Events & What’s Happening
Annual food and wine festival at Busch Gardens featuring international cuisine kiosks, craft beverages, live music, and family-friendly programming throughout the park on select weekends.
💡Kids will enjoy the food sampling as much as adults; purchase a tasting lanyard for the best value and visit on a weekday to avoid peak weekend crowds.
Colonial Williamsburg hosts a patriotic 18th-century-style celebration on July 4th featuring a reading of the Declaration of Independence, fife and drum corps, colonial military drills, and evening fireworks.
💡Stake out a spot on the Palace Green early in the afternoon for the best views of the evening fireworks and the colonial ceremonies.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg transforms into a Halloween-themed scare park with haunted houses, live entertainment, and themed food and drinks on select nights.
💡Not recommended for young children due to intense scare zones; teens and adults will love it — check the park map for scare-free zones if bringing older kids.
One of Virginia's longest-running arts festivals held in Merchant's Square, featuring juried fine art and craft vendors, live music, food, and children's activities.
💡The children's art activity area is a great way to keep kids engaged while parents browse the juried exhibits; the festival is free and very stroller-friendly.
Annual film festival held in and around Williamsburg featuring independent films, screenings, and filmmaker discussions at local venues.
💡Check the schedule for family-friendly matinee screenings; some venues are walkable from Colonial Williamsburg.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg hosts one of Virginia's most beloved holiday events with millions of lights, live shows, Santa visits, holiday food, and select ride operations.
💡Weeknight visits are significantly less crowded; purchase tickets in advance online and arrive at opening for the best Santa meet-and-greet experience.
Historic Colonial Williamsburg comes alive with candlelight processions, fireworks, carolers, and 18th-century holiday traditions throughout the restored district.
💡Arrive by 4pm to explore the shops before the evening illuminations begin; dress warmly and bring a stroller for young children navigating the cobblestone streets.
Year-round Saturday morning market in Merchant's Square offering locally grown produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, and artisan crafts from regional vendors.
💡Arrive before 9am for the freshest selection and least crowded conditions; kids enjoy the free samples and the market's proximity to the Colonial Williamsburg area makes it easy to extend into a morning outing.
Weekly interactive story time for young children at the Williamsburg Regional Library featuring books, songs, finger plays, and a craft activity led by children's librarians.
💡Best suited for ages 2–5; arrive a few minutes early to find seating and check the library's online calendar as themes and times can vary by week and season.
The world-renowned Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps performs regular musters and marches through the Historic Area, showcasing 18th-century military music and drill formations.
💡Kids are often invited to march along at the end of the performance; check the Colonial Williamsburg events calendar for exact days and times as schedules shift seasonally.
Virginia's largest water park offers weekly family swim days with wave pools, water slides, and dedicated toddler splash areas throughout the summer season.
💡Sunday afternoons tend to be the busiest; arrive at opening for the shortest wait times on popular slides and claim a shaded lounge area near the kiddie zones early.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡Purchase the Colonial Williamsburg multi-day 'Experience Pass' online before arriving — it runs about 20% cheaper than gate pricing and covers unlimited access across multiple days, which is how most families actually experience the site rather than cramming it into one exhausting day.
- 💡The Cheese Shop on Merchants Square is a Williamsburg institution since 1971 — arrive before 11:30am or after 1:30pm to avoid the lunch rush, and order the house-made olive bread sandwich with their signature dressing. It is far better than any Duke of Gloucester Street tavern for a quick family lunch.
- 💡Busch Gardens opens its app-based virtual queue for top rides like Pantheon and InvadR starting at park opening — join the virtual queue immediately upon entry while walking toward Sesame Street Forest of Fun for younger kids, and you will often have a return window within 45 minutes.
- 💡The Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center on Route 132 has free parking even if you are not purchasing admission — use it to access the free shuttle into the historic area and walk Duke of Gloucester Street at no cost, as the street itself and some exterior spaces are publicly accessible.
- 💡Colonial Williamsburg's free evening Fifes and Drums performances happen most summer evenings on Market Square — check the daily event schedule posted at the Visitor Center, as this is one of the most memorable free experiences in the historic area and requires no ticket.
- 💡Water Country USA (Busch Gardens' water park, about 3 miles from the main gate) is significantly less crowded than the main theme park on weekdays in June — combination tickets are available, and the Nitro Racer and Malibu Pipeline slides have shorter lines in the morning before the 11am crowd arrives.
- 💡The Colonial Parkway speed limit is 35mph with no commercial traffic and no billboards — drive it at sunset between Williamsburg and Yorktown for one of the most underrated family experiences in the region, and stop at the overlooks above the York River where bald eagles are commonly spotted.
- 💡Jamestown Settlement (operated separately from Historic Jamestowne by the state) allows kids to board full-scale replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery — this hands-on ship experience typically captivates children aged 5-12 far more than the neighboring archaeological site, and the combined ticket with the nearby American Revolution Museum at Yorktown saves about $8 per adult.
- 💡The College of William and Mary's Sunken Garden is open to the public and free — it is a beautiful, quiet alternative to crowded tourist spaces and kids can run freely on the lawn while parents rest, particularly pleasant on weekday mornings in spring and fall.