The Christmas season is full of wonderful holiday events throughout Northern Virginia, with a plethora of concerts, sing-alongs, theatre productions and light shows keeping things festive all winter long.
Three of this writer’s favorite local events—and worthy of revising year after year—are Wolf Trap’s annual Sing-A-Long, Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights, and The Bull Run Festival of Lights.
Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long
Get Into the holiday spirit at Wolf Trap. On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Filene Center plays host to the free holiday sing-along at 4 p.m., featuring the United States Marine Band.
“The Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long is a tradition that celebrates everything that’s great about our community: generosity, through the Toys for Tots collection; service and volunteerism, with performances by the Marine Corps Band and local choirs; and the spirit of togetherness that is made possible by live music,” Arvind Manocha, Wolf Trap’s president and CEO, says. “It’s a free event—just one of many ways Wolf Trap gives back to our community—so bring your family, a candle, your singing voice and your jingle bells. What better way to kick off the holiday season?”
Guests can come sit in the seats or on the lawn and join in singing Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs with top choir and vocal groups from the metropolitan Washington area.
As with every year, Wolf Trap will be participating in Toys for Tots by collecting new, unwrapped toys at the entrance to the Filene Center before the Sing-A-Long. Donations are strictly voluntary and not a requirement.
The event ends every year with a candlelight processional during the last verse of “Silent Night.” There will also be a “Jing-A-Long” during “Jingle Bells” and a special holiday guest is rumored to be making an appearance this year.
Walk Through the Lights
Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights, at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, will light up its gardens again beginning Nov. 14 with special holiday light exhibits on display aloing a .6 mile long path until Jan. 4, 2015.
The popular outdoor walking light show includes more than 500,000 LED lights and displays, consisting of themes based on animals, Christmas and flowers. Children can even take part in a scavenger hunt that lets them track down special lights and displays for a chance to win a prize.
Each evening, an animated light show, called Lakeside Lights, will run continuously set to five favorite holiday songs. The energizing show features over 40,000 LED lights on more than 200 circuits.
Tickets are sold at the door, but timed admission tickets are required and it’s suggested that you get your tickets in advance to avoid the sold out crowds. Once inside, you can walk around as long as you want until the park closes at 10 p.m.
Hot chocolate and coffee is available for the walk and other holiday refreshmants are on sale. Kids will enjoy all of the flashing jewelry and moms and dads will love the holiday ornaments commemorating the show available at the Snowflake Shoppe.
For more information, visit www.winterwalkoflights.com.
Lights to Drive By
A Northern Virginia tradition for more than 15 years, the Bull Run Festival of Lights will be open seven days a week from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. from Nov. 19 to Jan. 4, 2015.
The event was created by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and annually welcomes over 30,000 cars and more than 130,000 people each year.
“The Festival of Lights is a great way for families to enjoy time together and it’s a truly unique holiday experience that visitors of all ages will enjoy,” says Jenny Hofler, communications and fundraising specialist for the parks authority. “It’s a great holiday event to go through together. You can be in the comfort of your car and not be outside freezing.”
The holiday-themed lights are packed into a 2.5-mile drive through Centreville’s Bull Run Regional Park, offering more than 100,000 lights in one-of-a-kind displays.
“The Festival of Lights provides families with an exciting experience that they can all share together while creating memories at the same time,” says Carmela Brittingham, events specialist for Bull Run Regional Park. “The event can become a family tradition as a means to bring everyone together during the holiday season.”
Among the more popular displays are “The 12 Days of Christmas,” “Candy Land,” which features scenes from popular children’s stories, “Salute to the Season,” and, as always, the drive ends with Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer.
“There’s also a Wizard of Oz-themed display that we added a few years ago,” Hofler says. “The colors are spectacular and families will create great memories. Each year we add new lights so it’s different every season.”
Included with admission is access to the holiday carnival at the end of the drive (complete with fun rides and food vendors), lighted Christmas trees, and Santa’s Enchanted Lights located in the Holiday Village.
Tickets are $15 per car Monday through Thursday, with weekends and holidays costing $20. For more information, visit www.bullrunfestivaloflights.com.
