Holiday calendar
TODAY and 14 – 18
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
8 p.m. Children, $5; adults, $12. Showtimers, Roanoke. 774-2660.
Nov. 17
Meet Clara and The Sugar Plum Fairy
1 p.m. Free. Barnes & Noble, Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke. www.svballet.org.
The Nutcracker Ball
6 p.m. $95. Hotel Roanoke. 529-6173.
Nov. 17 – Dec. 9
Wreath Exhibition and Silent Auction
Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Free entry. The Salem Museum. 389-6760.
Nov. 21 – Jan. 2
Bedford Festival of Trees
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free to view. Bedford Welcome Center, 816 Burks Hill Road, Bedford. 587-5681.
Nov. 23
Buchanan Merchant Christmas Open House
5 p.m. Free. Downtown Buchanan. 254-1212.
Holiday Bash
6 p.m. $26. Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall. 853-5483.
Nov. 23 – Dec. 23
Fantasyland
TBD. www.vahistorymuseum.org.
Nov. 23 – Jan. 26
Christmas Trains Exhibit
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. Donations will be accepted. Bedford Museum and Genealogical Library. 586-4520.
Nov. 24
Buchanan Tree Lighting
7 p.m. Free. Buchanan Town Hall. 254-1212.
14th Annual Flotilla for Toys
7 p.m. Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Huddleston. 297-5998.
Nov. 25
Roanoke College Choir: Lessons and Carols XXVIII
3 and 5 p.m. St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Roanoke. 375-2333.
Martina McBride: The Joy of Christmas
7:30 p.m. $59 and $69. Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre. 853-5483.
Nov. 29
Heathly Holiday Foods and Entertaining
4 p.m. Town residents, $6; nonresidents, $12. Christiansburg Recreation Center. 382-2349.
Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, Dec. 6 – 8
“The Christmas Express”
7:30 p.m. nightly with an additional matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Children, $10; adults, $12. Attic Productions, Fincastle. 473-1001.
Nov. 30
Madrigal Dinner & Tree Lighting
6:30 p.m. $85. Chateau Morrisette, Floyd. 593-2865.
A Christmas Spectacular
6:30 p.m. $35. Greene Memorial United Methodist Church, Roanoke. 344-6225.
Dec. 1
18th Annual WinterFest
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. The Jacksonville Center for the Arts, Floyd. 745-2784.
33rd Annual Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic Foot Race
8:30 a.m. Price varies. Bedford Middle School. www.bedfordymca.org.
Bedford Christmas Parade
1 p.m. Centertown Bedford. 586-2148.
A German Christmas at the Andrew Johnston House
3 p.m. Free. Giles County Historical Society Andrew Johnston House, Pearisburg. 921-1050.
Meet Clara and The Sugar Plum Fairy
1 p.m. Free. Barnes & Noble, Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke. www.svballet.org.
Dec. 6
Annual Vinton Christmas Parade
7 p.m. Free. Downtown Vinton. 343-1364.
Dec. 6 – 9, 13 – 16, 20 – 23
“Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”
Thursday through Saturday, 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Dec. 6, all tickets $10; other dates are $18 for adults or $12 for youth and seniors. Roanoke Children’s Theatre in the Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke. 224-1200.
Dec. 7
Dickens of a Christmas and Roanoke City Tree Lighting
7 to 9 p.m. Free. Downtown Roanoke. www.downtownroanoke.org.
Holiday Pops: It’s a Wonderful Life
7 p.m. Students, $9; general admission, $20 to $85. Salem Civic Center. 343-9127.
Salem Lighting of the Christmas Tree
6 p.m. Free. Salem Farmers Market. 375-3057.
Salem Christmas Parade
6:30 p.m. Free. Downtown Salem. 387-0267.
Winter Lights Festival and Tuba Christmas
4 p.m. Free. Downtown Blacksburg. www.downtownblacksburg.com.
Dec. 8
Gingerbread Festival
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Longwood Park, Salem. 387-0267.
Holiday Pops: It’s a Wonderful Life
7 p.m. $25. Martinsville High School. 276-632-3221.
Buchanan Christmas Parade
4 p.m. Free. Downtown Buchanan. 254-1212.
Fincastle Holiday Home Tour and Marketplace
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. HFI members, $12; general public, $15. Various locations, Fincastle. 473-3077.
Dec. 8 & 9
The Nutcracker
Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m. Price varies. Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre. www.svballet.org.
