Richmond

advanced

Home | Traditions | Events | Music | Dance

Theatre | Lights | VA Towns | Prose | Poetry

Christmas in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, the capitol of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has many beloved Christmas traditions including the Richmond Christmas Parade, the Christmas Boat Parade down the James River and the “very Richmond” Tacky Lights Tour.

Maymont History

Some of Richmond’s finest traditions, however are rooted in history, generosity, and love like visiting Maymont. In 1886, James and Sallie Dooley acquired farmland on the banks of the James River, where they planned to build a new home. Their architect, Edgerton Stewart Rogers (1860-1901), born and educated in Rome, combined the Romanesque Revival style with the picturesque Queen Anne for the Dooley residence. By 1893, the Dooleys were living in their new 12,000 square-foot home named “May Mont,” a name which combines Mrs. Dooley’s maiden name and the French word for hill.

Maymont Christmas

The Dooleys, two of Richmond, Virginia greatest benefactors, bequeathed Maymont to the City of Richmond as a park and museum after their deaths. The nonprofit Maymont Foundation took responsibility for the estate in 1975. Each holiday season seems to be the grandest ever on the grounds of the Maymont Mansion with carriage rides, Christmas teas, candlelight tours, Victorian Christmas displays and St. Nick’s Christmas party (details of Christmas at Maymont here).

Jefferson Hotel

Visiting the Jefferson Hotel is another Richmond Christmas tradition. Many Richmonders wouldn’t think of letting the Christmas Season go by without gathering at the Jefferson to have a fine dining experience in the Lemaire restaurant. The hotel itself is named for Thomas Jefferson and the restaurant after Etienne Lemaire, who served as maitre d'hotel to Thomas Jefferson from 1794 through the end of his presidency. Details of Christmas at the Jefferson can be found here.

The Jefferson Hotel was built by tobacco baron, Lewis Ginter in the late 19th century. About the same time, Mr. Ginter purchased property that was once owned by Patrick Henry and prior to that was a Powhatan Indian hunting ground. Ginter built the Lakeside Wheel Club on the land in 1884 as a destination for Richmond bicyclists.

Ginter Botanical Gardens

In 1913, Ginter’s niece enlarged the facility into a care facility for Richmond’s sick children. Later the building became a private home and was later bequeathed to Richmond in 1968. In 1981, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden was chartered by court decree and what a story that was!. Like the grounds of other great houses in Richmond, Virginia, these Botanical Gardens are not to be missed at Christmas time. On the day after Thanksgiving, half a million lights bring Ginter’s gardens to life with one of the most breath-taking Christmas displays in Richmond. You must see the Ginter Gardenfest Illumination 2010 if at all possible.

Miller & Rhoads

Another grand Christmas tradition began at a very grand department store in downtown Richmond, Miller & Rhoads, “Where Christmas is a Legend.” Thousands of people used to drive to Richmond at Christmas time to see the Miller & Rhoads window decorations.

Milton Burke window dresser

Those windows, decorated by Milton Burke and his crew, became a spectacular holiday tradition. Milton dressed those windows for the last time in December 1989 before the store forever closed its doors the following January. For more than twenty Christmases, the windows of the Richmond-based department store where “Christmas is a Legend” remained bare. In December 2010, that will all change.

Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest

The Hilton Garden Inn that now occupies the historic Miller & Rhoads building has partnered with Christmas-in-Virginia.com to breath new life back into this beloved, Richmond Christmas memory. The lights are coming back with the Miller & Rhoads Charity Christmas Tree Contest along with other dazzling window displays.

Richmond, Virginia celebrates a very traditional Christmas and is a wonderful place to be for the Holidays. ee the Christmas Events in Richmond for dates and times of this year’s events.