By Sofia Aparicio-Gallagher
The holidays in Tampa might be warm, lacking the quintessential image of a white Christmas, but there is an abundant amount of cheer. With plenty of events and movies to put everyone in the holiday spirit check out some of my recommendations. In downtown Tampa visit the Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park presented by Tampa Bay Lighting. Enjoy ice skating, winter shops, food, drinks, a light show, and other special events. Ice skating tickets can be purchased beforehand, and the Winter Village closes on January 1. But feel free to walk around anytime as the event is free to the public.
Hillsborough County Fair is hosting its annual Festival of Lights until December 31. Every day at 6 p.m. drive through two miles of colorful lights and enjoy the scenery. The themes range from Florida reefs to pirates of Tampa, creating beautiful light display scenes. During the weekend the public can visit Santa’s Village and attend planned holiday activities. A winter market is set up in the village with a variety of vendors to shop from. A ticket for one vehicle is $25 on the weekends and $20 on weekdays, so pack your car with friends and go on an adventure.
Christmas Town located at Busch Gardens is a staple Florida holiday event. Be entertained by action-packed rollercoasters and festive events. Every Saturday watch the holiday fireworks show or be amazed at the Christmas on Ice performance. As predicted Busch Garden tickets are on the pricey side at $90 per person. For a cheaper holiday event, plan a visit to the Tampa Theatre. Beloved and classic movies like “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “White Christmas” and “Rent” will be playing in the month of December. Tickets are only $10 per person and the whole schedule can be found on the Tampa Theatre website.
For those cozy nights at home, check out newly released Christmas movies. For a cheesy Netflix original watch “Best. Christmas. Ever!”. The movie starring Heather Graham and Brandy Norwood tells a story about two old college friends during the holidays. The jealousy and drama might ruin Christmas and their friendship. Another new release, “Candy Cane Lane”, follows a man, played by Eddie Murphy, who is committed to winning a Christmas decorating contest in his neighborhood. Things go terribly wrong when he accidentally makes a deal with an evil elf played by Jillian Bell. He must complete a task or be turned into a ceramic ornament like the other elves’ victims. A series of chaotic events causes chaos and violence in the town. This comedy blended with horror and Christmas is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
The soon to be released movie, “Wonka”, is a modernized version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This revamp stars the one and only Timothée Chalamet and his dreams of opening a chocolate shop. The musical film was directed and co-written by Paul King with Simon Farnaby and Roald Dahl as co-writers. In theaters on December 15, this production is not one to miss. Enjoy Tampa’s festivities in your shorts and a t-shirt as you celebrate the season with plenty of events and movies.