Tallahassee Winter Festival 2024 in Florida

For over 30 years, the annual Winter Festival has been the premier holiday event in Tallahassee. Celebrating lights, music, and the arts, this festive gathering takes place in downtown Tallahassee on a Saturday in early December. The Winter Festival showcases an arts and crafts fair, diverse food vendors, and stunning holiday displays, including the beloved Candy Cane Lane in McCarty Park.

Schedule of the Winterfest

The Tallahassee Winter Festival invites visitors to stroll down Candy Cane Lane, enjoying the enchanting sights and sounds of the Christmas season. This festive attraction opens to the public on Saturday, December 7, from 3 to 10 pm and will be available nightly through December 15, operating from 6 to 9 p.m. Join us at McCarty Park for a leisurely walk filled with holiday cheer!

Events & Activities

Visitors can immerse themselves in a festive atmosphere featuring delicious food vendors, unique arts and crafts merchants, and sparkling holiday displays, including Candy Cane Lane in McCarty Park. Kleman Plaza offers a children's activity area with crafts and family-friendly holiday movies, screened from 6 to 10 p.m. Downtown will come alive with four stages of live entertainment, showcasing local bands, actors, and dancers. Notably, the stage in Cascades Park will host the annual Holiday Stroll, featuring holiday tunes and performances by local artists from 6 to 8 p.m. Additionally, guests can enjoy free cocoa and a musical show at Imagination Fountain.

Other events include the 1.53-mile Jingle Bell Run, a family-friendly Fun Run/Walk that takes place on Saturday, December 7, at 6:15 p.m. Preceding the Winter Festival Parade in downtown Tallahassee, the run starts at South Monroe and Park Avenue. Participants are encouraged to register in advance for this exciting event, which promises to be a highlight of the holiday festivities.

Lighting Ceremony & Parade

The highlight of the celebration is the annual Lighting Ceremony, held at 6 pm on the parade announcers' platform at Bloxham Park on South Monroe Street. Following the ceremony, the Capital Health Plan Jingle Bell Run kicks off at 6:15 pm, leading into the Nighttime Holiday Parade, which begins at 7:15 pm on Monroe Street.