Dec. 9
Holiday Pops: It’s a Wonderful Life
5 p.m. $25. Covington Center, Radford University. 343-9127.
Holiday Tours at Poplar Forest
Noon to 3 p.m. Free with regular admission. Poplar Forest. 434-525-1806.
The Cake Boss Buddy Valastro: Homemade for the Holidays Tour
7 p.m. $85.00, $45.75 or $35.75. Salem Civic Center. 375-3004.
The Salem Museum Holiday Home Tour
1 p.m. $12 in advance and $15 day of tour. Various locations, Salem. 389-6760.
White Gift Service
7:30 p.m. Free. DuPont Chapel, Hollins University. 362-6451.
Candlelight Christmas Home Tour
1 p.m. TBA. Downtown Buchanan. 254-1212.
Dec. 10
Holiday Pops: It’s a Wonderful Life
7 p.m. Call for prices. Covington High School. 962-6220.
Dec. 10 – 24
Chrismon Tree Exhibit
7 to 9 p.m. Free. Ascension Lutheran Church, Danville. 434-792-5795.
Dec. 14
Dickens of a Christmas and Roanoke City Christmas Parade
7 to 9 p.m. Free. Downtown Roanoke. www.downtownroanoke.org.
Messiah
7:30 p.m. Students, $10; adults, $20. Blacksburg Baptist Church. www.blacksburgmasterchorale.org.
Dec. 15 & 16
Flames of Memory and Christmas in Wartime Presentation
6 p.m. Donations will be accepted. National D-Day Memorial, Bedford. 586-3329.
Dec.16
“Klaus”
There will be a staged reading of the show (with a director coming in from chicago) on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. at Community High School, under the auspices of the Hollins Playwrights Lab.
Dec. 17
Jingle Bell Hike
9:30 a.m. Town residents, $5; nonresidents, $10. Bissett Park, Radford. 382-2349.
Dec. 18
Holiday Sing-Along
7:30 p.m. Donations of money and canned food items will be accepted. Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. www.blacksburgmasterchorale.org.
Dec. 21
Dickens of a Christmas and RVSPCA Pet Costume Contest
7 to 9 p.m. Free. Downtown Roanoke. www.downtownroanoke.org.
For more local events, visit the roanoke.com calender
Read MoreTell us where you shop for the cook in your life and you could win two great cookbooks!
This week, we’re giving away two great cookbooks to give you ideas for the holidays: “Simply Sensational Cookies” by Nancy Baggett and “Southern Living around the Southern table” by Rebecca Lang.
To enter to win, tell us who you voted for when we asked “Where do you buy for the cook in your life?” and “Who is the best holiday caterer?” and why.
A winner will be chosen at random from the comments we receive.
Read More
Tell us who you voted for best place to shop for the outdoorsy person and you could win a beautiful photo of a sunset view from McAfee Knob!
Tell us who you voted for best place to shop for the outdoorsy person, and you could win a 11×17 reprint of this great photo of a hiker taking in the sunset view from McAfee Knob taken by former Roanoke Times staff photographer Sam Dean.
Read MoreCongratulations to last week’s winner!
Congratulations to Brian J from Cloverdale for his comment about Campus Emporium in Blacksburg as the best place to buy Virginia Tech gear. Brian won a 11×17 reprint of this VT photo of David Wilson jumping in celebration after a touchdown that won the game against Georgia Tech taken by staff photographer Kyle Green .
Read MoreTell us who you voted for best restaurant to go to after shopping and you could win lunch with your favorite blogger!
This week’s prize is a lunch for you and up to two friends with your favorite Roanoke Times blogger!
Can you not live without weather updates from Kevin Myatt? Food news from Lindsey Nair? The latest thing to boggle Dan Casey’s brain? Here’s your chance to meet them in person at a restaurant in the Roanoke or New River valleys.
To enter, please submit a comment telling us whom you voted for in the “best restaurant to go to after shopping” category. Feel free to also tell us who your favorite blogger is, but it’s not necessary.
The winner, chosen at random from the comments, will be notified and then you and your favorite blogger can discuss lunch options.
Good luck!
Congratulations to last week’s winner!
Congratulations to Yvonne L from Salem. She is the winner of a $45 gift card to Sheetz for telling us where she voted as the best place to take a day trip out of town to shop. Comment on this week’s question for your chance to win another great prize!
Read More