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Throughout the end of this month and into the next, there are festivals, parades, tree lighting events and other Christmas activities going on. We have a tree lighting tonight in Farmville. And at a lot of the other events coming up, there are plenty of opportunities to find something for a person on your Christmas list. Here’s a look at the celebrations happening throughout the region.

NOVEMBER 22

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING – The Town of Farmville will hold its annual Christmas tree lighting on Friday, Nov. 22 at the downtown plaza. Starting at 5:15 p.m., with the tree lighting set for around 6 p.m., there will be a number of local nonprofits on hand, along with some Christmas music. 

NOVEMBER 23 

CHRISTMAS AT THE BARN — The Barn at Poor House Farm will host “Christmas at the Barn” on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kids can get pictures with Santa from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., while there will be a hot chocolate bar, face painting, a petting zoo, door prizes, snacks and multiple Christmas arts and crafts vendors on hand. The facility is located at 3286 Poorhouse Road in Rice.

NOVEMBER 24 

THANKSGIVING DINNER – Cedar Baptist Church, located at 3932 Bell Road in Dillwyn, will hold their annual Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, Nov. 24. That’ll take place at noon, following the morning worship service.

THANKSGIVING LUNCH – Buckingham Baptist Church, located at 24234 N. James Madison Highway in the Gold Hill area will hold their annual Thanksgiving lunch on Sunday, Nov. 24 after morning worship.

PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY – New Store Baptist Church will celebrate the second pastoral anniversary of Pastor Irma Exantus on Sunday, Nov. 24 during the 11 a.m. service. The theme will be “Leading with Love, Serving with Grace”, with a special message from Pastor Dr. Sylvain Exantus. There will be lunch served afterward in the lower level. The church is located at 9637 Francisco Road in Farmville. 

THANKSGIVING SERVICE – Elder James Holcomb III of Alexandria will preach at the Triumph Baptist Church on Sunday, Nov. 24. That will begin at 11 a.m., with dinner served after worship. The church is located at 2756 Darlington Heights Road in Cullen. 

THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON – Hanes Chapel Church, located at 1171 Copper Mine Road in Dillwyn, will hold a Thanksgiving fellowship luncheon immediately following the 11 a.m. morning worship service on Sunday, Nov. 24. 

ROYAL SUPREMES ANNIVERSARY – The Royal Supremes will hold their 47th anniversary celebration on Sunday, Nov. 24 at Prince Edward County High. The show starts at 3 p.m. 

THANKSGIVING SUPPER – Oak Hill Mennonite Church, located at 93 Oak Hill Road in Cumberland, will hold their annual Thanksgiving supper on Sunday, Nov. 24, beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will be a buffet meal, followed by gospel music with the Mike Yoder quartet.

NOVEMBER 25

DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE – The Prince Edward Democratic Committee will hold its regular monthly meeting on Monday, Nov. 25. That will be held at 6 p.m. in the Extension Office at 100 Dominion Drive. 

GRAND ILLUMINATION – Longwood University will celebrate the Christmas season with the grand illumination of its Rotunda on Monday, Nov. 25 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. University President Taylor Reveley will continue the annual tradition and light the Christmas tree. 

NOVEMBER 26

DEMOCRATIC MEETING – The Buckingham County Democratic Committee will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. That’ll take place at the Ag Building, located at 54 Administration Lane. There will be a drawing held for a holiday table runner. 

NOVEMBER 27 

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING – Thomas Chapel, located at 1313 Cartersville Road in Cartersville, will hold a community Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Residents can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, along with fellowship and music. 

NOVEMBER 30 

MISTLETOE MARKET – The Town of Dillwyn will host its first Mistletoe Market on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. That’ll be held at 17081 Oak Street in Dillwyn, with free admission and free parking. There will be food trucks on hand, plus local crafters and artisans displaying their items. 

DILLWYN PARADE – The annual Dillwyn Christmas Parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m., following the Mistletoe Market. The parade will travel down Route 15, starting at the Dollar General in town.

