Orlando's tree lighting is Friday, Dec. 4, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Lake Eola, with Santa and the Merry Market. Jingle Eve in Ivanhoe Village is Nov. 21.

Last checked Oct. 14, 2026. This page is updated each year. The 2026 tree lighting date comes from the City of Orlando’s 2026 Tree Lighting Celebration listing; the 2025 schedule and tree facts come from the city’s 2025 announcement. Jingle Eve 2026 is from the city’s events calendar.

Updated Oct. 14: the city set the 2026 tree lighting for Friday, Dec. 4, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Orlando’s holiday season opens with Jingle Eve in Ivanhoe Village on Saturday, Nov. 21, and the city’s Tree Lighting Celebration at Lake Eola Park on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The City of Orlando has not posted a Christmas parade on its 2026 calendar. City Hall answers at 407-246-2121.

What this means for you

  • Jingle Eve is free; only the “12 Wines of Christmas” walk costs extra.
  • The tree lighting is free, the city says.
  • Can’t make the tree lighting? In 2025 the tree’s light and music show ran every hour, 5:45 to 9:45 p.m., every evening through Jan. 6.
  • Use SunRail, LYMMO, ride-share or a bike to reach Lake Eola; the city asks attendees to leave the car at home.

Jingle Eve: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026

4:30 to 9 p.m., along stretches of Orange Avenue and Virginia Drive and at Gaston Edwards Park, 1236 N. Orange Ave. The city calls it the annual kickoff of the Orlando holiday season, now more than 20 years running. Expect:

  • Beer gardens, live music and local artisans.
  • Food trucks.
  • A children’s holiday village.
  • Promotions at Ivanhoe Village shops, restaurants and bars.
  • Fireworks over Lake Ivanhoe to close the night.

Jingle Eve is free and open to the public, with the exception of a premium “12 Wines of Christmas” walk, the city’s listing says.

Tree Lighting Celebration at Lake Eola

Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Lake Eola Park’s Washington Plaza, 195 N. Rosalind Ave. Free. Mayor Buddy Dyer invites residents and visitors to help count down to the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, the city’s listing says. The 2026 event includes:

  • Holiday performances at the Lake Eola Amphitheater.
  • Food trucks.
  • The return of the Merry Market, with more than 30 local vendors.
  • “Snowfall in Florida” and visits with Santa.

The city has not yet posted an hour-by-hour schedule or the time of the lighting. For comparison, here is how the 2025 celebration ran on Friday, Dec. 5:

Time What happened
5 p.m. Holiday market opened
6:30 p.m. Performance by the a cappella group Sleigh
7 p.m. Tree Lighting Stage Show
8 p.m. Mayor Buddy Dyer lit the tree

The event also had food trucks, a vendor village, visits with Santa and a “Florida snowfall” experience, the city said.

The tree. The Lake Eola Wonderland Christmas Tree stands 64 feet tall, with 2,000 ornaments and more than 88,000 animated lights that run in sync with the Lake Eola fountain. After lighting night, the synchronized light and music show ran every hour from 5:45 to 9:45 p.m., every evening through Jan. 6.

We will post the 2026 schedule and any road closures here as soon as the city announces them. The city’s list of other downtown holiday events is on Downtown for the Holidays.

Getting there

The city encourages tree lighting guests to use SunRail, ride-share, bike share, carpooling and the free downtown LYMMO circulator. For parking decks near the lake, see the city’s garages and lots page and our getting around guide. Event closures are posted on the city’s road closures list.

A Christmas parade

The City of Orlando’s events calendar lists no city Christmas parade for 2026. The city’s parade in the fall is the Veterans Day Parade at Lake Nona Town Center on Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. If a neighborhood, church or school in Orlando sets a holiday parade, tell us with the organizer’s link and we will add it.

More holiday events

  • Santa’s Workshop, Friday, Dec. 11, Engelwood Neighborhood Center, 6123 La Costa Drive, a free holiday event across the whole building, the city says.
  • OUC Orlando Half Marathon race weekend starts Saturday, Dec. 5, at 6 a.m. at Lake Eola Park, the city’s calendar says.
  • Our things to do this month guide lists December events in full from Dec. 1.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Lake Eola tree lighting in 2026?

Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Lake Eola Park’s Washington Plaza, the City of Orlando says. It is free. The city has not yet posted the time of the lighting itself; in 2025 the tree was lit at 8 p.m.

How big is the Lake Eola Christmas tree?

The Lake Eola Wonderland Christmas Tree is 64 feet tall, with 2,000 ornaments and more than 88,000 animated lights synchronized with the Lake Eola fountain, the city said in 2025.

When is Jingle Eve 2026?

Saturday, Nov. 21, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. in Ivanhoe Village, along Orange Avenue and Virginia Drive and at Gaston Edwards Park. It is free and ends with fireworks over Lake Ivanhoe.

Does Orlando have a Christmas parade?

The City of Orlando’s events calendar lists no city Christmas parade for 2026. Its holiday kickoffs are Jingle Eve in Ivanhoe Village and the tree lighting at Lake Eola Park.