Saturday, November 16 – Happy Holly Daze
10 am, $15, Treasure Island Community Center, 1 Park Pl., Treasure Island. Wonderful crafts, baked goods, opportunities for money tree, 50/50, baskets, jewelry and early holiday shopping. Proceeds benefit city beautification projects as well as local, state and national charitable causes. Tickets: Judy Koepkey 615.556.4977 jgerber57@gmail.com. Table reservations: Carol 727.360.9181 caalee@verizon.net.
Saturday, November 16 and Sunday, November 17– Tampa Bay Holiday Mart
10 am – 5 pm, Free, The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N, St. Petersburg.
Filled with holiday & home decorating ideas, apparel, accessories, chocolates, candles, plenty of gifts and much more. tampabay.com/expos
Thursday, November 21 – Deck the Great Hall 2019 – Holiday Open House
6 – 8 pm, Free, Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. Celebrate the holiday season with a holiday tree placed in the MFA’s Great Hall decorated with custom tree ornaments created by Brookhart Jonquil. The ornaments are available for purchase. Live music. Refreshments available. 727.894.4638 mfastpete.org
Friday, November 22 through Sunday, December 29 – Enchant
4 – 11 pm, $14.99 – $32.99 + fees, Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg. General admission includes full access to the World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze, a food and Christmas Market with more than 40 vendors, Santa’s Landing, Kid Zone, and the Ice Skating Trail. enchantchristmas.com
Thursday, November 23 through Saturday, January 4 – Holiday Lights in the Garden
5:30 – 9:30 pm, $5 Suggested Donation/ Under 12 Free, Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. Delight in over a million shimmering LED lights, holiday entertainment, beautiful flora and warmth of the season. 727.582.2100 flbg.org
Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 30 – River of Lights Holiday Cruises
6 pm/7 pm/8 pm/9 pm/10 pm, $18 Child/$28 Adult, Tampa Convention Center (Pirate Water Taxi Home Dock: Stop #7), 333 S Franklin St, Tampa. View festive decorations, lighted bridges and other surprises along the Hillsborough River. Features a whimsical narration, Christmas Carolers, hot chocolate and a holiday cookie for all. piratewatertaxi.com/events/river-of-lights-2018
Friday, November 29 through Sunday, December 1 – Next Generation Ballet’s Nutcracker
7 pm Friday & Saturday/2 pm Saturday & Sunday, $30 and up, Straz Center
1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Includes principal dancers from powerhouse companies such as New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre alongside NGB’s award-winning young dancers. 813.229.7827 strazcenter.org
Friday, November 29 through Friday, January 3 – Oakdale Christmas Light Display
6 – 10 pm, Free, 2719 Oakdale Street S, St. Petersburg. This event is among the largest and longest running home displays in the United States. One-half acre in size, Approximately 1/2 million lights. christmasdisplay.org
Saturday, November 30 – Brian Setzer Orchestra’s Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour
8 pm, $53.25 – $93.25, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen Booth Rd., Clearwater. Features music from the orchestra’s three best-selling holiday albums and Brian’s numerous hits. 727.791.7400 rutheckerdhall.com
Saturday, November 30 – Santa Parade & Christmas Tree Lighting
6 pm, Free. Parade begins at Albert Whitted Park, 480 Bayshore Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. The Tree Lighting will follow the Santa Parade at 7 pm in North Straub Park. Stay after to enjoy entertainment, children’s activities and music. Food concessions will be available. stpeteparksrec.org/holidayevents
Saturday, November 30 through Saturday, January 1 – Waterfront Lights and Display
Free, North Straub Park, South Straub Park, Pioneer Park, Al Lang Park and Albert Whitted Park, St. Petersburg. See thousands of holiday lights and decorations. Don’t miss the giant greeting card display along Bayshore Dr. at Vinoy Park made by local teens from St. Petersburg’s recreation centers. stpeteparksrec.org/holidayevents
Sunday, December 1 – Jingle Ball 2019