DECEMBER 1

HOLIDAY TRAIN DISPLAY — Before going out to the Farmville Christmas Parade, you can stop by the Kimbrough home at 900 Fourth Avenue to see Jim Kimbrough’s 2024 Holiday Train Display. That includes 900 square feet of model layout, along with models of Santa and his reindeer, Mickey Mouse, several Disney princesses, Paw Patrol and other characters. There is no charge to visit. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

FARMVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE — The annual Farmville Christmas parade will be held on Sunday, Dec. 1, starting at 5:30 p.m. with a theme of “A Country Christmas”. The parade will start near the Department of Motor Vehicles on North Virginia Street and 2nd Street and make its way west on 2nd Street to the North Main Street intersection and turn left onto South Main Street before ending near the McDonalds on Putney Street.

DECEMBER 2

CURDSVILLE POTLUCK – The Curdsville Community Center will hold a potluck Christmas dinner and cookie exchange on Monday, Dec. 2. The community is invited to bring a dish to share and one or two dozen cookies. They can be homemade or storebought. Santa will provide turkey and dressing. The Center is located at 122 School Road, just off Route 15. 

DECEMBER 5

DEACONS CONFERENCE – The Cumberland Deacons and Trustees Conference will hold its quarterly meeting on Thursday, Dec. 5. That’ll start at 7 p.m. at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. Deacons and trustees of member churches are encouraged to attend. Mt. Calvary is located at 1193 Cartersville Road in Cartersville. 

DECEMBER 6-8

LIGHTS AT THE LAKE — The annual Bear Creek ‘Light at the Lake’ will happen Friday, Dec. 6 through Sunday, Dec. 8 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents can drive through the holiday lights, with the donation of a new unwrapped toy or a financial gift to Cumberland Christmas Mother. There will also be craft making activities going on and the Lakeside Snack Bar will be open to sell holiday-themed ornaments, light refreshments and some other gifts.

DECEMBER 7

PRAYER BREAKFAST – Jericho Baptist Church, located at 615 Franklin Street in Farmville, will hold a community prayer breakfast on Dec. 7 at 9 a.m. The guest speaker will be Dr. Amy Tillerson-Brown, Professor of History and the History Dept. chair at Mary Baldwin University. A freewill offering will be collected. 

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA – Santa Claus will be at Heritage Hall on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., ready to hear last minute wish lists from kids. A breakfast will be available at $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Children can write out their wish list and give it to Santa and the Grinch. Heritage Hall is located at 119 Brickyard Drive in Dillwyn. 

SENSORY FRIENDLY PICTURES WITH SANTA – The Buckingham County Library, located at 1140 Main Street in Dillwyn, will hold a photo opportunity with Santa for children with sensory needs. No big crowds, no long lines, no loud music. Children can sit on Santa’s lap or near him. The event runs on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon.

HOLIDAY MARKET — The Farmville Downtown Partnership will hold a series of Christmas events on Saturday, Dec. 7, beginning at 11 a.m. Festive booths will line Mill Street and once you’re done with the Christmas Market there, you can explore the Farmville Holiday Bazaar at the Community Market Place, stop by the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, where there will be a Winter Wonderland arts and crafts workshop or drop in at a number of different stores in downtown that will be holding different events.

WINTER WORKSHOP — The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, located at 119 W. Third Street in Farmville, will hold a free arts and crafts family workshop on Saturday, Dec. 7. Running from 10 a.m. to noon, the workshop contains a variety of arts and crafts, as well as light refreshments. Glitter, glue, and plenty of volunteers will be on hand.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPE – Payne Memorial Church will hold its annual Christmas Shoppe from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. Everything will be a quarter, with free gift wrapping. Everyone receives a free raffle ticket at the door for some big prizes drawn throughout the day. There will be free food and drinks available, along with crafts and games. The church is located at 1 Stoney Point Road in Cumberland. 

