Palm Beach Gardens holiday lights and Christmas events 2026

Last checked Nov. 5, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Every event comes from the organizer’s own page, linked below. The city’s tree lighting and Trailblazer 5K on Dec. 5 have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

The holiday season in Palm Beach Gardens runs from Santa’s arrival at The Gardens Mall on Friday, Nov. 13, to the last night of Zoo Lights on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027. In between come a free “Elf” screening, story time with a holiday pixie, real snow in Jupiter and an evening with Santa at a wildlife sanctuary. Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, and runs through Dec. 12.

Updated Nov. 5: Downtown Palm Beach Gardens’ holiday Outdoor Movie Night is now Friday, Dec. 11, not Dec. 18, and the center has added a Winter Wonderland afternoon with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 13.

Who to call

• City events: Palm Beach Gardens Recreation Department, 561-630-1100, 4404 Burns Road
• The Gardens Mall: 561-775-7750
• Palm Beach Zoo: Zoo Lights tickets and dates
• Busch Wildlife Sanctuary: 561-575-3399

The season at a glance

Light displays: Zoo Lights

The biggest light display near Palm Beach Gardens is Zoo Lights at the Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., in West Palm Beach, on select nights from Nov. 20, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. The zoo describes three lighted sections:

• A traditional holiday area with a glowing fountain, a tree show, a towering Christmas tree and a dedicated space for nightly menorah lighting during Hanukkah. Photos with Santa and letters to Santa with Mrs. Claus are free with admission.
• A Polar Wonderland with immersive projections and a free holiday craft.
• A bioluminescent pathway that ends with a free keepsake and s’mores.

Tickets are sold for a chosen night through the zoo’s online calendar, which shows which dates still have space. The zoo operates rain or shine and lists free parking near the entrance.

Santa in Palm Beach Gardens

• The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd.: Santa arrives with the Palm Beach Gardens High School Marching Band at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. Santa photos follow in his Enchanted Garden on the Lower Level Grand Court from Nov. 14 to Dec. 24, during mall hours. Reservations are encouraged; walk-ups are welcome.
• The city’s tree lighting, Saturday, Dec. 5: Santa arrives on a fire truck, with photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 6 to 7 p.m.; see Christmas parade and tree lighting.
• Santa’s Mailbox, Dec. 1-18: letters dropped in the lobby of the Burns Road Community Center, 4404 Burns Road, with a legible return address get a reply, the city says.

Free city events

• Stories in the Park, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 9 a.m., Burns Road Playground, 4404 Burns Road. Trixie, the Holiday Pixie, hosts the city’s free monthly story time for young children and caregivers.
• Films on the Field: “Elf” (PG), Friday, Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m., The Gardens North County District Park, Field 10, 5101 117th Court North. Bring blankets and lawn chairs; Chick-fil-A sells food and a free holiday cookie goes to guests while supplies last. The city invites families to dress in holiday wear.
• Tot Time “Holiday Hoopla,” Friday, Dec. 18, 10 to 11 a.m., for children 4 and under with a parent; a fee and registration apply, on the Tot Time page.

Holiday events nearby

• There’s Snow Place Like Jupiter, Saturday, Dec. 12, 4 to 7 p.m., Abacoa Community Park, 1501 Frederick Small Road, Jupiter. Free. The town lists 32 tons of real snow, a winter village, Santa and Mrs. Claus, bounce houses, a DJ and food vendors.
• Holiday Hootenanny, Saturday, Dec. 19, 5 to 8 p.m., Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, 17855 Rocky Pines Road, Jupiter. The sanctuary’s first holiday evening, with Santa, hot chocolate and a bounce house. Tickets are sold through the sanctuary’s page; children 3 and under get in free.
• Outdoor Movie Night, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, on the Green Space at Downtown Palm Beach Gardens. The center had not named the film when we checked.
• Winter Wonderland, 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at the splash pad at Downtown Palm Beach Gardens: face painting, balloon art, crafts, photos with Santa and free carousel rides, the center says.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, and ends Saturday, Dec. 12. No public menorah lighting in Palm Beach Gardens had been announced for 2026 when we checked on Nov. 5. Zoo Lights has a dedicated space for nightly menorah lighting during Hanukkah. Congregations holding a public lighting can send us the details and we will add them here.

What this means for you

• Book Zoo Lights early for a weekend night; the zoo’s calendar shows which nights are still open.
• Dec. 4-5 is the city’s big weekend: “Elf” on Friday, the tree lighting on Saturday.
• Letters for Santa’s Mailbox must be in by Dec. 18.

More: Black Friday and holiday shopping, New Year’s Eve in Palm Beach Gardens and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is Zoo Lights at the Palm Beach Zoo in 2026?

Zoo Lights runs on select nights from Nov. 20, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027, at the Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach. Tickets are sold for a chosen night on the zoo’s site.

Where can I see Santa in Palm Beach Gardens?

At The Gardens Mall, where Santa photos run Nov. 14 to Dec. 24 in the Lower Level Grand Court, and at the city’s tree lighting on Saturday, Dec. 5, with photos from 6 to 7 p.m.

Is there a menorah lighting in Palm Beach Gardens?

No public menorah lighting in the city had been announced for 2026 when we checked. Hanukkah runs Dec. 4-12, and Zoo Lights has a dedicated space for nightly menorah lighting during Hanukkah.

Where is there real snow near Palm Beach Gardens?

Jupiter’s There’s Snow Place Like Jupiter puts 32 tons of real snow in Abacoa Community Park, 1501 Frederick Small Road, from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. It is free.