Central Florida Holiday Guide for Families
Central Florida is jam-packed, full of family friendly events, and activities during the Holidays. Which is why we have created the Central Florida Holiday Guide for Families. In this ultimate resource you have access to direct links for most of the events, making it quick and easy for you to get the information you need. Be sure to bookmark us, or save on Pinterest so you can stay up to date, as we will be continuing to update our guide for you. Now, we hope you find happy during your Holiday time!!
Central Florida Holiday Guide by Location
Apopka Holiday Guide
Tree Lighting & Winter Wonderland
Event takes place in Kit Land Nelson Park with train rides, face painting, food trucks, vendors, Florida snowfall, performances by local schools, and Santa joins the fun for pictures.
Friday December 6th 6:00 – 8:00pm FREE
Trader Mae’s Christmas Festival
150 Indoor/outdoor vendors offering festive favorites to fill your sleigh! Enjoy complimentary drinks, Holiday desserts, hourly raffles, and more with big sales everywhere on all the things you love for the Holidays! Buildings will be packed with everything you love for the Holidays, including Santa!
Saturday & Sunday December 7-8th 9:00am – 6:00pm FREE
Apopka Christmas Parade
I couldn’t really find much detail about the parade, but it appears to go down Main St.
Saturday December 14th 10:00am FREE
Clermont Holiday Guide
Light Up Clermont
This annual holiday tradition includes a community tree-lighting ceremony led by the City of Clermont’s own Mayor, Gail Ash.
Friday December 6th 5:30pm FREE
Hometown Christmas Parade
Through the streets of downtown Clermont on Saturday, the theme is Holiday In Paradise so you can look forward to many creative costumes and decorations.
Saturday December 7th FREE
Deland Holiday Guide
Orlando Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite
Orlando Ballet’s favorite holiday classic, The Nutcracker, returns in a one-hour performance for families. A Christmas Eve gift of a toy nutcracker from her godfather transports Clara on a magical journey to a world of fantasy and fun complete with the Mouse King, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Mother Ginger.
Tuesday & Wednesday December 3rd & 4th 7:30pm Tickets available through Athens Theatre
71st Annual Deland Christmas Parade
Saturday December 7th 5:30pm FREE
Christmas Express
A fun-filled Christmas event your family won’t want to miss! This event includes FREE: Snow, Cookie Decorating, Hayrides, Crafts, Photo Ops, and so much more. Lunch will also be available at a small cost.
Sunday December 22nd 12:00pm FREE
Eustis Holiday Guide
THE POLAR EXPRESS™️Train Ride
Enjoy a magical experience that takes you and your family to the North Pole on board an actual train ride that recreates THE POLAR EXPRESS™ movie. We’ve more than enjoyed this experience the past couple years, and it seems to get better every year! Here’s a little sneak peek of our ride this year for the media preview.
Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest
Multiple dates and times beginning Friday, November 15th through December 30th
Located in rural Eustis, Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest offers pre-cut trees, or even cut your own tree down. Plus, lots of activities to choose from, like bounce pillow, mazes, zip lines, hayride, petting zoo, horse/pony rides, and more. Multiple different ticket choices, and you can find all the details on their website HERE.
November 23rd – December 22nd You can find days and hours of operation HERE
Light Up Eustis
Eustis kicks-off the Holiday season with the 32nd annual celebration hosted by the City of Eustis, lighting up Downtown Eustis and Ferran Park for a celebration full of fun activities for the whole family. I can’t believe last year was our first time to this event. Plenty of Holiday entertainment, vendors, food, and fun!!
Friday November 29th 5:00pm FREE
Ice Skating in Ferran Park
2018 was the first year the City of Eustis had an ice rink in Ferran Park, inside a large party tent!! Josephine went several times with friends, and happily it will be returning this year. As of right now, news is that it will be open by Light Up night. Stay tuned for updated details as I get them.
Friday November 29th 5:00
Cookies With Santa at Eustis Historical Museum
Come visit with Santa and have your picture taken. Don’t forget to bring your camera… Cookies and drink will be available.
