Buchanan's holiday season starts Saturday, November 28. From then until December 31, Buchanan Town Park at 485 Lowe Street will be lit every night from 6 to 11 p.m. Admission is free and donations are welcome. That's 34 straight nights of lights, with five hours each night. Main Street's cafe, grille and taproom keep shorter evenings, and on several nights of the week they close well before the lights do. The Buchanan Theatre is closed this year as well. So a December evening downtown works best if you plan around the day of the week, and the lights fill in the rest.
Thirty-four nights, and no marquee this year
The Festival of Lights is a volunteer tradition. The Town's listing invites people to "drive through or take a walk through the park," and it thanks the volunteers who put the displays up each year. This year's run is a little shorter than last year's. The 2025 festival ran nightly from November 29 through January 3, the Fincastle Herald reported. The 2026 calendar ends it on New Year's Eve.
The bigger change is on Main Street. The Buchanan Theatre held its last movie night on February 7, 2026, and closed the next day for a major renovation, WDBJ7 reported. The work includes accessible bathrooms, wider aisles, new HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, a larger snack bar, and an expanded stage and backstage. Reopening is planned for early 2027. That makes this the first holiday season in a while without the theater as a winter night out downtown. The evening calendar now rests on the park.
Main Street closes before the park does
There are three evening stops close to the lights, and each keeps its own schedule. Here is what each one posts on its own website, night by night:
| Night | Evening hours posted on Main Street | Latest posted close |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | James River Drip until 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Tuesday | James River Drip until 8 p.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Wednesday | A Few Old Goats Brewing, 5 to 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Thursday | Buchanan Fountain and Grille until 7 p.m., James River Drip until 8 p.m., A Few Old Goats Brewing 5 to 9 p.m. | 9 p.m. |
| Friday | Buchanan Fountain and Grille until 10 p.m., James River Drip until 8 p.m., A Few Old Goats Brewing until 9 p.m. | 10 p.m. |
| Saturday | Buchanan Fountain and Grille until 10 p.m., James River Drip until 8 p.m., A Few Old Goats Brewing until 9 p.m. | 10 p.m. |
| Sunday | James River Drip until 7 p.m., A Few Old Goats Brewing until 7 p.m. | 7 p.m. |
Friday and Saturday are the only nights when you can walk the lights first and still sit down to dinner afterward, and that's thanks to Buchanan Fountain and Grille, which stays open until 10, an hour before the park goes dark. The Fountain is closed Monday through Wednesday and closes at 3 p.m. on Sunday. On Sunday nights the last posted close on Main Street is 7 p.m., only an hour after the park lights come on. That means dinner first and the drive-through after.
Wednesday is the odd night. James River Drip is closed that day, and the Fountain is too. A Few Old Goats Brewing opens at 5, so that night the brewery is the only stop on the list. On Monday and Tuesday the pattern flips. The Drip is open until 8, while the brewery and the Fountain are both closed.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve fall on a Thursday, a Friday and a Thursday this year. Holiday hours often differ from regular ones, so check with each business directly before planning those nights around the table above.
Three stops along the route
The three stops are spread out along Main Street, and each one goes with a different part of the evening.
Buchanan Fountain and Grille is at 19771 Main Street. That's the same block as Town Hall at 19753 Main Street, where the Christmas Community Market and tree lighting happen on November 28. On a Saturday, it's the closest table to the tree.
James River Drip is at 19860 Main Street. Keith and June Morris own and run it, and it sits across from the James River Swinging Bridge. The menu covers breakfast through an evening bite, and the counter scoops hand-dipped Homestead Creamery ice cream. The bridge's own light is getting attention this fall. As of the Town Manager's October 13 report, the replacement part for the light that shines on the swinging bridge had been ordered and was on its way.
A Few Old Goats Brewing is at 19318 Main Street, in the old Groendyk/Hafleigh button factory. That building's redevelopment also created the 22 Factory Flats apartments. The brewery opened in October 2024 and describes itself as family friendly and dog friendly, with a large outdoor space and live music. In December, the indoor taproom matters more than the outdoor space.
Two Saturdays with daytime events
The calendar's two busiest days are both Saturdays, and both have something happening in daylight before the lights come on.
On Saturday, November 28, the Town lists four things at once. They are the Christmas Community Market at Town Hall, Christmas Tree Lighting & Carriage Rides at Town Hall, Small Business Saturday on Main Street, and the first night of the Festival of Lights. As of this week, the market listing and the tree lighting listing both show "All Day." Last year's posted times don't carry over automatically, so check those pages for exact hours before you go.
On Saturday, December 12, the Town lists a second Christmas Community Market at Town Hall. The Christmas Parade on Main Street starts at 4 p.m., lineup begins at 3, and entries are open. If the parade takes about as long as last year's, it will end close to the time the park lights come on at 6. The 2025 parade ran from 4 to 5:30 p.m., according to the Fincastle Herald. December 12 is also a Saturday, so the Fountain's 10 p.m. close gives that evening the most room for dinner of any night of the month.
The work going on behind this year's calendar
Work on the theater has continued through the closure. The Theatre's board chair told Town Council in July that construction was on schedule, foundation work had started, a new sewer line was going in, and permits were nearly complete. Standing Room Only planned a fundraising drive later in 2026 for stage lighting, sound, curtains and other equipment, the Fincastle Herald reported in February.
Main Street's decorations are also getting some attention. Council approved a $6,100 plan to repair the electrical receptacles and timers on about 21 Main Street utility poles, the Fincastle Herald reported on October 20. In the October 13 Council packet, the Town describes these as banner-pole receptacles along Main Street, running from the Exxon station near the river to Factory Flats. The town also has a new Main Street Committee. It first met on September 16 and chose Adam McBryde as its first chair. Its October 28 agenda set out to rank 25 action items the town needs to address to become eligible for Virginia Main Street's Mobilizing Main Street program.
Until the theater reopens, the holiday evenings run on the park's schedule. The lights are on every night from November 28 to December 31, the Fountain serves until 10 on Fridays and Saturdays, and the parade steps off on December 12 at 4 p.m.
If you'd like a local's perspective on Buchanan, from the evening routine on Main Street to the homes within walking distance of Town Park, I'd be glad to talk it through. Mary Beth Harris is here to help you find a house and create a home.
