THE HOLIDAYS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA SPARKLE A LITTLE BRIGHTER thanks to twinkling lights, glowing festivals and magical evenings that don’t have to cost a fortune. From dazzling ticketed experiences to free community celebrations, here are our favorite ways to make the season shine, all under $40, with plenty of options that are completely free. Get your Christmas cheer on!

BRIGHT NIGHTS—A HOLIDAY TRADITION

Asian Lantern Festival at the Central Florida Zoo. Photo sourced from centralfloridazoo.org

Asian Lantern Festival at the Central Florida Zoo

Location: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Sanford

Dates: Select nights, November 2025-January 2026

Price: Family 4-Pack $78 | Individual tickets from $24 (children under 2 free)

Back for its fifth year, the Asian Lantern Festival transforms the zoo into a kaleidoscope of color, movement and light. Wander beneath glowing archways, meet towering, illuminated animals and discover whimsical cultural displays. Even a little drizzle makes it magical; umbrella in hand, the lights glisten all the more. Bonus: Parking is free.

Dazzling Nights at Leu Gardens

Location: Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando

Dates: November 28, 2025-January 4, 2026

Price: $31.50 and up (choose off-site parking options for a more affordable visit.)

This after-dark wonderland is a Central Florida holiday classic. Meander through millions of twinkling lights, stroll through a tunnel of radiance and pause to enjoy illuminated sculptures set to festive music. Every corner of Leu Gardens feels like it’s been transformed into a living postcard.

FREE & FESTIVE

Get some quality time with Santa at Winter Wonderland at Wekiva Island, which has been turned into a mini North Pole. Visit his workshop, then join Santa for breakfast or donut. Photo courtesy ©Wekiva Island.

Winter Wonderland at  Wekiva Island

Dates: November 30-December 25, 2025

A riverside holiday retreat, Wekiva Island strings thousands of lights along the waterfront for a uniquely Floridian celebration. Catch nightly “snow” flurries, visit Santa’s Workshop and mark your calendar for Donuts with Santa (Dec. 7) or Breakfast with Santa (Dec. 14). Some activities require tickets, but simply enjoying the lights is free and unforgettable.

Florida Citrus Tower Light Show—Clermont

Dates: Nightly, November–December 2025

One of Florida’s first landmarks, the historic Citrus Tower now glows with choreographed holiday light shows set to music. Sip a seasonal latte from the cozy coffee shop downstairs, then head up to the observation deck for sweeping views of lights across Clermont.

Holiday in the Park—Lake Mary

Date: December 5, 2025

Lake Mary pulls out all the stops with over one million lights in Central Park. Add in Santa’s arrival, a synthetic ice rink, food trucks and festive performances, and you’ve got one of the region’s most cheerful traditions.

Light Up the Holidays—Altamonte Springs

Date: December 6, 2025

Cranes Roost Park becomes a holiday stage with fireworks, live music, train rides and a dazzling light display presented by the City of Altamonte Springs and Duke Energy. While the big kickoff party is one night only, the lights stay aglow all season long.

Casselberry Annual Tree Lighting

Date: December 6, 2025 | 5-8 p.m.

Lake Concord Park hosts Casselberry’s most festive evening of the year, with choirs, dance groups, holiday vendors and a countdown to the official tree lighting. Expect a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Dino In Lights at the Orlando Science Center

Dates: Daily shows in December | 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Where else can you watch dinosaurs “dance” to holiday tunes? This playful light-and-sound spectacular brings prehistoric giants to life in a whole new way. Included with admission and free for members.

Lights at Lake Eola—Downtown Orlando

Dates: December 2025

Downtown Orlando sets the stage for a month of merriment. Highlights include the illuminated Christmas tree at Lake Eola Park, the Merry Market for local shopping and snowy strolls through Eola Wonderland. Even Santa drops by the Eola House.

Whether you splurge on a glowing garden walk or enjoy a free small-town tree lighting, Central Florida is brimming with festive cheer. Grab your loved ones and make this holiday season one to remember.

Walking through a Chocolate Wonderland

In 2024, the Chocolate Holiday Wonderland included Santa’s Magical Flight, all nine of Santa’s full-sized reindeer rendered in chocolate. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez.

For the past four years, Caribe Royale Orlando has delighted visitors and locals with its over-the-top creations made entirely of chocolate: in 2024, the Chocolate Holiday Wonderland included the North Pole Express, a 32-foot-long solid chocolate train; Santa’s Magical Flight, all nine of Santa’s full-sized reindeer rendered in chocolate (above); and Jingle Bell Junction, a village of chocolate gingerbread houses, cars and trees.

It all comes to a whopping 4,600 pounds of chocolate.

At the head of it all is Chef Jessica Bingham, Caribe’s executive pastry chef. Bingham heads a team of a dozen pastry chefs at the Caribe, which includes two chocolatiers.

In addition to creating all the desserts for the Caribe’s restaurants and banquets, she oversees chocolate production for the signature bonbons and confections sold at Caribe’s market.

Bingham has always been a dynamo in the kitchen. As a teenager, she made batches of cookies weekly. When she learned she needed a culinary certification to go to pastry school, she signed up for a dual-enrollment program so she could graduate high school and culinary school on the same day. From there, she became a pastry apprentice and later, a pastry chef.

She says that love is one of the most important ingredients in a great dessert.

“You’ve really got to love what you do and know the techniques behind it,” says Bingham. “Anything I make is made with the utmost care and love.”

This year, Bingham brings the joy of working with chocolate to guests in the Studio Du Chocolat, a space where people can explore, taste, learn and craft with chocolate, regardless of their experience.

“Everything will be 100 percent chocolate, and they get to do it from beginning to end,” says Bingham.

Look for more information to come on the Chocolate Holiday Wonderland and the Studio Du Chocolat. cariberoyale.com/holiday-events-orlando