Winter 2026–27 · December – February

Maps and directions are powered by OpenStreetMap & Leaflet — no tracking, no API key.

📅 Filter by week

⛷️ Just Out of Area

Ski, Ride & Snow Tube

Our five counties don't have their own slopes — but real skiing and the region's best tubing hill are both a short drive away. Snow-dependent; call ahead or check the snow report before heading out.

Ongoing · Typically mid/late Dec – mid March, snow-dependent

Bryce Resort — Skiing, Snowboarding, Tubing & Ice Skating

Beyond (Shenandoah Co.) · Basye, VA · ~50 min from Winchester

Three slopes (beginner to advanced), a quad lift, an 800-foot snow-tubing hill, a ski school for first-timers as young as 4, and an outdoor ice rink — all at one member-owned four-season resort about an hour from Winchester.

Snowmaking keeps it running even in lean-snow years, but hours and which features are open shift day to day — check the live snow report before you drive out.

Directions Event page

Ongoing · Late Nov – March, snow-dependent

Snow Riders Tubing Hill at River Riders

Beyond (Jefferson Co., WV) · Harpers Ferry · ~1 hr from Loudoun/Clarke

The longest snow-tubing hill on the East Coast — nearly 900 feet, up to 12 lanes, a magic-carpet conveyor lift, and a nighttime "Downhill Disco" light show. Machine-made snow means it runs rain or shine. 1.5-hour sessions, 36" height minimum.

Tickets are sold in advance online only — this one regularly sells out on weekends.

Directions Event page

⛸️ Lace Up

Ice Skating

Outdoor pavilions and year-round indoor rinks across the region — all still open through the heart of winter.

Confirmed · Nov 7, 2026 – Mar 8, 2027

Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion

Fairfax Co · Reston

An open-air, covered outdoor rink in the heart of Reston Town Center, open daily including New Year's Eve. General admission and private rentals available.

Directions Venue site

Year-round

Fairfax Ice Arena

Fairfax Co · Fairfax

Indoor rink open year-round for public skate, lessons and parties, with themed public-skate nights through the winter.

Directions

Year-round

Loudoun Ice Centre

Loudoun Co · Sterling

Daily public skating with hockey lessons and birthday parties; discounted Cheap Skates sessions available.

Directions

Confirmed · November – January

Rooftop Sock Skating — Discovery Museum

Frederick Co · Winchester

Not real ice, but a fun stand-in: a temporary sock-skating rink on the museum's rooftop, with festive lights, decorations and views over Old Town Winchester. Great for younger kids not ready for real skates.

Directions Event page

Seasonal, outdoor

Harris Pavilion Ice Skating

Beyond · Manassas

Outdoor seasonal ice skating in downtown Manassas, with online reservations and group rates for 10 or more.

Directions

Year-round, closed Tuesdays

SkateQuest

Beyond · Haymarket

An indoor iceplex with public skate nights, hockey and figure-skating lessons — arrive 30 minutes early on weekends.

Directions

🎁 Shop Small

Winter & Holiday Markets

Local-vendor markets running into the winter season — see christmas.joyinnova.com for the full December market lineup.

Confirmed · First 3 Saturdays in Dec · 9am–noon

Warrenton Holiday Market

Fauquier Co · Old Town Warrenton

A local-vendor market on the first three Saturday mornings of December, run by Old Town Warrenton alongside the town's regular farmers market calendar.

Directions Event page

Fauquier and Clarke Counties are thin on confirmed January–February markets so far — still researching. Have a lead? We'd love to hear it.

☃️ Bundle Up

Winter Festivals

Community winter celebrations that aren't specifically Christmas events.

Confirmed · Sat, Dec 12, 2026 · 11am

Winter Festival

Loudoun Co · South Riding Center

A community winter celebration at South Riding Center, with vendors and family activities to kick off the season.

Directions Venue page

A heads up on one we set aside: Ugly Sweater Bingo Night at South Riding Center (Thu, Nov 5, 2026) is themed for the holiday season, but its date falls in fall's Sept–Nov window, not Dec–Feb. We left it off this guide rather than quietly stretch the range — let us know if you'd rather see it included.

💡 After Dark

Winter Light Displays

Smaller and lesser-known displays, plus the tail end of the big December shows that keep glowing into January — see christmas.joyinnova.com for the full December lineup.

Confirmed · Through Jan 4, 2027 · nightly 5–10pm

Meadowlark Winter Walk of Lights

Fairfax Co · Vienna

Lighted trees and displays reinvent the botanical garden's pathways into glowing corridors. Hot drinks, s'mores and a limited-edition ornament round out the walk.

Directions Venue page

Confirm dates · past years run through early January

Bull Run Festival of Lights

Fairfax Co · Centreville (Bull Run Regional Park)

A drive-through holiday light show winding along the park's roads — a cozy, stay-in-the-car option for cold nights.

Directions

Confirm dates · map available mid-December, viewable into January

Purcellville Holiday Lights Tour

Loudoun Co · Self-guided, around Purcellville

A self-guided driving tour of decorated homes and businesses around town, hosted by the Purcellville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

Directions Event page

🎆 Ring It In

New Year's Events

Ways to close out 2026 and start 2027 across the guide's five counties.

Confirmed · Wed, Dec 31, 2026

London's Calling: British New Year

Loudoun Co · Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, Leesburg

A British-themed New Year's Eve celebration at the Lucketts-area farm brewery — an early, family-friendlier alternative to a midnight countdown.

Directions Event page

Confirmed · Thu, Jan 1, 2027

Happy Noon Year

Loudoun Co · Leesburg Animal Park

A daytime, kid-friendly countdown-to-noon celebration — all the New Year's Eve fun without the late night.

Directions Event page

Confirmed · Thu, Jan 1, 2027

First Day Hike

Fairfax Co · Riverbend Park, Great Falls

Start the new year with a healthy, family-friendly hike — part of a nationwide America's State Parks tradition, with a chance to win prizes.

Directions

💡 Plan Ahead

Winter Resources

Road Conditions

VDOT / 511 Virginia — real-time winter road conditions and closures, especially useful for the drive out to Bryce, Harpers Ferry, or western Fauquier and Frederick.

511virginia.org →

Snow Reports

Check Bryce Resort's live conditions page before driving out for skiing or tubing — snowmaking keeps it running, but hours shift with the weather.

bryceresort.com →

Community Displays

Loudoun Christmas Lights' volunteer-run map of private-home and commercial displays — many stay lit well into January.

loudounchristmaslights.com →

Share This Guide

Scan to open on your phone

winter.joyinnova.com

Jump to the Calendar

Scan for the map + month grid

winter.joyinnova.com/calendar.html