1. Tree time.
Visit fine firs across the county, including Downtown at the Gardens, Worth Avenue, Mizner Park, and even a 100-foot tree in Delray Beach.For something different, check out Sandiat the West Palm Beach Waterfront,or head over to The Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach. Last year, The Royal crafted a tree out of surfboards. For 2018, artist Donald Robertson has re-imagined the tree and plaza decor.
2. Menorah lightings.
Those celebrating Chanukah should mosey down to Old School Square in Delray Beach
December 2 for a lighting ceremony. CityPlace will present a Chanukah Family Festival on December 5, and Temple Beth El of Boca Raton will host Chanukah Under the Stars at Mizner Park Amphitheater December 7.
3. Holiday parades.
Take your merriment to the streets with local holiday parades. The City of Boca Raton will mount its forty-eighth annual procession on December 5, and Delray Beach follows suit December 8.
4. Holiday boat parade.
This is Florida, after all, so we must add waterto our celebrations. Attend the Palm Beach Boat Parade December 1, the Boynton Beach and Delray Beach Boat Parade December 14, and the Boca Holiday Boat Parade December 22.
5. Flagler holiday evening tours.
The Flagler Museum will mount a tree lighting and lecture on the holiday writings of Charles Dickens and Mark Twain December 2. Return the evenings of December 19-23 for special tours of Whitehall, complete with a caroling reception and insight into the genesis of American Christmas traditions.
6. Snow at CityPlace.
Those dreaming of a white Christmas can experience the next best thing with CityPlace’s snowfalls, happening nightly through December 31.Make a point to come on Mondays when a concert follows the 6 p.m. flurries.
7. Carols.
Our favorite caroling tradition, Carols by Candlelight, arrives at the Old School Square Pavilion December 1. The concert will feature an array of performers and audience candle lighting.
8. Garden of Lights.
See Mounts Botanical Garden illuminated with thousands of twinkling lights during the Garden of Lights festivities, taking place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. through December 30.
9. Holiday concerts.
Gingerbread, tubas, and hula—oh my! These concerts will get you in the yuletide mood: Florida Atlantic University Tuba Christmas, Mizner Park Amphitheater, December 9; Lynn University Gingerbread Holiday Concert,Boca Raton Resort & Club, December 9; Aloha Islanders Tropical Holiday Spectacular, West Palm Beach Waterfront, December 16; and Christmas Cheer at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, December 18.
10. Nutcracker performances.
Nothing says Christmas like The Nutcracker. Ballet Palm Beach will dance this classic ballet at the Kravis Center November 30 to December 1 and The King’sAcademy in West Palm Beach December 13-16. Miami City Ballet picks up The Nutcracker baton with performances scheduled for December 28-30 at the Kravis Center.
11. Kwanzaa Celebration.
The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach will present its annual Kwanzaa Celebration December 29.This family-friendly event asks attendees to bring food, fruit, and gifts as a way to honor the values and community philosophy inherent in ancient African cultures.
12. New Year’s Eve.
Before you watch the Coconuts’ annual fireworks display over the Intracoastal, ring in 2019 a little early. Both the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium and the Palm Beach Zoo will host Noon Year’s Eve parties perfect for families with young kids who can’t quite make it to midnight.
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