December holidays in Fort Lauderdale

December in Fort Lauderdale is its own kind of season: sunshine and holiday lights at the same time, with palm trees strung in bulbs and heaters on the patios for the cooler evenings. Days run warm and comfortable, nights can dip enough to want a light jacket, and the whole city leans into the holidays. Here are the traditions worth planning around, and how to fit them into a stay.

Tree lightings around the city

The season opens with a run of tree-lighting celebrations. Light Up the Beach at Las Olas Oceanside Park brings more than fifty thousand lights, live music, Santa and a kids’ zone to the beachfront. Light Up the Galt Ocean Mile and the Carter Park tree lighting add family-friendly nights of music, food vendors and entertainment. These are free, easygoing evenings — good for a night when you want the holiday feeling without a big plan.

Christmas on Las Olas

The holiday main event closes Las Olas Boulevard to cars and fills it with a snow hill for sledding, outdoor ice skating, live performances, Santa meet-and-greets and dozens of festive vendors. Sit outside at a restaurant under lit palms and giant trees — heaters keep it cozy if it’s cool — and many local spots run toy drives through the season. It gets busy, so go early in the evening if you have small kids. The Las Olas guide covers the street the rest of the year, too.

The Winterfest Boat Parade

The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade is one of South Florida’s signature winter traditions: a hundred-plus decorated boats sailing the New River and the Intracoastal after dark, in a stretch of lights, music and crowds along the water. You can watch free from public spots along the route, book a seat at a waterfront restaurant, or see it from the water — the water taxi runs special parade cruises most years. Get to a viewing spot early; the good stretches fill up.

Lights, drives and neighborhood cheer

Take a slow evening drive along Hillsboro Mile, where the homes and palms glow with lights. Neighborhoods go all out with displays, bars host ugly-sweater nights, and Santa turns up at markets, waterfront venues and holiday brunches all over town. It’s warm-weather holidays in full swing — a December unlike anywhere up north.

Planning a December stay

December is high season here, so book early — the two weeks around the holidays are the busiest of the year, and both the house and the best restaurant tables go quickly. Pack a light layer for the evenings and swimsuits for the days; the pool is heated, so afternoons in the backyard still work. For a wider look at when to come and what the weather does month to month, see the best time to visit guide, and the annual events guide lays out the rest of the calendar so you can time a trip around what you care about.

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