What are you doing this Christmas season? Volunteering and spreading some cheer? Celebrating the story of Christmas? Having fun with the family? Doing some final shopping? McLean Bible Church invites the community to do all of that at its second annual Christmas Village.
The event runs for seven days (December 10-16, 2017), takes place mostly indoors, and, best of all, is completely free ! The large church transforms its Tysons Campus (8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182) into a multifaceted walk-through attraction. Guests can enjoy live entertainment, family-friendly rides, a cafe, crafts, an international market, and more. The event hours Dec. 10-15 are 6-9 pm; on Saturday, Dec. 16, there will be a sensory-friendly event 1-3 pm followed by the regular offerings 3-7 pm. Parking is available on site and is free. So… what can you expect at the Christmas Village?
- A Christmas Café offering dinner and dessert
- Play areas for kids that include an obstacle course, inflatable bouncy houses, holiday crafts, and face painting, plus a carousel
- Live entertainment including a fun show by a world-champion unicyclist
- A show with new and traditional Christmas song to celebrate the Christmas story
- A World Bazaar where you can buy handmade gifts for sale that support ministries focused on combating poverty through the local church and entrepreneurial efforts; the items come from various parts of the world
- A live nativity scene and other displays
- The chance to help bring joy to kids around the world by participating in an Operation Christmas Child Packing Party, filling shoeboxes full of gifts
- A “Main Street” section where you can enjoy Christmas lights, write a postcard to United States troops, meet Christmas characters, and more
- Many photo opportunities
See the Christmas Village site for more details. For tips, see our notes below. Please note that we base these tips on our experience with the 2016 event.
- Admission is free but you should register for tickets to help the planners with attendance
- The church asks for donations of ation of a new, small or medium sized toy to gift to needy children in the area
- The dining options in the cafe are limited, so while you can get a dinner, please note it’s a temporary set-up and you may have just a few choices
- Arrive early to enjoy as much as you can; there is much to do and as the night goes on, lines can start to form for some activities
— Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun
Photos by P. Hall from 2016 event
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