Weekend Beat: Christmas Countdown

As we countdown to the days until Christmas, take time to enjoy all the preholiday celebrations of the season.

Throughout the Season

Here’s a chance to see a holiday classic! The Manassas Ballet Theater Company will perform the Nutcracker Ballet at the Hylton Performing Art Center on Dec. 14, 15, 22 and 23 with evening and afternoon shows on alternate days. Tickets range from $35-55. Find out more, or purchase tickets here.

The Hylton Planetarium at Hylton High School in Woodbridge presents “Holiday Lights” on Friday nights from 6-10 p.m. throughout December. The laser shows will be set to traditional and modern music. Tickets are $10. Find out more information here.

If you’re like most people in Nova, you may be leaving the area to visit family and friends for the holidays. But, before you go, make sure to bring the family to see the Festival of Lights at Bull Run Park in Centreville. It’s always truly amazing and a great way to make a Christmas memory for your children. This year there are 40,000 lights set to music! Get coupon here.

Love a modern fairy-tale? Shrek will be brought to life with "Shrek the Halls,” a holiday ice attraction at Gaylord National at the National Harbor. It features 20-feet tall ice slides and attractions with the Shrek characters. It is the perfect Christmas treat for children. Tickets are $13.99-$26.99 per person.

Open through Jan. 1, the National Christmas Tree and Pathway to Peace in Washington D.C. will be illuminated during the season from dusk until 11 p.m. Enjoy Yule log displays, large-scale model trains and a Christmas manager scene and musical performances held nightly on the ellipse stage by choirs and dancing troops.

This Weekend Only

If Santa Claus didn’t come through your neighborhood on his shiny fire engine last weekend, it doesn’t mean he forgot about you. Santa, along with Nokesville Fire and Rescue will be visiting more homes in Bristow this weekend. See if your neighborhood made the list by clicking here. Santa will be handing out candy, but asks that children remain on the sidewalks.

This is the last weekend to see Fauquier Community Theater on 4225 Aiken Drive in Warrenton present “An O. Henry Christmas” featuring two heartwarming musicals based on O. Henry stories: “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf.” Both are tales of love and sacrifice. Show times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. The shows are running Dec. 14, 15, 16 Tickets are $13-15. Bring your High School freshman before English exams!