Attractions Archives - Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail

Category: Attractions

Holiday Lights and Fun Along the Beerwerks Trail

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The 2025 holiday season is coming fast, and it’s going to be amazing. Towns and communities along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail have packed their calendars with upcoming celebrations, and you’re invited! Here’s a roundup of parades and light displays, holiday markets, Christmas concerts, and community festivities to anticipate. And after enjoying the yuletide sights and sounds, continue tapping into the festive spirit with stops at nearby Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail breweries. Craft beers and holiday-themed revelry await!

Zone A 

Zone A is located at the northern end of the Beerwerks Trail and includes the breweries in Harrisonburg, Elkton, and Rockingham County. 

Where to See Lights and Decorations

  • Light Up the Park at Massanutten Resort: Explore the holiday light displays at the Outdoor WaterPark, including a snowflake tunnel, a dancing tree show, and festive crafts for kids at Splash’s Workshop. You’ll also find hot cocoa, an interactive orb field, and snow throne selfie station. (Ongoing).

Seasonal Community Events

  • The Bridgewater College Holiday Extravaganza will feature familiar Christmas carols by the Concert Choir and several other musical groups. Performances are free, and there will be opportunities for the audiences to sing along. December 5 and 6.
  • Dayton Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting: The festive holiday parade will travel through downtown Dayton, ending with a tree-lighting ceremony at Dove Park. Expect Christmas carols, hot chocolate, and a visit from Santa. December 5.
  • The Sage Bird Ciderworks annual Holiday Market gives you a chance to sip hot mulled cider and shop local for stocking stuffers and handmade goods on Small Business Saturday. November 29.
  • Holiday Wreath Workshop at Valley Pike Farm Market: Create your own Williamsburg-inspired holiday wreath! The ticket includes supplies and a glass of wine or beer. December 3.
  • Harrisonburg’s Winter Wonderfest and Holiday Parade: Dreaming of sugar plums? You’ll feel right at home at Harrisonburg’s annual downtown celebration. This year’s theme is “Gingerbread Dreams and Sugar Plum Scenes.” It will feature carriage rides, photos with Santa, holiday shopping, performances, and a parade. December 6.

Levi Cheff

Zone B 

Zone B is located at the center of the Beerwerks Trail and includes the breweries in Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County. 

Where to See Lights and Decorations

  • Christmas Wonderland at Creative Works Farm includes a walk-through light and music show, musical performances, cookie decorating, refreshments, wagon rides, visits with farm animals, and chances to meet Santa in his workshop and have fun with the Grinch. Proceeds benefit Camp LIGHT. Select dates between November 28 – December 14.

Seasonal Community Events

  • Waynesboro Winterfest: Head to downtown Waynesboro for Small Business Saturday and a day of holiday festivities including a gourmet cookie trail, a seasonal beverage Wassail trail, pictures with Santa and the Grinch, a chance to meet your favorite winter princess, s’mores around a warm firepit, scavenger hunts, and a free holiday concert. November 29.
  • Support local creatives, artists, and makers at the Winter Market at Queen City Brewing & The Art Hive Collective. November 29.
  • Your kids will never forget riding the Virginia Scenic Railway’s The Santa Express with a very important guest. The 60-minute ride features decorations, crafts, cookies, and chats with Santa. New this year: Riders 21+ can toast the jolly elf on a Holiday Spirits tour. November 29 – December 28.

