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Our Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town 2026 Guide tells you all about the beloved event featuring one of North America’s biggest holiday light displays.
But it’s also so much more than just the holiday lights. From amazing live shows to the Christmas Town Express to photo opportunities with characters and much more, there is so much to do at this fun event.
The event begins on November 13, 2026. It runs on select days through January 3, 2027.
Are you planning on visiting Christmas Town Williamsburg in 2026? Use this travel guide to find out what to expect! We also have tips for what kind of ticket is best for you… and your budget!
Christmas Lights
The Christmas lights all over the park are breathtaking. No matter what time you arrive, you definitely want to stay until after the sun goes down, because that’s when the magic happens! The holiday lights are absolutely incredible after dark. While there are a lot of fun things to do at Christmas Town, I definitely recommend spending some time walking around and just taking in the sights.
For instance, check out how the Escape from Pompeii ride is transformed:
And every area at Christmas Town is covered in lights. In fact, throughout the park, there are over 10 million lights!
Holiday Shows & Entertainment
While the lights are impressive, there are many other fun things to do at Christmas Town! From singing to dancing to even ice skating, there’s a lot to love about the live entertainment and holiday shows.
Queens of Christmas
This is an all-new show taking place at the Il Teatro di San Marco Theatre, which is the open-air theater in the Italy section of the park. You can enjoy a delicious meal while being entertained by three musicians. The trio performs beloved holiday songs like “This Christmas” and “Santa Baby”.
Tip: the higher levels of the theater are both covered and heated.
Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special
There’s a brand new show this year at Das Festhaus, which I think has a really fun theme. The premise is you’ve been transported back in time to the 1960’s where you can enjoy a holiday TV special with classic carols and lots of great nostalgia that is perfect for this time of year. Like with Queens of Christmas, you can enjoy a delicious meal at Das Festhaus while you enjoy this show.
An added bonus of this show and meal? It is indoors! You’ll appreciate that when it is cold (and it usually is this time of year).
Gloria
One of my favorite shows at Busch Gardens Williamsburg during Christmas has always been Gloria over at Abbey Stone Theatre in Ireland.
And it is back! It is a retelling of the story of the first Christmas. it blends contemporary and traditional music. They also use great costumes and scenery.
‘Twas That Night
This entertaining show combines the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (aka ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) with world-class ice skating. You can even enjoy listening to original holiday songs!
You can catch a performance at the Royal Palace Theatre in France. Please note that since it’s an outdoor theater, the show can be cancelled due to inclement weather (including the temperature actually being too high!).
Want to get spoiled? You can see a video of the ice show from the past here:
Please note that this show does not open until November 27, 2026.
Scrooge No More
Enjoy the classic tale of Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. This musical is held at the Globe Theater in England. The indoor theater is located very close to the park entrance. My family really loves this show.
Celebration of Lights at O’ Tannenbaum
This is a light show celebrating the giant 50-foot Christmas tree, which can be found outside Das Festhaus in Oktoberfest. You can watch the beautiful lights and enjoy the holiday music.
Elmo’s Christmas Wish
Will Elmo find his Christmas wish? If his friends Grover, Cookie Monster, Rosita, and Zoe have anything to do with it, then the answer is yes! You can watch this fun musical at the outdoor stage in the Sesame Street Forest of Fun.
Polar Pathway: Spectacle of Lights
So you know how I mentioned how Escape from Pompeii is decorated so beautifully? Well, it comes alive with a light spectacular, complete with over a million twinkling LED lights. They’re choreographed to music!
Merry Misfits
The Merry Misfits bring an energetic twist to the season with their renditions of popular holiday songs.
Village Entertainment
Throughout the day, you might catch one of these performances:
- Carolers in England
- Merry Misfits in France
Shopping
If you want to go shopping at Christmas Town, stop by The Christmas Town Artisan Market in Oktoberfest. This is a traditional outdoor market that has a selection of handmade items from local craft vendors, much like you would see in a traditional European Christmas market. These artisans make unique Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers!
Other places to shop include:
England
- Christmas Town Shoppe (Emporium)
Ireland
- Emerald Isle Gifts
- Toys O’ The Leprechaun
France
- La Belle Maison
New France
- Caribou Pottery
- Trapper Dave’s General Store
- Acadia Traders
Germany
- German Gifts
- Rudolph Shop
Oktoberfest
- Der Marktplatz
- Ornament World (Festhaus Gifts)
Italy
- Bella Casa
Sesame Street Forest of Fun
- Abby Cadabby’s Treasure Trove
More Things to Do
Looking for more fun in the park? Choose from some of these activities and attractions.
Character Interactions
Meet some fun Christmas characters and take some memorable photos!
- Santa Claus at Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole
- Father Christmas in the English Village
- Frosty the Snowman and Gingy the Gingerbread Man in Germany
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Clarice at Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland in Wilkommenhaus
Highland Stables
Take a fun photo with the Clydesdale horses!
Christmas Town Express
Board this colorful and cheerful holiday train in New France – and be prepared to sing along with some favorite Christmas songs!
Rides
Over 25 rides and roller coasters are available during Christmas Town. This includes:
- The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge
- Apollo’s Chariot
- Verbolten: Forbidden Turn
- DarKoaster
- Finnegan’s Flyer
- Busch Gardens® Railway
- Aeronaut Skyride
- Der Autobahn
- Der Autobahn Jr.
