Palm Coast's Best Holiday Light Displays: 2026 Guide

Here's where I'd take you to see Christmas lights around Palm Coast this season, with the 2026 dates the city and the organizers have already posted. Where a date isn't out yet, I say so and tell you where to check.

Fantasy Lights Festival, Central Park in Town Center

This is the big one. The Rotary Club of Flagler County's 21st annual Fantasy Lights Festival opens with the city's Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 28, and the city lists it nightly through December 30, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM.

Last season there were 57 animated light displays around the lake in Central Park, plus Santa's Village and Santa's Merry Train Ride. Snow machines have run on select nights in past years. Admission is by donation at the gate, and the money goes to Rotary's local charities and college scholarships for Flagler County high school seniors. Rotary has also offered free golf cart rides around the lake for guests who have trouble walking.

The festival goes back to 2006. Rotary member Bill Butler started it to honor his daughter Tiffany, who dreamed of a light show like one her family saw in Indiana. Twenty years later it's the holiday tradition most Palm Coast families plan around.

Tree Lighting Ceremony: Saturday, November 28, 6:00 PM

Santa rolls in on a Palm Coast fire engine, and the City Council and Rotary light the tree to open Fantasy Lights. The city lists food trucks, Santa's Village, a Letters to Santa station, kids' crafts and photos with Santa, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

Parking

Last year the city pointed people to the lots around Central Park, accessible parking on Central Avenue in front of the restrooms, and overflow parking at Flagler Palm Coast High School off Bulldog Drive. Check the city's event page before the busy Saturdays in case anything changes.

Holiday Boat Parade: Saturday, December 5

The 43rd annual Holiday Boat Parade starts at 6:00 PM and runs up the Intracoastal from the North Cut Canal to the Grand Haven gazebo. Everything from small boats to big cruisers gets wrapped in lights. The city's two viewing spots are Waterfront Park, which now has about 100 more parking spaces, and the St. Joe Walkway trailhead under the Hammock Beach Bridge, across from European Village. Bring chairs and a jacket, because it gets cold by the water after dark.

Have a boat? The city says boats of any size, decorated or not, can sign up, and registration is open on the city's website.

Starlight Parade: Saturday, December 12

Lit-up floats roll through Town Center at 6:00 PM. The evening starts at 4:00 PM in Central Park with 17 food trucks, live entertainment and activities, and Santa's Village is open from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. Stay after the parade and walk Fantasy Lights.

One warning: neither the Starlight Parade nor the beach parade has a rain date. Rain called both off last December, so check the city's Facebook page that afternoon.

Ho Ho Joes, 100 Belleaire Drive

Ho Ho Joes is a home light show in Palm Coast's B Section that the owners open to the public and promote on their own website and Facebook page. Park along the street, tune your car radio to 88.1 FM, and the lights move with the music. Their site says the Christmas show uses more than 50,000 pixels and over 30 song sequences, and viewers can pick songs on some nights. Donations go to local charities. In 2022 they gave more than $8,000 to Toys for Tots.

They're running their Halloween show right now, and in September they posted that a new Christmas sequence was ready to go. Show nights and times go up on their Facebook page, so check there before you drive over. Go slow, don't block driveways and keep the street clear for the neighbors.

Neighborhood lights

Plenty of Palm Coast homeowners go all out. The city's Holiday Light Fight contest used to point people to the winners, but it hasn't run in recent years, and I don't publish private home addresses unless the owners invite the public the way Ho Ho Joes does. The local Facebook community groups are the best way to find out which streets are lit up each December. Wherever you go, enjoy it from the car or the sidewalk. These are people's homes.

Nearby: St. Augustine Nights of Lights

About 40 minutes north, St. Augustine's Nights of Lights runs November 21, 2026, through January 18, 2027, with more than three million white lights across the old city. It started in 1993, inspired by the Spanish custom of setting a white candle in the window at Christmas.

Light-Up Night is Saturday, November 21. Live entertainment starts at 4:00 PM, and the lighting ceremony is at 6:30 PM at the Plaza de la Constitución. The lights are free and best seen on foot. The city recommends its free Park and Ride shuttle from lots outside the historic district and says Monday through Thursday has less traffic.

Nearby: Ormond Beach's nighttime parade

Ormond Beach holds its 35th annual HOme for the HOlidays Nighttime Parade on Saturday, December 12. The tree lighting at City Hall is at 6:00 PM and the parade starts at 6:30 PM, running from Division Avenue to U.S. 1, then down Granada Boulevard to Beach Street. It's the same night as the Starlight Parade, so you'll have to pick one.

European Village Winter Market: Thursday, December 17

European Village on Palm Harbor Parkway hosts the European Winter Market from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, with holiday lights and decorations through the village, local vendors and live music. It's free and benefits Vincent's Clubhouse. Pair it with a walk under the Hammock Beach Bridge on the St. Joe Walkway.

2026 holiday lights calendar

Tips from a local

• Fantasy Lights is calmer on weeknights than on parade Saturdays.
• Bring cash for the Fantasy Lights donation.
• Check Ho Ho Joes' Facebook page for show nights before you go.
• Do Nights of Lights on a weeknight and use the free shuttle.

For updates, watch the City of Palm Coast events calendar and the Rotary Club of Flagler County. For parades, markets and more, see my top 10 things to do in Palm Coast for the holidays and my things to do in Palm Coast page.

Driving around to see the lights is also a good way to see Palm Coast's neighborhoods after dark. If you're thinking about a move here, I'll show you the areas and homes that fit what you want. Call or text me at (386) 627-3612, or book a time with me.