What's Up In Florida
December 2024 / January 2025
DECEMBER 2024
ART BASEL – Art Basel Miami Beach, North America’s largest and most prestigious international contemporary art fair, is returning to the Miami Beach Convention Center in South Beach. Since its inception in 2002, Art Basel Miami Beach has routinely drawn more than 80,000 visitors annually, from art dealers to artists, collectors and art aficionados. It has become the splashiest cultural event of the Greater Miami & Miami Beach social calendar, with parties and events galore attended by celebrities and tastemakers. This year, over 285 galleries from 38 countries will showcase works by thousands of emerging, mid-career, established and blue chip artists.
When: Dec. 6, 2024 - Dec. 8, 2024
Where: Miami Beach Convention Center
Web: https://www.miamiandbeaches.com/event/art-basel-miami-beach/49
SURFING SANTAS – What started out as a small, family day in Cocoa Beach has turned into a global phenomenon. People from all over congregate on Christmas Eve in Cocoa Beach to celebrate the holidays with Santa, friends and family. Whether you surf or you’re looking to join in the holiday spirit, there’s no other beach having this much fun on Christmas Eve!
When: Dec. 24, 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: 3 Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach
Web: https://surfingsantas.org/
FLORIDA ORCHESTRA – The greatest holiday tradition in Tampa Bay! There’s no place like The Florida Orchestra for all your classic favorites, performed by your world-class TFO musicians. It’s a jolly good time for the whole family. Chelsea Gallo conducts.
When: Dec. 20 - 22
Where: St. Petersburg
Web: https://floridaorchestra.org/event/2425-pop4-holiday/
WINTERFEST BOAT PARADE – The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade is the “Best Show on H2O” and the traditional kickoff to the South Florida Holiday Season. Bringing together our community and visitors from around the world, this one-of-a-kind parade of beautifully decorated boats of all sizes is a can’t miss extravaganza. With over a million viewers along the 12 mile parade route and an economic impact to Broward County of over $50 million, the parade where the floats really float is a Fort Lauderdale institution.
When: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024
Where: Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park
Web: https://winterfestparade.com/
PALM BEACH FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL – Experience the Best of the Palm Beach Culinary Scene - have a gastronomic experience like no other at the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival. From casual bites to luxurious 5-course dinners, this four-day festival is foodie paradise heaven!
When: Dec. 12 - 15
Where: Palm Beach
Web: https://www.pbfoodwinefest.com/
NIGHTS OF LIGHTS – The 30th Annual Nights of Lights dazzles with more than three million lights adorning every corner of the historic district for two months. This award-winning holiday lights display runs from Saturday, November 23, 2024, to January 26, 2025, in historic St. Augustine. During the seasonal display, businesses downtown stay open later, letting you dine with a view of the lights and browse the shops in the decorated buildings. The trains and trolleys offer special seasonal tours that take you through the most lit up areas, and there are also a variety of specialty tours — everything from walking to electric cart tours, and even tours to see the lights from the water and from the air.
When: Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, to Jan. 26, 2025
Where: St. Augustine
Web: https://www.visitstaugustine.com/event/nights-lights
ASIAN LANTERN FESTIVAL – One of Orlando’s most enchanting holiday traditions is back for another year of magic at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens! The dazzling displays of Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild will return on select nights from November 15, 2024, to January 19, 2025. Central Florida’s well-known grocery store, Publix, will also return as the festival’s presenting sponsor. And in the Year of the Dragon, the popular dragon lantern will make its return to the festival!
When: Select nights Nov. 15, 2024, to Jan. 19, 2025
Where: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Web: https://www.historicdowntownsanford.com/asian-lantern-festival-2024/
MAYHEM RANCH WINTER FESTIVAL – Mayhem Ranch is a 170 acre family-owned agritourism farm located in Morriston, Fla., and has over 50 different species of animals. We specialize in raising Miniature Cattle and exotic hoof stock. In the winter months, we host Santa’s reindeer and bring magic to thousands of children.
When: Nov. 25 – Dec. 24, 2023
Where: 17830 SE 40th St, Morriston, 32668
Web: https://mayhemranchfl.com/event/annual-mayhem-ranch-winter-festival/
PALATKA PORCH FEST – Come Enjoy Live Music, Food, and Drink with Family & Friends. Palatka Porchfest is a free event and designed to bring our community together, enhance our culture, and contribute to our image & revitalization.
When: Dec. 7, 2024
Where: Downtown Palatka
Web: https://palatkaporchfest.com/
NYE BEACH BALL DROP – Celebrate New Year's Eve on the beach! A family-friendly countdown at 8 p.m. culminates with fireworks, live music and 10,000 beach balls being dropped over the crowd. As the seconds tick down to midnight, thousands watch the Celebration Tower as a glowing beach ball descends to signify the start of a New Year and kicks off a second round of fireworks!
When: Dec. 31
Where: Panama City Beach
Web: https://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/events/holiday-events/new-years-eve/
JANUARY 2025
30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL — The annual salute to singer/songwriters features more than 125 artists and 200 performances in 25 music venues that boast either intimate settings or large concert stages. The event headliners always includes a who’s who from the music industry repping different decades and genres performing on the main stage at the outdoor amphitheater. The 2025 headliners include Melissa Etheridge, Amos Lee, The Jayhawks, The Devon Allman Project, Secret Sisters and Maggie Rose.
When: Jan. 16-20
Where: South Walton
Web: https://30asongwritersfestival.com
SPACE COAST BIRDING & WILDLIFE FESTIVAL – Meet some of the nation’s top scientists, biologists, photographers, ornithologists, naturalists, artists and authors as they honor Florida’s natural habitat and spotlight the state’s most fascinating birds and animals. The festival takes place along the Space Coast, home to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore and Kennedy Space Center, an area known for being among the country’s best birding locations due to its convergence of both temperate and subtropical zones. Embark on kayaking tours and field trips, get photography tips from the experts, attend workshops and visit more than 50 Expo Center exhibitors to learn more about this critical segment of Florida’s ecosystem.
