Tampa’s Santa Fest & Tree Lighting is Dec. 6 in Curtis Hixon Park (Kimberly DeFalco).
Cue the carols and heat up the cocoa; holiday magic is officially in the air. Tampa Bay is jingling all the way with twinkling lights, showstopping sights, and enough festive flair to make even the Grinch crack a smile.
Community theater performances of holiday classics, dazzling professional theater productions, movies under the stars, and nostalgic holiday flicks on the big screen will have Tampa Bay bursting with cheer. Whether you’re craving carols by candlelight, swooning over Nutcracker pirouettes, or sipping peppermint lattes while shopping small and local (because you’re fabulous like that), this is your ultimate 2025 holiday event guide to make spirits bright, calendars full, and memories merry.
Holiday plays & musicals
The Straz Center’s Next Generation Ballet performs “The Nutcracker” Dec. 19th-23rd (Straz Center).
Play It By Ear – Holidays Gone Wild (November 21-25, Carrollwood Players Theatre, 4333 Gunn Hwy., Tampa). What happens when a group of actors walk on stage to perform a holiday play they’ve never heard of?
A Christmas Story, The Musical (November 28-30, Straz Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa). A stage version of the classic film set in 1940s Indiana, featuring the quest for a “Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle.”
The Magi (December 4 – 21, American Stage, 163 3rd St N, St. Petersburg). An indie-rock reimagining of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi blends love, music, and the holidays.
A Christmas Carol (December 5–21, Carrollwood Players Theatre, 4333 Gunn Hwy., Tampa). offers an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic tale of redemption.
A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play (December 5-23, Straz’ Shimberg Theatre, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa). TampaRep reimagines Dickens’s story as a live 1940s radio play, complete with holiday music, clever sound effects, and a cast of Tampa Bay favorites.
Holiday Concert with the Carrollwood Community Chorus (December 13, Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road, Tampa). Members from all walks of life come together to share their gifts and love of song.
Holiday Sparkle (December 19-21). Opera Tampa, 253 5th Ave. N., St. Petersburg) St. Pete Opera’s 40-piece orchestra and Holiday Sparkle’s singers will touch your heart with their choral and solo performances of popular favorites.
The Nutcracker enchants with traditional and modern ballet interpretations:
Straz Center (December 19-23, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa). Next Generation Ballet’s presentation features award-winning young dancers from NGB alongside guest star dancers Isabella LaFreniere and Jovani Furlan from the New York City Ballet.
Ovations Dance Academy (December 20, 7950 Gunn Hwy., Tampa). At Sickles High School, Ovations Dance Academy brings Clara’s dream to life with dazzling young talent, stunning costumes, and beautifully crafted choreography.
Mahaffey Theater (December 28, 400 1st South, St Petersburg). Presented by NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet with whimsical puppetry, opulent costumes and set, and an international cast.
Candlelight: Christmas Carols (December 20, Centro Asturiano de Tampa, 1913 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa). A string quartet performs in a candlelit setting.
A Very Broadway Christmas (December 21, Mahaffey Theater, 400 1st St. South, St. Petersburg). A high-energy production features favorite Christmas songs from Broadway and beyond, performed with a live band, ensemble of dancers, and a Broadway vocalist straight from New York City.
Holiday markets and events
The Winter Village Express, a holiday train ride on a TECO Line Streetcar, is a downtown Tampa holiday tradition (Carole Devillers).
Holiday Market at Hyde Park Village (November 20, 744 S Village Circle, Tampa). Enjoy a winter wonderland featuring live music, a Nutcracker-inspired performance by Tampa City Ballet, visits with Santa, and seasonal treats from local eateries and food trucks.
Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park (November 21–January 4, 600 N Ashley Dr., Tampa). The Tampa Downtown Partnership and community partners transform the Riverwalk into a festive shopping village with artisan gifts, gourmet treats, and cozy experiences.
Tampa Bay Holiday Market (November 22-23, The Coliseum,535 4th Ave N., St. Petersburg). Local vendors will be offering everything you need to get in the holiday spirit.
Florida Botanical Gardens Holiday Lights & Market (November 28–January 3, 12520 Ulmerton Rd. or 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo). Enjoy a stunning light display along the garden’s walkways.
Shopapalooza Festival (November 29–30, Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Dr., NE, St. Petersburg). The biggest market of its kind in the nation showcases over 350 vendors, food trucks, and giveaways in a massive celebration of small businesses.
Ybor City Holiday Market (December 7, Centennial Park, 1800 E 8th Ave., Tampa). Come celebrate Latin-inspired gifts, cigars, art, and music.
St. Pete Holiday Festival (December 21, Albert Whitted Park,480 Bayshore Dr. SE, St Peterburg). Festival features hundreds of local vendors in an open-air, open-streets celebration.
