages 3 and under are free!

U.S. Space Force Birthday
2025-12-20 10:00 - 17:00 | National D-Day Memorial, 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford, VA, United States
U.S. Space Force veterans receive complimentary admission to the Memorial. (Admission is always free for Active-duty service members.)

Daytime Holiday Tours
2025-12-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Enjoy Poplar Forest decked out for the holidays on this special daytime tour that focuses on holiday traditions of the Jefferson time period. These hour-long, docent guided tours explore how Jefferson and his family celebrated the holidays and takes a look at how the holiday season impacted the enslaved community. These tours are only offered twice in December and reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets are $30 for adults 18+ and $17 for college students and teens (ages 12-17), $11 for youth (ages 6-11), under 6 free. Admission includes access to all self-guided exhibits on the property following your tour.

Last Call For Mead
2025-12-20 12:00 - 17:00 | The Meadery at Graham Ordinary, 8578 Peaks Rd, Bedford, Virginia, 24523
The Meadery at Graham Ordinary is open on December 20th and December 27th for the last time this year! They will reopen their doors in February. Come enjoy delicious mead and a great atmosphere!

Christmas Movie Night
2025-12-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Bedford County Gym, 1059 Turning Point Rd., Bedford, 24523, United States
Christmas Movie Night at the County Gym!
Saturday, December 20th • 6:00 p.m.
Get ready for a holly-jolly good time as we transform the County Gym into a cozy holiday theater for a special showing of The Santa Clause! Bring your family, your friends, and your Christmas spirit for a night full of festive fun.
What to Expect:
A big-screen showing of The Santa Clause
Santa himself will be onsite for photos—so bring your wish lists!
Free hot chocolate to warm your hands
Free popcorn to enjoy during the movie
Holiday cheer for all ages!
Wear your favorite Christmas PJs, snuggle up with a blanket, and kick off the week of Christmas with a fun, family-friendly night.
Admission is free—everyone is welcome!
