Flurries of Fun to Float Through Downtown This Weekend
31st annual Winter Festival Takes Place on Saturday, Dec. 2
November 27, 2017
As the capital of the Sunshine State, Tallahassee isn't known for its snow. This weekend, however, flurries of fun will be floating through downtown as the 31st annual Winter Festival - A Celebration of Lights, Music and the Arts takes place. This Saturday, Dec. 2, from 3-10 p.m., downtown Tallahassee will be transformed into a winter wonderland complete with holiday wreaths, merry music and sparkling lights.
"When the Winter Festival comes around, we know that the holiday season has arrived in Tallahassee," Mayor Andrew Gillum said. "This home-grown holiday tradition has created many memories for friends and families all over our city, and I'd like to invite everyone to join us downtown as we celebrate 31 years of festive fun."
The 31st annual Winter Festival includes the usual crowd-pleasing elements of the lighting ceremony (6 p.m.), Capital Health Plan Jingle Bell Run (6:15 p.m.), Nighttime Holiday Parade (7:15 p.m.) and lots more. The festival also features five stages of local live entertainment, a Candy Cane Lane exhibit with special live candy making demonstrations by Lofty Pursuits, a children's activity area on Kleman Plaza, food vendors, arts and crafts merchants and holiday illumination displays. This year's theme is "Flurries of Fun."
With so much to see and do, there will be plenty of photo opportunities. Be sure to use #TLHolidays when posting updates to your social media accounts. You can follow Winter Festival activities and other holiday happenings, including the annual Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park and Holiday Stroll in Cascades Park, throughout December by liking the City of Tallahassee at Facebook.com/COTNews and following @COTNews on Twitter and Instagram.
As a reminder, you can still sign up for the Jingle Bell Run for a $15 registration fee at the following locations/times:
- Tuesday, Nov. 28 - Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 1641 W. Pensacola Street, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 30 - Capital City Runners, 1817 Thomasville Road, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 5 - 7:30 p.m.
In-person registration is also available at the City of Tallahassee's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs (PRNA) administrative office, located at 912 Myers Park Drive. On race day, registration will take place at the Capital City Bank parking lot located at Monroe and Tennessee streets from 3 - 6 p.m. Day-of-event registration is $20 for all ages.
The holiday fun continues well past Winter Festival. This year, the Candy Cane Lane exhibit in McCarty Park will be open the week following Winter Festival on Saturday, Dec. 2. From Sunday, Dec. 3, to Sunday, Dec. 10, Candy Cane Lane will be open nightly from 6-9 p.m. Bring the whole family to see all the fun, festive displays.
Other community holiday events hosted by the City include:
- Now through January 8, 2018 - Photofest, an annual exhibition curated by the Council on Culture & Arts, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Artport Gallery at the Tallahassee International Airport, 3300 Capital Circle Southwest.
- Now through January 22, 2018 - Youth Fine Arts Competition Exhibit, an annual exhibition curated by the Council on Culture & Arts, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., City Hall Art Gallery, 300 South Adams Street.
- Friday, Dec. 1 - Deck the Halls, the annual gala fundraiser for Tallahassee Senior Services, at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to purchasing tickets, visit TallahasseeSeniorFoundation.org. This event takes place at the Tallahassee Senior Center, located at 1400 N. Monroe Street.
- Saturday, Dec. 9 - Holiday Stroll through Cascades Park, 1001 South Gadsden Street, 6 - 8 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 15 - Soul Santa at LeVerne Payne Community Center, 450 West Fourth Avenue, 2 - 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 16 - Soul Santa at Walker-Ford Community Center, 2301 Pasco Street, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 21 - Elf Night at Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Parking available at Thomasville Road Baptist Church.
Winter Festival - a Celebration of Lights, Music and the Arts is coordinated by the City's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department (PRNA). The inaugural Winter Festival Celebration was held back in 1986 and was originally known as the "Holiday Lights Festival." For more information on the 2017 Winter Festival, please visit Talgov.com or call PRNA at 891-FUNN (3866).
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