20+ Can’t Miss Christmas Lights & Holiday Events in Tampa Bay

November 15, 2022
| 10:18 PM

‘Tis the season! There is no shortage of festive holiday events in Tampa Bay this season. From dazzling light displays to ugly sweater parties to outdoor ice skating rinks and snow tubing (yes, right here in Tampa Bay!), your holiday season is sure to be magical. Keep reading to discover the best holiday events in Tampa Bay and don’t forget to send them to a friend, because the more the merrier!

Enchant Christmas

One of the most magical holiday events in Tampa Bay is back! Enchant Christmas is creating the ultimate Christmas experience at Tropicana Field. Enjoy the whimsical holiday light maze, explore the ice skating trail, sample seasonal treats, meet Santa, shop at the Enchant market, and more!

Dates
🗓 Nov. 25-Jan.

Location
📍Tropicana Field, St. Pete

Purchase Tickets

christmas lights and holiday events in tampa bay

Tampa Bay Festival Of Lights

The Hillsborough County Fairgrounds has set up a magical drive-thru that stretches about 2 miles long with over 1 million lights! Drive through the seasonal and Florida-themed light tunnel and check out Santa’s Village for only $20 per car. We suggest going early in the night!

Dates
🗓 Nov. 24-Jan.1

Location
📍Hillsborough County Fairgrounds

More info

Miracle at Mezzo

Cheers to the holiday season! 🥂 Miracle at Mezzo is a holiday cocktail pop-up bar at Intermezzo in St. Pete. Starting Black Friday and running until New Year’s Eve, Miracle at Mezzo serves tasty holiday cocktails in the most festive environment in Tampa Bay! Whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur or just looking for a cute Instagram picture, you’ve got to visit Miracle at Mezzo this holiday season!

Dates
🗓 Nov. 25-Dec. 31

Location
📍Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails – 1111 Central Ave., St. Pete, FL

Learn More

Tampa Riverwalk's Holiday Spectacular

The Tampa Riverwalk is decking the halls or should we say the river! Now until January 2nd, you can get in the holiday spirit and experience the Riverwalk’s Holiday Spectacular! Enjoy lots and lots of festive light displays as you stroll alongside the Hillsborough River. Like most of the holiday events on the Tampa Riverwalk, the holiday spectacular is free and fun for all ages!

Mark your calendar for the Holiday Lighted Boat Parad e on December 17th! Tampa’s largest Boat Parade begins at the southern tip of Davis Islands, travels through the Convention Center basin and up to the Heights where the boats will turn around and head to Sparkman Wharf where judging will occur and the parade will end.

Dates
🗓 Nov 27 – Jan 2

Location
📍 Tampa Riverwalk

Learn More

Santa's Social Club

Dunedin’s beloved cocktail bar, Sonder Social Club, has transformed into Santa’s Social Club for the holiday season! Enjoy a Coquito cocktail and other festive drinks in one of the most decorated places in town. Santa’s Social Club is the perfect spot for your next Instagram post. You won’t want to miss this festive pop-up bar – cheers! 🥂

Location
📍 966 Douglas Ave Unit 101, Dunedin, FL 34698

Learn More

Winter Festival at Raprager Family Farm

Celebrate the holidays at the 30-acre Raprager Family Farm’s Winter Festival on select dates this season! Day passes include an animal experience, hayride, hay chute slide, play fort, mini Christmas village, and so much more. You’ll also get a visit with Santa!

The farm is decorated for the holidays so you’ll definitely get the perfect family photo. There will be a variety of great vendors to get some gifts or yummy treats from. That’s not all though, make sure you check out the over 1 million lights, the lighted gingerbread hayride, and giant snow globe.

Trust us, you don’t want to miss out on one of the most spectacular holiday events in Tampa Bay.

Dates
🗓 Select Dates from Nov. 25-Dec. 23

Location
📍 Raprager Family Farms (16907 Boy Scout Road, Odessa, FL 33556)

Learn More

Downtown Clearwater's Holiday Extravaganza

If you’re looking for holiday fun, you NEED to go to downtown Clearwater. They have so many holiday events and happenings throughout the month where you can witness twinkling lights, making it such a magical place to celebrate this wonderful season. Check out their tree-lighting ceremony, jazz concert series, lights festival, and more!

Dates
🗓 Various events happening now through Dec. 31

Location
📍 Downtown Clearwater

Learn More

Winter Beach at the St. Pete Pier

Head to the St. Pete Pier for Winter Beach! Enjoy a 4,000 square foot, waterfront ice skating rink made of real ice – nothing says the holidays in Florida like ice skating next to palm trees! From themed ice skating nights to Santa sightings to holiday concerts to an arcade, there is so much fun to be had at Winter Beach.

Please note that tickets are required to ice skate, the rest of Winter Beach is free.

Dates
🗓 TBD

Location
📍The St. Pete Pier

Learn More

Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park

Celebrate the holiday season in the heart of downtown Tampa at Winter Village! Located along the Riverwalk, at Curtis Hixon Park is a real ice skating rink, shops, seasonal treats, and the Curtis Hixon Choo Choo. As one of the classic holiday events in Tampa Bay, Winter Village is fun for all ages.

Please note tickets are required for ice skating, the rest of Winter Village is free.

Dates
🗓 Nov. 18 – Jan. 4

Location
📍 600 N Ashley Dr, Tampa, Florida, 33602

Purchase Tickets

Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park

Get excited because snow is coming to Florida. Not real snow, of course, but close enough! Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park will be bringing a massive snow tubing hill, Alpine Village, and a ten thousand square foot snow play dome. It’s a snowy landscape of fun right in Florida!

Dates
🗓 Nov. 16 – Feb. 27

Location
📍 27839 Saint Joe Rd.
Dade City, FL 33525

Purchase Tickets

Ybor City Tree

Spend your holiday season in Ybor City by checking out their own holiday tree! The tree will be lighting up Centro Ybor all throughout the holiday season! It’s the perfect spot to get a family photo while you’re having a night out.

Mark your calendar for the 2021 Ybor City Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 16th!

Location
📍 1600 E 8th Ave Tampa, Florida, 33605

The Wonderland of Lights & Santa's Village

📷 Wonderland of Lights

Enjoy over a mile of spectacular lights and holiday displays all from the comfort of your vehicle. at the Wonderland of Lights & Santa’s Village. At the end of your journey stop be Santa’s Village to get some tasty fair-type foods, family-friendly entertainment, catch the wolf exhibit, camel rides, and of course, meet Santa himself!

Dates
🗓 Nov. 25- Dec. 25

Location
📍 The International Market World (1052 US-92 in Auburndale, FL)

Purchase Tickets

Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum

Step back in time at the Henry B. Plant Museum! Experience the grandeur of a Victorian Christmas at the former 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel. Each exhibit room has a different theme so there is something for everyone. Take in the tiny antique trees, find the snow babies, a replica Plant System train, vintage fashions, antique toys, orchids, fruit, shells, and fanciful ornaments.

Dates
🗓 Dec. 1 -Dec. 23

Location
📍401 W. Kennedy Boulevard Tampa, FL 33606

Purchase Tickets

Holiday Lights in Largo Central Park

📷 Life Around Tampa Bay

Experience more than two-million dazzling LED lights at Largo Central Park! This family-friendly annual tradition features a spectacular holiday light display, stunning carousel and a seven-story Dreamland Ferris wheel that offers a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of the 70-acre park. The lights are free to view and rides on the Ferris wheel are only $5.

Dates
🗓 Nov. 24 – Jan. 1

Location
📍 101 Central Park Dr, Largo, Florida, 33771

Learn More

Lights in Straub Park in St. Pete

📷 St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation

This is another budget friendly spot to take a date for Christmas light viewing! The signature park in Downtown St. Pete, Straub Park, will be decorating their grounds with beautiful Christmas light displays! Free for all to stroll and view, this is a great option if you’re looking to just do a quick pass through the park. After, enjoy one of the many surrounding restaurants and waterfront attractions!

Dates
🗓 Nov. 26 – Jan. 2

Location
📍 400 Bayshore Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Learn More

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens

📷 Busch Gardens

Celebrate the holidays at Christmas Town at Busch Gardens! With your ticket, you’ll enjoy admission to the park, holiday traditional with a twist, millions of twinkling lights, visits from Santa Claus, and more. Be sure to check out one of the dazzling shows like Christmas On Ice, the Three King’s Journey, and story time with Mrs. Claus.

Dates
🗓 Nov. 14 – Jan. 9

Location
📍 10165 McKinley Dr, Tampa, Florida, 33612

Purchase Tickets

Christmas in the Wild at Zoo Tampa

📷 Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park

Calling all animal lovers! Enjoy the holiday events at Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park. Enjoy Christmas in the Wild and be immersed in holiday adventures this season. Check out their twinkly holiday lights displays, indulgent holiday treats, and attractions. View animals in a special nighttime experience in this reservation only experience, away from the regular crowds.

Date
🗓 Select Nights Nov. 25-Dec. 30

Location
📍 1101 W Sligh Ave, Tampa, Florida, 33604

Purchase Tickets

Sarasota's Lights in Bloom: An Open-air Holiday Light Show

Looking for a more scenic lights display? Look no further than Lights in Bloom at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota. Two million Christmas lights will illuminate your way through the beautiful gardens, with decorated paths and tunnels with lights shows. The gardens has absolutely remade the grounds to be a magical experience full of butterflies, flowers, dragonflies, and more! Food and drinks will be available at many locations throughout the park or dine at their signature Selby House for your Christmas dinner.

Dates
🗓 Dec. 10-Jan. 5

Location
📍 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, Florida, 34236

Purchase Tickets

Pirate Water Taxi River of Lights

📷 Pirate Water Taxi

Experience the River of Lights aboard Pirate Water Taxi. You will pass beneath low bridges to enter the beautiful Hillsborough River for a one-of-a-kind tour of lighted bridges and downtown. Their Captains will entertain you with a whimsical narration and you can join in for a sing-along of Christmas carols. Kids can also write a letter to Santa and send it through the mail buoy to the North Pole, plus they’ll get a special gift.

Another fun holiday event happening along the Hillsborough River is a Pirate’s Christmas Cruise on the Lost Pearl! This family-friendly cruise will travel by Holiday Island where you will get an up-close look at Tampa’s largest floating Christmas tree and kids will get a special gift.

Dates
🗓 Select Nights Nov. 25 – Dec. 24

Location
📍 Tampa Convention Center | 333 S Franklin St, Tampa, Florida, 33602

Learn More

20+ Can't Miss Lights & Holiday Events in Tampa Bay

Excited about these holiday events in Tampa Bay? Let us know your favorite by tagging @StuffToDoInTampaBay on Instagram and Facebook!

Curated by

Madison Skipper | Visit Profile >

Born & raised in Tampa | probably at a local coffee shop or bookstore 🫶...