RVA's big holiday kickoff weekend is here, plus more things to do

You may have put up your Christmas tree weeks ago, but Richmond's big-deal holiday events — the unofficial start to the holiday season — are this weekend.

Friday

🎄RVA Illuminates kicks off Richmond's holiday season with the lighting of the downtown skyline at Kanawha Plaza. Festivities start at 4pm and the flip gets switched at 5:59pm. Free.

🍫 Virginia Repertory Theatre's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" opens Friday and runs through Jan. 12. at the November Theatre. Times vary. Tickets start at $39.

🎁 The Bizarre Bazaar is the grande dame of Richmond-area holiday markets. It runs through Sunday at Richmond Raceway. Times vary. Advance adult tickets are $10.

Saturday

🥁 Dominion Energy Christmas Parade, the best little Christmas parade around, marches east along Broad Street from the Science Museum to Seventh and Marshall. Attendees can post up anywhere along the route. 10am. Free.

🩰 Richmond Ballet's "The Nutcracker" starts its holiday run through Dec. 23 at Dominion Energy Center. Times vary. Tickets start at $25.

🛍️ Maymont's Merry Market brings together more than 70 local makers for a day of shopping, plus live music, food and booze trucks and a holiday train. Saturday and Sunday, noon-5pm. $10 for adults.

👹 Get out your devil horns and cloaks for the annual RVA Krampus Walk through Carytown (meet at Aquarian Bookshop). 5:30pm. Free.

• The event is an homage to the half-goat, half-demon monster that 12th-century central and eastern Europeans said rode along with Santa to punish misbehaving children. (Basically a super hardcore Elf on the Shelf.)

Sunday

🔔 Take a ride through history at The Valentine's Winter Wander in historic Court End. There will be horse-drawn carriage rides, a makers marker, live performances and more. Noon-4pm. Free.