The holiday season brings festivity and fun, with celebrations marking Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa taking place across the country. It is a time of year when many choose to travel, seeking out new destinations with families while they enjoy time off from work. Traveling to a place with a festive atmosphere and holiday spirit makes for an excellent family vacation, and several options in the Tampa Bay area fit the bill.
The Tampa Bay area is the perfect setting for a holiday getaway, with family-friendly seasonal events, gorgeous weather, and many appealing locales to explore. Let’s discover some of the most festive towns and cities in the Tampa Bay area to enjoy this holiday season.
Tampa
Tampa is a Gulf Coast city along Tampa Bay. It is one of Florida’s cultural and commercial hubs and a major city with so much to enjoy on a holiday. Tampa has historic neighborhoods, intriguing museums, and a thriving food scene. Visiting Tampa any time of the year will be exciting, but the city really comes to life during the holidays.
In Downtown Tampa, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is transformed into the Winter Village. This winter wonderland along the waterfront has an artificial ice-skating rink, seasonal decorations, and a holiday train ride that serves milk and cookies. At the Tampa Riverwalk, you can enjoy the annual Holiday Lighted Boat Parade. This features a massive number of boats decorated in bright holiday lights drifting through the water together, making for an incredible sight. You can enjoy the Tampa Festival of Lights at the Hillsborough Fairground too, which has incredible light displays representing the season’s three main holidays.
Sarasota
Sarasota is a picturesque city south of Tampa with white sand beaches and a vibrant local culture. It is famed for its arts scene, which includes top-notch galleries and museums like the world-renowned John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. With a gorgeous setting along the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota provides a scenic backdrop for an inspiring and festive family getaway.
Sarasota has fun holiday traditions that contribute to it being one of the most festive towns in the area. Lights in Bloom at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a must-see holiday light show. It features more than two million lights decorating all 15 acres of the scenic garden, creating a holiday spectacle to remember. At University Town Center, you can stroll through a busy shopping district immersed in more than four million holiday lights.
St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is known as Sunshine City; its gorgeous year-round weather makes it a hotspot for vacationers seeking to beat the cold. It is a scenic city on the Gulf Coast famed for its awesome golfing and boating opportunities and the top-notch museums found throughout. Visiting St. Petersburg during the holiday season is a great way to unwind in the sun while immersing yourself in the holiday spirit.
The world’s largest holiday-themed light event is held in St. Petersburg. Enchant, presented by Hallmark Channel, is a family-friendly, festive occasion that is a feast for the eyes. There is a 100-foot-tall holiday tree, a massive light maze featuring more than four million lights, an artificial ice-skating trail, and a holiday marketplace with gifts and treats. This huge event helps make St. Petersburg a significant holiday destination.
