Kick off the season in downtown Appomattox with Breakfast with Santa, the Holiday Express Christmas Parade, the Sweet Stocking Search and the Holiday Hatch Market on Small Business Saturday, then join your neighbors for the Community Tree Lighting on Sunday evening.
Enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast, spend time with Santa, snap festive photos, and make memories your family will cherish for years to come!
🎁 Special Feature: The Kid’s Christmas Store!
Let your little ones experience the joy of giving. Children can shop for Christmas gifts for the grownups in their lives for just $1 per gift. Parents, grandparents, teachers, guardians, and more! Our cheerful elves will help each child choose and wrap gifts, so each gift is ready to be tucked under the tree for Christmas morning.
💵 Please be sure your child has enough cash to purchase gifts for everyone they’d like to surprise.
Looking for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts while supporting entrepreneurial kids? Make plans to visit the Holiday Hatch Market at Venue 1848 during Appomattox’s Holiday Express celebration!
Shop a festive marketplace filled with handcrafted items created and sold by talented young makers. Here, you’re sure to find unique treasures while encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Make a day of your visit to downtown Appomattox! During the parade, three food vendors will be serving up delicious favorites, including homemade stew, funnel cakes, pork rinds, and more. While you’re enjoying the festivities, we encourage everyone to support not only our food vendors but also the restaurants, shops, and retailers that make downtown Appomattox such a special place. Grab a bite to eat, do a little holiday shopping, and help celebrate the local businesses that keep our community thriving.
Be part of one of Appomattox’s favorite holiday traditions by entering the Holiday Express Christmas Parade and helping bring Christmas magic to Downtown Appomattox.
This year’s theme is Appomattox Holiday Express, a festive train-inspired journey through the holidays! Decorate your float, vehicle, trailer, or parade entry with Christmas trains, railroad crossings, conductors, North Pole stations, toy locomotives, holiday lights, and all the wonder of a magical Christmas ride. (Or simply decorate for the holidays if you choose!)
🚂 Let your imagination run down the tracks and create a parade entry that captures the excitement of the season!
After the Appomattox Holiday Express Parade, make your way to the Train Depot Visitor’s Center on Main Street where Santa and Mrs. Claus will be welcoming families from the porch until 2:00 PM. Bring your camera, share your Christmas wishes, and enjoy a special chance to visit with the most famous couple of the season.
Whether you’re a child waiting to tell Santa what’s on your Christmas list or simply young at heart, this is the perfect way to continue the holiday fun after the parade. Gather the family, snap a festive photo, and create memories that will last for years to come!
Get ready for some sweet holiday fun with our Sweet Stocking Search! 🎄🍬 Join us on November 28 (Small Business Saturday) as participating businesses hide a paper stocking somewhere in a public area of their business for little holiday explorers to find! When a child discovers a stocking, they simply tell an employee where they found it and receive a sweet treat. Participating businesses will provide their own candy, which must be individually wrapped and nut-free. Businesses must register by Friday, November 13 to join in the festive fun. Let’s spread holiday cheer, create magical memories, and make this a sweet adventure for everyone!
Gather your family, friends, and neighbors as we officially kick off the holiday season with one of Appomattox’s most beloved holiday traditions!
🎶 Holiday Festivities Begin at 4:45 PM
Enjoy an evening filled with holiday spirit, music, and community fellowship:
🎤 4:45 PM – Performance by the New Beginnings Gospel Singers
🎄 5:15 PM – Welcome by Don Jones and Opening Prayer by Dr. Mark Allen
✨ 5:15 PM – Tree Lighting Ceremony:
Warm up with free hot cocoa and cookies, generously provided by New Hope Baptist Church.
Whether your business, organization, or team is known for creativity, craftsmanship, or simply having fun, this is your chance to create a festive masterpiece and compete for community bragging rights throughout the holiday season.
How It Works:
Get ready to transform Appomattox County into a magical holiday destination by participating in the Annual Storefront & Window Decorating Contest!
This year’s theme is Appomattox Holiday Express, so let your creativity roll down the tracks! Decorate your storefronts, windows, entries, and displays with festive train-inspired scenes that capture the wonder, excitement, and nostalgia of the holiday season.
Public Voting Opens November 28: The community will vote online for their favorite displays from Saturday, November 28 through Sunday, December 28.
Three food vendors will be serving homemade stew, funnel cakes, pork rinds and more during the parade. While you’re downtown, grab a bite at our local restaurants, do a little holiday shopping and support the shops and businesses that make downtown Appomattox such a special place.