Saturday December 7th 10:00am – 12:00pm FREE
Eustis Historical Museum 4th Annual Christmas Concert
Old fashioned Christmas Songs with a delicious Holiday Cuisine served by Jeanies Place, one of our local establishments.
Saturday December 14th 7:00pm Seating limited $25.00 donation to the Museum
Kissimmee Holiday Guide
Gaylord Palms ICE!
Visit the nine-degree attraction ICE! for a rare winter’s chill in Central Florida. ICE! features an all-new theme for 2019 – THE POLAR EXPRESS™! In addition to ICE! their Alpine Village has snow tubing, snowball tossing, photos with Santa, Holiday shopping, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions sing-along show, gingerbread decorating and much more. Inside the resort, wander through 4.5 acres of indoor gardens to find holiday decor, 2 million twinkling lights, and more. Don’t miss the incredible experiences including our Cirque Dreams Unwrapped Live Stage Show and Atrium Light Show.
November 25th – January 5th 10:00am – 9:00pm ICE! is a ticketed attraction and you can grab your tickets HERE.
Winter Festival
Enjoy time with the community while also having the opportunity to take a photo with Santa, breakfast with Santa, raffles, kids activities, FREE Holiday haircuts, live music with Rumba 100.3 FM, and much more!!
Saturday December 7th 10:00am – 1:00pm FREE
Holiday Golf Cart Parade
Residents from Sherwood Forest RV Resort present their personal golf carts in all of their Holiday glory down Old Town’s Mainstreet before our Car Cruise.
Saturday December 14th 7:00 – 8:00pm FREE
Leesburg Holiday Guide
Christmas Stroll
Experience an Enchanted Evening as Historic Downtown Leesburg Transforms into a Magical Winter Christmas Wonderland! Including SNOW!! Visit SANTA CLAUS!!! Sled rides, jugglers, stilt walkers, hay rides, petting zoo, games, inflatables, live performances and more!
Friday November 29th 5:00 – 9:00 pm FREE but fees for some games and rides.
Leesburg Christmas Parade
A Leesburg Holiday Tradition for over 50 years, come see fun floats, performances, stilt walkers and more in the parade. Santa Claus will also make his final appearance in Leesburg at the end of the parade before heading back to the North Pole. Parade travels down Main Street in Historic Downtown Leesburg. Festive foods and beverages will be available for purchase,
Saturday December 7th 6:00pm FREE
Light Up Venetian Gardens
Walk through Leesburg’s Holiday Season Display featuring over 500,000 Mini Lights and Displays. The event will begin at 5pm with food trucks, hay rides, and bounce houses. Entertainment will begin at 5:30 and the light up ceremony will kick off with a visit from a special guest at 6pm. The fun won’t stop there as the Leesburg Boat Club will be putting on a Lighted Boat Parade starting at 6:15.
Sunday December 8th 5:00pm FREE
Breakfast with Santa
Enjoy a great breakfast while watching a classic Holiday movie, take pictures with Santa, sing-a-longs and more! Tickets are available for $7 for both children and adult (children under 1 FREE).
Saturday December 21st 9:00 – 10:30am Presale tickets $7 each, seating limited.
Longwood Holiday Guide
’Tis the Season! A Holiday Extravaganza by CFCArts
Central Florida Community Choir, members of the CFCArts Symphony Orchestra, as well as the CFCArts Dance Company present ‘Tis the Season: A Holiday Extravaganza! This joyous holiday concert will have you dashing into the most wonderful time of the year! Enjoy your favorite holiday classics like “O Holy Night”, and “Deck the Halls” while rocking around the Christmas Tree to some modern holiday hits! Join the powerful 300 voice community choir, rockin’ musicians of the symphony orchestra, as well as the high-kicking, spectacular members of the CFCArts Dance Company for what has become one of Central Florida’s most celebrated holiday traditions! Gather your family and friends to sing along as CFCArts celebrates the season of joy, peace, community, and hope.
