As the most festive season approaches, our area comes alive with a variety of holiday and Christmas events in Orlando, Sanford, and Winter Park, which hosts the oldest continuous
holiday parade in Central Florida.
This year, immerse yourself in the magic of holiday events in Orlando, Florida and beyond. Every event in this guide can help you capture the spirit of the season with enchanting entertainment, delightful markets, and immersive light displays.
Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild
November 15, 2024 – January 19, 2025 | Get details | Sanford, FL
This magical night-time experience is taking over the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens for the entire holiday season. Perfect for people of all ages, you can stroll through breathtaking lantern displays and enjoy delicious food, live entertainment, and interactive exhibits. Get your tickets online before heading out.
38th Annual Festival of Trees
November 16-24, 2024 | Get details | Orlando, FL
This 38-year tradition sends you to a winter wonderland filled with beautifully decorated trees, festive decor, and dazzling lights. The perfect way to kick off the holiday season and support the Orlando Museum of Art, enjoy live music, food, and fun activities for the whole family. Choose your day and buy tickets online.
Dazzling Nights
November 29, 2024 – January 5, 2025 | Get details | Orlando, FL
Happening all season long at Leu Gardens in Orlando, Dazzling Nights is an immersive holiday light experience with Christmas light displays, twinkling tunnel walkways, and a whole world of holiday magic. Don’t miss one of the biggest holiday events in Orlando, and get your tickets today.
Live Holiday Events at the Ritz Theater
Select dates in December | Get details | Sanford, FL
Sanford’s historic community theater is celebrating the 2024 holiday season with festive ticketed events for all, including:
- Sanford Jazz Ensemble Christmas Concert 2024 on December 1
- Flamenco del Sol The Nutcracker on December 8
- Stone Dance Academy Recital: The Nutcracker on December 14 & 15
- Orlando Gay Chorus’ Merry Everything: The Gayest Time of Year on December 16
- Phantasmagoria’s An Even More Haunted Victorian Christmas on December 19
- A Christmas with Soul on December 23
- And even more on the Ritz Theater calendar
Holiday Events With St. Johns Rivership Co.
Select dates in December | Get details | Sanford, FL
St. Johns Rivership Co. sets off on spectacular cruises all year long from Lake Monroe in Historic Downtown Sanford. In the month of December, their lunch, dinner, and show cruises get a little more festive, including special Sanford, FL Christmas events like a holiday seafood boil on December 1st, Yuletide holiday shows, Christmas Eve lunch on the River, and even New Year’s Eve 2024 events.
Oh, What Fun!® Holiday Festival
December 6-22, 2024 | Get details | Orlando, FL
This year, one of the biggest Christmas events in Orlando comes to Lake Nona Town Center on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from December 6-22. The 7th-annual winter wonderland event includes special happenings like visits with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a local holiday market, an evergreen tree trail, snowfall, and more. Get all the details and special event dates online.
Light Up Sanford
December 6, 2024 6-8pm | Get details | Sanford, FL
One of the most popular free Christmas events in Sanford, FL, Light Up Sanford kicks off the city’s holiday season right in the heart of downtown. On the evening of December 6th, show up for the tree lighting ceremony, and stay for the live music. You can even meet Santa and snap our first Christmas photo of the season.
The city is also hosting and partnering with other events all month long, including:
- Paws & Claws adoption event on December 7th
- Jazzmas Jubilee on December 8th
- 2024 Parade of Lights on December 14th
- Gnome-Towne Holiday Shopping Market & Festival on December 21st
- And more on the city event calendar
72nd Annual Winter Park Christmas Parade
December 7, 2024 9-10:30am | Get details | Winter Park, FL
If you’re looking for a fun and festive way to celebrate the holidays, mark your calendars for one of the longest-running traditions in Central Florida. This Winter Park parade is the oldest continuous holiday parade in the area, and it features marching bands, local police and fire departments, local groups, and, of course, Santa Claus himself.
35th Annual Sanford Holiday Tour of Homes
December 7, 2024 12-9pm | Get details | Sanford, FL
A long tradition in Sanford, this self-guided walking tour explores some of the city’s most beautifully preserved and restored homes — all decked out for the holidays. Buy your tickets online in advance, bring your own golf cart or utilize the free trolley, and get ready to enjoy the sights, treats, and holiday market in Magnolia Square.
Sanford St. Lucia Festival
December 14, 2024 12-4pm | Get details | Sanford, FL
This annual celebration of Seminole County’s Swedish heritage transforms the Museum of Seminole County History. Enjoy Swedish dessert and beverage sampling, a reading of the
Santa Lucia Legend and Lucia Procession, Swedish history and displays, and a giant Dala Horse.
Enjoy All Your Holiday & Christmas Events in Orlando 2024
With all these 2024 holiday events in Orlando, Florida and throughout the area, we hope you enjoy every moment of your holiday season. If you need a new setting for your story (and all your festivities), check out our luxury apartments at Story Sanford.
