On the evening of Friday, November 27, the 2026 holiday season in West Palm Beach doesn't start at the waterfront. It starts on the 400 block of Northwood Road, a mile north of downtown. Jam-X The Band plays the NewDay USA Stage there from 6 to 9 p.m., and the event is free. One week later, the big moment shifts to Rosemary Avenue in the Historic Northwest. Sandi gets the attention, but the season itself covers much more ground than the Great Lawn.
That shapes how I'd plan it. Holiday in Paradise Presented by FPL runs November 27 through December 31 under the theme The Art of the Holidays, with Sandi at the center. The Palm Beach Post's season roundup places the whole program in "the downtown area and Northwood Village." If you only think of the waterfront, you'll miss about half of it. If you drive and park on the wrong night, it can cost you more than it should.
Northwood opens the season on Black Friday
Nights in Northwood kicks off the monthlong celebration with more than 50 vendors selling handmade goods, fashion, art and vintage finds. The Post calls it a Black Friday chance to get a head start on holiday shopping. The city's event page lists the location as the 400 block of Northwood Road and describes Jam-X's sound as a blend of pop, neo soul, funk, reggae, rock, country and jazz.
This is the one Holiday in Paradise night that happens before Sandi is lit, so for the first week of the season, Northwood has the city's spotlight to itself.
The waterfront in December, week by week
Sandi's first lighting is set for Thursday, December 3, at the Clematis by Night Holiday Tree Lighting on the Great Lawn, 100 N. Clematis St. The Post describes the tree as "the world's only 700-ton holiday sand tree." That night's lineup includes Phoenix5, Officers & Gentlemen with the Rhythm Chicks, live painting by artist Laura Serna, and the first round of Sandi's synchronized music and light shows. It runs 6 to 10 p.m. and it's free.
After that night, the waterfront settles into a rhythm. Here's the December calendar from the city's schedule:
- Thursday, December 10: Clematis by Night: Friday @5, 6 to 9 p.m. on the waterfront.
- Thursday, December 17: The Aloha Islanders Tropical Holiday Spectacular, 6 to 9 p.m. on the NewDay USA Stage at Waterfront Commons. The city marks Clematis by Night as a "NEW VENUE THIS YEAR" for the show. The Post says the revue dates to 1999 and travels through Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa and New Zealand with hula and Samoan fire knife dancers. The holiday version adds a tropical Santa and a conch-blowing contest.
- Thursday, December 24: No concert, but Sandi's light shows and the Ferris wheel run on their normal schedule.
- Sunday, December 27: Sandi's Ice Cream Social on the Great Lawn, 6 to 9 p.m. It's free to attend, with ice cream for sale. The Post lists a silent disco in Centennial Square, inflatables, a bubble artist and rides on Ferris.
- Thursday, December 31: Sandi's New Year's Eve with Ferris and Fireworks, a free event on the Great Lawn from 8 p.m. to midnight. It ends with a 15-minute fireworks show over the Intracoastal Waterway at midnight.
You don't need a special event to see Sandi. The free music and light shows run on the Great Lawn every night from December 3 through December 30, 6 to 10 p.m., starting on the quarter hour. That means you can come on any random Tuesday and watch a full show within 15 minutes of arriving.
Ferris the Ferris wheel is at Waterfront Commons, 100 N. Clematis St. It runs 6 to 10 p.m. from December 3 through December 30, then 6 p.m. to midnight on New Year's Eve. Rides are $5 per person, and tickets are sold on site. For a family of four, the wheel is the only line item in that whole waterfront calendar that costs money, apart from the ice cream.
Rosemary Avenue gets its own night
On Friday, December 4, the day after Sandi lights up, the season moves to Heart & Soul Park at 825 N. Rosemary Ave. for the 10th annual Winter in Paradise. The city lists it as free, 6 to 9 p.m.
The Post describes this year's edition as "Rhythm on Rosemary," an evening of music in the Historic Northwest Neighborhood. ReaXtion Band and DJ Scoobz perform, and there are interactive games and family activities. West Palm Beach Fire Rescue will hand out free hamburgers and hot dogs, and the West Palm Beach Police Department will serve free popcorn while supplies last.
The season's opening stretch goes from Northwood on November 27 to the waterfront on Thursday, December 3, then to Rosemary Avenue the next evening. That's three different parts of the city in eight days.
The $1 ride that links all three
That spread is why getting around matters more than any single event. The city's directions page names the Clematis, Banyan, City Center, Sapodilla and Evernia garages, and points to Banyan and Evernia as closest to the waterfront events. On the city's posted rate sheet, parking costs:
- $1 for the first two hours
- $2 for each additional half hour, with a $20 daily maximum
- $5 for all day on weekends and holidays, except during special events, when rates can go as high as $100
Compare that ceiling with West Palm Move. The city lists fixed-route rides at $1, running every 10 minutes between the Norton Museum of Art and Northwood Village, with on-demand rides at $2. That route runs straight through the corridor where most of the season happens. A Black Friday evening in Northwood followed by a stop at the waterfront takes two $1 rides, which together cost less than one turn on Ferris.
If you're coming by boat, the city lists free public docks, and the Clematis Street dock is the closest.
One thing to do before November 30
Holiday in Paradise is again nominated in USA TODAY 10Best's "Best Public Holiday Lights Display" category. The city's Vote for Sandi page says Sandi won the national title in 2021 and asks residents to help "regain the top spot." You can vote daily on 10Best through Monday, November 30, at noon.
Filling the nights in between
The city's lineup leaves plenty of open evenings, and several nearby options fit along the same route.
The Ben's Winter Wonderland at 251 N. Narcissus Ave. is back for a third year with a real outdoor ice rink that's bigger than last year's. The Post reports that last year's rink drew more than 30,000 skaters. It runs through January 3, 2027, with skating daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is $30 for adults and $15 for ages 4 to 10. Details are on The Ben's site. The rink sits a short walk from the Great Lawn, so an afternoon skate fits easily before an evening light show.
Zoo Lights: Magic in the Wild at the Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., opens November 20 and runs through January 3, 2027. This year it adds a Polar Wonderland projection experience and a bioluminescent Glowing Farewell. Times and prices are on palmbeachzoo.org.
Saturday, December 5 is packed. The Armory Art Center's Creative Market marks its 10th anniversary at 811 Park Place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 5 and 6, with more than 100 artists and the theme "Humorous: The Art of Laughter." That evening, ArtBeat 2026 at the Norton Museum of Art runs 7 to 10 p.m. with a performance by Naama Tsabar, and tickets start at $150. The Norton is also the southern end of the West Palm Move route.
Saturday mornings belong to the West Palm Beach GreenMarket, now in its 32nd season on the Great Lawn under the theme "The World, Right Here." WPTV reports that it runs through May 22, 2027. That makes it the daytime partner to an evening with Sandi in the same spot.
City events can change, so check the Holiday in Paradise page before you head out. The city also takes event questions at (561) 822-1515.
I love this time of year in West Palm Beach. If you're hosting family for Sandi's first light show or want suggestions for a quieter evening along the West Palm Move route, I'd be glad to share what I know. Reach out to Brooke Joy Sells Homes anytime. Let's Connect.
