Fall Festival at Cox FarmsCentreville
September 19 to November 8
Giant slides like the Volcano and the Treetops, a corn maze, Foamhenge, a goat village and their famous hayride.
Fall in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Williamsburg2 things
The ones people drive in from other counties for. Most of them run the whole season, so you don't have to pick a weekend yet.
State Fair of VirginiaDoswell
September 25 to October 4
The state fair north of Richmond with rides, fair food, animals and competitions.
The little stuff, by town0 things
The city Halloween parties and the trunk or treats and the free stuff. Cities post their 2026 dates late, so anything marked "check the date" gets fixed the second it's announced.
The cities post these in early November. Check back.
For the rest of your list
These don't need an address, tap them and they go on your list with everything else.
Christmas in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Williamsburg4 things
Most of these post their 2026 dates in the fall, so these show last year's windows.
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens WilliamsburgWilliamsburg
select dates mid November into early January · check the date
Over ten million lights across the park, a Christmas ice show, Santa's Workshop and the Christmas Town Express.
Grand Illumination in Colonial WilliamsburgWilliamsburg
three Saturdays in December (last year Dec 6, 13 and 20) · check the date
Candlelit streets in the old colonial town with fireworks off the Capitol and the Governor's Palace.
Bull Run Festival of LightsCentreville
nightly mid November into early January · check the date
A 2.5 mile drive through the lights, then a little carnival with a petting zoo at the end.
Dominion Energy GardenFest of LightsRichmond
late November into early January · check the date
A million lights in the gardens with model trains, a fairy village and s'mores by the fire.
Town Christmas stuff
The town stuff, and I'll add the tree lightings as the cities post them in November.
Christmas in Vienna
Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark
mid November into early January · check the date
A half mile paved garden trail of lights, easy with a stroller, with s'mores at the end.
Christmas in Norfolk
Garden of Lights at Norfolk Botanical Garden
the holiday season · check the date
Over a million and a half lights through the garden.
For the rest of your Christmas list
This is the at-home stuff, tap them and they go on your list with the lights and the train.
put it on the wall
Turn your Christmas picks into a real bucket list
Tap the lights and the trains and the town stuff you want and pick the Christmas design you like, and I'll hold onto your picks. The Christmas lists are coming soon, and the second they're up your picks drop straight into the slots.
Good any weekend0 things
The stuff that doesn't need a date, for the Saturday when nothing's going on.
Northern Virginia, Richmond and Williamsburg fall and Christmas questions
When is the Cox Farms Fall Festival in 2026?
September 19 to November 8, 2026 in Centreville.
When is the Grand Illumination in Colonial Williamsburg?
Usually three Saturdays in December, with fireworks and candlelit streets.
who's writing this
Hi, I'm Amy.
We roadschool six kids out of a van. I'm just a mom with a Ford Transit and a lot of opinions about corn mazes, so if something on here is wrong, or your town's party is missing, email me at hello@bellebucket.com and I'll fix it.
put it on the wall
Turn your picks into a real bucket list
Tap the ones you want and I'll drop them onto whichever fall design you pick, then you add your own stuff (birthdays, carving pumpkins, whatever your family does). It prints big, like 24x36 big, and it hangs on the wall all season.