Just a few months ago, we attended The Great Pumpkin Fest at Kings Dominion. It was a festive and fun event and it showed us that Kings Dominion knows how to celebrate! We couldn’t wait to return for WinterFest.
WinterFest Family Fun
Needless to say, we were not disappointed. We loved WinterFest!
On the day of our visit, it was 70° and rainy. The rain was a bit of a hindrance, but we pushed through and did everything we could in a single evening. Still, I’m hoping for a return trip in the next couple of weeks.
Here are all the reasons we can’t wait to return!
1. The Lights
Starting with the Tree Lighting Ceremony on International Street, the entire park is transformed into a winter wonderland featuring millions of lights! Since the event opens at 5:00PM daily, it’s already dark enough to enjoy the care that was taken to cover the buildings, fountains, and trees in twinkling lights just for WinterFest.
We particularly enjoyed the way each of the park’s themed areas had been rethemed with different types of lights, from the warm whites in Old Virginia Christmas to the giant, oversized multi-colored bulbs in Charlie Brown’s Christmas Town. Even if you skip every attraction and simply stroll through the park to see the lights, it’s worth it!
2. The Activities
In Charlie Brown’s Christmas Town, we found character meet-and-greets, a Christmas tree lot (“maze”), and a craft center for kids. All of these activities were free!
At Sally’s Christmas Crafts, kids have their choice of holiday-themed creations. All three of mine chose to decorate plastic mugs, but other options included wreaths, vignettes, and sturdy boxes. Markers and crayons were provided so you can complete the craft there. We found it to be a nice break from the rain, but it’s probably a good spot to warm up on most days. Note that if you’d like to maximize your time at the park, you can take your craft “to-go.”
Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree Lot was located in the former home of the Great Pumpkin Fest corn maze. It wasn’t exactly a maze, though, but more of a walk-through attraction with a single, snaking path. We couldn’t escape the scent of pine trees as we walked through them to the clearing at the end. There, we found Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree!
I thought this was a sweet touch.
Paid activities included a holiday-themed midway, carriage rides, and cookie decorating. (We didn’t participate in these events.) Ice skating on Snow Flake Lake is also available most days, but was not open during our visit due to the warm weather.
If shopping is your favorite activity, you should visit Artisan Alley, a village of Virginia crafters and creators, can be found in Old Virginia Christmas. There we found the most beautiful handmade clothing, jewelry, tumblers, candles, and ornaments!
3. The Seasonal Food and Drink
We were delighted to discover all of our favorite eats and sweets had been given a holiday twist!
At the Classic Christmas Café, we enjoyed hand-carved turkey and hand-carved ham dinners, complete with cornbread, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. It was surprisingly good! The standout on this plate was the stuffing, which was made of cornbread and perfectly seasoned.
At Prancer’s Festive Funnel Cakes, we found the Candy Cane Funnel Cake. This traditional funnel cake had been drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with crushed candy canes. The mint helped cut the sweetness of the funnel cake and, for better or worse, made it easy to eat more!
4. The Shows
Admission to WinterFest also includes admission to 10 different live shows! There are indoor and outdoor shows and most feature music and dance. We particularly enjoyed Charlie Brown’s Christmas Spectacular, a Christmas play put on by Charlie and his friends with predictable mishaps and an occasional “Good Grief!”
We found the Kings Dominion app (updated for WinterFest) to be particularly helpful when navigating shows and showtimes.
Honorable Mention: The WinterFest Parade
At 9:00PM, the WinterFest Parade makes its way through the park. Unfortunately the weather was terrible on the night we visited and the parade was canceled. I’m certain it would have made my list of reasons to visit if we’d been able to actually see it!
Plan Your Visit
Kings Dominion
16000 Theme Park Way
Doswell, Virginia 23047
website
WinterFest takes place from 5:00PM to 10:00PM on weekends in late November, December, and early January. It also opens daily for two weeks (the one before and the one after Christmas). It is closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
