Central Florida’s holiday-event calendar begins in mid-November, with Orlando-area markets, performances, light displays and Thanksgiving programs scheduled from Nov. 13 onward.
At the Orlando Museum of Art, the 40th annual Festival of Trees runs Nov. 14-22. The event will include more than 50 designer-decorated trees, wreaths, gingerbread displays and holiday vignettes, along with a boutique, café, entertainment and weekend Santa photos. Admission is listed at $17.85 to $26.38. Related ticketed events include the Nov. 13 Opening Night TreeView Party, Breakfast With Santa on select dates Nov. 14-21, a Nov. 14 Ugly Sweater Holiday Party, the Nov. 20 Reindeer Romp and the adults-only Sip & Sleigh Cocktail Party on Nov. 21.
Holiday shopping options include the 4th Annual Ocala Holiday Craft Show, Nov. 13-15 at the World Equestrian Center, with more than 350 artists and crafters; the free Orlando Pottery Festival, Nov. 14-15 at the Florida National Guard Armory, featuring work from more than 60 local artists; and the free Holiday Marketplace at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on Nov. 14-15. Ivanhoe Village Jingle Eve, scheduled for Nov. 21, will bring vendors, food trucks, beer gardens, music and a children’s village to the neighborhood, ending with fireworks over Lake Ivanhoe. Admission is free, while its wine walk is ticketed.
Seasonal stage programming includes A Paper Map Christmas Carol at PaperMap Theater & Co. from Nov. 13 through Dec. 13; Central Florida Ballet’s A Christmas Nutcracker Tale at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 19-20; and A Christmas Story: The Musical! at the Athens Theatre in DeLand from Nov. 20 through Dec. 13. Orlando Family Stage will present A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage from Nov. 23 through Dec. 27.
Harry P. Leu Gardens’ Dazzling Nights is scheduled Nov. 20 through Dec. 31, with illuminated gardens, interactive displays, themed worlds, live music and dance performances. The event also includes a Yeti scavenger hunt; ticket packages include snacks, drinks and shuttle parking.
The calendar also includes cultural and community events. The free Dr. Bernard and Samra Gotlib Hanukkah Festival is set for Nov. 15 at Shalom Orlando, with entertainment, a communal lunch, latkes, children’s activities and vendors. Handel’s Messiah will be performed free that afternoon at the Dr. Phillips Center by the Messiah Choral Society, which says the concert will also be livestreamed. Fort Christmas Historical Park will offer a free Historic Thanksgiving program for ages 6 and older on Nov. 21, while the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation’s Oranges and Ornaments festival is scheduled Nov. 20-21 at the Winter Garden Heritage Museum.
Thanksgiving Day plans include House of Blues’ Southern Thanksgiving menu in Lake Buena Vista on Nov. 26. The published guide also lists the Seniors First 37th Annual Turkey Trot at Lake Eola, where more than 5,000 runners, joggers and walkers are expected to gather.