Tampa Santa Fest & Tree Lighting (December 6, Curtis Hixon Park). Head downtown to Tampa’s annual Santa Fest & Tree Lighting, where the holiday festivities include a parade, a performance by the Tampa Showstars dance team, the annual Christmas tree lighting, and an outdoor screening of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Florida Botanical Gardens hosts Holiday Lights in the Gardens Nov. 28-Jan 3.
Holiday films & screenings
Free outdoor holiday movies in local parks (December 6, 13, 20). Come watch holiday favorites under the stars.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (December 6 at Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg)
The Santa Clause (December 13 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way So., St. Petersburg)
Miser Brothers’ Christmas (December 20 at Huggins-Stengel Field 13 25th St N, St. Petersburg)
Tampa Theatre’s Holiday Classics Series (weekends in December, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa). The popular seasonal series features timeless classic holiday films.
Miracle on 34th Street (November 30).
St Nick of Bethlehem (December 6).
White Christmas Sing-Along (December 7).
Elf (December 14).
It’s a Wonderful Life (December 21).
Love, Actually – (December 28).
Holiday concerts
The Ghosts of Christmas Eve – Trans-Siberian Orchestra (December 14, Benchmark International Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa). The Tampa-born neo-classical prog rock band dazzles with rock opera spectacle and pyrotechnics.
Holiday Pops by The Florida Orchestra (December 19, Straz Center, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa). Come experience the magic of the holidays with all your musical favorites.
Christmas lights & tree lightings
Holiday Lights & Carnival Rides in Largo Central Park is Nov. 27th-Jan. 4th (Carole Devillers).
Water Street Tampa (971 Water St., Tampa). This holiday season, Water Street Tampa transforms into a winter wonderland with more than 300,000 lights, awe-inspiring holiday décor, and 35- and 24-foot Christmas trees.
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens (November 14–January 5, 10165 N McKinley Dr., Tampa). Busch Gardens glows with millions of lights and themed zones.
Tampa Bay Festival of Lights & Santa’s Village (November 27–December 28, Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, 215 Sydney Washer Rd., Dover). Festival features a nearly two-mile drive-through light show and a walkable Santa’s village, full of attractions, holiday goodies, and visits with Santa.
Holiday Lights & Carnival Rides in Largo Central Park (November 27 – January 4, Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, Largo). Largo’s annual celebration features a spectacular holiday light display with more than 2.5 million dazzling LED lights, amusement rides, and local vendors.
ZooTampa’s Christmas in the Wild (November 28–December 30, 1101 W. Sligh Ave., Tampa). ZooTampa offers animal encounters and festive trails.
Winter Wonderland (November 29 – December 23, 200 block of North Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater). Downtown Clearwater event features live entertainment, photos with Santa, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, a hot chocolate shop, rides on the Holiday Express Train, pony rides, bounce houses, and more — all set in a beautifully lit village.
Santa Parade & Tree Lighting (November 29). St. Pete’s glowing kickoff to the season, with illuminated floats in a Santa Parade and the city’s official tree lighting downtown.
Santa Parade (Albert Whitted Park, 480 Bayshore Dr., SE, St. Petersburg).
North Straub Park Tree Lighting Ceremony (300-400 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg).
Lights of Lake Park Estates (December 1–31, 109th Ave N., Pinellas Park) Neighborhood-wide showcase of synchronized holiday light displays and charity fundraiser for Empath Health (formerly Suncoast Hospice).
Merry Beach Market and Holiday Festival, (December 12-13, 200 Rex Pl, Madeira Beach) The annual festival features over 150 local vendors, live entertainment, food and drinks, visits with Santa, and the official lighting of the Madeira Beach Christmas tree.
Santa in the Park (December 13 – 23, North Straub Park, 300-400 Bayshore Dr., St. Petersburg). Bring your camera for a meet and greet with the big guy himself.
Festival of Lights Boat Parade (December 14, 503 150th Avenue, Madeira Beach). The waterways in Madeira Beach light up with a parade of boats displaying their best Christmas lights for the 58th year.
As the holidays roll into Tampa Bay, the streets shimmer, palm trees get all dressed up in ornaments, and there’s a buzz of goodwill in the air that makes everything feel extra special. Whether you’re strolling along the decorated waterfront, cruising through neighborhood light displays (hot cocoa in hand, of course), or soaking up the festive fun downtown, there’s magic tucked into every corner. It’s that wonderful time of year that invites you to slow down, share a laugh, and simply enjoy being in the moment.
Whether your holiday adventures have you cheering at tree lightings, waving to Santa in a parade, making new memories with your family, catching up with good friends, or simply taking a moment to soak in all the twinkling lights, Tampa Bay is overflowing with ways to celebrate. The Bay Area truly knows how to make the holidays magical, and this year is no different. May you find joy, wonder, and your own bit of sparkle this season. Happy holidays!