Oven Park lights from Nov. 26, the Allison Christmas Spectacular in Havana, Santa visits, The Nutcracker, Messiah and Hanukkah Dec. 4-12 in Tallahassee.
Last checked 2026-10-10. This page is updated each year. Facts come from each organizer’s own page, linked below. The city’s own holiday events, the Winter Festival parade and the tree lighting have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.
Tallahassee’s biggest light display opens Thanksgiving evening, Thursday, Nov. 26, at Dorothy B. Oven Park, and runs nightly through Jan. 1. Just north of town, the Allison Christmas Spectacular puts 1.3 million lights on show at the Havana Christmas Tree Farm, its new home. December also brings the Tallahassee Ballet’s 40th-anniversary Nutcracker, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra’s Messiah and Holiday Magic concerts, and Hanukkah from Dec. 4.
Who to call
- Oven Park lights and Elf Night holiday line: 850-891-3555
- Goodwood Museum and Gardens: 850-877-4202
- The Tallahassee Ballet: 850-224-6917
- Chabad of Tallahassee and FSU: 850-523-9294
Light displays
| Display | When | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorothy B. Oven Park: more than 150,000 lights; drive through or walk | Nightly Nov. 26 to Jan. 1; 6 to 10 p.m. weekdays, 5:30 to 11 p.m. weekends | 3205 Thomasville Road | Free |
| The Allison Christmas Spectacular: 1.3 million lights set to music; drive-through | Nightly, Thanksgiving through New Year’s, 6 to 10 p.m. | Havana Christmas Tree Farm, 2867 Florida Georgia Highway, Havana | Free; donations taken |
| Candy Cane Lane | Opens at Winter Festival Dec. 5, then nightly through Dec. 20 | McCarty Park, on Park Avenue downtown | Free |
Oven Park is closed to cars on Elf Night, when visitors walk the grounds instead, according to the city’s 2025 notice. The city asked drivers on Thomasville Road to slow down near the park and expect delays that night. Candy Cane Lane hours by night are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.
The Allison Christmas Spectacular has run for 19 years and aired on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight in 2022, its organizers say. Tune to 102.1 FM to hear the show as you drive, and loop through more than once. No tickets are needed. Deputies direct traffic every night, the organizers say, and the show collects donated food, clothing and household supplies for its community drive.
Santa visits
- Goodwood’s Jingle and Mingle: Holiday Night Market, Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, 6 to 9 p.m., Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road. Santa visits on Saturday, according to Goodwood. Ticketed; children 12 and under free.
- Cookies with Santa, Friday, Dec. 11, Jack McLean Community Center, and Elf Night, Sunday, Dec. 13, at Oven Park: both free from the City of Tallahassee. Times and details are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.
- Santa Calling and Soul Santa gift events are also run by the city each December; see the same page.
Holiday shows and concerts
- Handel’s Messiah, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and its Messiah Choir: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 120 W. Park Ave.
- Holiday Magic!, the orchestra with the FSU Capital Children’s Choir: 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, 222 S. Copeland St.
- The Nutcracker, 40th anniversary, The Tallahassee Ballet with a live orchestra at the evening and afternoon shows: Saturday, Dec. 19, at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 20, at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. The 10:30 a.m. performances are abbreviated. Former company dancers return for the party scene this year. Tickets went on sale Oct. 1, and the ballet warns that it sells out.
Hanukkah
Chabad of Tallahassee and FSU, 224 Chapel Drive, lists Chanukah as Friday, Dec. 4, to Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026. Its menorah lightings and events go on its website; we will add the times and places here when they are posted.
Holiday markets
Goodwood’s Jingle and Mingle, the LeMoyne Arts Holiday Show and Market Days are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.
Hosting a public light display, Santa visit or menorah lighting in Tallahassee? Send the details through our contact page.
What this means for you
- Free lights every night from Thanksgiving: Oven Park in town, the Allison show in Havana.
- Going to Oven Park on Elf Night, Dec. 13? Park at Thomasville Road Baptist Church next door.
- Nutcracker seats go fast; buy early.
Related: Christmas parade and tree lighting, New Year’s Eve in Tallahassee and Thanksgiving in Tallahassee.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Oven Park Christmas lights open in 2026?
Thanksgiving evening, Thursday, Nov. 26. The display at Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road, runs nightly through Jan. 1, 6 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 5:30 to 11 p.m. weekends, weather permitting. It is free.
Where is the Allison Christmas Spectacular?
At the Havana Christmas Tree Farm, 2867 Florida Georgia Highway (U.S. 27, North Monroe Street) in Havana, just north of Tallahassee. It is a free drive-through show, 6 to 10 p.m. nightly from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, tuned to 102.1 FM.
When is The Nutcracker in Tallahassee in 2026?
The Tallahassee Ballet’s 40th-anniversary Nutcracker is Dec. 19-20 at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall: 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. The 10:30 a.m. shows are abbreviated.
When is Hanukkah 2026?
Chabad of Tallahassee lists Chanukah as Dec. 4-12, 2026. It posts its menorah lightings and events on its own website.
Where can kids see Santa in Tallahassee?
Santa visits Goodwood’s Jingle and Mingle on Saturday, Nov. 14, and the city holds Cookies with Santa on Dec. 11 and Elf Night at Oven Park on Dec. 13. Details for the city events are on our Christmas parade page.
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