Hampton Roads is buzzing this weekend with exciting events to kick-off the holiday and winter season. There’s something for Everyone, everywhere in the region, from parades, craft fairs to cultural arts– oh my!
Holidays In The City
Saturday marks the beginning of “Holidays In The City” in Downtown Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth with a day full of family-friendly activities culminating in the Downtown Norfolk Grand Illumination. Start the day demonstrating your skills on the ice as MacArthur On Ice , Hampton Roads premier outdoor skating rink, opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday at MacArthur Center in Downtown Norfolk, Va. Festivities continue a few blocks away at the D’Art Center in Selden Arcade, Norfolk, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. with the opening of their Holiday Gift Shop. Face painting for kids and unique art pieces for everyone on your gift list. Kids can also craft “make & take” ornaments at Selden Arcade from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Pre-Parade Entertainment along the Grand Illumination Parade Route begins at 5:30 p.m. with the 27th Annual Grand Illumination Parade and Illumination of the Skylines beginning at 7 p.m.
Hampton Roads boasts another amazing open-air ice skating rink, this one on the Peninsula next to the Virginia Air & Space Museum!
Coliseum Central Holiday Parade
Live entertainment, floats, marching bands and Santa of course! Sat. 9:30 a.m., Hampton.
Find one of a kind hand-crafted items for everyone on your gift list at the O Tannenbaum: Old World Christmas Market, Sat. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Norfolk; Indian River Christmas Craft Show, Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. & Sun. 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., Chesapeake; and the 33rd Annual Santa’s Stocking Old Fashioned Craft Bazaar, Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. & Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Virginia Beach.
While most of the area events are focused on Christmas, we found a perfect pre-Thanksgiving activity in Portsmouth, sure to please! Thanksgiving Nature Crafts for kids ages 6-12, Sun. 2 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation & Preserve.
Arts
Hampton Roads presents two beloved children’s classics on stage. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, “Cinderella,” Sat. 8 p.m. & Sun. 3 p.m. at Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, and Hansel & Gretel, Sun. 2:30 p.m., Harrison Opera House, Norfolk.
Enjoy–mas