Jun27🤝 Community
🤝 Community
Tampa's Santa Fest & Tree Lighting
Date
Saturday, Dec 5, 2026
Location
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
600 N Ashley Dr, Tampa, FL 33602
600 N Ashley Dr, Tampa, FL 33602
Organized by
Friends of Tampa Recreation with the City of Tampa Office of Special Events
About this happenin
Santa takes downtown Tampa on the first Saturday of December, with a free parade at 1 p.m. and an afternoon in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park that ends with the mayor lighting seven Christmas trees. Marching bands, dance teams and floats run the route while the park fills with make-n-take crafts, reindeer games, vendors and free photos with Santa. The trees come on at 6, and by 6:45 the lawn has turned into an outdoor cinema for a family holiday movie. Know before you go: the parade steps off at 1 p.m. from Morgan and Madison, runs west on Madison to Ashley Drive and north to Cass, and the city points to Madison Street as the best viewing stretch. Santa Fest runs 1 to 5 p.m. in the park, tree lighting is 6 to 6:30, and the movie starts at 6:45. Admission is free. Blankets, low-back chairs and leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome, and food and drink are sold on site. Parking is in nearby downtown garages and surface lots.
