Staunton Holiday Countdown

The season is upon us and you’re probably looking for ways to score last-minute gifts, holiday fun, and maybe even another chance to sit on Santa’s lap! Here’s a roundup of this weekend’s events, holiday hours, and seasonal stuff that you need to do before the holidays are over. We’ve also included some local ways to welcome 2025!

Still looking for a chance to meet the big guy?

• Santa has such a big appetite that both Blackburn Inn and Conference Center and Springhill Barn are hosting breakfasts with him on Saturday, December 21. 
• If you’d rather rub shoulders with a grumpy green guy, the Grinch will be making an appearance at Latin Soul’s Christmas Celebration! Kids can score free popcorn, cotton candy, and ice cream while their folks gnosh on discounted beer and tacos. The event will also feature music and a chance for everyone to shine at karaoke! (December 21)
• Naughty folk deserve holiday fun, too! They’ll find it at Stable Craft Brewing’s KrampusFest: Are You Naughty or Nice? Celebrate your bad attitude by posing with Krampus and listening to live music. There’s also a Krampus costume contest, and evil elves will reward rotten behavior with switches and coal.

Other Holiday Events this Weekend

Saturday, December 21

• Hit the Holiday Market in the Wharf for the last time in 2024 this Saturday. Stock up on fresh food and baked goods, decorations, crafts, and more.
• Sign up for the Frontier Culture Museum’s Holiday Workshop Series: Decorating Stockings. Enjoy a tour of the museum, a reading of “The Night Before Christmas,” and a workshop to create your authentic craft. All materials will be supplied. (11 am)  
• Head out to The Alpine Goat for a Holiday Party featuring live music by Matt Johnson, an ugly sweater contest, delicious craft beer, and lots more. 
• The Society for Victorian Arts & Culture will host its Annual Holiday Tea and House Tour in the historic Spotts-Coffman House. (2:30 pm)  

Sunday, December 22

• Accordia’s Big Christmas Tasting promises to help your pick the best wines to pair with your holiday menu. Noon – 6 pm
• The Art Hive is holding a Craft Club Sundays: Santa’s Workshop  to help you find the inspiration to make a hand-made gift, card, or wrapping. Materials will be provided. (1 pm)

More Holiday Must-Dos and Sees

• Catch a performance of Staunton Academy of Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’.
• Get your tickets for A Christmas Carol at Blackfriars Playhouse.

• Shop for unique and thoughtful gifts at the Staunton Augusta Art Center’s Art for Gifts Event.
• Red suit fitting a little snuggly after all those candy canes? Find your exercise tribe at Sole Focus Running’s Christmas Eve Community Run & Breakfast Burritos. Joining a running group is a great way to hold yourself accountable for your New Year’s resolution to get in shape!
• Get your official Staunton Augusta Junior Women’s Club 2024 holiday ornament, which features the Marquis Building. Grab one online or in person at Latitudes Fair Trade, The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, or St. John’s United Methodist Church on Augusta Street.
• Take a nighttime drive around Gypsy Hill Park to admire the annual Celebration of Lights.

Businesses that have posted holiday hours

• Heifetz Music Shop will be open on Christmas Eve from 10 am to 3 pm, closed Christmas Day, and open on Dec. 26th from noon to 6 pm. Closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
• Crucible Coffee Roasters will be open on Christmas Eve from 7 am – 1 pm. Closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day.
• Marino’s Lunch will be closed on Christmas Day, but is having a New Year’s Eve bash from 9pm – midnight with Danny Goodson Band.
• Big Red Barbecue will be open on Christmas Eve with a special menu from 8 am – 3 pm
• Frontline Model Kits and Hobbies will be open on Christmas Eve from 10 am to 3 pm. They’ll be closed Christmas Day and December 26th. They’ll be open on NYE from 10 to 5 pm and closed on New Year’s Day.
• The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center is open for guests on Christmas.

New Year’s Eve Events

• Accordia’s Bubbles and Bites tasting features nibbles paired with real champagne. (noon)  
• Staunton is about to kick off its version of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” with the one and only The Judy Chops. Starting at 9 pm, BLU Point will shift into New Years Eve Party mode with holiday fare and oyster bar. At 9:30 the music begins! So, grab your favorite people and plan to ring in the new year with flair. This will surely be Staunton’s most festive celebration and countdown to the New Year!
• Resolving to refine your palate in the new year? Zynodoa’s New Year’s Eve Tasting Special’s four-course prix-fixe menu features delicious farm-to-table dishes and has an optional wine pairing.  
• Marino’s  New Year’s Eve Bash starts at 6 pm with a prix-fixe dinner and music from Steve Cash. Party away the final hours of 2024 with The Goodson Band, champagne, party favors, and lots of fun. 
• Cowpeople and greenhorns alike will love Stable Craft Brewing’s NYE: Wild West Celebration. This party will rustle in the new year with western-themed food, drinks, and entertainment. Reserve your table today for drinks, buffets (steak and shrimp and bar-style bites), a photo booth, tunes by Rick Rowe DJ, dancing, and a midnight toast. Yee-haw! (5 pm – 12:30 am)
• Seven Arrows Brewing Company and Nobos Kitchen are hosting a New Years Eve & 10-Year Anniversary Bash. This free event features DJ Lance, a photobooth, a champagne toast, and lots of delicious food and beer, including a 10-year anniversary beer on tap! (9 pm)

We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday!