A full shot at night of three people posing and smiling in front of a large, three-dimensional sign that spells "TAMPA." The sign's large, blocky letters are wrapped in strings of multi-colored holiday lights, and palm trees are visible in the background against the dark sky.Credit: Foto Bohemia / Strategic Property Partners

Hold onto your Halloween candy. Tampa is going full holly jolly holiday this week with three major celebrations across downtown and Ybor City.

Santa will be at Sparkman’s Wharf’s “Winter Wonder Wharf” when it lights a 30-foot Christmas tree (there’s also an AR Workshop with holiday crafts for all ages).

Half a mile away, Water Street Tampa decks its halls for a “Season Spectacular,” the official lighting of the neighborhood to start the holiday season.

For more holiday festivities, hop on the Channel District trolley and head to Ybor City’s E 7th Ave. Hotel Haya offers $50 “Pawliday Portrait” photo experience for folks and their pets, as well as a no-cover pawliday market with a  build-your-own cocoa bar, pup cups and adoptable animals. 

Find more holiday events in our calendar at community.cltampa.com.

This article appears in Nov. 6 – 12, 2025.

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Selene San Felice is managing editor of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Prior to joining CL in 2025, she started the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter and worked for her hometown paper, The Capital in Annapolis,…
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