Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance presents
Winter Wonderfest!
Saturday, December 7, 2024
This event is presented to you by:
TICKETS & REGISTRATION
Gingerbread House Competition
12-6pm | Nest Realty (129 W Wolfe St)
Get creative and showcase your confection-construction talents with this contest presented by the Nest Realty. Up to $150 Downtown Dollars are up for grabs in the “Business or Organization” and “Community Members” category. Entry Form Deadline: Monday, December 2, 2024.
Max’s Holiday Treat Heist
12-4pm | Liberty Street
Cookie Tour has gone to the dogs! Walk down Liberty Street with your pup and collect goodies from dog-friendly establishments.
SOLD OUT – Cookie Tour
12-4pm | Downtown Harrisonburg
Join us for the sweetest tour of Downtown! Browse downtown shops & festivities on the tour to build your own box of one dozen locally-made holiday cookies. The tour is self-guided, and great for groups of friends and families alike! Click below to learn more and purchase your tickets before they sell out! Presented by Ryan Homes.
Sip & Stroll
12-6:30pm | Downtown Harrisonburg
Sip & Stroll is an element to our events that replaces our usual beer garden. Adults aged 21+ can purchase a beer, wine, or cocktail at a participating brewery, cidery, or restaurant and enjoy it while strolling within designated sections of downtown. Wristbands are $3 and are available at the HDR information booth and participating establishments the day of the event.
Santa Run, Walk ‘N Roll
Activities 11am-12pm, Race at 12pm | Main Street
During this festive fun run, participants can run, walk, or roll through Downtown Harrisonburg to raise awareness for The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. Registration for adults comes with a Santa Suit and children 12 and younger receive an Elf hat! This fun run is family-friendly and inclusive for people of all ability levels. Activities, contests, and prizes included! For more information and to register, visit this registration page. Arrive early for fun activities between 11am-noon.
FREE MUST-SEE ACTIVITIES
Horse & Carriage Rides
1-4pm | Main Street & Court Square
Horse-drawn carriages are coming to Downtown Harrisonburg! Sign-ups are first come, first served and will begin promptly at noon outside of Central Library. Presented by LD&B Insurance Services and Dirty Dog Cleaning.
How the Grinch Stole Liberty Street
12-6pm | Liberty Street
The Grinch may have tried to steal the holiday magic from Liberty Street, but this year, YOU can help save it —one festive ornament at a time. Join the businesses on Liberty Street for a Grinch-Themed Craft Your Own Ornament Scavenger Hunt during Winter Wonderfest on Saturday, December 7 from 12-6 pm.
The Grinch has taken our ornaments and hidden them all across Liberty Street! Explore Liberty Street and pick up craft supplies to build a Snowflake Ornament with a mystery message in the design. Visit all 12 locations to collect all the stolen supplies!
Tie up the loose ends of your ornament at Pale Fire or Sage Bird at their Grinch Craft Table. Anyone who collects all beads & completes their ornament can enter to win Downtown Dollars.
Nutcracker Story Walk
12-6pm | Market Street & Mason Street
Follow the classic story of The Nutcracker with a story walk down Market Street and Mason Street. Participating businesses will have storybook pages in their windows, hop from business to business to reach the whole story – panels will tell you where to head next!
Photos with Santa
1:30-3pm | Court Square
Meet and take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus! If you miss them at the Springhouse, stick around for the Holiday Parade at 7pm for another Santa sighting! Presented by Hang 10 Car Wash.
MORE WINTER WONDERFEST ACTIVITIES & PROMOTIONS
There’s holiday magic around every corner Downtown Harrisonburg on Saturday, December 7. Here is more of what you can find happening with our partners & local businesses.
Sentara Healthy Zone
12 – 6 pm | Court Square
Visit Sentara Healthy Zone for free blood screen screenings, giveaways, fun games, and more. Presented by Sentara.
Holiday Music on Court Square
12-6pm | Court Square
Listen to the sounds of the season. Your favorite holiday tunes will be playing at Court Square thanks to Kathy Moran Wealth Group.
Vendors and Booths on Court Square
12 – 6 pm | Court Square
From food trucks, to flowers. Handmade goods to puppies, there’s much to explore and discover on Court Square!
Holiday Market
8am-2pm | Turner Pavilion
The Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market will have many holiday-themed products and vendors.
Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
10am-12pm | Explore More Discovery Museum
What better way to start your day than with a stack of fluffy pancakes? And, what if you could support local children, too? YOU CAN!
Kiwanis of Harrisonburg is hosting a Pancake Breakfast to kick off the most wonderful time of year! Enjoy a delicious stack of pancakes and sausage while supporting sponsored admission programs that ensure every child can Explore More. This is the perfect way to start your day before taking in all of the Winter Wonderfest activities!
Suggested Donations: $5 children, $10 adults – Admission to Play in the Museum is included with pancake donation
Letters to Santa, Wood Slice Ornament Craft & 4 Hands 8 Paws Pop-Up Shop
12-6pm | Sage Bird Ciderworks
- Letters to Santa: Santa’s Mailbox will be setup at Sage Bird during Winter Wonderfest for all your mailing needs! Bring an already-written letter, write your own letter, or fill out a wish list and place it directly in Santa’s Mailbox!
- Wood Slice Ornament Craft: Decorate a wooden slice right from the heart of a Christmas Tree. All supplies provided & wrapped in a velvet bow.
- 4 Hands 8 Paws Pop-Up Shop: 4 Hands 8 Paws is a mother-son team creating unique pet-themed clothing and accessories. Proceeds are donated to animal rescues and shelters in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.
