Its November and the holidays are on their way. What's also on the way is the tree lighting ceremonies around Jacksonville. Here are a list of the ceremonies coming up this November.
St. Johns Holiday Spectacular
Celebrate the joy and magic of the holiday season at the 13th annual St. Johns Town Center Holiday Spectacular on Saturday, November 10. Holiday shoppers, families and visitors are invited to attend the action-packed day of free, family fun and musical performances!
The annual holiday celebration, sponsored by Toyota, OneBlood, AVL Productions, and 97.9 KISS FM kicks off at 2 p.m. This year visitors will enjoy festivities including oversized games, an interactive hot chocolate station, jugglers, caricature artists, letters to Santa, ornament decorating, a festive photo booth and a silent DJ experience. That’s not all! The holiday fun will continue with great giveaways, costume characters, holiday entertainment and more.
Main stage entertainment begins at 2 p.m. with dynamic holiday performances and a show-stopping finale by headliner, Jesse McCartney. The Main Stage is located in the Town Green in front of Maggiano’s Little Italy on Midtown Parkway.
For Holiday Spectacular’s grand finale, Santa will lead the crowd in an official countdown to light the dazzling 32-foot tree and kick off an energetic fireworks finale at 8 p.m. Santa will then be available at the Santa House near Nordstrom to hear holiday wish lists.
Additionally, St. Johns Town Center retailers will offer holiday shopping opportunities, in-store promotions and specials throughout the weekend.
St. Augustine Night of Lights
The 25th Annual Nights of Lights dazzles the city as some three million lights adorn every corner of the historic district for two months.
This award-winning holiday lights display runs from November 17, 2018, to January 31, 2019, in historic St. Augustine. During Nights of Lights, businesses downtown stay open later, letting you dine in view of the lights and shop amongst the lit buildings. The trains and trolleys offer special seasonal tours that take you through the best areas of Nights of Lights, and there are also a variety of specialty tours -- everything from walking to horse-and-carriage tours, and even tours to see the lights from the water and from the air.
There are plenty of photo opportunities throughout the downtown area, from the dazzling lights along the bayfront, to the Christmas tree placed in the center of the Plaza de la Constitución with holiday gifts surrounding it. From dusk until dawn, the lights bring holiday cheer to vacationers and locals in St. Augustine.
Nights of Lights begins with Light Up! Night on Saturday, November 18, 2018. For more information and a full schedule of events, check out the profile page for Light Up! Night Lighting Ceremony.
22nd Annual Amelia Island Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Enjoy the kickoff to the holiday season with thousands of sparkling lights, music and refreshments at the annual Amelia Island Christmas Tree Lighting. The evening includes a benefit raffle for the McArthur Family YMCA and concludes with Santa's arrival and a fireworks show.
If you have problems parking for this event, parking will be available at Peter's Point with continuous complimentary shuttle service to and from The Ritz-Carlton.
30th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
The Jacksonville Landing and Sleiman Enterprises present the 32nd Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, November 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Kickoff the holiday season at The Jacksonville Landing the day after Thanksgiving. Bring your family and friends as The Landing lights the 56-foot-tall energy-efficient Christmas tree featuring over 78,000 L.E.D. lights and more than 150 ornaments.
The show will take place in the Landing’s Courtyard beginning at 7:00 p.m. featuring live musical entertainment, the 30th annual lighting of The Jacksonville Landing’s Christmas Tree and a fireworks display on the St. Johns River as the grand finale. The Landing Christmas Tree will light up at 9pm while fireworks light up the sky!
