{"id":58821,"date":"2025-11-24T14:42:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/58821\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T14:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:42:11","slug":"the-best-holiday-light-displays-and-santa-sightings-in-st-pete-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/58821\/","title":{"rendered":"The best holiday light displays and Santa sightings in St. Pete and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>            <a class=\"gofollow\" data-track=\"NTc5LDEsMSw2MA==\" href=\"https:\/\/floridacraftart.org\/upcoming-exhibtions\/unwrapped-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"560\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Unwrapped-2025-Postcard-1280-x-280-px-scaled.webp.webp\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Unwrapped-2025-Postcard-1280-x-280-px-scaled.webp.webp\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you and yours love holiday lights and Santa meet-and-greets, keep reading! This guide rounds up the most magical spots to enjoy holiday sparkle, capture memories, take photos, and meet the big guy himself!<\/p>\n<p>Dazzling Holiday Light Displays<\/p>\n<p>Nothing sparks holiday cheer quite like twinkling lights\u2014and this region has some of the brightest.<\/p>\n<p>Largo Central Park Holiday Lights &amp; Carnival Rides<\/p>\n<p>Nov 27, 2025 \u2013 Jan 4, 2026 | 5\u201310 PM | FREE<br \/>A beloved local tradition! Explore acres of sparkling lights and enjoy family-friendly carnival rides at Largo Central Park.<\/p>\n<p>Holiday Lights in the Garden \u2013 Florida Botanical Gardens (Largo)<\/p>\n<p>Nov 28 \u2013 Jan 3 | 5:30\u20139:30 PM | FREE (donations encouraged)<br \/>Meander through illuminated gardens and photo-perfect displays along Ulmerton Road. A peaceful, nature-filled light experience.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119546\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ChristmasSP_2-1024x576.webp.webp\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ChristmasSP_2-1024x576.webp.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119546\"  \/>Enjoy dazzling lights in North Straub Park <\/p>\n<p>St. Pete Santa Parade &amp; Tree Lighting<\/p>\n<p>Nov 29 | 6:30 PM | N Straub Park | FREE<br \/>Kick off the season with St. Pete\u2019s lively parade followed by a glowing tree lighting ceremony.\n<\/p>\n<p>Clearwater\u2019s Bright &amp; Beautiful Tree Lighting \u2013 Coachman Park<\/p>\n<p>Nov 30 | 5\u20139 PM | FREE<br \/>A waterfront festival complete with entertainment, vendors, and the city\u2019s official tree lighting.<\/p>\n<p>Holiday Spectacular on the Tampa Riverwalk<\/p>\n<p>Nov 30 \u2013 Jan 2 | FREE<br \/>Take a scenic stroll and enjoy brilliant decorations, lighted displays, and magical photo spots.<\/p>\n<p>Lights of Lake Park Estates (Largo)<\/p>\n<p>Dec 1\u201331 | Donations encouraged<br \/>A drive-through neighborhood tradition featuring some of the most extravagant home light displays in Pinellas County.<\/p>\n<p>City of Tampa Santa Fest &amp; Tree Lighting<\/p>\n<p>Dec 6 | 1\u20139 PM | FREE<br \/>A festive family event with live entertainment, parade fun, and a breathtaking tree lighting finale.<\/p>\n<p>Where to See Santa This Season<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Downtown Santa Parade and Tree Lighting\" class=\"wp-image-80747\" style=\"width:637px;height:auto\" data-lazy- data-lazy- data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/398418768_724313669732688_279651806745840703_n-1024x683.webp.webp\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/398418768_724313669732688_279651806745840703_n-1024x683.webp.webp\" alt=\"Downtown Santa Parade and Tree Lighting\" class=\"wp-image-80747\" style=\"width:637px;height:auto\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Meet Santa all around the area throughout December!<\/p>\n<p>Santa at the Library (St. Pete Public Libraries)<\/p>\n<p>FREE library visits with Santa across several branches:<\/p>\n<p>Dec 15 \u2013 West Community Library | 10:30 AM<\/p>\n<p>Dec 16 \u2013 North Community Library | 6:30 PM<\/p>\n<p>Dec 17 \u2013 South Community Library | 10:30 AM<\/p>\n<p>Dec 18 \u2013 Johnson Community Library | 10:30 AM<\/p>\n<p>Dec 18 \u2013 Barack Obama Main Library | 6:30 PM<\/p>\n<p>S\u2019mores with Santa \u2013 Pioneer Settlement<\/p>\n<p>Dec 13\u201314 | $5 per person<br \/>Roast marshmallows, tour pioneer buildings, and meet Santa in a charming historic setting.<\/p>\n<p>Santa in the Park \u2013 North Straub Park<\/p>\n<p>Dec 13\u201323 | 6\u20139 PM<br \/>Nightly visits with Santa in a beautifully lit holiday scene\u2014bring your camera!<\/p>\n<p>Breakfast with Santa \u2013 Clearwater Marine Aquarium<\/p>\n<p>Dec 20 | Tickets Required | 9 AM\u2013Noon<br \/>Meet Santa while eating breakfast alongside rescued marine animals.<\/p>\n<p>Photos with Santa \u2013 Countryside Mall<\/p>\n<p>Nov 14\u2013Dec 24 | Hours Vary<br \/>A classic holiday tradition with professional photos and charming backdrops.<\/p>\n<p>From twinkling lights to Santa sightings, this guide is sure to bring you and yours the most magical memories this holiday season. For more family friendly guides and tips, follow <a href=\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/sunshinecitywithkids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Sunshine City with Kids<\/a> on Instagram!\n<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you and yours love holiday lights and Santa meet-and-greets, keep reading! This guide rounds up the most&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":58822,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-58821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58821\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}