Your holiday guide: 9 festive plans to kick-off the season
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Christmas Wonderland at Tropical Park. Photo: Courtesy of Loud & Live
Miami's winter carnival season is about to get underway — just as we dust off our sweaters for a brief cold front next week.
Why it matters: It's hard to justify wearing a Santa hat when it's 90 degrees out.
Here are some of the holiday-related festivities beginning this month.
🎅 Christmas Wonderland: The holiday carnival — which replaced Santa's Enchanted Forest at Tropical Park — opens Nov. 13.
- The 14-acre park will be activated with light shows, carnival rides and six immersive holiday worlds— including the Hispanic-flavored HoliDade and Santa's Village.
- Other highlights include: a fireworks show every Friday at 10pm, a "human cannonball" performance from a Santa Claus stunt double and a reindeer-themed acrobatics performance.
- Adult tickets start at $39.
😳 Ripley's Believe It or Not! Christmas Park makes its debut at Amelia Earhart Park beginning Nov. 13.
- Expect holiday lights, carnival rides and classic Ripley's oddities.
- Adult tickets start at $39.
- 📍 401 E. 65th St.
🏮 Luminosa: A Festival of Lights: Jungle Island's annual outdoor light festival begins Nov. 14.
- Over 37 "monumental" handmade lantern scenes — including life-sized zebra and elephant lanterns — will light up the park with more than 58,000 LED bulbs and 720,000 LED light strips.
- Jungle Island partnered with LEKTRIK Art for the event.
- There will also be an acrobatic show and a Holiday Village with Christmas trees, churro donut holes and coquito.
- Sunday-Thursday from 5:30-9:30pm and Friday-Saturday from 5:30-10:30pm.
- Adult tickets range from $25.90 to $39.90.
- 📍 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail
🎄 🕎 Downtown holiday lighting: The Miami Downtown Development Authority will host its third annual holiday lighting on Nov. 14 from 6-10pm.
- A 24-foot Christmas tree will be lit up to the sound of music from the Miami Symphony Orchestra and New World School of the Arts.
- There will also be a holiday market, kids zone and an appearance from Santa Claus.
- On Dec. 14, expect a menorah lighting and other special programming to mark the start of Hanukkah.
- 📍Flagler Street and Southeast Third Avenue. Free.
🍓 The Berry Farm's annual Winter Festival begins Nov. 21.
- The 40-acre venue will be transformed with over 100,000 holiday lights, a 42-foot Christmas tree, line dancing and Santa Claus.
- The tree lighting will take place Nov. 21 at 8pm, featuring live music and artificial snow.
- 📍 13720 SW 216th St., Miami. Adult tickets start at $15.
⚓️ Fort Lauderdale's Water Taxi will run special holiday cruises each night beginning Dec. 5, featuring holiday lights and live music.
- The cruise boards at Stop One of the Water Taxi route at the Riverside Hotel, 335 SE 6th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.
- Ticket prices start at $45 for adults.
🚗 Enchanted Place North Miami: The popular neighborhood lights display starts Dec. 1.
- 📍 Northeast 137th Terrace.
❄️ Hialeah's annual Santa's Snow Blast will blanket Milander Park in 50 tons of artificial snow.
- Expect carnival games, food and live entertainment.
- Dec. 13. Tickets start at $6.
- 📍 4700 Palm Ave
🎅 CityPlace Doral will host a carnival and toy drive Dec. 11 from 6-8pm, featuring a clown show, sweet treats and festive character appearances.
- Guests are encouraged to bring a toy to support Jackson Health Foundation's Holiday of Miracles toy drive.
- CityPlace will host holiday markets Dec. 13-14 and Dec. 20-21.
- The Christmas pop-up Elf Factory is also open at CityPlace through Dec. 30, letting kids create their own toys and crafts.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to update CityPlace Doral's holiday offerings. A previous version had outdated information.