7 pm, $40 and up, Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa. The season’s biggest annual music event that captures the holiday spirit of the iHeartRadio app. 813.301.6500 amaliearena.com
Tuesday, December 3 – Boley Angels Jingle & Mingle Brunch
11:30 am – 2 pm, The Club at Treasure Island, 400 Treasure Island Causeway, Treasure Island. Holiday music, beautiful decorations, great opportunities and auction items along with old friends and new await you at this annual event. boleycenters.org/events/holiday-brunch
Wednesday, December 4 through Sunday, January 5 – Holidays at the Village
10 am – 4 pm Wednesday – Saturday/1 – 4 pm Sunday, Free, Heritage Village
11909 125th St N, Largo. Enjoy period holiday decorations, garland, and greenery throughout Heritage Village. 727.582.2123 pinellascounty.org/heritage
Wednesday, December 4 – Clyde Butcher – Holiday Book Signing
5 – 7 pm, Free, Clyde Butchers St. Armand’s Gallery, 55 S Boulevard of the Presidents, Sarasota. Meet Clyde Butcher and enjoy cookies and Christmas cheer. Books, calendars and other gift items available for purchase. RSVP starmans@clydebutcher.com 941.702.8818 clydebutcher.com
Saturday, December 7 – Bad Santa Bar Crawl
6 – 11:59 pm, $25, Various downtown venues, Central Ave. and 3rd St. N, St. Petersburg. Plan your outfit and get ready for amazing prizes since one of the stops on the crawl will include a costume contest. The best charity bar crawl St. Pete has to offer. eventbrite.com
Saturday, December 7 – Christmas in the Park and Mistletoe Market
Noon – 6 pm, Free, Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Dr., St. Pete Beach. Shop local vendors and find the perfect holiday gifts. Includes tree lighting ceremony and the Chamber’s Festival of Trees. 727.363.9245 spbrec.com
Saturday, December 7 – Holiday Makers Market
11 am – 3 pm, $5/$10, The West Events, 13435 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach. Be the first to experience our area’s newest event space at its inaugural event. Sip and shop for handmade gifts from 30 indie artists, artisans and makers at this beautiful, new venue. Beer, Bubbles & Wine Bar, DJ SugarBear, Photo Wall, Holiday Vibes. eventbrite.com
Saturday, December 7 – Holiday Tour of Homes
10 am – 4 pm, $25/$30, Northeast St. Petersburg’s Allendale and Snell Isle Neighborhoods. Visit homes beautifully decorated for the holidays. Holiday Tour Reception on Friday, December 6 – $90. All proceeds benefit the Florida Orchestra. Call/text 727.254.2276 for details.
Saturday, December 7 – Ride & Run with the Stars
6:30 am, $25 – $40, Fort De Soto Park, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde. Family-friendly event. Features biking, running, and walking races, children’s activities, law enforcement demonstrations, a silent auction, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus and more community-building festivities. Proceeds benefit the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Christmas Sharing Project. 727.582.6465
rideandrunwiththestars.com
Saturday, December 7 – Pass-A-Grille/Vina Del Mar Boat Parade
6 pm, Free viewing, starts at the Merry Pier, 801 Pass-A-Grille Way, St. Pete Beach. Festivities start at the Merry Pier and Sea Horse Restaurant at 5 pm. Santa, hamburgers and hot dogs, luminaries along the sea wall, carolers. 727.743.8706 pagdebbie@tampabay.rr.com
Saturday, December 7 through Saturday, December 21 – Meet Santa
6 – 9 pm, Free, North Straub Park, 400 Bay Shore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. Enjoy a meet-and-greet with Santa. Cameras welcome. stpeteparksrec.org/holidayevents
Saturday, December 7 – Snowfest
9 am – 2 pm, $5, North Straub Park, 400 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. Activities include a big and kiddie toboggan slide, art tent, karaoke, inflatables and Nomad Art Bus. Food trucks. stpeteparksrec.org/holidayevents
Saturday, December 7 – Tierra Verde Tree Lighting
4 – 7 pm, Free, Downtown Tierra Verde. Visit with Santa, children’s games, live music, pet parade, raffle prizes. Donations benefit the Lealman Fire District’s Annual Toy Drive. tierraverdeevents.wixsite.com/treelighting
Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8 – Elf The Musical JR.