Visit Staunton

  • Stable Craft Brewing never disappoints during the holidays. Choose from several family-friendly holiday events including Pancakes with Santa, KrampusFest, Santa in the Stables brunch, and live holiday music. 
  • Start the season with the Staunton Holly Jolly Christmas Parade. December 1.
  • A Christmas Carol returns to Staunton’s Blackfriars Playhouse for another year of ghostly Dickens fun, featuring memorable music and a chance to celebrate with Scrooge, Marley, and Tiny Tim. December 4 – 27.
  • Scrooge is coming to Waynesboro, too! Check out the live performance of Scrooge! The Christmas Carol Musical at the Wayne Theater. December 5 – 7 & 12 – 14.
  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: It’s Herdmans vs. the town on the Shenanarts stage in this laugh-out-loud musical adaptation of the buoyant holiday classic. December 4 – 7 & 11 – 14.
  • Peek inside beautiful homes at the 50th annual Historic Staunton Foundation’s Holiday House Tour. Learn history, see decorations, and enjoy a Soulful Holiday Soiree in the Blackburn Inn following the tour. December 6.
  • Redbeard Brewing Company’s 2nd annual German Style Holiday Market will have warm beverages, local vendors, and food trucks. After the market, stick around for Redbeard’s Revels, a holiday singalong jam session. Wear your best ugly holiday sweater for warmth and prizes. December 13.
  • Frontier Culture Museum Lantern Tours: This popular walking tour visits several of the museum’s farms, which are illuminated by lanterns and brought to life with historical holiday skits. December 16 – 23.

Zone C 

Zone C is located at the southern end of the Beerwerks Trail and includes the breweries in Lexington, Natural Bridge, and Rockbridge County. 

Where to See Lights and Decorations

  • Festival of Trees at Natural Bridge State Park: Natural Bridge State Park doesn’t boast just one Christmas tree, it lights a forest of them! Local organizations decorate trees, and visitors can vote for their favorites by placing donation items underneath. November 28 – January 1.
  • Glen Maury Park’s Drive-Thru Holiday Light Display is the best way to see Buena Vista lit up for the holidays! December 1 – January 1
  • Holiday decorations and natural beauty come together at Natural Bridge State Park’s Luminary Nights. Luminous holiday lights will bathe the bridge in bright colors, while the pavilion’s warm campfires will keep you toasty as you wait to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. Reserve a carriage ride if you’d rather enjoy the sights with a background of jingle bells. December 12 – 14 & 19 – 21, with carriage rides on Sundays.

Kennedy Lafon

Seasonal Community Events

Steve Shires

Steve Shires

  • This year’s Fairfield Christmas Parade, Candy Cane Wonderland, will pull out all the stops with floats, music, marching bands, horses, dancers, and performances. December 6.
  • It’s Christmas, 1859 at Lexington’s Jackson House Museum. Enjoy caroling and interacting with costumed interpreters as they prepare for the holiday. Admission for the event is canned humans and/or pet food to benefit the Rockbridge Area Relief Association Food Pantry. December 12.

Communities along the Beerwerks Trail are gathering to share season’s greeting and holiday cheer. Make sure to pair your experience with a visit to one of our breweries. Many are even hosting their own holiday fun or tapping seasonal brews!

American History and National Attractions Along the Beerwerks Trail

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Summer brings vacation and family time as well as the sunny skies and hot temperatures of beer-drinking weather. It’s also time to start thinking about how to spend summer’s biggest event, Independence Day, which is especially important this year because it is the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Why not augment your enjoyment and understanding of the holiday with some background of American history and appreciation of national attractions? Toast your new knowledge with a stop at a nearby Beerwerks brewery.

VA250

While many of our localities celebrate Independence Day annually, VA250 is Virginia’s statewide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and U.S. independence. It blends celebration, education, and civic engagement as it strives to “educate Americans about our history; engage with every community to tell a complete story; and inspire people to recommit to the values inherent in citizenship.” Check the schedule for upcoming events in the Valley and across the Commonwealth.

Natural Beauty

Shenandoah National Park

10 minutes from Elkton Brewing Co.

Stretching along the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park offers over 200,000 acres of protected wilderness, which is home to more than 300 animal and 1,300 plant species. The public can enjoy it on 500 miles of hiking trails, in camping and recreation areas, and on the Skyline Drive and its 75 scenic overlooks. Established to conserve the area’s natural beauty and ensure public access, much of the park’s infrastructure dates to the Great Depression when the Civilian Conservation Corps workers built trails and lodges as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Make sure to take a ranger-led tour of Rapidan Camp, constructed in 1929 as Herbert Hoover’s “summer White House” and used by US presidents until the 1970s. 

