Christmas in Palm Coast means parades, a lot of lights, Santa arriving by fire engine (and sometimes by parachute) and 70-degree afternoons. Here are the 10 things I'd put on your list for the 2026 season. I checked each one against the city or the organizer's own page, and where a 2026 date isn't posted yet, I tell you when it usually happens and where to look.
1. Fantasy Lights Festival and the Tree Lighting (November 28 to December 30)
The Rotary Club of Flagler County's Fantasy Lights Festival at Central Park is the Palm Coast holiday tradition, and 2026 is its 21st year. It opens with the city's Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 28, at 6:00 PM, when Santa shows up on a Palm Coast fire engine. The city lists food trucks, Santa's Village, a Letters to Santa station, kids' crafts and photos with Santa that night.
After that, the lights are on nightly through December 30, 6:30 to 9:00 PM. Last season there were 57 animated displays around the lake, Santa's Village and Santa's Merry Train Ride. Admission is by donation, and the money goes to Rotary's local charities and scholarships for Flagler County high school seniors.
Rotary member Bill Butler started the festival in 2006 to honor his daughter Tiffany, who dreamed of a light show like one her family saw in Indiana.
Holiday Market: In past years the city and Rotary have held a Holiday Market at Central Park on a December Saturday during Fantasy Lights (December 7 in 2024, December 20 in 2025). The 2026 date hasn't been posted yet, so check the city's events calendar in November.
2. Holiday Boat Parade (Saturday, December 5)
The 43rd annual Holiday Boat Parade starts at 6:00 PM on the Intracoastal and runs from the North Cut Canal to the Grand Haven gazebo. Boats of every size get covered in lights. The city's 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. Get there early and bring a blanket.
3. Holiday at the Beach Parade in Flagler Beach (usually the first Saturday in December)
Only in Florida. The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach's Holiday at the Beach Parade traditionally kicks off with Santa parachuting onto the beach, then the floats head down A1A. Last year about 35 to 40 floats signed up. Last year's route ran from North 6th Street to South 6th Street.
It's usually held the first Saturday in December at 1:00 PM. The 2026 date hasn't been announced yet, so watch the City of Flagler Beach and Flagler Beach Rotary pages in November. There's no rain date. Last year fog and rain cancelled it, and Santa met kids at City Hall instead.
Make a day of it: park early, bring beach chairs and grab lunch at one of the oceanfront spots. The pier is still closed while it's rebuilt, and the city expects it to be finished in early 2027.
4. Starlight Parade in Town Center (Saturday, December 12)
The Starlight Parade steps off at 6:00 PM in Town Center with lit-up floats. Last year 64 floats signed up. Things start 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 and walk Fantasy Lights.
No rain date here either. Rain cancelled last year's parade, so check the city's Facebook page that afternoon.
5. Holiday in the Gardens at Washington Oaks (Saturday, December 12)
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park holds Holiday in the Gardens on Saturday, December 12, from 10 AM to 3 PM. Expect arts and crafts vendors, food trucks, a kids' section, plants for sale and the gift shop. The park runs a toy and food drive that day, so bring a new toy or canned goods.
The park covers 425 acres between the Matanzas River and the ocean, with 20 acres of formal gardens known for camellias and azaleas and one of the largest coquina rock outcroppings on the Atlantic coast.
Cost: $5 per vehicle for up to 8 people (have cash ready)
Location: 6400 N. Oceanshore Blvd., Palm Coast
6. Christmas in Bunnell (Friday, December 11)
The City of Bunnell lists Bunnell Christmas 2026 on Friday, December 11, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at JB King Park, 300 Citrus St. It's free. Last year's event had a carnival area, Florida "snow," an obstacle course, Christmas characters, free s'mores, a Christmas passport game and music, plus food trucks (you pay for the food).
It's about 20 minutes from Palm Coast and has an old-school small-town feel. You'll run into half the county.
7. European Winter Market at European Village (Thursday, December 17)
European Village on Palm Harbor Parkway hosts the European Winter Market from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, the last of Vincent's Clubhouse's 2026 Thursday Twilight Markets. Look for local vendors and artisans, handmade gifts, live music, warm drinks and holiday lights through the village. It's free, and it benefits Vincent's Clubhouse, which serves people with autism and related disabilities.
8. Marineland Dolphin Adventure (open Wednesday through Sunday)
Family in town? Marineland has been on A1A since 1938. General admission is $20.25, kids under 4 are free, and it includes daily aquarium tours, a dolphin training demonstration, a shark and ray talk and feeding, and a sea turtle talk. Paid dolphin programs, booked separately, get you closer, and they include general admission.
Marineland lists hours as Wednesday through Sunday, 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, with the last ticket sold at 2:00 PM. Hours change by season, so call (407) 563-4701 before you go, especially near Christmas. Pair it with a drive down A1A and lunch by the ocean.
9. Ho Ho Joes Light Show
Palm Coast homeowners go all out, and Ho Ho Joes at 100 Belleaire Drive in the B Section is the one the owners open to the public. Tune your car radio to 88.1 FM and the lights dance to the music. They're running a Halloween show right now, and in September they posted that a new Christmas sequence was ready. Show nights go up on their Facebook page. Drive slowly and don't block driveways.
For more on Fantasy Lights, Ho Ho Joes and the parades, see my guide to Palm Coast's best holiday light displays.
10. Day trips: Nights of Lights and Ormond Beach's parade
St. Augustine's Nights of Lights, about 40 minutes north, runs November 21, 2026, through January 18, 2027, with more than three million white lights. Light-Up Night is Saturday, November 21, with entertainment from 4:00 PM and the lighting ceremony at 6:30 PM at the Plaza de la Constitución. Use the city's free Park and Ride shuttle, and go Monday through Thursday if you can.
To the south, Ormond Beach's 35th annual HOme for the HOlidays Nighttime Parade is Saturday, December 12, with the tree lighting at City Hall at 6:00 PM and the parade at 6:30 PM along Granada Boulevard to Beach Street. It's the same night as the Starlight Parade, so pick one.
The 2026 dates at a glance
- Nov. 21 to Jan. 18, 2027: Nights of Lights, St. Augustine (Light-Up Night Nov. 21)
- Sat., Nov. 28: Tree Lighting, 6 PM; Fantasy Lights opens
- Nov. 28 to Dec. 30: Fantasy Lights nightly, 6:30 to 9 PM
- Sat., Dec. 5: Holiday Boat Parade, 6 PM
- Fri., Dec. 11: Bunnell Christmas, 5 to 9 PM
- Sat., Dec. 12: Holiday in the Gardens, 10 AM to 3 PM; Starlight Parade, 6 PM; Ormond Beach parade, 6:30 PM
- Thu., Dec. 17: European Winter Market, 6 to 9 PM
- Not posted yet: Flagler Beach's Holiday at the Beach Parade (usually the first Saturday in December) and the Palm Coast Holiday Market (a December Saturday in past years)
Check the City of Palm Coast events calendar, the City of Flagler Beach calendar and Visit Flagler for updates. For the rest of the year, see my things to do in Palm Coast page.
The holidays are a good time to see how Palm Coast feels with the whole family in town. If you're thinking about making it home, I'll show you the neighborhoods and homes that fit. Call or text me at (386) 627-3612, or book a time with me.
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About the Author
David Stanley is a Broker Associate with CENTURY 21 Fine Homes & Estates Realty Exchange and has lived in North Florida for 23 years. A former Flagler Beach Ocean Rescue lifeguard and firefighter, he has closed over $60 million in Palm Coast-area sales.
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