December 12th – 14th 7:30pm at Northland Church and tickets are available on the CFCArts website
Mount Dora Holiday Guide
38th Annual Light Up Mount Dora
The lighting of Donnelly Park and downtown Mount Dora with over 2 million sparkling lights! Don’t miss the spectacular show in Donnelly Park with traditional Christmas songs, dancers and more. Up until a couple years ago, at least one, if not all, of our girls have participated in performing in the Light Up. It’s for sure a sight to see, and our video does not do it justice. If you can’t make the Light Up, be sure to drive through town any night to see the magnificent showcase of lights!!
Saturday November 30th 4:30 – 5:30pm FREE Live Pre-Show Music / 5:30 – 6:30pm Christmas Show / Main Street Leasing Christmas Tree Lighting in Sunset Park
Annual Mount Dora Christmas Walk
A family friendly street party in downtown Mount Dora featuring live music, dancing, shopping and Santa. Stroll the streets to enjoy the lights, vendors, live reindeer, and a chance to meet Santa in front of the Sunset Park Tree. One of our favorite local events during the Holidays! Several streets are blocked off, which makes it much easier to just stroll the streets!
Friday December 6th 5:00 – 9:00pm FREE
Mount Dora Christmas Parade
A festive Christmas Parade that brings together the spirit of Community. Presented by The Lions Club of Mount Dora the parade marches down Donnelly Street into the downtown corridor featureing bands, local organizations, local law enforcement, firefighters, Mount Dora City Council members, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus! We enjoyed many years of our girls walking in the Christmas parade.
Saturday December 7th 10:00 – 11:00am FREE
26th Annual Lighted Boat Parade in Mount Dora
Parade begins on Lake Dora, at the Lighthouse on Grantham Point, Downtown Mount Dora. Local boat owners compete for best in light show display and originality.
Saturday December 7th 7:30pm FREE
Mount Dora School of Ballet Nutcracker
The enchanting world of The Nutcracker can be found tucked into the twinkling lights of downtown Mount Dora as the Mount Dora School of Ballet returns to present Tchaikovsky’s world renowned, full length ballet. This will be our fourth year in a row attending MDSB Nutcracker, and supporting friends. I promise, you will not be disappointed. These kids have talent!
Saturday December 7th at 7:00pm and Sunday, December 8th at 2:00pm Purchase tickets here.
Mount Dora Snow in The Park
Enjoy all kinds of events, vendors, bounce houses and sledding down the hill at Donnelly Park.
Saturday December 14th 5:00 – 9:00pm FREE
Orlando Holiday Guide
A Christmas Story by CFCArts
Theatrical version of the ever so popular, A Christmas Story classic movie.
November 22nd – December 15th on select nights and times. Tickets available on CFCArts website
Broadway Nutcracker by CFCArts
Move over, Tchaikovsky! The Broadway Nutcracker is a new adaptation of the timeless winter fairytale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, that uses classic and contemporary Broadway hits to tell the classic story we all know and love.
Friday November 22nd 6:30pm and Saturday November 23rd 11:00am Tickets available on CFCArts website
Light Up UCF
Light Up UCF offers complimentary fun for all ages. The Holiday Light Show (powered by Duke Energy) features more than 200,000 pulsing, strobing lights throughout the night in perfect synchronization to holiday songs under snowfall. On select nights, the Holiday Film Festival (presented by AdventHealth for Children) encourages families to gather together and view their favorite holiday films on a 2-story movie screen, including titles like “Polar Express”, “The Santa Clause”, “Elf”, “Home Alone”, and more. Also on select nights, Santa will visit the Barnes & Noble next to Addition Financial Arena to hear all your Christmas wishes.
November 22nd – January 5th, including all major holidays. FREE Several attractions for additional cost, additional info on their WESBITE
Light Up Baldwin Park
The Annual Light up Baldwin Park event in conjunction with Baldwin Park First Friday Festival. Stroll the festival enjoying the music, artist and vendor booths, Santa photos, food trucks, and local businesses.
