7 great places for holiday celebrations in West Virginia

Tradition is important to West Virginians. Many holiday celebrations in the Mountain State have deep roots in host communities and have been annual events for decades. Festivals bring locals and visitors together in common pursuits—seasonal music, food, decorations, and entertainment—with activities that lighten the hearts of adults and make children’s eyes shine in wonder. Here are 7 places where you can join West Virginians in joyous celebrations of the season.

Located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, Harpers Ferry celebrates its 50th Olde Tyme Christmas in 2021. During the first two weekends of December, the past comes to life as some merchants dress in 1860s garb, 19th-century folk music fills the air, and the streets are lined with decorated shops and houses. A full slate of activities includes puppet shows and storytelling for youngsters; the National Park Visitors Center might have additional festivities.

Dates: December 4–5, 11–12.

Less than 30 minutes by car from Harpers Ferry is another historic village that is also a college town. Christmas celebrations in Shepherdstown include a house-decorating contest, a live Nativity scene, Civil War reenactments, crafts demonstrations, and a parade with Santa arriving by horse-drawn carriage. Shoppers can browse a holiday handmade market on weekends between Thanksgiving and December 19, and the Lilah Restaurant has live entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays.

Dates: November 26–January 2.

Fairmont's annual Celebration of Lights is a community effort. Individuals, families, and businesses sponsor more than 450 lighted displays which line the 1.3-mile road around Morris Park. From 6 to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, carloads of people drive along the route, enjoying views of angels, Nativities, snowflakes, and Santas.

On Wednesdays, the park closes to vehicles so visitors can browse the show on foot. It also closes to cars on November 13 for Market in the Park, when food vendors and merchants set up shop among the displays. Dress in costume for the event’s annual “Reindeer Run,” which takes place on December 14.

Dates: November 26–December 30.

During Holidays at The Greenbrier, the historic resort (greenbrier.com) pulls out all the stops. Every weekend from December 3 through Christmas, the resort hosts Santa Weekends, which include breakfast and story time with the big guy. On Saturdays, he arrives by horse-drawn sleigh or carriage for a lighting of the trees and visits with children. Christmas Week (December 23–28) is magical, with a fun Ugly Sweater Dinner Party and an elegant Polar Express Dinner Buffet, leading up to three whimsical Winter Wonderland Dinner Parties,  plus cookie decorating and mixology workshops (these Christmas Week events require reservations and additional fees).

In the train depot across from the resort, the Christmas Shop at the Depot is open year-round, selling specialty items such as handblown glass ornaments made by local artists.

In nearby Lewisburg, the weekend Holiday Festival features live music, Christmas carolers, carriage rides, a visit from Santa, and treats at shops throughout the town.

Dates: The Greenbrier: December 23–January 1; Lewisburg: November 20–21.

Oglebay, said to be one of the few self-supporting public municipal parks in the U.S., began as a frontiersman’s land grant in the 1700s. Under the ownership of Earl Oglebay, it became an exquisite country estate, which he donated to the people of Wheeling upon his death in 1926.

Today, the Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights turns the 2,000-acre park into a winter wonderland from mid-November through the first week of January. More than a million LED lights make up displays lining a 6-mile loop. Visitors can see the show from their own vehicles or aboard one of Oglebay’s signature trolleys. From the patio of the resort’s Good Zoo, guests can enjoy light displays choreographed to music, then visit the zoo’s Benedum Theatre for a laser light show. Walkers are treated to even more holiday magic in the property’s holiday-bedecked Bissonnette Gardens. The Wilson Lodge also has holiday displays along with free nightly entertainment.

Dates: November 4–January 9.

Visitors to the Heritage Farm Museum and Village can experience the Appalachian pioneer lifestyle through exhibits, interactive folk crafts, and artisans who use traditional tools and methods. A working village for nearly 30 years, Heritage Farm is West Virginia’s first Smithsonian Affiliate Institution. It is home to 15 log structures, more than 25,000 square feet of artifacts housed in seven museums, an artisan center, five log cabin inns, retreat lodging for 40 guests, and reception space for 300. During the Heritage Farm Christmas Village in early December, visitors can enjoy seasonal crafts, a live Nativity scene, light displays, and wagon rides.

Dates: December 3–4 and 10–11.

In the late 1800s, so the legend goes, the small Appalachian town of Bramwell was home to more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. Tucked into a bend of the Bluestone River, Bramwell lay in the heart of coal country. The tycoons—those in the mining industry—built fine Victorian-style mansions that variously include turrets and gables, stained glass windows, intricately hand-carved woodwork, an indoor swimming pool, ballrooms, and lavish furnishings.

About 10 well-preserved mansions— all but one built before 1920—remain today, part of a national historic district comprising more than 60 buildings. On the second Saturday of December, mansion owners open their doors for the Christmas Tour of Homes (adults, $15), during which guides in period dress escort visitors into the beautifully decorated homes, each of which features live music.

The festive atmosphere emanates from the entire town—shops, restaurants, and inns are decorated; trees twinkle with lights; and carolers and horse-drawn carriages roam the streets. The tours (there’s also a spring event) benefit a local charity.

Date: December 11, 5–8 p.m.

West Virginia resident Dale Ann Leatherman is a past president of the Society of American Travel Writers.