Zoo Lights opens Nov. 20, CityPlace snow and Santa start Nov. 14, and the Okeeheelee drive-thru lights run from Nov. 27. Dates for the 2026 holiday season.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts come from CityPlace, the Palm Beach Zoo, Lights 4 Hope and the City of West Palm Beach. This page is updated each year. The city’s own Holiday in Paradise schedule, with Sandi the sand tree and the tree lighting, is on a separate page: Christmas tree lighting and holiday events.
West Palm Beach’s holiday lights start before Thanksgiving this year. CityPlace’s nightly snowfall and Santa’s Workshop start Saturday, Nov. 14, the Palm Beach Zoo’s Zoo Lights opens Friday, Nov. 20, and the Lights 4 Hope drive-thru show at Okeeheelee Park opens Friday, Nov. 27. The city lights Sandi, its sand Christmas tree, in early December; the 2026 date is not out yet.
Who to call
- City events and Holiday in Paradise: Community Events, 561-822-1515
- CityPlace guest services: 561-820-9456
- Zoo Lights tickets: Palm Beach Zoo
Light displays
| Display | 2026 dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Zoo Lights | Scheduled evenings, Nov. 20 to Jan. 3 | Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd. |
| Lights 4 Hope drive-thru | Set nights, Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 | Okeeheelee Park, 7715 Forest Hill Blvd. |
| Nightly snowfall at CityPlace | Nov. 14 to Dec. 31, at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. | CityPlace, 700 S. Rosemary Ave. |
| Sandi and Holiday in Paradise | Early December to the end of the month (2026 dates not out) | Centennial Square and the waterfront |
Zoo Lights is “an evening holiday event shared through light” in three parts: a traditional holiday section, a polar area with projections and a bioluminescent pathway, the zoo says. Photos with Santa and ornament decorating are included. Tickets are for set nights; some are 21-and-over nights, and some sell out.
Lights 4 Hope is a nonprofit’s 2-mile drive-thru show at the back of Okeeheelee Park, near Micanopy Pavilion; enter at the park’s west entrance on Eshleman Trail. Its tentative 2026 dates, weather permitting:
- Nov. 27 to 29, Dec. 4 to 6 and Dec. 11 to 13 (Fridays to Sundays)
- Dec. 18 to 23, nightly
- Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, and Saturday, Dec. 26 (closed Christmas Eve)
- Sunday, Dec. 27, the final night, with a bikes-only ride early in the evening
Hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays and weeknights. Before the drive-thru opens, the group holds Family Fun Nights on Nov. 21 and 22, 6 to 10 p.m., with bounce houses, music and a synchronized light display; cars cannot drive the route those nights.
Santa
- Santa’s Workshop at CityPlace, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 14 to Dec. 24: 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 5 to 7 p.m. Sundays. Free and first come, first served; bring your own camera, CityPlace says.
- Zoo Lights includes photos with Santa on its evenings.
- At the city’s 2025 tree lighting, photos with Santa were free on the waterfront; see the tree lighting page.
Hanukkah and Kwanzaa
- Chanukkah Celebration with Palm Beach Synagogue West, Friday, Dec. 11, 4 to 6 p.m. at CityPlace: live music, a menorah lighting, latkes and doughnuts. Free. Details.
- Afrique Ngozi Dance and Drums Kwanzaa performance, Saturday, Dec. 26, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at CityPlace, a family event on the seven principles of Kwanzaa with West African dance and drumming. Details.
Holiday markets
- Nights in Northwood Village, the city’s quarterly night market on Northwood Road, falls on Black Friday, Nov. 27, 6 to 9 p.m. In 2025 the city also held a December holiday edition with lights, artisan gifts and live music; the 2026 December date is not posted.
- At the 2025 tree lighting the city ran a Holiday Gift Boutique in the Lake Pavilion and along Flagler Drive.
More shopping dates are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping guide.
Know of a home or neighborhood light display in West Palm Beach that is open to the public? Tell us through our contact page.
What this means for you
- Little ones: CityPlace snow and Santa are free and start mid-November.
- Zoo Lights sells tickets for set nights; buy early for December weekends.
- The drive-thru at Okeeheelee is open Christmas Day but closed Christmas Eve.
Related: New Year’s Eve in West Palm Beach, Christmas tree lighting and things to do this month.
Frequently asked questions
When does Zoo Lights start at the Palm Beach Zoo in 2026?
Zoo Lights runs on scheduled evenings from Nov. 20, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027, the zoo says. Tickets are sold in advance for set nights, and some nights are for adults 21 and over.
Is there a drive-thru Christmas light show near West Palm Beach?
Yes. Lights 4 Hope’s drive-thru show at Okeeheelee Park, 7715 Forest Hill Blvd., runs on set nights from Friday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 27, from 6 p.m. Enter at the park’s west entrance on Eshleman Trail.
Does it snow at CityPlace in West Palm Beach?
CityPlace makes snowfall every evening from Nov. 14 to Dec. 31 at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., weather permitting.
Where is there a menorah lighting in West Palm Beach?
Palm Beach Synagogue West holds a free Chanukkah celebration with a menorah lighting, live music, latkes and doughnuts at CityPlace on Friday, Dec. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m.
When is the West Palm Beach Christmas tree lighting?
The city has not set its 2026 date. In 2025 the Clematis by Night Holiday Tree Lighting for Sandi, the sand tree, was Thursday, Dec. 4. See our tree lighting page for details.
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