Friday December 6th 5:30 – 9:30pm FREE
Singing Christmas Trees
This exciting show of Christmas classics features a huge choir, full orchestra, dance, powerful drama and a beautiful display of 250,000 lights on our two 45-foot-tall Christmas Trees. From its beginning over three decades ago, the trees have become one of Central Florida’s most loved and spectacular traditions. The show is all new every year so you don’t want to miss it! Take a stroll through Bethlehem Village to meet live animals in the petting zoo, characters from the Christmas story come to life, a live Nativity, and get a picture made with the whole family.
Multiple dates beginning December 6th Get tickets HERE
Orlando Ballet Nutcracker
Orlando Ballet presents the beloved Holiday tradition, The Nutcracker. As the lights dim and the music soars, let the magical world of Clara’s dreams take you on a journey through sparkling snowflakes, waltzing flowers and dancing sweets! We will be attending the full length version for the first time this year.
Multiple dates and time beginning Friday, December 13th at Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Baldwin Park Winter Spark Parade
This family friendly event begins with a small holiday celebration including performers, food, and an opportunity for pictures with Santa & Mrs. Claus. At 7pm sharp, a fantastic lighted parade will march down New Broad Street toward the lake.
Saturday December 14th 4:00 – 8:00pm FREE
Sanford Holiday Guide
3rd Annual Jingle Jam Community Holiday Party
Jingle Jam in Sanford has become one of the largest family events in downtown and draws thousands from all over Central Florida! Featuring five stages of live music, food trucks, carnival games, holiday artisanal vendors, a magic show, live wrestling, a giant snow globe and a kids zone! See Santa himself and take some pictures with him and enjoy story time! Event proceeds to support Sanford Main Street 501 (c)3.
Saturday December 7th 4:00pm –
Sanford Lake Monroe’s Lighted Boat Parade
An event for the whole family, come down to Marina Island and watch or join the lighted parade of sailboats and powerboats in celebration of the holiday season. With 30 plus boats decorated for the holiday season and participating in the parade it will be a spectacular display not to be missed. Light displays, vendors and music make up an evening of holiday fun.
Saturday December 21st 6:00 – 9:00pm FREE
Tavares Holiday Guide
Harp for the Holidays
Enjoy an afternoon concert at the Tavares Public Library. Catherine Way has been a professional harpist for 30 years. Her numerous engagements include performing as an actress/harpist in a Broadway bound show tour.
Thursday December 5th 12:30 – 1:30pm FREE
Tavares Christmas Parade
Saturday December 7th FREE More details coming soon.
Umatilla Holiday Guide
44th Annual Cracker Christmas Parade and Festival
Organized by the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce, enjoy Holiday activities and the 44th Annual Cracker Christmas Parade in the heart of Umatilla.
Saturday December 14th 9:30am FREE
Winter Garden Holiday Guide
32nd Annual Light Up Winter Garden
It’s that magical time of year again! Welcome the season with live entertainment, vendors, shopping, children’s activities and more.
Friday December 6th 6:00 – 9:00pm FREE
Winter Garden Christmas Parade
Winter Garden streets fill with amazingly creative decorated Christmas Floats!! A long-standing Winter Garden holiday tradition will delight spectators and bring in holiday cheer! Don’t forget to look for the Big Guy himself at the end of the parade!
Saturday December 7th 1:00 – 3:00pm FREE
A Very Merry Farmer’s Market
The Market has quickly grown into a community staple and offers a large selection of vendors from locally grown produce and baked goods, to homemade soaps and fresh flowers, and even live entertainment each week! And for a Very Merry Farmers Market, come and find amazing holiday gifts, trinkets and surprises for your loved ones. Saturday December 14th and December 21st Santa will be attending the Market!
Saturdays December 7th, 14th, & 21st 9:00am – 2:00pm
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours
Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through festive downtown Winter Garden. Be sure to check for updates on the Facebook event page for details on how to book your ride.
Fridays & Saturdays, December 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, & 21st 5:30pm to 9:30pm
A Merry Winter Garden Light Show
Watch as City Hall is transformed with A Very Merry Light Show using digital mapping and projection, featuring animated holiday greetings!