- Der Wirbelwind
- Kinder Karussel
- Le Catapult
- The Battering Ram
- Turkish Delight
- The Trade Wind
- Elephant Run
- Li’l Clydes
- Der Roto Baron
- Little Balloons
- The Little Gliders
- Bug-a-Dug
- Flutter Sputter
- Grover’s Alpine Express
- Oscar’s Whirly Worms
- Prince Elmo’s Spire
Food & Drink
If you’re looking for great seasonal treats and drinks, you’ll find it at Christmas Town! There are a number of locations for dining and drinking.
Restaurants
- Das Festhaus (Oktoberfest)
- Squire’s Grille (England)
- Trappers’ Smokehouse (New France)
- Marco Polo’s Marketplace (Italy)
Festive Beverages & Seasonal Brews
- Grogan’s Pub (Ireland)
- North Pole Nightcap (Oktoberfest)
- Brauhaus (Oktoberfest)
Holiday Treats & Sweets
- Josephine’s Creamery de Chocolat (France)
- England Sweet Shoppe (England)
- Rita’s Italian Ice (Festa Italia)
- Three Rivers Snacks (New France)
Wine Tastings
- La Belle Maison (France)
- German Gifts (Germany)
- Pottery Porch (New France)
- Bella Casa (Italy)
Santa’s Fireside Feast
Character dining gives you the opportunity to interact with fun characters while enjoying delicious food. At Santa’s Fireside Feast, you’ll get to hear a classic Christmas story from Santa Claus. Mrs. Claus will join in on the fun as well! And elves will prepare the “all-you-care-to-eat” meal. Your group will also receive a 6×8 photo, which makes an excellent souvenir!
My family tried it before, and had a lovely time! You can read our Santa’s Fireside Feast review here.
This dining experience costs $45 to $55 for adults and kids ages 10 years old and up. The price is $22 to $27 for children ages 3 to 9 years old. The cost depends on the date; more popular dates cost more than less popular dates.
Kids younger than 3 years old can eat free, but you will need to make a reservation for them. You can purchase this character meal – and choose lunch or dinner times as well as your date of visit – here.
Please note that you should check in 15 minutes early at Castle O’Sullivan in Ireland, which is where Santa’s Fireside Feast is held.
Christmas Town Tickets
Ready to plan a trip to Williamsburg to see Christmas Town in person?
The cost of admission depends on the date that you visit the park – click here to see the pricing for date-specific tickets. You can also add all day dining to your ticket.
If you plan on attending the event three days or more, we recommend getting a Christmas Town Fun Card. This lets you visit unlimited times during the holiday season. But if you are visiting two days or less, just get a single-day ticket; right now, that is the cheapest option.
Speaking of which, if you can, we do recommend spending at least 2 days at Christmas Town. That way, you can have plenty of time to take in the lights all over the park, watch multiple shows, ride as many rides as you’d like, etc. And if it happens to rain one of those days, you can stick to indoor shows or shopping then, and enjoy the outdoor attractions the other day.
And if you are planning a longer Williamsburg vacation during the holiday season, you might want to consider a Christmas Bounce Ticket (instead of the Fun Card). That’s because this will get you admission to Christmas Town and also Colonial Williamsburg. We go into more detail about the Christmas Bounce Ticket here.
Finally, if you become a Busch Gardens member, you can get unlimited visits to the park year-round, including Christmas Town. If you are planning on taking multiple trips during the upcoming year to Williamsburg (or you live in the area), this is also a great option.
Event Upgrades
Any visit to Christmas Town is going to be special. But if you want to make the experience extra special, consider getting one of these upgrades! (To purchase these upgrades, click here. We recommend doing so before the day of your visit.)
Reserved Seating
An up-close seat is guaranteed if you purchase reserved seating for one (or more) of these shows:
- Scrooge No More!
- Gloria!
- ‘Twas That Night
- Queens of Christmas
- Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special
Quick Queue
With Quick Queue at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, you get “skip the line” privileges. Now, you may still have to wait in line, but you do get priority access and will bypass the majority of the line.
There are multiple Quick Queue options at Christmas Town.
Winter Quick Queue
Click here to get priority access for a single time for each of the following rides:
- Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge
- Apollo’s Chariot
- Battering Ram
- Der Autobahn
- Der Wirbelwind
- Finnegan’s Flyer
- Kinder Karussel
- Le Catapult
- Peppermint Twist
- Snowman Summit
Winter Quick Queue Unlimited Plus
You get everything in the Winter Quick Queue, plus one-time access to the following rides.
- Verbolten: Forbidden Turn.
- DarKoaster
Christmas Town Skyride 1-Time Quick Queue
A really neat way to see the Christmas lights is from he air on the Christmas Town Skyride. You can get in a Skyride Cabin which seats three adults or four guests if one is under 56″ tall.
You can get this quick queue here.
Christmas Town Express Quick Queue
Click here to get single time priority access to taking a Jolly Sing-A-Long Train Ride on the Christmas Town Express.
Christmas Town Video Tour
If you want to see Christmas Town for yourself but you can’t wait until you visit Williamsburg, then check out this virtual tour from 2019:
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