Fort Lauderdale lights its two beachside trees on back-to-back Thursdays, the Galt on Nov. 12 and the beach on Nov. 19. After that, the official calendars around Coral Heights have nothing scheduled for almost two weeks. Then, from Wednesday, Dec. 2, through Sunday, Dec. 6, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Bonnet House, Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale each have an event on every one of those five nights. A few more events are spread across the following week.
The season is crowded in early December and nearly empty before it. So the planning question is which of that week's events overlap and which ones you can combine.
Two November Thursdays by the water
Light Up the Galt runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, at NE 33rd Street and NE 33rd Avenue. The tree lighting is at 6:30, the Fort Lauderdale Symphonic Winds play from 7:00 to 8:30, and a free shuttle runs continuously from Bridgeside Square Garage to the event area.
A week later, Fort Lauderdale's Light Up the Beach runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at Las Olas Oceanside Park. More than 50,000 lights go on along the beachfront, and "Olas," the city's 20-foot beach snowman, is back at A1A and Las Olas Boulevard. The lighting ceremony is at 6:30. The Fort Lauderdale Symphonic Winds play from 7:00 to 8:30, and a kids zone with Santa, inflatables and slides is open the whole evening.
Light Up Lauderdale started the city's season on Nov. 5 at Esplanade Park. The city describes it as a 10-week run of holiday lights along the New River, so the Riverwalk lights stay up through the quiet stretch after the beach lighting.
None of the city calendars covered here list anything between Nov. 19 and Dec. 2. Thanksgiving falls in that gap. Then the schedule fills up quickly.
The week everything lands
| Night | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Christmas By-The-Sea | Lauderdale-By-The-Sea | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Holiday Magic veranda concert | Bonnet House, 900 N. Birch Road | 6 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Holiday Village, night one | Jaco Pastorius Park, 4000 N. Dixie Hwy. | 5:30 to 10 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Light Up Sistrunk | Sistrunk Blvd., NW 9th to 11th Ave. | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Village, night two | Jaco Pastorius Park | 5:30 to 10 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Whimsical Wonderland | Bonnet House | 5:30 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Farmers' Market season opens | El Prado Park, 4500 El Mar Drive | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Menorah Lighting Celebration | Las Olas Oceanside Park | 6 p.m. |
The week opens on the beach. Lauderdale-By-The-Sea holds Christmas By-The-Sea on Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 5 to 8 p.m. Last year, The New Pelican listed the event at Commercial Boulevard and A1A, with a tree lighting, holiday and seaside-themed craft vendors, and a spot for children to write letters to Santa. The town's 2026 vendor village application asks for local artisans and handcrafted goods and excludes commercial resale and food-and-beverage vendors. The market at this event is meant to be a craft market.
If you drive east on Commercial Boulevard to get there, you'll pass Essenza Italian Eatery & Market at 2831 E. Commercial Blvd. It opened this year. The New Pelican's July review reports that owners Maria Avallone and Roberto Junco make their pasta, sauces, breads, pastries and gelato in-house. It's a convenient place to eat before an event that serves no food of its own.
On Thursday, Dec. 3, Bonnet House opens Holiday Magic, which runs Dec. 3, 5 and 10 and features lit trees, wreaths, tours and seasonal performances. The veranda concerts on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 start at 6 p.m. Adult admission is $55 for members and $60 for future members, and Sidecar Catering plus two drink tickets are included. This is the most expensive night of the week. It also has the fewest scheduling conflicts.
Friday and Saturday, where the choices collide
Most of the overlap falls on the weekend.
Oakland Park's Holiday Village takes over Jaco Pastorius Park from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on both Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5, according to the city's December calendar. In past years the village has had a carousel, a snow slide, an ice skating rink, an artisans and crafters market, Santa visits, a food court and a cash bar for adults. Last year's edition also included the lighting of the city's 40-foot Christmas tree at the park's Grand Fountain Plaza. Commissioner Tim Lonergan described the start of that evening to The New Pelican as "Santa's fire truck arrival with the Northeast High School Marching Band." That same story says the village has held a tree-decorating competition since 2016, and the decorated trees are donated to families in need.
