The Roanoke Times l File photo.

The holidays will really get into full swing across Southwest Virginia this weekend with events such as Dickens of a Christmas in downtown Roanoke and the Grandin Village Holiday Market.

Dickens, which lasts three Fridays in a row starting tonight, will kick off this evening with the Christmas tree lighting, high school chorus performances, carriage rides and much more. Later this month, they’ll bring back the faux snow for all the kiddies to enjoy. For all the details about Dickens, check out Annie McCallum’s article in today’s newspaper.

The fourth annual Holiday Market in Grandin Village will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. tomorrow, and it’ll include open houses at businesses throughout the village with treats and specials. There’ll also be an indoor holiday market in the space between Surf & Turf and Valley Bank on Grandin Road that will feature locally made crafts and art. There will also be live music, food vendors and a door raffle of select vendor items.

For more information about the holiday market, check out Facebook pages here and here.

This is a great weekend to make the most of our beautiful downtown and the cute community of Grandin Village, but that’s not the only place you’ll find holiday happenings this weekend and in the coming weeks. To see a big list, click here for our calendar listings.

If you are involved in an event or have a favorite one you’d like to tell readers about, feel free to leave a comment with info on this blog entry.

Have a safe and fun weekend, everybody!