The City of Tallahassee December Events
The City of Tallahassee is spreading festive cheer all December long with beautiful light displays and a joyful lineup of popular events, including Winter Festival, Holiday Stroll, Santa Calling, Elf Night, Cookies with Santa and Soul Santa.
Source: Brian McGowan
Winter Festival - a Celebration of Lights, Music, and the Arts
The Festival begins on Saturday, December 7 from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. There will be food vendors, arts and crafts merchants, lights, a children’s activity area, live entertainment, and music. There will be a nighttime parade on Monroe Street starting at 7:15 PM.
Jingle Bell Run
The Jingle Bell Run will be on December 7. Sign up through December 6 online or onsite on December 7.
Candy Cane Lane
Candy Cane Lane in McCarty Park opens at the Winter Festival on December 7 from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Candy Cane Lane will also be open nightly from 6:00 to 9:00 PM from December 8 until December 12. Then from 6:00 to 11:00 PM on December 13 and 14 McCarty Park is located within the Chain of Parks along Park Avenue downtown.
Santa Calling
Starting Thursday, December 12, Santa will call the kids! Parents/Guardians need to register starting December 02.
Holiday Stroll through Cascades Park
On Sunday, December 15, take a stroll through Cascades Park (1001 South Gadsden Street) starting at 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM. There will be choruses, carlers, and instruments as the walk progresses.
Hot Cocoa will be available while supplies last.
Image: Sixteen Miles Out
Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park
The official Holiday Lights party of the City of Tallahassee is on Thursday, December 19 from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and many of their elves will make an appearance for photos, hot cocoa, cookies, and a stroll amongst the 150,000 lights.
If you’d like to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, check in on the front lawn. Otherwise, stroll the park and enjoy the lights.
There will be no vehicles allowed to drive through the park on this night. Public parking will be at Thomasville Road Baptist Church next door to Dorothy B. Oven Park. Any motorists traveling on Thomasville Road at this time are asked to slow down at the entrance/exit area. There will be delays due to the heavy holiday traffic.
Dorothy B. Oven Park is located at 3205 Thomasville Road. The lights will remain until January 1st. For more information about Elf Night and the holiday light display at Dorothy B. Oven Park, call the special holiday hotline at 850-891-3555.
Image: Samuel Holt
Cookies with Santa
On Friday, December 20, Santa will be at the Jack McLean Community Center (700 Paul Russell Road) from 6:00 - 8:30 PM. There will be free cookies and hot cocoa, a holiday movie, and photos/letters with Santa. For more information, call the Jack McLean Community Center at 850-891-2505.
Soul Santa Events
On Saturday, December 21, Soul Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at the Walker-Ford Community Center from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Then Soul Santa and Mrs. Claus will go to the LeVerne Payne Community Center from 2:30 PM - 6:00 PM.
Registration (scroll to the appropriate section) is required as there will be gifts for kids. The Walker-Ford Community Center is located at 2301 Pasco Street, and the LeVerne Payne Community Center is located at 450 W. Fourth Avenue. For more information, contact Walker-Ford Community Center at 850-891-3970 or LeVerne Payne Community Center at 850-891-3930.