The streets of downtown Norfolk are starting to sparkle with the first signs of the holiday season, and behind the lights and events is a major effort to keep the city’s economy thriving through the end of the year.

Visit Norfolk, the city’s tourism bureau, says November and December bring one of the biggest opportunities to draw in visitors, boost business, and showcase Norfolk’s growing list of attractions.

“The season kicks off tomorrow at the Norfolk Botanical Garden with their Garden of Lights,” said Sarah Hughes, Vice President of Marketing for Visit Norfolk. “Next weekend, Winterfest kicks off at Nauticus on Friday night.”

This year, Nauticus is introducing a new feature called “ Kingdom of the Snow Queen ,” a 30,000-square-foot indoor experience with interactive exhibits.

“It

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