This year Holiday Village runs the same hours on both nights. In 2024 the city's schedule used a 1 p.m. Saturday start. With equal hours this year, you can pick either night based on what else is happening.
Friday also brings Light Up Sistrunk, 5 to 8 p.m. along Sistrunk Boulevard between NW 9th and 11th Avenues. It includes a giant tree lighting at 7 p.m., performances, a toy giveaway, food trucks and family activities. Sistrunk wraps up at 8 and Holiday Village stays open until 10. A family could catch the 7 p.m. lighting on Sistrunk and still have time at Jaco Pastorius Park afterward.
Saturday has the harder conflict. Bonnet House's Whimsical Wonderland starts at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, the same time Holiday Village opens. The Bonnet House evening includes live entertainment, holiday crafts, letters to Santa, story time, family portraits, and Santa arriving by fire truck at 6:30. Tickets are $35 for member adults, $40 for future-member adults, $15 for ages 13 to 17, $5 for ages 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under. Preregistration is required. A household that wants both should book Bonnet House for Saturday and plan on Friday for Holiday Village. Holiday Village is free and open both nights, so it's the event that can move.
Parking is limited at Jaco Pastorius Park. In 2024 the city recommended rideshare, set up a drop-off and pick-up point at City Hall, and offered free parking with a complimentary shuttle on NE 12th Avenue/Main Street. Check the city's event page before you leave to see this year's arrangements.
Sunday morning and Sunday night
The busy week ends with two events on Dec. 6, at opposite ends of the day.
At 9 a.m., the Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Farmers' Market opens its season at El Prado Park, 4500 El Mar Drive. It runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through May 2, 2027. Most of the events this week happen once. The market is the one that keeps going every Sunday through spring.
Getting to the market works the same way as getting to Christmas By-The-Sea. The town asks people driving to events to use its public parking lots. If you park a few blocks away, you can request a ride on Circuit-By-The-Sea, the town's on-demand service, through the app. Circuit covers the town and the Galt Ocean Mile. Check the app for the day's service hours before you count on a ride.
That evening at 6, Fort Lauderdale holds its Menorah Lighting Celebration at Las Olas Oceanside Park, the same beachfront park that hosts Light Up the Beach. The city lists a menorah lighting, music and customary treats.
After the rush, three more dates
The week after has fewer events, so they're easier to plan around.
- Thursday, Dec. 10: Bonnet House holds its second veranda concert at 6 p.m., the last of its three Holiday Magic dates.
- Friday, Dec. 11: Light Up Carter Park runs 5 to 8 p.m. It has local performances, bounce houses, train rides, face painters, crafts, giveaways and a holiday tree lighting.
- Monday, Dec. 14: Wilton Manors sends Santa by Sea out at 5:30 p.m. from the Colohatchee Park Boat Ramp, 1975 NE 15th Ave. It's free. You can meet Santa at the ramp before he sets sail, and boat owners who want to follow him should gather 30 minutes before departure.
Santa by Sea is on a Monday, after the busy week has passed. If you own a boat, it's the one event on this calendar you can join from the water, and the ramp is on NE 15th Avenue.
Planning the season as a whole
From Nov. 12 through Dec. 14, the calendars covered here have about ten event nights, and five of them fall in a single run from Dec. 2 to Dec. 6. The Riverwalk lights fill the quiet stretch after Nov. 19, and the Sunday market runs well past the holidays. Most of the planning comes down to one decision: which Saturday event gets your 5:30 p.m. slot, Bonnet House's ticketed evening or the free village in Oakland Park, which you can also visit Friday.
Many of the calls we get each December come from people hosting family who want to know where to take them. If out-of-town guests are coming during that first week of December, or you're thinking about how your own home fits into the year ahead, Trent Sells Fort Lauderdale is glad to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation and home valuation whenever the timing suits you.