- Photobooth: Stop in & take a silly Photo or GIF with props & holiday headbands!
Special Saturday Hours at Smith House Galleries
10am-2pm | Smith House Galleries
Arts Council of the Valley offers special open hours at Smith House Galleries! Visitors can stop by between 10am and 2pm to view the 9th Annual Artist Member Exhibition – the largest EVER – and even meet some of the exhibiting artists.
Featuring 123 works by 49 artists, the exhibition includes fiber art, collage, drawing, ceramics, painting, photography, mixed media, and sculpture. Participating artists are: Bahir Al Badry, Judith Anderson, Jo Ansah, Pat Augsburger, Ann Baker, Kathy Belcher, John M. Bell, Robert Bersson, Niesha Brown, Barbara Camph, Ken Carson, Jim Clemens, Trudy L. Cole, Jerry Coulter, David Cowardin, Corinne Diop, David Draime, Agnieszka Elliott, Mauricio G. Esperon, Loring Gibson, Bobbie Greer, Laurence Heine, Doug Hendren, Ruby Hostetler, Brenda Hounshell, Derek Jackson, Charlie Kasch, Wendy Bowers Lam, Sylvia Eisenbise Lehman, Frank Marshman, Janet E. Marshman, Doris Martin, Dietrich Maune, Britney Mongold, A.J. Morey, Chito Padilla, Cheryl Richards, Barbara (B.J.) Risi, John Rose, Mary Jane Rouse, M. Shira, Charlotte Shristi, Benjamin Somberg, Mae Stoll, Arnita Taliaferro, Mwizenge S. Tembo, Greg Versen, Herb Weaver, and John Zecchini.
Live Music and Book Sale
12-4pm | Central Library
Peruse our book sale, listen to a carol sing-along and concert from the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir (SVCC), and enjoy a violin performance by EMU’s Shenandoah Valley Preparatory Program.
FREE Hot Cocoa for the Kids!
1-5pm | The Friendly Fermenter
Come by and try one of The Friendly Fermenter’s tasty house brews, and get FREE Hot Cocoa for the kids! They will also be featuring a Cinnamon Roll-inspired Giant Soft pretzel this day!
Kids Activities
12-6pm | Northwestern Mutual
Make your own ornament and Bookmark. We will also have a raffle for adults.
Free Coffee – Hot Chocolate & Cookies
6-7pm | Rockingham Union Masonic Lodge
Enjoy free Coffee Hot Chocolate & Cookies for the general public between close of Winter Wonderland Festival and start of Harrisonburg Holiday Parade
Rosy Co. Photo Booth
12 – 6pm | TBD
Commemorate your time at Winter Wonderfest with a free photo booth picture from Rosy Co.! Presented by The Denton Family Foundation.
Handmade Harrisonburg
12 – 6 pm | Pale Fire
Handmade Harrisonburg – a market for artists, creatives, and makers – returns for its eighth holiday season! Grab a drink and support 13 local makers.
FREE Kids LEGO Activity
12 – 3:30 pm | Jimmy Madison’s Lot
Build your own LEGO ornament with Snapology!
Vendor Market at Mashita
12 – 6 pm | Mashita
Shop vendors at Mashita during Winter Wonderfest!
Pop-Up Clogging Performance
4:30pm | Main Street by Court Square
Enjoy a high-energy performance by the High-Horse Cloggers of Stanardsville.
Live Nativity
5-6:30pm | First Presbyterian Church on Court Square
The annual live nativity in our Courtyard on Court Square features animals and characters of the Christmas story. The live nativity happens right before downtown Harrisonburg’s Christmas parade, so stop by for hot chocolate, cookies and a great photo opportunity right in the heart of our city
Games with Horizons Edge Sports Campus
12-6pm | Court Square
Have some fun with a kid-friendly activity with Horizons Edge Sports Campus.
Carols with JMU Black Ties
1-2pm | Across Downtown Harrisonburg
JMU Black Ties Acapella group will bring their singing talent and cheer as that go caroling around to 10 different downtown stores from 1pm-2pm.
Free Potato!
12-1pm | Turner Pavilion
Visit the Harrisonburg Farmers Market during the first hour of Winter Wonderfest (12pm – 1pm) and receive a free potato! Visit the Market Info Booth for details for how to claim your potato.
Kids Activity with Netta Day Camp
12-6pm | Court Square
Have some fun with a kid-friendly activity with Netta Day Camp
Christmas Stable
12-2pm | Asbury United Methodist Church
Children and adults are welcome to pet the live animals at Asbury Church!
December Brunch Specials
7am-2pm | The Little Grill
Pancake: Gingerbread cakes with peppermint icing.
Omelette: Braised local collards, Turner ham, cheddar.
Kids Coloring Activity
12-6pm | Friendly City Food Co-op
While on The Nutcracker storywalk, make sure to stop in for a fun coloring activity at the Friendly City Food Co-op!
Tree Lighting
8pm | Court Square
Official tree lighting ceremony for the City of Harrisonburg. Check back soon for more details.
Winter Wonderfest would not be possible without support from these generous sponsors:
Harrisonburg Holiday Parade
We are excited to be working with Harrisonburg Parks & Rec. on bringing you a full day of holiday fun on Saturday, December 7. Winter Wonderfest will lead right into the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade. Learn more and submit your float entry here.
Are You Interested in Being a Sponsor or Vendor for this Event?
We are accepting sponsorship and vendor requests for Winter Wonderfest! Interested? Learn more about sponsorships by visiting our Sponsorship page, or learn more about our Vendor Application here. Questions? Send Grace Routhier an email at grace.routhier@harrisonburgva.gov.