Natural Bridge

9 minutes from Great Valley Farm Brewery and Winery

Natural Bridge State Park’s 215-foot tall and 90-foot wide stone arch is all that remains after the erosive power of Cedar Creek collapsed an ancient cave system in the limestone. The natural wonder has fascinated generations of Virginia residents, ranging from the Native Americans to modern tourists. Legend has it that George Washington surveyed the Natural Bridge and carved his initials into the rock wall on the south side of the arch. Later, Thomas Jefferson showed his appreciation when he bought the bridge and the surrounding acres for about $200 in today’s money. Ten miles of hiking trails–including Cedar Creek Trail, which leads under the bridge to Lace Falls–offer views of surrounding mountains, forests, and meadows. Other attractions include a disc golf trail, star-gazing and nature programming, picnic shelter, visitor’s center and trail shop, and an educational Kids in Parks Track Trail.

Frontier Settlement and Cultural History

The Virginia Quilt Museum

9 minutes from Restless Moons Brewing

Quilts offer warmth and protection, but handmade ones are more than just functional textiles. They can serve as historical documents and offer insight into the cultural, social, and artistic lives of communities over time. Dayton’s Virginia Quilt Museum tells Virginia’s story through its quilting heritage with two floors of gallery space housing over 300 quilts dating back to the 18th century. The museum, located in historic 1822 Silver Lake Mill, features traditional and contemporary quilting arts. Museum programming teaches visitors about the Valley’s cultural history as well as how to appreciate the quilting arts through classes and workshops.

Rocktown History

15 minutes from White Oak Lavender Farm and Purple WOLF Vineyard

Exhibits at Dayton’s Rocktown History preserve the history of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. They include artifacts and narratives from the area’s early settlement and frontier life, folk art and crafts, Civil War, WWI, and WWII history, and African American heritage. The museum hosts lots of special events and education programming like monthly Third Thursday talks and history workshops on various topics. Visitors can also access a free research library with lots of local and genealogical resources and a self-guided walking tour of Dayton.

The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center

9 minutes from Feel the Rain Brothers Brew Co.

The 24-acre Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center celebrates the historical and spiritual legacies of Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley with guided tours of historic buildings, exhibits, and wholesome hands-on farm activities like carpentry and churning butter. Look for special events like historical lectures, hymn sings, worship services, Christmas and Easter programming, and the popular Sing Me High Music Festival.

Waynesboro Heritage Museum

5 minutes from Basic City Beer Co.

The Blue Ridge Mountains created a formidable obstacle for horses and wagons and once marked the frontier for pioneers moving west. One of the reasons for Waynesboro’s early growth was because it was a safe resting place after successful crossings at Rockfish Gap. The Waynesboro Heritage Museum, located in a restored 1908 bank building, includes artifacts, photographs, maps, furniture, textiles, and more in its exhibits on the city’s history. Permanent and rotating galleries deal with a variety of historical eras and subjects like the railroad, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, industry, and education. 

Woodrow Wilson Birthplace 

5 minutes from Redbeard Brewing Company

Virginia is sometimes called the Mother of Presidents because it produced a total of 8, which is more than any other state! You can learn about Staunton’s native son at Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. The museum’s exhibits chronicle his life, Staunton and American history, and the history of those who lived in the house, including enslaved persons. The museum also sheds light on World War I, the League of Nations, and important progressive reforms like suffrage and prohibition. Visitors will especially enjoy an exhibit on trench warfare, a walk through the decorative gardens, and visits to Wilson’s Pierce Arrow and the gift shop. Check the calendar for a wide variety of educational programs and events. If you’re in town on a Saturday morning, join a free walking tour of historic Staunton led by the Historic Staunton Foundation.

The Frontier Culture Museum

15 minutes from Stable Craft Brewing and Cidery

Different cultures and peoples settled in the Valley at different times. As each group brought its history and traditions and adapted to the landscape, it encountered and merged with other groups, and the overall culture evolved over time. Costumed interpreters at Staunton’s open-air Frontier Culture Museum illustrate the daily lives and traditions of the Valley’s earliest residents as they work farms representing various points in history. Visitors will tour old-world farms like those built in Europe and Africa as well as new-world farms constructed on the American frontier.

The Shenandoah Valley offers a wealth of natural beauty and important sites in American history. Make sure to schedule a visit as you travel the Beerwerks Trail.