Getting into the holiday spirit isn’t always easy in the Tampa, Florida area. With temperatures averaging over 70 degrees Fahrenheit, December in Florida can seem strange to someone who lives up north. This year, enjoying holiday events will be even more challenging with COVID-19 postponing significant local events such as Holidays on The Farm at Keel Farms and Enchant Christmas in St. Petersburg. There’s still plenty to do though, so here’s our 2020 list of holiday events near Tampa.
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Snowcat Ridge (Dade City)
New this year to the area is Snowcat Ridge in Dade City. Florida’s first alpine snow park offers snow tubing from a 60-foot hill and an arctic igloo where you can play in the snow. There is a small slope for young children. There’s also a village where you can do some shopping, relax with a beer, wine or hot chocolate and grab a bite to eat. Pavilions and picnic tables are available in the village but are first come, first served.
Masks are required when social distancing isn’t possible. All guests and employees will have their temperature taken before entering.
Snowcat Ridge is open from November 20, 2020 through March 28, 2021. Times and days the park is open vary. All attendees ages 2 and up require an entry ticket.
Florida Botanical Gardens (Largo)
Unfortunately the Holiday Lights in the Garden event at the Florida Botanical Gardens has been cancelled for 2020. However the gardens will still be decorated and you can see the displays during normal botanical garden hours during the day.
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens (Tampa)
Located inside Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Christmas Town was choose by USA Today as one of its 10 Best Theme Park Holiday Events. With millions of lights decorating the park, a Sing-Along Train, Christmas on Ice, the Three Kings Journey, a musical tale of the trail to Bethlehem, and social distanced meet and greets with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa. There’s also a Christmas Village that features food and drink selections created just for this event.
Christmas Town is included with admission to Busch Gardens and is open from November 20, 2020 through January 3, 2021.
Boat Parades (various)
If you haven’t lived in Florida long or are visitors to the area during December, experiencing a boat parade is a must. Boats adorned with lights and decorations travel the waterways as spectators line the bridges and walkways next to the water. Cities located on waterways, including Clearwater, Tampa and Boca Ciega, host boat parades in December. Admission is free but be sure to scope out the area in advance for the perfect viewing spot. Also, check websites to see when road closures are taking place that day.
Note: The scheduling of some boat parades is delayed or tentative in cities such as Tarpon Springs due to the monitoring of COVID-19. Boat parades in other cities have been cancelled for 2020. We’ll update info as it becomes available.
Gingerbread House Decorating on Zoom (Clearwater)
Hesitant to go out too much because of COVID? Don’t let that stop you from having some holiday fun! The city of Clearwater will be holding a gingerbread house decorating holiday event on Zoom on December 16, 2020. For children and adults, this event lets you have holiday fun in your own home! Registration starts on November 25 – everyone will be placed in a lottery to be selected. Those selected can pick up their kits at an allotted time at the Clearwater Library downtown. Then everyone gathers on Zoom for the perfect self-distancing holiday event!
Henry B. Plant Museum (Tampa)
Located on the University of Tampa’s campus, the Henry B. Plant Museum is a flashback to when the university used to be a hotel in the late 1800’s/early 1900s. Showcasing the Gilded Age and turn of the century lifestyles of the rich, the museum is a great visit any time of year.
At the end of each year, the museum turns into a Christmas extravaganza. Called the Victorian Christmas Stroll, you’ll see vintage clothing, antique toys and ornaments galore. They even serve cookies and cider on the veranda to enjoy after visiting.
The Victorian Christmas Stroll runs November 21 through December 31, 2020 and is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Advanced tickets are required and purchased on the museum’s website. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets are $16 for ages 13 and up, seniors and students with ID are $14 and children ages 4 to 12 are $10.
All visitors are required to wear masks.
Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens (Winter Gardens)
Located a little farther than some of the other attractions, Bok Towers is located up I-4 towards Orlando but worth the trip. Home to a 60 bell carillon tower, Bok Tower Gardens has been open since 1929 and designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Located on 50 acres, it’s home to many animals and over 120 bird species.
Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens is a little different in 2020. Organizers canceled the house tour of Pinewood Estates for safety reasons. All activities this year require advanced registration, and attendees must wear a mask at any of the educational programs.
Don’t let that stop you – there’s still plenty to see and do, including a family scavenger hunt, a ring the holiday’s concert, a Hanukkah carillon concert, beer and wine concerts and a gourmet holiday dinner in the gardens outdoor kitchen. Some events have additional ticket prices on top of the general entrance fee. Check prices and dates for specific events. Holiday events take place through January 5, 2020.
Bok Towers is open from 8 am to 6 pm every day of the year. Admission to Bok Towers Gardens is $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12. Active duty military members receive free general admission.
Winter Village (Tampa)
Are you looking to ice skate this holiday season? Head to Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa and visit Winter Village. With an outdoor skating rink, small temporary restaurants and a shopping area, it’ll let Floridians feel a piece of winter. Don’t own skates – they have children’s and adult sizes to rent.
Purchasing tickets in advance is highly suggested. A limited number of skaters will be allowed out. Face masks are required, including while skating.
Winter Village is open from November 20, 2020 through January 3, 2021. Hours vary based on date.
Where to Stay
Most of the locations for these events have plenty of hotels and house rentals in the area to choose from. The cities with the most choices will be Clearwater (or Clearwater Beach) and Tampa.
Do you have a favorite holiday event in the Tampa area? Share in the comments below!
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So true, for someone coming from Europe, 70 degrees around Christmas is a bit strange but surely worth experiencing. 🙂
Would love to see the Christmas Town in Tampa and Enchant Christmas in St. Petersburg, they both sound so festive. Love your list, it makes it easier to get the idea of what’s out there to visit.
Happy holidays. 🙂
Hello. This is an amazing travel guide of what do you doing in tampa. Thank you
So I live in Northern Virginia, and we have both Christmas Town at our Busch Gardens and Enchant in DC, both of which are awesome!! The only downside is that it’s cold here, so I bet they’d be even more fun in Tampa haha. But Tampa has a surprising number of great looking Christmassy activities!
I know many people from places that experience all four seasons, including snow during winter, find it hard to imagine Christmas in warmer climes, but we used to visit our family in Florida for Christmas every few years as a kid, so I got used to the idea! For me, the holiday lights and Christmas markets are key attractions, I love the sound of Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town. Winter Village also appeals, though I’ve not ice skated for a long time!