Every tree in Tamarack's Wonderland of Trees starts out as a $175 entry fee that buys a local team an undecorated tree. The finished trees go on display Nov. 6, and on Nov. 20 they're sold to the public in a live auction.
Raleigh County's holiday calendar mostly works this way. The biggest events of 2026 are built by local businesses, churches, schools, clubs, troops, bands and craftspeople, so the season moves on their deadlines. Here's how it runs from now through Christmas, starting at Tamarack and moving downtown.
The $175 Tree, and Who Decorates It
United Way of Southern West Virginia is running Wonderland of Trees for the 18th year, at Tamarack Marketplace, One Tamarack Place, through Nov. 20. The $175 fee gets a team an undecorated tree to make its own. The trees come from local businesses, churches, schools, clubs, civic organizations and individuals. The 2025 Wonderland had 38 trees, according to United Way's archive. The Register-Herald reported that votes for a favorite tree cost $1 each at the 17th annual event.
Local groups also fill the rest of the posted schedule. This is what's still ahead after Thursday:
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Raleigh General Hospital Senior Friends Read Aloud at 5 p.m., then a Rhythms of Grace Leaps of Faith performance at 6 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Santa Visits Tamarack, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Girl Scout Troop 34101 Fashion Show at 11 a.m.; Senior Friends read-alouds at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 16: The same lineup again, with Santa from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Troop 34101 show at 11 a.m. and four read-alouds.
The read-alouds suit families with younger kids, since they run all afternoon and you can turn up for whichever hour fits naps and nap-skippers.
Friday, Nov. 20 Is the First Deadline
The season's first deadline lands on a single Friday. Two things wrap up on Nov. 20, and a third one starts.
The trees leave Tamarack. The display ends and the decorated trees go to the public in a live auction that raises money for United Way. If a tree caught your eye during the run, bid on it that night.
Thanksgiving To Go reservations close. Tamarack is offering Thanksgiving dinners for pickup on Thursday, Nov. 26, at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon or 12:30 p.m. You have to reserve before Nov. 20.
A craft show opens across town. "A Southern Christmas Believe in the Magic" runs Nov. 20 and 21 at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. Southern Communications presents it with the Convention Center. Admission is $5 at the door, and children 12 and under get in free. The Convention Center is at 200 Armory Drive.
If you're bidding, picking a dinner slot and shopping the vendor tables that weekend, start early in the week. All three hinge on Nov. 20.
A Parade That Runs on Entry Forms
The next deadline is Dec. 2, and it belongs to the people who will march. The City of Beckley's Christmas Parade steps off downtown at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, with the theme "A Candy Cane Christmas." Entry is free, and forms go to Trish Morgan at the city by Dec. 2. The entry form and full rules are on Beckley Events, and questions go to 304-256-1776.
The parade's trophy list covers far more than floats. That's why so many kinds of groups end up in the lineup:
| Category | What's awarded |
|---|---|
| Best overall | Trophy and $100 |
| Five float categories | Trophies for 1st and 2nd; $50 to each 1st place |
| Judges' choice walking unit | Trophy |
| Dance/theatre | Trophy |
| Animal unit | Trophy |
| Classic car | Trophy |
| Top bands | Trophy |
Lineup is split in two. Floats and vehicles gather at Park Middle School starting at 9 a.m. Bands and walking units gather at the Beckley Intermodal Gateway Plaza starting at 10 a.m. Families dropping off a marcher at one spot and a float rider at the other should plan for two different morning starts.
After the parade, the awards ceremony is held at the WVU Tech building on Neville Street during Cookies with Santa. Soul'd Up, a soul-food restaurant at 327 Neville St., is on the same street. It held its grand opening on Aug. 21, 2026, WOAY reported.
The Same Saturday Night, Underground and on Ice
Dec. 5 doesn't end with the parade. That evening the season moves to New River Park, where the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum at 513 Ewart Ave. hosts its annual Appalachian Coal Town Christmas. Visit Southern West Virginia lists Beckley Events as the organizer.
The event listing describes two weekends: Nov. 27 and 28, then Dec. 4 and 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. each night. The grounds get thousands of lights. There are guided underground tours below New River Park, caroling in the church, Santa, ice skating on the outdoor rink and craft vendors. The Youth Museum is open, and both gift shops sell coal creations, jewelry, sweatshirts, Christmas items and fresh fudge. The underground tours and the ice skating each cost extra.
So on Saturday, Dec. 5, a family could watch the parade downtown in the morning and skate at New River Park that night. On Thanksgiving weekend, the Coal Mine evenings come right after Tamarack's Thanksgiving pickup slots.
December at Tamarack Belongs to the Makers
After the trees are gone, Tamarack fills its December with people working at their crafts. Each demonstration runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
| Dates | Artisan | Craft |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 27 to 29 | Kate McComas | Quilting |
| Dec. 4 and 5 | Stephanie Danz | Stained glass |
| Dec. 5 | John Kincaid | Book signing |
| Dec. 11 to 13 | Steve Lily | Coin jewelry |
| Dec. 18 | Cindy Coleman | Demonstration |
| Dec. 18 and 19 | Allen Hamrick | Flutes |
| Dec. 18 and 19 | Ronnie Hamrick | Blacksmithing |
| Dec. 18 to 20 | Gayle Rancer | Jewelry |
| Dec. 18 to 22 | Merideth Young | Mixed media |
| Dec. 18 to 22 | Christine Keller | Jewelry |
Look at Dec. 18 on that table. Six artisans are scheduled to work that day, and Merideth Young and Christine Keller stay through Dec. 22. That makes the week before Christmas Tamarack's busiest stretch for watching people work and buying from them.
Dec. 5 also overlaps at Tamarack. Stephanie Danz's stained glass and John Kincaid's book signing fall on parade day, so a morning downtown, an afternoon at Tamarack and an evening at the Coal Mine all fit into one Saturday.
Dates Worth Writing on the Fridge
- Nov. 14 to 16: Final weekend of Wonderland programming, with Santa on Nov. 15 and 16
- Nov. 20: Wonderland auction; Thanksgiving To Go reservations due; Southern Christmas craft show opens
- Nov. 26: Tamarack Thanksgiving dinner pickup
- Nov. 27 to 28 and Dec. 4 to 5: Appalachian Coal Town Christmas evenings, as listed
- Dec. 2: Christmas Parade entries due
- Dec. 5: Parade at 11 a.m., Tamarack demos, Coal Town Christmas at night
- Dec. 18 to 22: Tamarack's busiest artisan run
When your office, church or club starts planning its Wonderland tree or parade float, or you're wondering which side of Beckley to look at when a move comes up, Lillywood Realty is glad to talk Raleigh County with you. Start your search with a local expert.
