Visit Williamsburg In Every Season
Images Courtesy Of Visit Williamsburg
A trip to Williamsburg is the perfect getaway any time of the year. Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown are bursting with quaint shops and restaurants as well as fun, family-friendly events. Here’s a look at what each season can bring in Greater Williamsburg.
Spring
The warm air and early spring blooms indicate the start of farmers market season. Both the Williamsburg Farmers Market, at Merchants Square, and Yorktown Market Days, at Riverwalk Landing, begin in the spring and run on Saturdays through the fall, with special seasonal markets throughout the year. Visit the local vendors and browse fresh produce, meats, breads, soaps, candles, baked goods and more to get your own taste
of Williamsburg.
Little ones will love seeing their favorite Sesame Street character friends during Kids’ Weekends at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, running March 21 through April 19, 2026. Adults will enjoy spending time at the world’s most beautiful theme park at Food & Wine Festival, April 23 through June 21, while tasting internationally inspired cuisine and beverages. Make a splash at Water Country USA, Virginia’s largest family waterpark, which opens for the 2026 season on May 9.
Summer
Explore Busch Gardens Summer of Wonder, featuring art, music and more, open daily June 26-July 30. Then, experience seasonal beer tastings and beer-inspired bites at Bier Fest Brews & BBQ, Friday through Sunday (plus Labor Day), July 31 through Sept. 7.
Greater Williamsburg loves to celebrate the Fourth of July with festive fireworks. Both Colonial Williamsburg and York County have honored America’s independence with live music, performances from the Fifes and Drums and the ever-popular evening fireworks.
Summer is also a great time for live music at weekly outdoor events, so check social media to see if any are happening during your visit to Williamsburg.
Fall
As the temperature drops, the fun doesn’t stop in Williamsburg. Celebrate spooky season from mid-September to the beginning of November at Busch Gardens with the annual Howl-O-Scream (Sept. 11 through Nov. 1) and kid-friendly Halloween Spooktacular (Sept. 19 through Nov. 1).
The Thanksgiving season is a popular time of year to visit Greater Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg hosts festive events and decorates its historic homes in charming, traditional holiday decorations the week of Thanksgiving. Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown celebrates Thanksgiving with the multi-day event, Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia.
Winter
Williamsburg shines with the glow of the holiday season in winter. Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination is a popular event in December that features the firing of guns and the lighting of fireworks from the Capitol, the Magazine and the Governor’s Palace.
Enjoy Christmas celebrations on land and in the water in Yorktown. Get a glimpse at a 17th- and 18th-century holiday season with Christmastide in Virginia at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
in December.
Millions of twinkling lights dress Busch Gardens Williamsburg in a holiday glow during Christmas Town, running Nov. 13 through Jan. 3, 2027. The merriment ramps up in the new year with the park’s Mardi Gras parties on the weekends, plus Presidents’ Day, from late January through early March. New festivities begin in mid-March on select dates in Busch Gardens’ Killarney village with its St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.
If you can’t decide which season is right for you, you may just have to visit Williamsburg several times a year! Each season holds a special delight you won’t want to miss.
All dates are subject to change. Please call ahead or go online for more information about events.
