Happy holidays y’all! I’m sharing all the holiday markets, festivals and can’t miss activities in Lexington through the season. Make sure to also check out my Local Gift Guide here and my favorite Lexington shops and boutiques here.
Holiday Markets
Kentucky Castle Holiday Market
November 14-16 at the Kentucky Castle. You’ll find a variety of local artisan market vendors. Warm up with a hot cocoa bar, where you can customize your own delicious hot chocolate with a spread of toppings and syrups. Enjoy a spread of hand-selected appetizers as well! $35 tickets.
Lexington Mercantile Co Mixmas Holiday Market
November 21-22 at Manchester Reserve. A market comprising of local vendors, handmade makers + boutiques. Sip while you shop or grab some food from a local food truck.
Holly Day Market
December 5-7 at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Holly Day Market brings vendors from across the country together in Lexington for a weekend to give shoppers the opportunity to buy holiday gifts in one spectacular location. Vendors sell jewelry, clothes for women, men, and children, toys, books, holiday decorations, ornaments, art, food, and much more. $15 tickets.
Winter Market
December 5-6 at the Greyline Station. The Crafted Social Winter Market in Lexington, Kentucky brings together the best traditional and contemporary artists, craftspeople, and functional designers for a two-day, indoor market inside the main atrium of the historic Greyline Station in Lexington, Kentucky. Free and open to the public.
Michler’s Christmas Market
December 6-7 at Michler’s Florist & Greenhouse (outdoors). This market features diverse vendors including locally made ceramics, jewelry, cards, jams, soaps, ornaments and more. Michler’s florists will be crafting wreaths and decorating boxwood trees all day. Enjoy hot mulled wine, pastries and live music. Free to the public.
Holiday Classes & Workshops
Springhouse Gardens Take Home Wreath Workshop
Springhouse Gardens is keeping their wreath workshop tradition alive with a take-home kit complete with everything you’ll need (including a video tutorial) to craft a beautiful wreath with friends and family in the comfort of your home! I made one last week and it was so fun and surprisingly easy. Kits start at $92 per person.
Holiday Reed Stars Workshop at Shaker Village
November 22, Try your hand at weaving an intricate star pattern using reed, which can be replicated at home in a variety of sizes and materials. All materials are provided, and no experience is necessary. $50-$60 tickets include access to Illuminated Evenings and 20% off dining.
Ashland Wreath Workshop
December 6 at Ashland, included with registration: Fresh fir wreath, assorted evergreens, pinecones, ribbon for bows, florist wire, and glue guns. Instructed by landscape architect Brenda Barrett.
Cookie Decorating Workshop at Shaker Village
December 6. In this two-hour class, you’ll learn the basics of decorating pre-baked sugar cookies and receive Jillian’s royal icing and cookie recipe, while enjoying hot cocoa and cider in one of Shaker Village’s beautifully restored historic buildings. Everything you need is provided in the class, and each participant will receive personal instruction from Jillian. You’ll leave class with a great understanding of the basics of decorating sugar cookies, plus a few cool techniques you’ll be sure to use for every special occasion! $65 ticket also gets you access to Illuminated Evenings event and 20% off dining.
Eco-Ornaments Workshop at Shaker Village
December 6 & 13, In this workshop you’ll learn to make beautiful, simple and even scented decorations using non-harmful materials you can find around your house and in your neighborhood. $25-$35 tickets include access to Illuminated Evenings and 20% off dining.
Wilsons Wreath Workshop
December 11 at Wilsons Nurseries, you’ll create a hand-built holiday wreath as big as you can imagine using fresh-cut evergreens, a distinctive collection of berries & pine cones, and finish with a hand-tied bow for your own unique holiday wreath. Bring a friend, enjoy a mimosa, let your creative juices flow, and enjoy some quality time & creativity together.
Sugar Cookie Decorating Class
12/12 & 12/20, 6:30pm at Local Lex Market. In this 1.5 hour long class, we’ll cover the basics to sugar cookies, you’ll get our royal icing and cookie recipe, and we’ll talk about how to strategize the best ways to decorate sugar cookies! Everything you’ll need is provided at class along with live in-person instructors. $55 tickets.
Family Friendly Events & Activities
Gathered Play + Create Holiday Themes
Gathered Play + Create is a new kids play space connected to the Amsden coffee shop in downtown Versailles. It is a one of a kind space where you can enjoy a magical world of imagination, creativity, and old-fashioned charm. Their goal is to provide a comfortable and safe place for parents or relax, enjoy some coffee, or work, while their children play, create, and imagine with us! During their special holiday weeks they’ll have story times, special crafts, + more during every play session each day!
Shaker Village Blessing of the Hounds
November 29 at 9am at Shaker Village. Join Shaker Village and the Long Run Woodford Hounds fox hunters for this grand, traditional event featuring a blessing of the hounds, riders, and horses, followed by the first meet of the formal hunting season. Arrive at 9:00 a.m. and warm up with winter breakfast foods and beverages alongside roaring outdoor fire pits. Riders and hounds will make their ceremonial approach with music and the blessing at 10:00 a.m. This event is included with your general admission to Shaker Village, granting you access to historic tours, exhibits and other experiences across the property.
Santa Train
November 29, December 6, 7, 13 & 14 at the Bluegrass Railroad Museum in Versailles. Enjoy a 90 minute train ride and visit with Santa! There’s also a North Pole train available.
Downtown Lexington Holiday Lighting
November 30, Head to Triangle Park for the annual Holiday Lighting Festival! Lexington’s Christmas Tree will be lit with beautiful bright lights, and Lexington’s Hanukkah Menorah will shine ahead of the festival. Plus, community choirs will sing festive songs which are sure to put everyone in the holiday spirit!