When: Jan. 22-26
Where: Cape Canaveral
Web: https://scbwa.net/
OYSTER COOK-OFF — Apalachicola’s annual salute to its local oyster harvest features an old-school cooking competition. Even though Gordon Ramsey won’t be onsite to “encourage the contestants or sample the finished dishes, they'll still feel the heat because there are actually rules. Cheftestants only have two hours and must bring their own ingredients, utensils and cookware as well as a heat source. Regarding the dish, fresh oysters must be featured prominently. Festival attendees will also enjoy fresh shrimp, smoked mullet, grilled hot dogs, hamburgers and more. If you think you have a winning recipe that will make others swoon, submit the name of your dish by January 5 for the Oyster Cook-Off. Also includes a silent auction, live music, dance performances, kids activities, live music and the Half Shell Hustle, a 5K fun run that starts the day.
When: Jan. 18
Where: Apalachicola Riverfront Park
Web: http://www.oystercookoff.com
HOGGETOWNE MEDIEVAL FAIRE – The City of Gainesville is bringing back medieval merriment, lively competitions and ceremonial entertainment for a 38th year, this time packing it all into one weekend for a special “Hoggetowne Goes Downtown” event. Enjoy six stages of continuous performances by jugglers, jesters and magicians, munch on giant turkey legs and watch a living chess match unfold. Children visiting the King and Queen at the Royal Pavilion will be made lords and ladies, dragon slayers and damsels of the royal court, and they’ll have plenty of room to run around at the Depot Park playground. Admission is free and there will be plenty of parking options to access via trams and shuttles.
When: Jan. 25-26
Where: Depot Park, Gainesville
Web: https://www.hoggetownemedfaire.com/
IMAGES: A FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS – Every year for nearly five decades, art enthusiasts, tourists and families have flocked to this free outdoor art fest featuring the original works of more than 200 painters, sculptors, photographers, woodworkers, glassblowers and other talented creators from around the state and country. The event also has lots of gourmet food trucks, live music, art project stations for the kids and an exhibit of student artwork. Stroll through the park, buy some artwork and enjoy the cooler weather in beautiful New Smyrna Beach.
When: Jan. 24-26
Where: New Smyrna Beach
Web: https://imagesartfestival.org/
GASPARILLA CHILDREN’S PARADE AND PIRATE FEST – Grab your eye patches, captain hats and wench garb and get ready for another pirate invasion for both little ones and grown-ups. Tampa’s historic and famous children’s parade and street fest returns once again, filling Tampa Bay with boats, the street with floats and several miles of revelry in the form of costumed guests, music, strewn beads, fireworks and other fun. The adorable children’s parade is on the 20th followed by the elaborate and wild Pirate Fest downtown and Parade of Pirates down beautiful Bayshore Boulevard on the 25th.
When: Jan. 18 & Jan. 25
Where: Tampa
Web: https://www.gasparillapiratefest.com/
HOMESTEAD CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO – Grab your Stetson hat, put on your western shirt and boots and head over to one of the oldest annual professional sporting events in South Florida. All the exciting competitions are included: bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping and barrel racing. There is also an after-rodeo dinner dance and a Miss Homestead Rodeo competition.
When: Jan. 24-26
Where: Rodeo Arena and other locations in Homestead
Web: homesteadrodeo.com
FORKS & CORKS FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL – Showcasing local, independently owned restaurants throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties, Forks & Corks will celebrate its 18th season with special wine-and-dinner pairings held by 60 “Original Member Restaurants” as well master class wine tastings and other special events at various restaurants and wine shops. The main attraction is on Sunday, Jan. 26, when guests can enjoy delicious dishes prepared by local chefs and live entertainment, all within the iconic courtyard and greenspace of the gorgeous Ringling Museum of Art campus in Sarasota.
When: Jan. 23-27
Where: Various locations in Sarasota and Manatee counties
Web: https://www.eatlikealocal.com/forksandcorks
SOUTH FLORIDA BACON & BRUNCH FEST –Some 20 vendors will be serving special a la carte crispy bacon and brunch-themed dishes at $5 or less. Yes, you read that right: $5 or less! A variety of specialty mimosas will be available all day (Organizers correctly point out that brunch without mimosas is just a sad late breakfast!). There will be live music and lots of fun games, including an axe throwing contest. More details on the games will be announced closer to the event.
When: Jan. 25-26
Where: S. County Regional Park, Boca Raton
Web: battlebrosevents.com/soflobaconbrunchfest
NAPLES SWAMP BUGGY RACES – Naples is a classy town, but it knows how to get downright dirty, too. We’re talking about some serious muck along a one-mile oval famously known as the Mile O’ Mud. The figure-eight track is flooded with water about 18 inches to three feet deep, but there are two places called Sippy holes that can get up to five feet deep. The race categories range from the smaller jeeps to the Pro-Mod buggies that are custom made and can generate up to a thousand horsepower, allowing them to reach speeds of over 80 miles an hour. There’s some fun stuff after the races, too: You can get a close-up look at the buggies and talk to the drivers. Then, the Swamp Buggy Queen and the featured winning driver take a dive into the dirty water. The day before the races, there is a swamp buggy parade, so you can see the vehicles in pristine condition before the action begins.
When: Jan. 25-26 and March 1-2
Where: Florida Sports Park for the races; the parades start at Coastland Center Mall and then go south along Tamiami Trail
Web: swampbuggy.com
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