CHRISTMAS MARKET – Historic Buckingham will hold its annual Christmas Market on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Historic Village. That’s located at 84 Lee Wayside Road, just two miles west of Sprouses Corner off of Route 60. There will be buggy rides and vendors with arts and crafts, homemade goodies and treats, Christmas swags and decorations, ornaments, homemade sorghum, Amish baked goods and Foxfire Farm Christmas wreaths for sale. 

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE – The first day of Historic Buckingham’s Christmas Open House will be on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both the Housewright House Museum and the Adams Museum will be open and decorated for Christmas. They will feature a special display of more than 30 “First Ladies of the United States” dolls, a collection made by the Madame Alexander Doll Company. The museums are located at 13012 W. James Anderson Highway in Buckingham. 

DECEMBER 8 

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE – The second day of Historic Buckingham’s Christmas Open House will be on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Both the Housewright House Museum and the Adams Museum will be open and decorated for Christmas. They will feature a special display of more than 30 “First Ladies of the United States” dolls, a collection made by the Madame Alexander Doll Company. The museums are located at 13012 W. James Anderson Highway in Buckingham. 

CUMBERLAND CHRISTMAS PARADE – The Cumberland County Christmas Parade will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8, beginning at 2 p.m. The parade starts at NAPA at 1587 Anderson Highway and runs down U.S. 60 towards C & F Bank. There will be floats, plenty of music from the Cumberland High Marching Band and kids can catch a glimpse of Santa at the end.

DECEMBER 9 

SENIOR CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON – The annual senior Christmas luncheon will be held on Monday, Dec. 9, with a traditional holiday meal at Payne Memorial Church. That will run from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., with all Cumberland County senior citizens invited to attend. 

DECEMBER 13-14

LIGHTS AT THE LAKE — The annual Bear Creek ‘Light at the Lake’ will happen Saturday, Dec. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 14 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents can drive through the holiday lights, with the donation of a new unwrapped toy or a financial gift to Cumberland Christmas Mother. There will also be craft making activities going on and the Lakeside Snack Bar will be open to sell holiday-themed ornaments, light refreshments and some other gifts.

DECEMBER 14 

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR – St. John’s Lutheran Church, located at 1301 Milnwood Road in Farmville, will hold a Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 14. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., including crafts, baked goods, Christmas items and a Cookie Walk. 

PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY – Mercy Seat Baptist Church will celebrate Rev. Walter M. Fells’ 18th anniversary with the church on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. The guest speaker will be Rev. Marvin Fields of Second Mount Zion Baptist Church in Hanover. The Worship Leader will be Rev. Reggie Dabney of Mount Olive Baptist Church in Amelia.

CHRISTMAS TALENT SHOW – Farmville Seventh Day Adventist Church will host a Christmas Talent Show on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

JOURNEY THROUGH BETHLEHEM – Hanes Chapel Church, located at 1171 Copper Mine Road in Dillwyn, will host ‘Journey Through Bethlehem’, a walk-through experience with live animals that brings the Nativity story to life. You will see Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus, the innkeeper, shepherds, animals, angels, wisemen and shopkeepers. The tour starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 and lasts 30 minutes, including both standing and walking.

DECEMBER 15

HOLIDAY TRAIN DISPLAY — The second date for this year’s 2024 Holiday Train Display will be on Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Kimbrough home, located at 900 Fourth Avenue in Farmville. Jim Kimbrough’s work this year includes 900 square feet of model layout, along with models of Santa and his reindeer, Mickey Mouse, several Disney princesses, Paw Patrol and other characters. There is no charge to visit. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

DECEMBER 23 

DILLWYN CHRISTMAS CAROLS – Dillwyn’s Pocket Park will play host to a night of Christmas carols, cookies and cocoa as we count down to the big day. That’ll be on Monday, Dec. 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pocket Park is on Main Street in Dillwyn, across from the railroad tracks.