Saturday December 7th, Friday & Saturday, December 13th, 14th, 20th & 21st 6:00 – 9:00 pm FREE
Sleigh Ride With Santa
Don’t miss out on a Sleigh Ride with Santa through Downtown Winter Garden during the Holiday Season!
Saturday, December 14th 6:00 – 9:00pm Registration required so check the event link for further details.
Winter Park Holiday Guide
41st Annual Christmas in the Park
This outdoor event begins when nine, century-old Tiffany leaded-glass windows are lighted. Central Park is then transformed into a luminous concert hall for the 160-voice Bach Festival Society Choir. This sounds amazing, and I hope to make it this year!
Thursday December 5th 6:15 – 8:30pm FREE
Winter on the Avenue
This tradition of Winter Park Holiday festivities is located on Park Avenue, and transforms the street into a winter wonderland, complete with a tree lighting, carolers, and a visit from Santa.
Friday December 6th 5:00 – 10:00pm FREE
67th Annual Ye Olde Hometown Christmas Parade
Central Florida’s longest-running Christmas Parade marches down historic Park Avenue spreading Holiday cheer in Downtown Winter Park. More than 100 bands, dance troupes, floats, local dignitaries, and of course, Santa Claus, will delight the young and young-at-heart.
Saturday December 7th 9:00 – 10:30am FREE
Holiday Boat Parade
A spirited fleet of decorated boats of all types –pontoon, ski, jetski, kayak — will parade around the perimeter of Lake Virginia to add to the Christmas Spirit in Winter Park. Live music, food, add to the festivities. All donations at the event will benefit the Winter Park High School Food Pantry.
Saturday December 14th 5:30 – 7:30pm FREE
Central Florida Holiday Guide by Dates
And, just in case you’d rather have the events by date, here you go. Be sure to scroll down to the end for events with multiple dates.
November 22nd
Broadway Nutcracker by CFCArts
November 23rd
Broadway Nutcracker by CFCArts
November 29th
Eustis Light Up
Leesburg Christmas Stroll
November 30th
38th Annual Light Up Mount Dora
December 3rd
Orlando Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite at Athens Theatre Deland
December 4th
Orlando Ballet’s Nutcracker Suite at Athens Theatre Deland
December 5th
Harp for the Holidays in Tavares
41st Annual Christmas in the Park in Winter Park
December 6th
Apopka Tree Lighting & Winter Wonderland
Light Up Clermont
Annual Mount Dora Christmas Walk
Light Up Baldwin Park
32nd Annual Light Up Winter Garden
Winter on the Avenue in Winter Park
December 7th
Trader Mae’s Christmas Festival in Apopka
Clermont Hometown Christmas Parade
71st Annual Deland Christmas Parade
Cookies With Santa at Eustis Historical Museum
Kissimmee Winter Festival
Leesburg Christmas Parade
Mount Dora Christmas Parade
26th Annual Lighted Boat Parade in Mount Dora
Mount Dora School of Ballet Nutcracker
3rd Annual Jingle Jam Community Holiday Party in Sanford
Tavares Christmas Parade
Winter Garden Christmas Parade
A Very Merry Farmer’s Market in Winter Garden
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours in Winter Garden
A Merry Winter Garden Light Show
67th Annual Ye Olde Hometown Christmas Parade in Winter Park
December 8th
Trader Mae’s Christmas Festival in Apopka
Light Up Venetian Gardens
Mount Dora School of Ballet Nutcracker
December 12th
’Tis the Season! A Holiday Extravaganza by CFCArts
December 13th
’Tis the Season! A Holiday Extravaganza by CFCArts
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours in Winter Garden
A Merry Winter Garden Light Show
December 14th
Apopka Christmas Parade
Eustis Historical Museum 4th Annual Christmas Concert
Kissimmee Holiday Golf Cart Parade
’Tis the Season! A Holiday Extravaganza by CFCArts
Mount Dora Snow in The Park
Baldwin Park Winter Spark Parade
44th Cracker Christmas Parade and Festival in Umatilla
A Very Merry Farmer’s Market in Winter Garden
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours in Winter Garden
A Merry Winter Garden Light Show
Sleigh Ride With Santa in Winter Garden
Winter Park Holiday Boat Parade
December 20th
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours in Winter Garden
A Merry Winter Garden Light Show
December 21st
Breakfast with Santa in Leesburg
Sanford Lake Monroe’s Lighted Boat Parade
A Very Merry Farmer’s Market in Winter Garden
Horse Drawn Carriage Tours in Winter Garden
A Merry Winter Garden Light Show
December 22nd
Christmas Express in Deland
Events With Multiple Dates
November
A Christmas Story by CFCArts
THE POLAR EXPRESS™️Train Ride
Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest
Ice Skating in Eustis’s Ferran Park
Gaylord Palms ICE!
