Holiday Cheer in Tallahassee
A Month Full of Events, Festivals, Lights and Fun
‘Tis the season for exciting events, family-friendly-festivals, sports, and of course, shopping! Planning a holiday trip to the Capital City and fill your plans by using this handy guide to make the most of your visit.
November 23 – December 24
Lemoyne Arts’ 61st Annual Holiday Show is the perfect place to find a variety of handmade gifts created by local and regional artisans.
November 28 – January 1
Holiday Light Display at Dorothy B. Oven Park
The holiday light display will premiere on Thanksgiving evening (Thursday, November 28) and run nightly through the New Year (Wednesday, January 1), weather permitting.
Weekday hours are 6:00 – 10:00 pm with extended hours on the weekends from 5:30 – 11:00 pm. Motorists inside the park and traveling along Thomasville Road in the vicinity of the park, are urged to drive with caution.
This year, Elf Night is Thursday, December 19, from 5:30 – 8:00 pm. If you’d like to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, check in on the front lawn upon arrival to be assigned a ticket number, allowing you to enjoy the festivities until your number is called. While enjoying Elf Night, parents will want to have their cameras ready to record all the smiles and wonderment on their children’s faces.
Both Elf Night and our holiday light display are free and open to the public.
December 7 – 8
Market Days at the North Florida Fairgrounds
Quintessentially Tallahassee, Market Days is one of the Southeast’s largest and best-juried arts and crafts shows, featuring the unique, handmade creations of over 300 artists and top-quality artisans and craftspeople. Market Days offers a beautiful array of works in various price ranges, from breathtaking fine art to charming stocking stuffers. The works include fine arts, ceramics, country furniture, stained glass, woodwork, glasswork, dolls, clocks, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, metalwork, clothing, photography, and calligraphy. This event is volunteer-run and all proceeds go to support the Tallahassee Museum whose mission is to inspire people to transform their lives, community, and the world through an enhanced understanding of our region’s natural and cultural environments. This year, enjoy a live performance by Tobacco Rd Band on Sunday, December 8!
December 7
The 38th Annual Winter Festival – a Celebration of Lights, Music and the Arts will fill downtown Tallahassee with merriment on Saturday, December 7, from 3 – 10 p.m. Visitors can enjoy delicious food vendors, unique arts and crafts merchants and sparkling holiday displays, including Candy Cane Lane in McCarty Park. There will be a children’s activity area on Kleman Plaza that will show family-friendly holiday movies from 6 – 10 p.m. Four stages of live entertainment will dot downtown and highlight local actors, dancers, musicians and more. The Lighting Ceremony takes place at 6 p.m. on the parade announcers’ platform, located on South Monroe Street at Bloxham Park. The Nighttime Holiday Parade begins at 7:15pm. The parade will be held on Monroe Street.
December 7
Winter Open House at The Grove – Annual Winter Open House featuring festive décor, seasonal treats, and special programs.
This year’s special programs include:
— 10:30 a.m., Historic Preservation Tour
— 2:00 p.m., Nature Walk
Refreshments for the entire family will be available throughout the day. The museum will be open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Docents will be stationed throughout the house to provide information and to answer questions.
December 8
Seasonal Celebration – A festive holiday celebration with FSU’s combined choirs at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. Experience joyous music and audience participation in an unforgettable performance throughout the venue.
December 12 – 13
36th Annual Victorian Christmas – Journey to the past and experience the days of old as you venture through the historic streets of Downtown Thomasville and encounter the magic of Victorian Christmas!
December 13
Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra presents Handel’s Messiah
The sanctuary at Trinity United Methodist Church will be filled with joyous refrains and exultant arias, including the iconic “Hallelujah” Chorus, in this beautiful performance Handel’s Messiah at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 and 3 p.m. Dec. 15.
December 14
Tuba Christmas 2024 – Lofty Pursuits is excited to be hosting yet another season of Tuba Christmas for all those who are interested in performing. Every year, tuba and euphonium players of all ages come and gather to perform festive music as way to celebrate the holidays and recognize our past mentors. Anyone of any age and playing ability is eligible to perform.
December 14
Holigays Market – This holiday season come shop from your local LGBTQIA+ artist and maker community! The third annual Queer Tallahassee Artists Collective Holigays Market celebrates local artists and makers that are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Held outdoors in the beautiful Gardens at LeMoyne Arts, the Holigays Market is free to the public. Come do your holiday shopping and support your local art community! Our artists and makers will have everything you might need for your gift-giving needs: handmade candles, original hand painted art and illustrations, block print originals, fiber art, weavings, quilted wall hangings, handmade ceramics, jewelry, hand stitched sketchbooks, ice dyed clothing, stickers, keychains, and so much more!
December 14
Holiday Magic: Cirque De Noel, a stunning holiday show featuring music, stunning aerial feats and awe-inspiring acrobatics filled with the wonder of the season at Ruby Diamond.
December 15
Holiday Stroll through Cascades Park
You can sing aloud, or simply listen, to merry melodies as they fill the air of Cascades Park, 1001 S. Gadsden St., from 6-7:30 p.m Sunday, December 15 at the annual Holiday Stroll. About a dozen different acts will showcase their talents throughout the winding trails of Cascades Park, including the Smokey Hollow Commemoration. Free hot cocoa will be available. A beautiful show at Imagination Fountain will play every fifteen minutes during the event.
December 19
Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park
This year, Elf Night is Thursday, December 19 from 5:30 – 8:00pm. If you’d like to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, check-in on the front lawn upon arrival to be assigned a ticket number, which will allow you to enjoy the festivities until your number is called. While enjoying Elf Night, parents will want to have their cameras ready to record all the smiles and wonderment on their children’s faces.
December 21 – 22
Tallahassee Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ at Ruby Diamond Hall
The holiday classic, The Nutcracker, is a memory-making performance that is not just about what is behind the curtain but about the magic of the experience. Generations of families mark the holiday season by dressing up and introducing bright-eyed youngsters to the most frequently performed ballet in America and worldwide. Dancers float across the stage with Kathryn Karrh Cashin’s choreography set to the iconic score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by a live orchestra. TTB’s custom-made costumes and set bring audience members along with them into a timeless story beloved by all.
December 31
Countdown at Cascades – New Year’s Eve
Visit Tallahassee proudly presents “Countdown at Cascades,” a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Adderley Amphitheater at Cascades Park on Tuesday, December 31, 2024. This free, family-friendly celebration will mark the end of Tallahassee’s Bicentennial with live music, local food trucks, and two spectacular fireworks displays. The night will feature two talented musical acts, ensuring memorable entertainment for all ages.
