Tampa holiday lights 2026: Busch Gardens Christmas Town from Nov. 13, ZooTampa's Christmas in the Wild, Hyde Park Village's Nov. 19 lighting, Hanukkah Dec. 4.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, ZooTampa, The Florida Aquarium, Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk, the Hyde Park Village calendar and Hebcal for the Hanukkah dates. ZooTampa: 813-935-8552.
Tampa’s holiday lights start early: Busch Gardens opens Christmas Town on Friday, Nov. 13, Hyde Park Village lights its tree on Nov. 19, the lighted boat parade fills the river on Dec. 19, and ZooTampa’s Christmas in the Wild opens to members on Thanksgiving weekend and to everyone on Friday, Dec. 4. Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4.
The city’s Riverwalk tree lighting, Santa Fest and the neighborhood park tree lightings are on our separate Christmas parade and tree lighting page. This page covers the light displays, Santa visits and holiday markets around them.
Who to call
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park: 813-935-8552, 1101 W. Sligh Ave.
- The Florida Aquarium: 813-273-4000, 701 Channelside Drive
- Hyde Park Village: 813-251-3500, 1602 W. Snow Ave.
- City of Tampa (city events and closures): 813-274-8211
The season at a glance
| Dates | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select dates, Fri., Nov. 13, to Mon., Jan. 4 | Christmas Town | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | Included with park admission |
| Thu., Nov. 19, 5:30 to 8 p.m. | Holiday Happening and tree lighting | Hyde Park Village | Proceeds to The Children’s Dream Fund |
| Fri.-Sat., Nov. 27-28 | Christmas in the Wild, members only | ZooTampa | Members |
| Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 18-23, 26-30 | Christmas in the Wild | ZooTampa | Event ticket, or free for members and Zoo Fun holders |
| Fri., Dec. 4, to Sat., Dec. 12 | Hanukkah | Menorah lightings to be announced | |
| Sat., Dec. 19, 6:15 p.m. | Holiday Lighted Boat Parade | Hillsborough River, downtown | Free to watch |
| Dates not yet posted | YuleTides | The Florida Aquarium | Ticketed |
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, 10165 N. McKinley Drive, turns the whole park into Christmas Town on select dates from Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 4, 2027, with lights, holiday entertainment, shopping and seasonal food, according to the park’s event page. It runs from park open to park close and is included with regular admission. The park’s online schedule shows which dates are Christmas Town days.
Christmas in the Wild at ZooTampa
ZooTampa at Lowry Park bills Christmas in the Wild as one of Tampa Bay’s largest light displays, with holiday treats and animals after dark. From the zoo’s event calendar:
- Member-only nights: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 27-28, 4 to 10 p.m.
- 4 to 10 p.m.: Dec. 4-6, Dec. 11-13 and Dec. 18-23
- 4 to 9 p.m.: Dec. 26-30
It is included with a ZooTampa membership or a Zoo Fun ticket with no reservation, or with a separate after-4 p.m. admission ticket. The zoo closes early on Christmas Eve, at 4 p.m., and is closed Christmas Day.
Holiday Happening at Hyde Park Village
5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at 1602 W. Snow Ave. The center lists live music, a “Nutcracker”-inspired performance by The Tampa City Ballet and a visit from Santa, hosted by Janelle Martinez of “Great Day Live.” The tree lighting is at 7:45 p.m., with proceeds going to The Children’s Dream Fund (event page).
YuleTides at The Florida Aquarium
The aquarium’s coastal holiday event, YuleTides, ran from Nov. 28 to Jan. 4 last season, according to its YuleTides page. The 2026 dates are not out yet; the page currently thanks guests and points to next year’s event. We will add the dates when the aquarium posts them.
Holiday Lighted Boat Parade: Saturday, Dec. 19
Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk bills it as Tampa’s largest lighted boat parade. The 2026 parade is Saturday, Dec. 19, starting at 6:15 p.m. near the lighthouse off Davis Islands, with large and small boats cruising up the Hillsborough River past Sparkman Wharf, Harbour Island and the Tampa Convention Center. Charley Belcher is the 2026 grand marshal. Boat registration and VIP tickets are to come on the parade page. Watching from the Riverwalk is free.
Last year The Florida Aquarium sold seats aboard its 72-foot catamaran, Bay Spirit II, for the parade (2025 cruise page); the aquarium has not posted a 2026 cruise yet.
Hanukkah and menorah lightings
Hanukkah 5787 begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, and ends at nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12 (Hebcal). Public menorah lightings in Tampa are announced by the synagogues and Chabad centers that hold them. We add each one here with its date, time and place once the organizer publishes it.
Santa visits
Santa appears at Holiday Happening in Hyde Park Village on Nov. 19, and at the end of the Santa Fest parade downtown on Saturday, Dec. 5, with free photos with Santa in Curtis Hixon Park from 1 to 5 p.m. Santa Fest and the Santa Calling program are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page. Neither International Plaza nor WestShore Plaza had posted Santa photo dates when we checked; WestShore Plaza’s events page listed no events.
Holiday markets
Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park has its own holiday shops beside the ice rink, plus a Shop Small Weekend Nov. 27-29; see our Winter Village ice skating page. Holiday shopping events, including the Caite and Kyla Holiday Sip and Shop on Nov. 19, are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping guide. Running a holiday market or a neighborhood light display? Send the details through our contact page.
What this means for you
- Christmas Town starts Nov. 13, weeks before most other displays.
- At ZooTampa, members and Zoo Fun ticket holders get in free with no reservation; everyone else buys the after-4 p.m. ticket.
- City offices are closed Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25, per the city holiday calendar.
More: Christmas parade and tree lighting, the Nutcracker in Tampa, New Year’s Eve in Tampa and things to do this month.
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas in the Wild at ZooTampa in 2026?
Member-only nights are Nov. 27-28. Public nights are Dec. 4-6, 11-13 and 18-23 from 4 to 10 p.m., and Dec. 26-30 from 4 to 9 p.m. It is included with a ZooTampa membership or Zoo Fun ticket, or with an after-4 p.m. event ticket.
When does Christmas Town open at Busch Gardens?
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay runs Christmas Town on select dates from Nov. 13, 2026, to Jan. 4, 2027, from park open to park close. It is included with park admission.
When is the Hyde Park Village tree lighting?
At 7:45 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, during Holiday Happening, 5:30 to 8 p.m., with live music, a Tampa City Ballet performance and Santa.
When is Hanukkah in 2026?
Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, and ends at nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026. We list public menorah lightings in Tampa once the organizers publish them.
When is the Tampa Riverwalk tree lighting?
The 2026 Riverwalk tree lighting date is not out yet; in 2025 it was Nov. 30. The city’s official tree lighting is at Santa Fest in Curtis Hixon Park at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, after a 1 p.m. parade. Both are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.
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