Christmas Town returns to Busch Gardens Williamsburg on select dates from November 13, 2026, to January 3, 2027, with more than ten million lights covering the park after dark. The park has also confirmed real news for this season: the rethemed Verbolten: Forbidden Turn is making its Christmas Town debut, giving guests their first chance to ride the new storyline and effects as part of the holiday event.
If you’re trying to decide when to go, what’s actually new this year, or whether your pass covers it, this guide answers all of that directly, then walks through the lights, shows, rides, food, tickets and hours so you can plan the trip once.
Quick Answer
Christmas Town 2026 runs on select dates from November 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, with more than ten million lights and a new-for-2026 feature: the rethemed Verbolten: Forbidden Turn is now part of the Christmas Town ride lineup for the first time. Admission is included for Basic, Unlimited, Premier and Platinum members, College Pass holders and 2026 Military Pass holders; everyone else needs an event ticket.
Christmas Town 2026 Dates and Calendar
Christmas Town does not run every single day of its season. The official window is November 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027, but operating nights are listed as “select dates,” and the park’s own event page describes hours as running from park open to park close rather than a fixed time. In practice, events like this one tend to open on a lighter schedule in mid-November, then add more nights as the season moves toward Christmas and New Year’s, with the stretch during Christmas week among the busiest and most likely to run every night. Always check the park’s live calendar for your exact date before booking, since the schedule can shift.
What’s New for 2026: Verbolten’s Christmas Town Debut
The clearest new-for-2026 detail from the park itself is that Verbolten: Forbidden Turn is now running during Christmas Town. Verbolten itself has operated during prior Christmas Town seasons, but the park’s event page specifically calls out the rethemed Forbidden Turn version as making “its Christmas Town debut,” meaning this refreshed storyline, effects and animatronics haven’t previously run as part of the holiday event. Beyond that one addition, the park’s Christmas Town page doesn’t highlight a new house, zone or headline show for 2026, so the rest of the lineup looks like a returning version of recent seasons.
The park’s show pages still describe Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special as all-new, which reads like leftover copy from its original debut rather than a 2026 change, so treat it as a returning show. Return to Corkscrew Hill remains listed as coming in 2027, so it is not part of this year’s event. If the park announces anything else before the season ramps up, we’ll update this page.
Lights, Shows and Holiday Entertainment
The park says Christmas Town uses more than ten million twinkling lights, described as one of the largest light displays in North America. Two named light shows anchor the visual side of the event: Celebration of Lights at O’Tannenbaum, built around a 50-foot Christmas tree, and Polar Pathway: Spectacle of Lights, a display of over a million LED lights set to music.
On the entertainment side, Christmas Town Live! A Holiday Special plays at Das Festhaus in a 1960s TV-special style, Gloria! at Abbey Stone Theatre retells the first Christmas, and Scrooge No More! runs at the Globe Theatre. ‘Twas That Night is an ice-skating show at the Royal Palace Theatre, and Elmo’s Christmas Wish brings Sesame Street characters into the holiday mix. Between shows, carolers perform in England and the Merry Misfits perform in France, and Santa meets guests at Santa’s Workshop with photo ops available throughout the night. Show times vary by day, so check the schedule once you’re in the park.
Rides and Attractions Open for the Holidays
The park states that rides operate during Christmas Town, including Verbolten: Forbidden Turn in its first season in this rethemed form, along with Apollo’s Chariot, The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge and DarKoaster. The Busch Gardens Railway, the Aeronaut Skyride and family rides such as Kinder Karussel also run, and the Christmas Town Express adds a lighted holiday train ride built specifically for the event. Colder temperatures or inclement weather can affect ride operations, so treat the lineup as a general guide rather than a guarantee that every ride will run every night you visit.
Tickets, Passes and Hours
Members at the Basic, Unlimited, Premier and Platinum levels, College Pass holders and 2026 Military Pass holders get Christmas Town admission included on their pass. Everyone else needs a separate event ticket, sold through the park’s official site. At the time of our last check, a single-day Christmas Town ticket was priced well below the park’s regular daytime admission, with optional add-ons for All-Day Dining and a bundle that includes Quick Queue, plus a multi-day Christmas Bounce Ticket covering three consecutive days with parking included.
Because ticket and add-on prices change during the season, don’t treat any number here as final — confirm current pricing on the official Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town page before you buy. Event hours run on a park-open-to-park-close pattern that varies by date rather than one fixed schedule, which is another reason to check your specific night on the park’s calendar.
Holiday Food and Treats
The official page describes festive sweet treats and hearty holiday meals, with holiday dining available at Das Festhaus, though it doesn’t name specific cocoa or cookie items this season, so we’re not inventing any. If you expect to eat more than once during your visit, the All-Day Dining add-on — one entree, one dessert and one regular-sized non-alcoholic fountain drink roughly every 90 minutes — is worth pricing against a la carte before you go.
Tips for Visiting During Christmas Town
Because Christmas Town runs on select dates, start with the park calendar rather than picking a date first. Weekends and the nights closest to Christmas tend to draw the biggest crowds, so arrive early if you want a good spot for the light shows or photos with Santa, and expect the park to feel noticeably more crowded during Christmas week than on a random Tuesday in mid-November. Quick Queue is available if lines are your main concern, and layers matter — Virginia evenings in winter run cold and damp, and rides can pause briefly in poor weather. If you’re planning more than one visit, the three-day Bounce Ticket’s included parking can make the math easier than buying single-day tickets twice.
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Plan Your Busch Gardens Williamsburg Visit
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Planning more than one? See every theme park holiday event for 2026, by state.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Christmas Town 2026 Busch Gardens Williamsburg FAQs
When is Christmas Town 2026 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg?
Christmas Town 2026 runs on select dates from November 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027. The event doesn’t operate every night, so check the park’s calendar before choosing a date.
What’s new at Christmas Town for 2026?
The headline change is the rethemed Verbolten: Forbidden Turn joining the Christmas Town ride lineup for the first time, per the park’s own event page. Beyond that one addition, 2026 looks like a return of the established lights, shows and ride lineup.
Is Christmas Town included with my Busch Gardens pass?
Yes, for Basic, Unlimited, Premier and Platinum members, College Pass holders and 2026 Military Pass holders. Everyone else needs a separate Christmas Town event ticket.
How many lights are at Christmas Town?
The park describes the event as using more than ten million twinkling lights, which it calls one of the largest light displays in North America.
Is Busch Gardens Williamsburg busy during Christmas week?
Yes. Christmas Town tends to be busiest on weekends and during the stretch around Christmas and New Year’s, when the park is more likely to run every night, so arrive early for popular light shows and Santa photos if you’re visiting during Christmas week.
What are Christmas Town’s hours?
The park lists Christmas Town hours as “park open to park close,” which varies by date rather than following one fixed schedule, so confirm the hours for your specific night on the official site before you go.
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