Christmas on Las Olas 2026 is 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1: real snow, a free ice rink, Santa and three stages. Plus Light Up the Beach and lights cruises.
Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates and times come from each organizer’s own page, linked below. City events line: 954-828-8000.
The Winterfest Boat Parade (Saturday, Dec. 12) and the city’s tree lightings have their own page: see our Christmas parade and tree lighting guide. This page covers the light displays, Santa visits, holiday markets and menorah lightings around them.
Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, 2026. The season at a glance:
| Date | Event | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Thursday, Nov. 5 | Light Up Lauderdale (10 weeks) | Evenings | New River, downtown |
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Light Up the Beach | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Las Olas Oceanside Park |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | Winterfest Family Fun Day, with Santa | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Esplanade Park |
| Tuesday, Dec. 1 | Christmas on Las Olas | 5 to 10 p.m. | Las Olas Boulevard |
| Dec. 4 to Jan. 3 | Holiday Lights Cruises | 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., select dates | Water Taxi Stop 1 |
| Dec. 3, 5 and 10 | Holiday Magic | Evenings | Bonnet House |
| Sunday, Dec. 6 | Menorah Lighting Celebration | 6 p.m. | Las Olas Oceanside Park |
| Dec. 16-20 | Victorian Christmas Tours | 5 to 8 p.m. | Stranahan House |
Who to call
- City holiday events: City of Fort Lauderdale, 954-828-8000
- Victorian Christmas tours: Stranahan House, 954-524-4736
- Emergency: 911
Light displays
Light Up the Beach, Thursday, Nov. 19, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The city switches on more than 50,000 holiday lights along the beachfront and brings back “Olas,” its 20-foot beach snowman at A1A and Las Olas Boulevard. The Fort Lauderdale Symphonic Winds play, and there is a kids zone with Santa, inflatables and slides at Las Olas Oceanside Park, 3000 E. Las Olas Blvd. Free. Details: Light Up the Beach.
Light Up Lauderdale, from Thursday, Nov. 5. Ten weeks of holiday lights along the New River downtown, opening with a “Get Lit” night at Esplanade Park. The full schedule, and the neighborhood lightings at the Galt, Sistrunk and Carter Park, are in our Christmas parade and tree lighting guide.
Holiday Fantasy of Lights, Nov. 21 to Jan. 2. Broward County’s big drive-thru light show runs nightly, 6 to 10 p.m., at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek. Early-bird tickets are $20 a car online and $34 at the gate, and there are walking and biking nights on Nov. 13 and 15. Details on our Holiday Fantasy of Lights page.
Holiday Lights Cruises, Dec. 4 to Jan. 3. Water Taxi runs 90-minute cruises with live music on the lit-up waterways, at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. on select dates. Boats leave from Stop 1, between Stranahan House and the Riverside Hotel, 335 SE 6th Ave. There are no cruises on Dec. 12 (the boat parade), Dec. 24 or Dec. 25. Tickets are sold online, and the price rises on Nov. 1. Water Taxi points to the 620 E. Las Olas Blvd. garage and street meters for parking. Details: Holiday Lights Cruises.
Santa visits
- Light Up the Beach, Thursday, Nov. 19: kids zone with Santa, free.
- Winterfest Family Fun Day, Sunday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: photos with Santa, crafts, pet rescue row, an ocean conservation village, live music from the School of Rock and free boat rides at Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd St. Free. See the city’s listing.
- Christmas on Las Olas, Tuesday, Dec. 1: Santa’s Village, with family photos.
- Cookies with Santa at Stranahan House: the museum held it on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and says registration for the next one is opening soon; the 2026 date is not out yet. Space is limited. Watch the Cookies with Santa page.
Christmas on Las Olas
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 5 to 10 p.m. The Las Olas Association’s 64th annual street festival on Las Olas Boulevard, between SE 6th and SE 11th avenues, is free. It has a holiday marketplace of more than 60 vendors, performances by more than 30 local schools and groups, Santa’s Village, Snow Mountain (real snow, with sleds), a free ice skating rink with skate rentals and an appearance by Stanley, the Florida Panthers’ mascot. Details: Christmas on Las Olas.
