Holiday Events in Orlando
Orlando is the family fun capital of the world and December brings tons of family fun to the area. If you are looking for a way to celebrate the holidays with your kids, take a look at this list of holiday events in Orlando.
Eola Park Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 6
Enjoy the lighting of the 72-ft Christmas tree in Lake Eola park. The tree lighting ceremony will feature live music and entertainment as well as a food truck bazaar.
Winter on the Avenue
December 6
Kickoff the holiday season in Winter Park at their Winter on the Avenue celebration. The event will feature a tree lighting, carolers and a visit from Santa.
Lake Eola Wonderland Christmas Tree Show
December 6, 2019 t0 January 5, 2020
From December 6 until January 5, the Christmas Tree in Lake Eola park lights up in a synchronized light and music show. There are five showings nightly at 5:45, 6:45, 7:45, 8:45 and 9:45.
Symphony Storytime: Twas the Night Before Christmas
December 7 and 8
The Orlando Philharmonic’s children’s series returns with their annual holiday performance of Twas the Night Before Christmas. This is one of our favorite holiday events in Orlando. Listen to a special reading of the story with accompaniment by musicians from the Orlando Philharmonic. After the show, children get to try out the different instruments that they heard on stage.
Related Post: Review of Symphony Storytime
Holiday Pops Concert
December 8
The Orlando Philharmonic will be performing its annual Holiday Pops Concert featuring holiday favorites at Central Park in Winter Park on December 8. Bring your chairs or a blanket and arrive early to claim a spot for the best views of the show. After the show, enjoy dinner in downtown Winter Park.
Gingerbread Express
December 13
Jump on the Gingerbread Express by SunRail on Friday, December 13. The train will take you to Gingerbread Land at Winter Park Station where you will be able to participate in a lot of fun activities. After the event is over, stroll through downtown Winter Park which is decorated for the holidays. Only specific trains are participating in the event, and tickets must be booked in advance.
The Nutcracker Family Performance
December 14 and 21
Seeing the Nutcracker ballet is a time-honored holiday tradition. However, the full ballet might be a bit much for younger kids. Instead take them to the Nutcracker Family Performance of the Orlando Ballet. The family show will be performed on both December 14 and 21.
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer: The Musical
December 21
The beloved holiday classic Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer has been set to music and is playing on stage at the Dr. Phillips Center. As much as we loved the original cartoon special when we were kids, your children will love the new musical. There is only one showing of the musical on December 21.
Now Snowing – Celebration
Until December 31
Now Snowing is a winter wonderland celebration in downtown celebration featuring performances from local groups, carolers, carriage rides, photos with Santa, a train ride around Celebration to see the lights and of course “snow”.
Light up UCF
Until January 5, 2020
Visit Light up UCF to experience a “winter wonderland” complete with ice skating, carnival rides, live entertainment and of course lights. There are lights throughout the Light Up UCF experience, as well as a choreographed light show. In addition, the event will feature showings of holiday movie favorites including Elf, Home Alone and Polar Express. Light Up UCF is one of the holiday events in Orlando that people look forward to every year.
ICE! at Gaylord Palms
Until January 5, 2020
Each year during the holidays Gaylord Palms has an exhibit created entirely out of Ice. This year’s theme is the Polar Express. Kids will love walking through the exhibit and marveling at all the displays. After visiting ICE!, spend some time in the Christmas Village where you can go snow tubing, toss snowballs, attend the Mrs. Claus Christmas Traditions show and more. Hot Chocolate is optional (or maybe not)!
Christmas Tree Trail Disney Springs
Until January 5, 2020
Take the kids to Disney Springs to enjoy the Christmas Tree Trail. The trail features 22 decorated trees with theming from different Disney movies. Our favorites this year were the Snow White tree and the Star Wars tree. Visit right at dusk to get the get the full effect of all the lights with the shortest lines. If you are able to visit this year, let us know which tree was your favorite.
Oh What Fun! – Lake Nona
Until January 5, 2020
Lake Nona will be hosting its second annual holiday festival – Oh What Fun! – in the town center. The festival will feature an ice-skating rink, a mailbox to send letters to Santa, strolling carolers and weekly holiday movies. Boxi Park will be featuring special holiday food and drinks.
Dinos in Lights
Until January 7, 2020
If your kids love dinosaurs and they love Christmas, put them together at Orlando Science Center’s Dinos in Lights. The dinosaurs in the Dino Digs section of the science center are all lit up for the holidays in a festive music and light display that takes place daily on the half hour from 11:00am to 3:30pm.
