Fall Festivals and Events in Williamsburg

If you are planning a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia, this fall, there are a number of events and activities taking place throughout the area. So, don’t confine yourself just to the historic areas – there are plenty of things going on all over the place to check out.

There’s plenty to do and see at the Virginia Celtic Gathering and Highland Games. Parades and pageantry are on display. You can try out some Scottish games. At the Celtic Heritage Village there is Scottish food and drink, along with places to shop, listen to music and storytelling, watch sword fights, and dance. If you are of Scottish descent, you can check out your family tree at the clan area.

Some of the games include a kilted run, a war cry rally, a haggis hurl, a tug of war, and cheers for beers. There also are games for the children. Visitors can take part in a limerick contest, a pub singing contest, and even a knobby knees contest. Some of the traditional instruments on display are the harp, the Uilean pipe and the fiddle. If you are interested in history, you can listen to tales of Robert the Bruce. The event takes place in Lanexa.

Another traditional ethnic festival in the fall is the Ciao Italian Festival. And you know that because it’s an Italian festival, there will be good food and plenty of it – Tuscan bean soup, lasagna, fried calamari, and eggplant parmagiana, bruschetta, cannoli, zeppole, and gelato, just to name a few. Along with the food, there are many arts and crafts vendors, winery exhibits and entertainment.

At Busch Gardens, you can celebrate Halloween at Howl-O-Scream, featuring scary mazes and shows at the park. There is a haunted house and catacombs filled with bones and the voices of the dead. Another attraction at Howl-O-Scream is the Fear Fair, a big-top where the entertainers can be very frightening. And then there is Dracula’s mansion, a house set in Eastern Europe in the 1800s for those with an interest in vampires. Another attraction is a logging camp that has been attacked by enormous venomous spiders. And if you are more in the mood for a show, there is the Monsterstomp, featuring witches, skeletons and vampires.

The Williamsburg Farmers Market also continues to operate on selected days during the fall. This open-air market is located in Merchants Square in the historic area. Here you can buy a wide range of local products, including produce, organic fruit and vegetables, free-range chicken, beef, bison, pork, clams, oysters, fish, other seafood, plants, baked goods, honey, cheese, mushrooms, handmade soaps, and a lot more. There is live music along with demonstrations by local chefs. Master gardeners are available for questions, as well.

If you like sports, you might be interested in taking in a William & Mary football game. The Tribe’s football games have been a tradition in Williamsburg for 71 years. The Tribe has earned 17 conference titles and has had seven undefeated seasons.