Christmas in Tampa Bay 2026: Lights, Events & Things to Do

Updated October 2026 · By Danny Nappi, Tampa Bay local and founder of Vacation Florida

Christmas in Tampa Bay doesn’t come with snow, but it does come with lit-up theme parks, a free ice rink downtown, boat parades on the water and 70-degree days you can spend at the beach. Here’s everything worth planning around this holiday season in Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater, with dates, prices and where to stay.

Tampa Bay Christmas Events at a Glance

Event	Where	Dates	Cost
Christmas Town	Busch Gardens, Tampa	Select nights Nov. 13, 2026–Jan. 4, 2027	Included with park admission
Winter Village	Curtis Hixon Park, downtown Tampa	Late Nov.–early Jan. (2025: Nov. 21–Jan. 4)	Free entry; skating extra
Christmas in the Wild	ZooTampa at Lowry Park	Select nights Nov. 27–Dec. 30, 2026	From $34.95
Holiday Lights in the Gardens	Florida Botanical Gardens, Largo	Late Nov.–Dec. (2026 dates TBA)	$10 suggested donation
Victorian Christmas Stroll	Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa	2025: Nov. 28–Dec. 31	Ticketed
Holiday Lighted Boat Parade	Tampa Riverwalk	Sat., Dec. 19, 2026, 6:15 p.m.	Free to watch
Gasparilla Bowl	Raymond James Stadium	Fri., Dec. 18, 2026, 2:30 p.m.	Ticketed

Dates and prices as published by each venue in October 2026. Where only 2025 dates are listed, 2026 dates hadn’t been announced yet. Always confirm before you go.

1. Christmas Town at Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay turns into Christmas Town on select nights from November 13, 2026 through January 4, 2027. The park is wrapped in holiday lights, with live holiday shows, including ice-skating shows. The best part: it’s included with regular park admission on event nights, so you can ride coasters in the afternoon and stay for the lights after dark.

Christmas Town Tips

• Show up in the afternoon. Buy your tickets and parking online ahead of time, get there mid-afternoon and see the park in daylight before the lights come on.
• See Santa early. The Santa meet-and-greet (in Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland in 2025) gets busier as the night goes on, so head there early in the evening.
• Ride the Holly Jolly Express after dark. The park train turns into a sing-along holiday ride, and it’s best once the lights are on. Lines build later in the night, so hop on soon after sunset.
• Plan around showtimes. Check the Busch Gardens app for Christmas on Ice times. Catch shows in the late afternoon and save the evening for walking around the lights.
• Ride a coaster at night. If the big coasters are running, Iron Gwazi, Montu and Cheetah Hunt hit different with the whole park lit up below you.
• Warm up with the holiday treats. Hot chocolate, cookies and holiday cocktails are sold around the park. If you plan to try a few, check the park’s Tickets & Upgrades page for a holiday tasting pass.
• Avoid peak weekends if you can. Weekends in mid-to-late December are the busiest nights.

Planning to stay over? See our guide to hotels near Busch Gardens Tampa, or book close to the park at Hyatt Place Tampa Busch Gardens, Embassy Suites Tampa USF Near Busch Gardens or Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa Busch Gardens Area.

2. Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park (Downtown Tampa)

Every holiday season, downtown Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park becomes Winter Village, with an outdoor ice rink and light shows along the Hillsborough River. Entry is free; you pay only if you skate (skating was $17 in 2025). In 2025 it ran from November 21 to January 4, with light shows at 7, 8, 9 and 10 p.m. River of Lights boat tours also ran on the river.

Make a night of it with a walk along the Riverwalk and dinner downtown. For downtown hotels within walking distance, try the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street or the Tampa Marriott Water Street.

3. Christmas in the Wild at ZooTampa

ZooTampa at Lowry Park lights up with more than a million lights for Christmas in the Wild, held on select nights from November 27 to December 30, 2026. Tickets start at $34.95. It’s an easy pick for families with little kids, since you can do the whole thing in a couple of hours and still make bedtime.

4. Holiday Lights in the Gardens (Largo)

Over in Pinellas County, the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo hosts Holiday Lights in the Gardens, one of the area’s most popular light displays, with about a million LED lights through the gardens. It’s a stroll-at-your-own-pace kind of night, and admission is a $10 suggested donation. Check the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation site for 2026 dates and hours.

5. Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum

The Henry B. Plant Museum, inside the old Tampa Bay Hotel on the University of Tampa campus, is decorated room by room for its Victorian Christmas Stroll. In 2025 it ran from November 28 to December 31. It’s a quieter, more old-fashioned holiday outing, and a nice break from the crowds.

6. Holiday Boat Parades

Tampa Bay celebrates the holidays on the water, with lit-up boats cruising the waterfront in three cities:

• Tampa Riverwalk Holiday Lighted Boat Parade: Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 6:15 p.m. Grab a spot along the Riverwalk; it’s free to watch.
• Clearwater Holiday Boat Parade: usually mid-December (2025: December 13).
• St. Pete Holiday Boat Parade: usually early December along the downtown waterfront (2025: December 7).

7. Tree Lightings, Santa Parades and Snowfest

• St. Pete Santa Parade and tree lighting: downtown St. Pete kicks off the season the weekend after Thanksgiving (2025: November 29).
• St. Pete Snowfest: a snow-themed kids’ event in St. Pete (2025: December 6, $5).
• Tampa Santa Fest and tree lighting: downtown Tampa’s holiday kickoff (2025: December 6).
• Tampa Theatre Holiday Classics: classic holiday movies in Tampa’s historic 1926 movie palace (2025: December 7–28).

8. Holiday Sports: Gasparilla Bowl, Bucs and Lightning

• Gasparilla Bowl: Friday, December 18, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: home games December 6 vs. the Chargers and December 20 vs. the Saints. See our guide to hotels near Raymond James Stadium.
• Tampa Bay Lightning: New Year’s Eve home game vs. Montreal on December 31. See hotels near Benchmark International Arena.

New Year’s Eve in Tampa Bay

Ring in 2027 with a Lightning game downtown, or head to the beach: Clearwater’s “Sunset to Sparkle” celebration on Pier 60 takes you from sunset over the Gulf into the new year. For a beach stay, browse Clearwater Beach vacation rentals, or see our Clearwater Beach vs. St. Pete Beach comparison.

Christmas Weather in Tampa

December in Tampa Bay is mild. Average highs slide from about 76°F early in the month to about 71°F by Christmas, with lows in the mid-to-upper 50s. Days are usually sunny and great for walking around outside; evenings at the light shows can feel chilly, so pack a sweatshirt or light jacket. The Gulf is too cool for most swimmers, but beach walks and sunsets are at their best.

Where to Stay for Christmas in Tampa Bay

• Downtown Tampa (Winter Village, Riverwalk, boat parade): JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, Tampa Marriott Water Street.
• Ybor City (nightlife, near downtown): Hotel Haya, Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa Ybor City.
• Busch Gardens area (Christmas Town, ZooTampa): Hyatt Place Tampa Busch Gardens, Home2 Suites Tampa USF.
• Downtown St. Pete (Santa Parade, Snowfest, waterfront): The Inn on Third, Hollander Hotel, The Vinoy.
• The beaches (quiet, sunsets, NYE on Pier 60): Clearwater Beach rentals, St. Pete Beach rentals.

More Florida Holiday Guides

• Christmas in Florida 2026: Best Lights, Events and Things to Do
• Christmas in Orlando 2026
• Christmas in St. Augustine: Nights of Lights Guide
• Best Florida Events December 2026
• Best Things to Do in Tampa

Christmas in Tampa Bay FAQ