Tallahassee's 40th Winter Festival, with the nighttime holiday parade and lighting ceremony, is 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, downtown. Elf Night is Dec. 13.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Updated each year. Facts come from the City of Tallahassee’s Winter Festival and Holiday Events page and its 2025 Winter Festival announcement. The city usually posts parade times and road closures closer to the event.

Tallahassee’s Christmas parade and tree lighting both happen at Winter Festival: a Celebration of Lights, Music and the Arts, the city’s free downtown party. The 40th annual Winter Festival is 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026.

Who to call

  • Winter Festival and holiday events: Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs, 850-891-3866
  • Oven Park lights and Elf Night holiday line: 850-891-3555
  • Cookies with Santa: Jack McLean Community Center, 850-891-2505

Winter Festival, Dec. 5

The city says the festival fills downtown with food vendors, arts and crafts, holiday displays, Candy Cane Lane in McCarty Park and four stages of live entertainment. The 2026 parade and ceremony times are not posted yet. At the 2025 festival, the city scheduled:

  • Lighting ceremony, 6 p.m., at the parade announcers’ platform on South Monroe Street and Park Avenue at Bloxham Park, switching on the lights of the Chain of Parks.
  • Jingle Bell Run, 6:15 p.m., a roughly 1.5-mile run through downtown from Park Avenue and Monroe Street.
  • Nighttime Holiday Parade, 7:15 p.m., with 65 entries on Monroe Street.

Rain canceled the 2025 festival, including the parade and lighting ceremony, on the day. Expect heavy traffic, many downtown road closures and StarMetro detours; the city posts closures and parking details at Talgov.com/WinterFestival closer to the date.

Want to march or sell? Parade, entertainment, vendor and exhibitor registration closes Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, on the city’s page.

Candy Cane Lane, McCarty Park

Opens at the festival, 3 to 10 p.m. Dec. 5, then nightly through Dec. 20:

Dates Hours
Dec. 6-10 6 to 9 p.m.
Dec. 11-12 6 to 11 p.m.
Dec. 13-17 6 to 9 p.m.
Dec. 18-19 6 to 11 p.m.
Dec. 20 6 to 9 p.m.

More free holiday events

  • Oven Park lights: Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road, from Thanksgiving evening, Nov. 26, nightly through Jan. 1; 6 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 5:30 to 11 p.m. weekends, weather permitting.
  • Santa Calling: register from Monday, Nov. 30; Santa starts calling Thursday, Dec. 10.
  • Cookies with Santa: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, Jack McLean Community Center, 700 Paul Russell Road: cookies, hot cocoa, a holiday movie and photos with Santa.
  • Holiday Stroll: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, Cascades Park, 1001 S. Gadsden St.: about a dozen acts along the trails, free hot cocoa.
  • Elf Night: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, Oven Park. Check in on the front lawn for a ticket number to see Santa and Mrs. Claus. No driving or parking in the park that night; park at Thomasville Road Baptist Church next door.
  • Soul Santa: Saturday, Dec. 19, for children 10 and under, registration required from Dec. 1: Walker-Ford Community Center 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (850-891-3970) and LeVerne Payne Community Center 2:30 to 6 p.m. (850-891-3930).

What this means for you

  • Mark Saturday, Dec. 5, for the parade and lighting downtown.
  • Elf Night is on a Sunday this year, Dec. 13.
  • Rain plans: the city calls weather cancellations on the day; check its page and social media.

Related: holiday lights and Christmas events, things to do this month, parks and trails and getting around Tallahassee.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Tallahassee Christmas parade in 2026?

The Nighttime Holiday Parade is part of the City of Tallahassee’s 40th Winter Festival, 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, downtown. In 2025 the parade was scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Monroe Street; check the city’s page for this year’s time.

When is the Tallahassee tree lighting?

The lighting ceremony that switches on the Chain of Parks lights is part of Winter Festival on Dec. 5. In 2025 it was set for 6 p.m. at Park Avenue and South Monroe Street.

When are the Oven Park Christmas lights in Tallahassee?

Dorothy B. Oven Park’s light display opens Thanksgiving evening, Nov. 26, and runs nightly through Jan. 1: 6 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 5:30 to 11 p.m. weekends. It is free.

When is Elf Night 2026 in Tallahassee?

Sunday, Dec. 13, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road. Park next door at Thomasville Road Baptist Church.

Can I be in the Winter Festival parade?

Parade, entertainment, vendor and exhibitor registration is open on the city’s Winter Festival page and closes Oct. 12, 2026.