Light Up UCF
December
A Christmas Story by CFCArts
THE POLAR EXPRESS™️Train Ride
Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest
Ice Skating in Eustis’s Ferran Park
Gaylord Palms ICE!
Light Up UCF
Singing Christmas Trees
Orlando Ballet Nutcracker at Dr Phillips Center
We hope you find our Central Florida Holiday Guide for Families to be helpful in making your Holidays more magical!
If you are down near Disney, check out
Holiday Hotel Hopping Around Disney’s Bay Lake
Top 3 Holiday Activities at Epcot
Pingback: Top 3 Holiday Activities at Epcot - How We Find Happy
WOW! This is a great central Florida holiday guide for families! I had no idea there is so much to do. We have been to the Gaylord Palms ICE event, which was great. We need to visit some of these events.
I learned about a lot of new things during my research too!! Definitely some new ones I need to check out!!
Wow This is an incredible list of great stuff to do! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!
I honestly had no idea there were so many unique activities!
What a great detailed guide! So many fun things to do. That Polar Express Train ride looks awesome!
We’ve enjoyed that on for many years!! Even as the girls get older, the still love to ride!
Wow, it looks like there is lots to do in Florida prior to Christmas. One thing that struck me is the poster that says it’s going ahead rain or shine. It would be hard to get used to Christmas without snow!
Yeah, when we moved here, we thought it would be weird too. Until we spent our first Christmas at the beach. We got used to it pretty quick!
What a great guide! I will definitely refer back next time we visit Florida in the winter.
I highly recommend people experience some of these small town gems outside the park areas!
Looks like there are so many festive events in Orlando! Fun!
There sure are!! I need to check out more of these myself!
There is so much to do I think I would have trouble zeroing in on just a couple a day. I’d be running from activity to activity. I do love the Christmas Express and ice skating though.
I was thinking the same thing as I was making the list. So many new things I’d like to see, but don’t want to miss out on the others we’ve enjoyed in the past.
Wow that is amazing and so helpful! There is so many fun things to do in Orlando area! I wish I was headed there this Christmas!
We are truly blessed with so many things to do during the Holidays. It wears us out!
Great list!!! I like how it is specific to central Florida
Thanks!! And close to all the theme park resorts!
There is just so much to do! I’d love to do the polar express experience with my kids!
I would encourage everyone to find one near them to ride. It’s so magical. I want to do one in the snowy mountains.
Oh my goodness such fun stuff to look forward to!!
It’s a tough life, lol
Wow! So much to do for the holidays in that area. It seems like Disney gets all the attention but most people don’t realize there is so much more to that area. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly!! We love all the Disney activities too, but there is so much more!!
When you think of central Florida you think Disney, not necessarily Christmas. Love that there are some many great festive things to do there
My hope is that people see the gem that Central is outside the theme parks too!
What an amazing post of SO MANY Christmas activities! I just love the Polar Express, Nutcracker, and of course DISNEY!
It’s tough to choose on those days with multiple events!!
Wow! What an ultimate guide for holiday hopping in central Florida. Really informative! If I still lived there, I’d use this for sure.
Thanks!! Happy to be helpful!!
This is a great guide. There is so much to do. I would start with Cookies With Santa at Eustis Historical Museum!
Sad my girls won’t be home for that one.
Wow! There is so many choices! I think I’ll do… ALL OF THEM! Thank you so much for putting this list together!
I can’t wait to check out some new stuff this year!