Ice Skating at Triangle Park
Open through January 4. Triangle Park is transformed into a winter wonderland from mid-November through the beginning of January. Perfect for a family outing or date night. After skating, guests can enjoy hot beverages and snacks at Triangle Park Café.
Southern Lights
November 28-December 31 at the Horse Park. Enjoy a driving tour of holiday lights. This year visits with Santa will be via your car and all indoor attractions are closed, but there is an outdoor ‘animal land’ and food truck. $35 per carload.
Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill
November 28 – December 23 select nights. Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill is a spectacular holiday tradition in Millersburg, Kentucky; just 30 minutes north of Lexington in the heart of Bourbon County. This year’s programming includes our breathtaking Light Display, Gingerbread House Exhibit, Artisan’s Market, Holiday Tent and Cafe, Christmas Campfire Reservations, Live Music, and more! Stroll through the breath-taking lights, enjoy live music, gather with friends, shop for the perfect handmade gift and don’t miss the most stunning gingerbread house displays in Kentucky. $15 entry.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at Lexington Opera House
November 30, December 6 & 7, The holiday classic soars off the screen in this Broadway Junior, 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved television special by Lexington Children’s Theatre.
Gatton Park Winter Village
December 4-23 at the new Gatton Park. Winter Village at Gatton Park brings Lexington together to celebrate the season. Step inside the park’s soaring 80-foot high digital Christmas tree and be surrounded by a dazzling, multi-sensory display that captures the magic of the season. Wander beneath hundreds of thousands of warm, twinkling lights and explore festive games and crafts, or immerse yourself in the glowing winter playground, where whimsical lights, interactive surprises, and playful details spark laughter, imagination, and holiday joy at every turn. Savor the season with warm cocoa, handcrafted cocktails, and delicious holiday treats as the sights, sounds, and flavors of the holidays come alive.
Downtown Lexington Christmas Parade
December 6 at 11am down Main St. between Midland and Mill St. The parade will feature a variety of organizations, bands, floats, and of course, Santa himself!
Illumination at Ashland
December 6. One of Lexington’s most beloved traditions as Ashland lights their Christmas Tree for the first time to kick off the holiday season! The Christmas Shop at the Keeper’s Cottage with local vendors will be open, Santa will be here for pictures with children and pets, & seasonal refreshments will be available for purchase. The tree will be illuminated at dusk; candlelight tours of the mansion to follow for ticketed guests.
Candlelight Tour of Ashland
December 6, 12 & 14. Experience a festive Candlelight tour with the mansion all dressed up for the holidays in this year’s theme “Christmas Through the Eyes of Children.” Explore the house by ‘candlelight’ while live music will be played by Kristy & Al Beers adding to the holiday atmosphere.
Illuminated Evenings at Shaker Village
Saturdays, December 6, 13 & 20. Discover the holiday spirit during Shaker Village’s Illuminated Evenings events. Hop on the Jingle Bell Shuttle, write a letter to Santa, sip hot chocolate, enjoy music performances, make a craft in the Elf Shop and sing carols while we light up the tree. Admission is $8.
Tea with Mrs. Claus at Shaker Village
December 6, 13 & 20. Dress your little ones in their holiday finery for an afternoon tea with Mrs. Claus. Enjoy spiced cider, cookies and sandwiches made for little fingers. Afterward, stay for story time with Mrs. Claus! $28 tickets.
The Nutcracker
December 13, 14, 20 & 21 at the Lexington Opera House. Catch the Christmas classic! My grandmother took me every year growing up and I loved it.
Adult Events & Activities
A Christmas Carol at The Opera House
November 21-23. Get in the holiday spirit with “A Christmas Carol: The Musical”.
Holiday Lunch at The Trustees’ Table at Shaker Village
Dec. 1-31. Holiday Lunch at The Trustees’ Table is a traditional holiday lunch. The menu will feature a three-course meal of soup or salad, a choice of five different entrées, homemade desserts and non-alcoholic beverages. Bakery breads and coleslaw will also be served. $32 tickets, Reservations recommended.
Afternoon Tea at Shaker Village
December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 at 3pm. Enjoy an afternoon with friends and family sipping seasonal teas and eating freshly-baked scones, assorted homemade sweets and savory bites. The 1839 Trustees’ Office provides the perfect holiday setting! $30 tickets.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
December 10 at Rupp Arena.
Drake’s Christmas Cocktails
Drake’s Brannon Crossing and Hamburg are decorated to the nines and have specialty Christmas Cocktails with fun glassware for a Christmas bar experience!
Local Open Houses
Lots of local stores are hosting “open houses” or special shopping events with discounts etc. Will update these as more are posted.
Shaker Village Open House
December 6, 10am-7pm. 20% off all merchandise.
Woodland Triangle Shop Hop
December 6 & 7, Wander the charming Woodland Triangle, popping into over a dozen local favorites for deep discounts, sweet giveaways, exclusive holiday deals, and free raffle. It’s the best way to tackle your gift list, support Lexington’s small businesses, and treat yourself while sipping on something delicious!
Paxton Home Warehouse Sale
December 6 & 8. Paxton Home has the such cool furniture, home decor and gifts at a great value. They only do these sales once a month! They also have such cute holiday decor.
Hope that gives you a few fun ideas for the holidays! If I’ve left any can’t miss events out, please share them in the comments below. Stay tuned for allll the holiday content coming soon!
Biscuits & blessings,
Leels