Christmas on Las Olas 2026: before you go
From the Las Olas Association’s event page:
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| When | Tuesday, Dec. 1, 5 to 10 p.m.; one night only |
| Where | Las Olas Boulevard, SE Sixth Avenue to SE 11th Avenue |
| Stages | SE Sixth Avenue, SE Eighth Avenue and SE 10th Terrace, 5 to 10 p.m. |
| Cost | Free; skate rentals at the rink, and food and market items, cost extra |
| Getting there | The organizer suggests the Water Taxi or the Ride Circuit; lot and valet options are on its parking page |
- Snow Mountain has real snow and sleds. A Snow Mountain Tickets booth is on the vendor list; ask there whether the sled run needs a ticket.
- Santa’s Village has family photos with Santa; the Good Times Roll Bus is another photo stop.
- Restaurants and “Elf Pubs” serve holiday treats along the street, and some vendors and sponsors hold raffles.
- Businesses that want a booth can apply through the “Exhibit at Christmas on Las Olas” link on the event page.
Historic house at Christmas
Victorian Christmas Tours, Dec. 16-20, 5 to 8 p.m. The Historic Stranahan House Museum, the city’s oldest surviving home, opens for evening walkthroughs decorated for Christmas. Tours last about 40 minutes and start every 10 minutes for groups of six or fewer, with docents and carols played on the house’s 1900s piano. Book ahead; larger groups call 954-524-4736. Details: Victorian Christmas Tours.
Holiday Magic at Bonnet House, Dec. 3, 5 and 10. The 9th annual fundraiser lights up the historic estate at 900 N. Birch Road for three evenings: Concerts on the Veranda on Thursday, Dec. 3; Whimsical Wonderland, a family evening, on Saturday, Dec. 5; and a holiday choir on Thursday, Dec. 10. Each night has live music, the house decorated with lit trees, wreaths and centerpieces, and seasonal food by Sidecar Catering. The decorations are for sale through Sunday, Dec. 27, with all proceeds going to Bonnet House. Details: Holiday Magic.
Menorah lighting
Menorah Lighting Celebration, Sunday, Dec. 6, 6 p.m. The city marks the third night of Hanukkah at Las Olas Oceanside Park, 3000 E. Las Olas Blvd., with the menorah lighting, music and traditional treats. Free. Details: Menorah Lighting Celebration.
Synagogues and Jewish community groups holding a public lighting can send the details through our contact page.
Holiday trees and trash
After Christmas, live trees go out at the curb on your yard waste day. Last season the city ran that free service Jan. 1-20; take off all ornaments, lights and tinsel. Christmas Day is the one holiday with no city trash pickup. More in our trash and recycling guide.
Also this season
- Christmas parade and tree lighting
- The Nutcracker and holiday shows
- Black Friday and holiday shopping
- New Year’s Eve
- Things to do this month
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see Christmas lights in Fort Lauderdale?
Light Up the Beach switches on more than 50,000 lights along the beachfront Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, and Light Up Lauderdale lights the New River for 10 weeks from Nov. 5. Water Taxi runs holiday lights cruises on the waterways from Dec. 4 to Jan. 3.
Where can kids see Santa in Fort Lauderdale?
Santa visits the city’s Light Up the Beach on Nov. 19, Winterfest Family Fun Day at Esplanade Park on Nov. 22 and Christmas on Las Olas, which has a Santa’s Village, on Dec. 1. All three are free.
When is the menorah lighting in Fort Lauderdale?
The city’s Menorah Lighting Celebration, for the third night of Hanukkah, is at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, at Las Olas Oceanside Park, 3000 E. Las Olas Blvd. It is free.
Is Christmas on Las Olas free?
Yes. The Las Olas Association calls it a free, family-friendly event, and the ice rink is free, with skate rentals. Food, drinks and marketplace items are sold by vendors.
Where are the stages at Christmas on Las Olas?
Three stages, at SE Sixth Avenue, SE Eighth Avenue and SE 10th Terrace, with performances by more than 30 local schools and groups from 5 to 10 p.m.
When is Christmas on Las Olas 2026?
The 64th Christmas on Las Olas is 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, on Las Olas Boulevard between SE 6th and SE 11th avenues, with snow, an ice rink, Santa and a holiday market.
When are the Stranahan House Victorian Christmas tours?
Stranahan House runs Victorian Christmas walkthroughs from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 16-20, 2026, at 335 SE 6th Ave. Tours last about 40 minutes and are booked ahead.
Have your say