A Warm Holiday Welcome to Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County

Sponsored Content


We’re excited about your visit to Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County, Virginia this holiday season. In fact, we’ve been preparing for months. 

We’ve transformed our community into a visual celebration of the season with festive lights and decorations from Main Street Lexington to Glen Maury Park to Natural Bridge.

Take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. You’ll be wrapped in the spirit of the season as you visit friendly Main Street merchants who have searched near and far to bring you a unique array of curated gift ideas. Put the joy back into holiday shopping at some of the area’s most acclaimed art galleries and shops teeming with fashion, jewelry, toys, books, and gifts for all ages.

Our calendar from Thanksgiving to New Years sparkles with special events, including the Holiday Candlelight Processional, Tree Lighting, and Christmas Parade. Seasonal stargazing and Luminary Nights are highlights at Natural Bridge State Park and you can experience the festival of trees and vote for your favorite at the conference center.

Surround yourself with the sounds of the season at our Holiday Pops Concert and carols from the Washington & Lee Music Department. Shop late with the melodic background of Dickens Carolers in Downtown Lexington on December 13. Have the kids bring their letters to Santa to drop in the mailbox at our town park.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, our restaurants and vineyards offer special holiday menus and fare. Cozy up to a fire pit and enjoy a glass of local wine, cider, cocktail, or distinct craft beer. 

A holiday trip to Rockbridge County is more than tinsel and snowflakes. Take an invigorating walk or run along the Chessie Trail, voted the #2 Recreation Trail by USA Today’s Best of Reader’s Poll. Take a scenic drive through the dramatic Goshen Pass or assail the heights of Devil’s Marbleyard. What a cool-weather hike lacks in foliage, it more than makes up with dramatic views of landforms that are obscured by leaves and bushes during the summer months. If you’re not quite up for a big adventure, Boxerwood Nature Center and Woodland Gardens offers nature trails and unique experiences just a stone’s throw from downtown. Many of our farms and museums also offer special holiday displays and experiences to delight visitors of all ages.

Our Jingle Bell 5K Walk and Run on December 7 is a great way to work off those Christmas Cookies. Children in strollers and well-behaved pets on leashes are welcome. Jingle bells are provided to all participants. Kids two to six years old can test their legs in the Tot Trot across the Nelson Street bridge.

Hallmark movie perfect moments are in abundance across Rockbridge County…from picturesque hamlets like Brownsville, Raphine, Glasgow, and Fairfield to Buena Vista and Lexington, unique expressions of holiday spirit are closer than a grandmother’s hug.

A restful night is the best way to top off a great day in Rockbridge County. You’ll find comfortable, reasonably priced accommodations to suit any taste, whether you snuggle up at a cozy B&B or choose an acclaimed boutique hotel such as The Georges. The lobby of the new Tru Hotel by Hilton features a lovely mural of Rockbridge County. There are plenty of soft, comfy beds for you, whether you prefer a national chain or a unique local experience.

Experience the holidays in our small towns and big backyard.


Ready to go? Get the Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County Inspiration Guide at LexingtonVirginia.com to plan your “small towns, big backyard” adventure.


You Might Also Like:

White jelly snow fungus growing in the author’s Botetourt County, Virginia woodlot.

May’s Wild Edible: White Jelly Snow Fungus

“Pass the fungus,” is not common dinnertime conversation in the Blue Ridge Mountains region, but that’s because folks perhaps have not heard of the white jelly snow fungus.
Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA, - May 15, 2021: Reenactment at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park of the Siege of Fort Watauga in 1776.

Revolutionary Roundup

On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
A happy 8-year-old Eula Mae standing in front of her father, Woodrow, in this Golding family photo taken in 1952.

My Beloved Scenic

Before it became America’s Favorite Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway was a farm family’s front yard, playground, and memory lane.
Wild garlic growing in Fayette County, West Virginia.

April’s Wild Edible: Wild Garlic

Fayette County, West Virginia’s Mitchell Dech is one of my foraging mentors, and when he wants me to try an edible new to me … I’m ready to learn about it.
Hikers willing to take on a moderate climb are rewarded with incredible panoramas from the summit of Marys Rock.

An Insider’s Guide to Shenandoah National Park

This year is a landmark one for this treasured piece of mountain land in Virginia: the 100th anniversary of Congress authorizing its establishment and the 90th anniversary of its dedication.
Blue Ridge Country Parkway Guide 2026

2026 Blue Ridge Parkway Guide

Start planning your next trip on America's Favorite Scenic Highway
RIVERSIDE ROCK Housed in a former cotton mill, the Haw River Ballroom is a place that connects you not only to music but to the land itself.

Where the River Meets Revival

From the Haw River Ballroom to Saxapahaw Island Park, charming North Carolina town is a haven of creative expression, community spirit and natural beauty
A Virginia Historical Marker stands at the entrance to Green Pastures.

Green Pastures’ picnic area was build by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the late 1930s.

Green Pastures Reborn

When it officially opened in 1940 — in the depths of the Jim Crow era — Green Pastures was likely the first U.S. Forest Service recreation area in the nation constructed for African Americans.
Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park rewards a steep climb with exceptional mountain views.

Inset: Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s Chimneys Picnic Area sits beside the West Prong of the Little Pigeon RIver.

11 Picnics with a View

These bucket-list destinations are perfect spots to kick back, enjoy a delightful meal and take in the great outdoors.
At Hayfields State Park in Highland County, Virginia, easy-to-moderate trails wind through quiet forests and past historic structures.

Greening the Blue Ridge Region

New Parks, Healthier Creeks, Solar Power, Protected Lands and More.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS