There’s no shortage of holiday events in Central Florida! From city parades and tree lightings, to holiday movies under the stars, to Santa sightings all over town, and many other events, there’s something for everyone this holiday season.

Did we miss an event in your neighborhood? Leave a note in the comments so we can add it to the list!

Lights

Light Up UCF

November 14 – January 4
Outside the UCF Arena
Light Up UCF offers a free holiday light show, free outdoor Holiday Film Festival (select dates), and outdoor skating rink! Additionally, children can have their photo taken with Santa, and enjoy rides such as a Ferris Wheel, Santa Train, Arctic Glide Ice Slide, the Blizzard, and falling snow! Prices for rides and photos vary and are available online.

Citrus Tower Spectacular Christmas Light Show

Saturday, Nov. 29, 6:30 p.m.
Clermont
Come and enjoy seven festive songs and more than four miles of LED lights. After the lighting event Nov. 30, visit Citrus Tower and tune your radios to watch over 75,000 Christmas lights dancing to music from 6–10 p.m. each evening through December.

History Center Holiday at Heritage Square

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 6-9 p.m.
Heritage Square, Downtown Orlando
Bring friends and family to the museum for this annual, festive holiday celebration. Enjoy holiday music, visit with Santa Claus, create holiday crafts, and enjoy milk and cookies. Come see Mayor Teresa Jacobs flips the switch to light up Heritage Square. This event is free and open to the public.

Annual Holiday Tree Lighting

Christmas in the Square

Magnolia Square, Downtown Sanford
Friday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m.
Enjoy live entertainment, a visit from Santa, plus the special Light Up Sanford event!

Holiday Tour of Homes

Sanford
Friday, Dec. 5 from 6-9 p.m.
This year’s Candlelight Tour features beautifully decorated homes and decorated historic buildings in the Old Sanford Historic District. Stroll candlelit streets while enjoying live saxophone, piano, string and choral music. Complimentary food and beverage samples will be offered by local restaurants, and come check out the beer and wine garden!

Holiday in the Park

Lake Mary
Friday, Dec. 5 from 6-8 p.m.
Tree lighting will take place at 6:30 p.m. There will also be live music, face painting and games for the kids, plus a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Lighting of Cranes Roost Park

Altamonte Springs
Saturday, December 6 from 5 – 9 p.m.
Guests will enjoy over 200,000 lights on over 100 holiday displays throughout the park sponsored by Duke Energy. The highlight of this whimsical illumination is the massive tree, which reaches a towering 60 feet and measures over 27 feet in diameter. The beautiful tree boasts more than 8,000 low consumption energy efficient LED bulbs, 2,600 ornaments and over one mile of garland. Displays can be viewed nightly until January 1, 2015.

Casselberry Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Movie in the Park

Lake Concord Park, Casselberry
Friday, December 12 from 5-9 p.m.
On Friday, December 12, join your neighbors, friends, and family for this annual holiday favorite. It is a Casselberry tradition that you won’t want to miss and the perfect time to mingle with friends and make new ones!

During the event, stroll around the park and enjoy holiday gift shopping at the many artisan booths and taste the delicious food from The Food Truck Bazaar. Live entertainment begins at 5 pm and at 6:30 pm, Santa will start counting down to the magical moment when our City’s Holiday Tree is lit for all to see. Santa will be visiting and taking photos with children immediately following the tree lighting. Don’t forget to bring your blankets and chairs for the special holiday movie, Arthur Christmas.

Santa Sightings

Santa Tuesday’s

Cranes Roost Park at Uptown Altamonte
December 10 – 6-9 p.m.
Bring your wish list and join the fun with Santa and his helpers under the tower. Professional photos will be taken and made available for purchase during this event. This event is free and open to the public.

Breakfast (or Brunch!) with Santa

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Saturday, Dec. 13, 9-10:30 a.m. or 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meet Santa at the Central Florida Zoo! There will be lots of fun holiday cheer and activities for the whole family. Share your holiday wishes with Santa and enjoy up-close animal encounters. After breakfast (or brunch), everyone can enjoy creating a special animal treat and then watch as the Zoo Keepers give the animals these special holiday gifts that were made. Reservations are required.

Movies & Plays

A Christmas Story, The Musical

November 10 – December 28, Times vary.
Orlando Repertory Theatre
A Christmas Story, The Musical (November 10 – December 28, 2014) is the classic account of Ralphie Parker’s hilariously desperate quest to ensure that the most perfect of gifts ends up under his tree this Christmas – a Red Ryder® Carbine-Action BB Gun! All the cherished moments are here – the Old Man’s leg lamp, the tongue-on-a-flagpole, the bunny suit, the Santa slide, and all of Ralphie’s extravagant daydreams!  Enjoy the perennial favorite in a new way with this Tony-nominated Best Musical.

Holiday Movie Favorites

Garden Theatre, Winter Garden
December 5-21 – 7 p.m., Times vary.
Tickets are sold online and at the Garden Theatre Box Office by calling 407-877-4736 during operating hours (Tues.-Sat., noon-5 p.m.)

Movie Under the Stars

Avalon Park
Friday, Dec. 19, Movie starts after dark!
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy free popcorn, local vendors and Frozen!

Local Christmas Parades

Orlando Christmas Parade

Downtown Orlando
Saturday, December 13 from 2-7:30 p.m.
Central Florida’s premier holiday parade, now called the Orlando Fashion Square Christmas Parade will move to the Orlando Fashion Square as a one-day family friendly festival and parade. Activities begin on Saturday Dec. 13th with a daytime Christmas parade starting at 11am at Maguire Blvd. and Bennett Road featuring Grand Marshal Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015.

This year’s parade theme will be “Let the Holiday Magic Begin” and will feature 75 plus parade entries to include outstanding floats, Super Hero characters, horse-drawn carriages, celebrities, twenty five non-profit groups and of course Santa Claus.

City of Apopka Christmas Parade

Saturday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m.
The parade will travel along Park Avenue.

City of Oviedo

Oviedo Mall
Saturday, Dec. 13, 3:30-9 p.m.
The holiday parade begins at 4 p.m. and Snow Mountain is open from 5-9 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 the day of the event.

City of Sanford Christmas Parade

Saturday, December 13, 6 p.m.
Celebrate the holiday season as illuminated floats light up the night Sanford’s Annual Illuminated Christmas Parade. Fun for the whole family!

City of Deltona Christmas Parade

Saturday, Dec. 13, 6 p.m.
The parade will run from Deltona Boulevard from Balsam Street to Stratford Commons and feature illuminated ¬floats, marching bands and dance performances.

Other Events

Two Weekends of Festive Fun at Stanley Pond Adventure Farms

Stanley Pond Adventure Farms
December 6 & 7, 13 & 14. Hours: Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., & Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Child Ticket (ages 1 to 12) $14.95 +tax per person; Adult Ticket (13 and up) $16.95 +tax per person.

Snow Fest

RDV Sportsplex, Orlando
Saturday, Dec. 20, 2-6 p.m.
Event features real snow! Plus ice skating, music, snow slide, bounce houses, face painting and more.
$9 kids 3-17, $15 adults, includes admission, skate rental and tax.

Ice Show

Winter Ice Show: Starlight Express
Saturday, December 13 & Sunday, December 14 at 5:00pm

Join us on for our annual winter ice show, Starlight Express! Skaters registered for our Fall II session of Learn to Skate, Academy Class and all skaters taking private lessons are invited to participate in this exciting event!

Tickets are $9. For Ages 3+

The Christmassy DreamWorks Experience

Gaylord Palms Resort
November 15 – December 31, Times vary
Join Shrek, Princess Fiona and Puss in Boots for a scrumptious holiday ShrekFeast, and become an honorary ogre. Meet the whole DreamWorks Animation gang during holiday meet & greets, have sticky fun creating a gingerbread masterpiece with Gingy and much more! Prices vary from $14.95-$29.95 (meals and gingerbread decorating). Meet and Greet and other events are free.

ICE!

Gaylord Palms Resort
November 15 – January 4, Times vary
Experience the magic of The Nutcracker in ICE! Join Clara and her Nutcracker Prince for a magical adventure in more than TWO MILLION pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures and four thrilling slides! Relive your favorite scenes from the classic ballet, accompanied by the original Tchaikovsky score.

Holidays on Ice at Rosen Centre

November 27 – December 31, days and times vary
Enjoy a fun-filled, interactive, professional Ice Skating Show featuring a cast of skaters from across the United States. Holiday music and an amazing lights show accompany the performances of individual and couples skating for a full 45 minutes. Come just for the show, enjoy a package with luxury overnight accommodations, join us for a family meal or bring the entire office for a private event. Shows include a pre-show meet & greet and post-performance photo opportunity with the cast!

Theme Parks

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a special event held each winter on select nights at Magic Kingdom theme park through November and December. Purchase of an additional event admission ticket is required to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The event is filled with jolly holiday parades, fireworks and live entertainment.

Holidays Around the World at Epcot. Celebrate the unique traditions of the season from around the globe as Epcot hosts another year of Holidays Around the World from Nov. 28 to Dec. 30, 2014. Taking place three times each day, the Candlelight Processional features a stirring retelling of the story of Christmas by a celebrity narrator, set against the inspirational backdrop of a 50-piece orchestra and mass choir.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights on the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park is a massive seasonal display featuring millions of holiday lights perfectly synchronized to music. View this dazzling display from November 7 – January 4.

Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. This holiday season, Universal’s Islands of Adventure transforms Seuss Landing into the world of Grinchmas, from Dec. 6, 2014 to Jan. 3, 2015. Included with park admission, Grinchmas will be sure to delight Dr. Seuss fans of all ages with festive storybook décor, a heartwarming live show featuring recorded music by Mannheim Steamroller, and meet-and-greet- opportunities with the Grinch himself!

Legoland. Celebrate Christmas Bricktacular! Holiday festivities on Saturdays and Sundays in December during Christmas Bricktacular will feature tons of family fun, included with park admission.

Sea World. Celebrate in a Wintery Wonderland as waves of holiday spirit splash over you during Sea World’s Christmas Celebration! With everything from Santa to Shamu, make wonderful holiday memories at Sea World. Events vary each day.

Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios Florida. Watch the streets of Universal Studios Florida come alive as they fill with floats and balloons straight from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City in Universal’s very own Macy’s Holiday Parade, from De. 6, 2014 to Jan. 3, 2015. Event admission is included with regular park admission.

LET IT SNOW at the Nick Hotel. A fabulous holiday staycation, right here in our backyard! Enjoy a festive poolside inflatable slide, sparkling holiday lights, with nightly snow fall on the Oasis Pool, cozy poolside fire pits, complete with hot chocolate and s’mores treats, and Santa Claus and popular Nickelodeon characters, including Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The kids will love it!