Five displays most people mean, four of them confirmed for 2026. If you only do one, we'd pick Dazzling Nights at Leu Gardens. It's the one built for lights rather than a park that adds them.
The one built for lights. Eighteen themed areas through the gardens, from an Arctic section to a disco room, with live entertainment and play areas along the way. Timed entry, and it sells out.
The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle is a light show on the castle, and it's the reason to go. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade are decorated across all three parks, with holiday performances in between. You're paying theme park admission, so this is a full day, not a drive-by.
Millions of lights across the park on select nights, plus live holiday shows, Santa and characters, and fireworks. It opens earlier than anything else on this list, the first week of November. The celebration also takes in Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day.
The ice exhibit first, lights second. ICE! carves The Polar Express out of millions of pounds of ice at 9 degrees, with ice tubing, a snow-and-cirque show, gingerbread decorating and Santa around it. The light displays are there, but you're paying for the ice.
Not Christmas lights exactly, but the best lit walk north of the city. Dozens of hand-built LED lanterns shaped like plants and animals along a three-quarter-mile path through the zoo, four nights a week. It runs past New Year's, longer than anything else here.
No ticket. Winter Park's Cathedral of Lights is the one to walk; Celebration and Sunset Walk add fake snow, and Deltona has a free drive-thru.
A canopy of lights over Park Avenue, the Cathedral of Lights, with a holiday carousel and the shops open along it. It's a stroll rather than a show, and it pairs with Winter on the Avenue on December 4.
Fake snow falls nightly on the town center, with lights through the streets and a tree lighting to open the season. The shops and restaurants are the rest of the evening, and there's a farmers market on Sundays.
A tree lighting every night with Santa and his elves, animated light displays around the promenade, a Christmas market and a train tour of the lights. Free, and free parking, which is rare on this list.
A free drive-through with a large animated nativity as the centerpiece. It's a church display, so expect the Christmas story told in lights rather than a commercial show.
More than 25 miles out. The DeLand church show is free and synced to a radio station; the Auburndale drive-thru has the most displays.
A historic estate decorated inside and out for Christmas. It's a mansion tour with lights more than a light show, and it's ticketed.
A church light show, nearly 10,000 LEDs on 2,100 channels synced to music on 107.1 FM. Watch from the car or bring chairs to the viewing area. Free, and the one show here that's synced to a radio station.
A nighttime holiday show at the visitor complex, included with admission. It's a long way to go for lights alone, so make it the space center day with the show at the end.
A drive-through with hundreds of displays, light tunnels and oversized sculptures, and 3D elf glasses to make them all sparkle. Proceeds go to Polk County Toys for Tots.
One-night tree lightings and parades. Two are confirmed for December 4 already; the rest are last year's dates until the towns post.
Dec 4, 2026 at Central Park. Tree lighting, carolers, a menorah lighting, snow slides and a movie in the park after. Free.
Friday Dec 4, 2026 in downtown Clermont. Tree lighting at City Hall Park, carolers, an '80s Christmas Rewind street party, Santa at the Historic Village. Free.
Last year Dec 6, 3–9pm. Parade, real snow, train rides, Santa, and fireworks over Avalon Lake. Free.
Last year Dec 6 at Lake Eva Park. Tree lighting countdown, falling snow, Santa. Free.
Last year Dec 6, 5–9pm in Altamonte Springs. A 60-foot tree, 200,000 lights, train rides and fireworks. Free. No coolers or glass.
Last year Sat Dec 13. A nighttime lighted parade through downtown, activities from 4pm, roads close at 2pm. Free, with free parking at the Civic Center and Toho Square garage.
Last year Dec 5–31. A Christmas parade, tree lighting and craft festival, with decorations across the city. Free. Bring cash for the craft vendors.
Last year Dec 5, 5–8pm at the historic courthouse. Santa skydives in to light the tree, with ice skating and a kids' workshop. Free.
Last year Dec 8. Over 500,000 lights switched on in one ceremony, then a lighted boat parade on the lake. Free.
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