2 pm and 6 pm, $16, Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S, Gulfport. It’s all the things you love about this holiday favorite movie with songs that are instant classics. 726.202.3268 showtix4u.com
Sunday, December 8 – Chorus Angelorum – Winter Concert 2019
2 – 3 pm, Included in admission price, Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. A premier a cappella vocal ensemble of male and female voices. An entertaining, enjoyable and eclectic mix of musical styles, appropriate for all ages. 727.894.4638 mfastpete.org
Thursday, December 12 and December 19 – Deck the Halls @ Ca’d’Zan
$15, 5 – 8 pm, John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. All decked out for the Holidays, Ca’d’Zan will be open during special extended hours for you to enjoy a self-guided walk-through of the first floor. 941.359.5700 ringling.org
Thursday, December 12 through Sunday, December 22 – Holiday Sparkle
7:30 pm Thursday – Saturday/2 pm Sunday, $30 – $250, Opera Central, 2145 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. A musical journey with soloists, chorus and orchestra through the most wonderful holiday music, from the sacred to the popular and everything in between. 727.823.2040 stpeteopera.org
Friday, December 13 – Boley Center’s 37th Annual Jingle Bell Run
7:30 – 10 pm, $25/$35 Race Fee, Albert Whitted Park, 480 Bayshore Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. A 3-mile event that will feature 1,500 luminarias, 15 bands, three glow zones, snow, glow in the dark face paint, glow necklaces and thousands of merry runners, joggers, walkers and four-legged trotters. runsignup.com/Race/FL/SaintPetersburg/BoleyCentersJingleBellRun
Friday, December 13 – Treasure Island Lighted Boat Parade
6:20 pm, Free viewing along the route, Starts at The Club at Treasure Island, 400 Treasure Island Causeway, Treasure Island. Dazzlingly decorated boats of all kinds circle the city on one special night in a friendly competition for top prizes. islandneighborschamber.org
Friday, December 13 through Sunday, December 22 – SPBC Nutcracker 2019
7 pm Friday and Saturday, 3 pm Sunday, $10 – $25, St. Petersburg Ballet Conservatory, 1500 58th St S, Gulfport. The Story of Nutcracker, courtesy of Royal Opera Ballet. 727.914.7257 stpeteballetconservatory.com
Saturday, December 14 – Boca Ciega Yacht Club Lighted Christmas Boat Parade
6 pm, Free viewing, Starts at the Gulfport Municipal Marina, heads to Williams Pier, Town Shores, Kipps Colony, Pasadena Yacht & Country Club, Pasadena Golf Club Estates and Isla del Sol. sailbcyc.org/ChristmasBoatParade
Saturday, December 14 – Holiday Movies in the Park
Time TBA, Free, Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and settle in for a holiday movie. A fun evening for the entire family. stpeteparksrec.org/holidayevents
Saturday, December 14 – Madeira Beach Annual Festival of Lights Boat Parade
6:30 pm, Free viewing, Starts at ROC Park and heads down the Intracoastal Waterway to John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk. madeirabeachmarina.com
Saturday, December 14 – Pinellas Park Christmas Parade
6 pm, Free viewing, Starts at 58th St. and proceeds eastbound on Park Blvd. to The Shoppes at Park Place. This annual event rich in Christmas tradition is the perfect way to bring holiday cheer. Watch as festive floats parade down the streets of Pinellas Park. celebratepinellaspark.com
Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 – St. Petersburg Holiday of the Arts
10 am – 5 pm, Free, Williams Park, 350 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Showcases original artwork by more than 100 artisans from throughout Florida and across the United States. paragonartevents.com
Sunday, December 15 – An Old Florida Christmas
11 am – 4 pm, $5 Adults/Free Children under 12, Manatee Village Historical Park, 1404 Manatee Ave. E (SR 64), Bradenton. Celebrate old-fashioned holiday traditions with the beautifully decorated buildings, live music, make-and-take crafts, vintage silent films, food vendors, and more. manateevillage.org
Sunday, December 15 – A Celtic Christmas
1 pm. $24.50 – $39.50, Central Park Performing Arts Center, 105 Central Park Dr., Largo. Recreates a night before Christmas in 1940s West Ireland where neighbors have gathered to entertain each other with music, singing, dancing, and storytelling. Performed by world-class musicians, dancers, and singers from both sides of the Atlantic. 727.587.6793 largoarts.com
Sunday, December 15 – Children’s Day at the Victorian Christmas Stroll
10:30 am – 5:30 pm, $10 – $16, Henry Plant Museum, 401 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Children and families will delight in activities ranging from paper crafts to a puppet show. Entertainment, carriage rides, toy trains and Lincoln Logs.
813.254.1891 plantmuseum.com
Sunday, December 15 – Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Eve and Other Stories
3 pm and 7:30 pm, $55.75 and up, Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa. Brings to life – with enhanced special effects and new staging – the acclaimed prog-rockers’ 1996 debut album of the same name.
813.301.6500 amaliearena.com
Sunday, December 15 – Victorian Christmas
1 pm, $10/$13/$16, Safford House Museum, 23 Parkin Ct., Tarpon Springs.
Experience a traditional Victorian Christmas celebration at the historic Safford House, built in 1883 and beautifully decorated for the holidays. tarponarts.org
Wednesday, December 18 – Cirque Musica presents Holiday Wishes
7 pm, $25 – $85, Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa. Brings a holiday story to life in a full theatrical cirque event for the entire family with your favorite holiday hits all performed live by a full symphony orchestra.
813.301.6500 amaliearena.com
Thursday, December 19 through Monday, January 5 – Disney’s Aladdin
Afternoon and evening performances, $29 and up, Straz Center,
1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. A thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite. 813.229.7827 strazcenter.org
Saturday, December 21 – Holiday Movies in the Park
Time TBA, Free, Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and settle in for a holiday movie. A fun evening for the entire family. stpeteparksrec.org/holidayevents