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Best Christmas Lights In Miami 2023

Where to find the best Christmas lights in Miami this year.

Christmas? Miami? It’s warm!

Zoo Miami Lights Festival.

Updated: October 2023. Felt so weird to spend our first Christmas ever in a tropical climate like Miami. Never mind that at 60 degrees, the locals were all wearing parkas, hats and gloves.

Those were my first thoughts when my family and I moved from Ohio to Florida. I was sweating putting up the Christmas tree and lights outside. 

(If you plan to visit Miami for the beaches, grab this beach list here and squeeze in a holiday trip to the Bahamas too: Boat Trips From Miami to Bahamas)

Other years, we would pack up the kids and travel north to Cleveland for the holidays. But this first year after moving to South Florida in July, it was not in the budget.

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Luckily, we had already met some amazing people and spent the holidays with them. We experienced our first Noche Buena on Christmas Eve and a fun New Year’s Eve party the following week.

But what about Christmas itself? Would you have as nice a Christmas in Miami as we would have in Ohio? We did. 

It was a matter of getting a snowy, white Christmas out of our minds and into a more tropical holiday spirit vibe for our first Christmas in Miami.

If you are planning on being in South Florida this year for the Christmas holiday season, this is where you will find the best Christmas lights in Miami:

Best Christmas Light Displays In Miami

If you are looking for the best Christmas lights in Miami this year, look no further! To follow are where to find the best Christmas Lights in Miami:

Santa & Mrs. Claus Miami Lights
  • Zoo Miami Lights Festival. One of my favorites and a can’t-miss event. Zoo Miami features over half a million lights spread out all over the zoo’s grounds. Festive decorations, food vendors, and live entertainment. The holiday display usually begins right after Thanksgiving and runs through the end of December. As I’m writing this in August, the dates for Zoo Lights 2022 have not been listed yet. You can get more information here:  Zoo Miami Lights Festival
  • Miami’s Polar Express. Kid’s love this event. Enjoy the classic story on a magical train. Train ride is about 1 hour. Get more information here: Polar Express
  • Santa’s Enchanted Forest. The Christmas lights are out of this world at Santa’s Enchanted Forest. This fun, annual event features over 100 rides, games, and attractions, making it the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit. This was actually one of the first light displays we visited our first year in South Florida. The kids loved it! This light display initially was located at Tropical Park where we visited but is now located at Hialeah Park. The light display is scheduled to open early November and run through the beginning of January.
  • Pinecrest Gardens Nights of Lights. Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Story time with Mrs. Claus. Cocktails for adults and more. This beautiful garden of lights event will quickly have you full of holiday cheer no pun intended. Pinecrest Gardens is located at 11000 S Red Rd, Pinecrest, FL 33156. Dates have not been posted for this year at this time. 
  • Main Street Festival of Lights in Miami Lakes should also be on your list for the most wonderful time of the year. There are a lot of activities for the whole family to enjoy including Santa House, DJ, fun characters and free activities for the children to explore. Holiday decorations and gorgeous holiday lights all await you at downtown Miami Lakes, 6700-6855 Main Street, Miami Lakes, FL 33014.
  • Commodore Plaza at Coconut Grove. The magical displays at Commodore Plaza are a must attend family event. Fun and free, it also benefits the small businesses located in Coconut Grove. Be sure you plan your visit to enjoy the tree lighting ceremony of the tropical-themed Christmas tree along with all the fun Christmas decorations. 
  • The Shops at Merrick Park, located in Coral Gables, with its lighting of the gigantic Christmas Tree that stands over 50 feet is a definite stop. Fun for the entire family. Includes beautiful Christmas decorations, lots of bright lights, and live entertainment making this one of the best places to enjoy the holidays.
  • Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach is always a fun place to explore but the perfect time to visit is during the holiday season. Lincoln Road Mall is located between 16th and 17th Streets from Washington Avenue to Alton Road. The events located at this fun shopping destination usually begin the end of November and run through early January.
  • Light Up Your Holidays Palmetto Bay is another fun holiday destination. The Village of Palmetto Bay with its Holiday Lights & Dine Family Event provides dinner with a kid friendly show making it extra special. Between the palm trees, you will find lots of bright lights to enjoy. 
  • Magic Of Lights Homestead is another popular destination to enjoy Christmas decorations and holiday music. This location provides you with a drive through holiday experience like no other. Affordable too. One carload pays one price. You are not charged per person. Right now it is planned to open end of November and close January 1st. You can find the Magic of Lights at Homestead-Miami Speedway, One Ralph Sanchez Speedway Blvd, Homestead, FL 33035
  • Light Up The Night At Cityplace Doral is located at 8300 NW 36th Street, Doral, FL, United States, Florida and is a fun holiday light destination. Enjoy outdoor shopping and more at this entertainment venue. Be sure to see the holiday fountain show with all its beautiful, bright holiday colors.
  • Gulfstream Park’s Symphony of Lights is located just over the Miami-Dade/Broward County border in Hallandale. Hallandale Beach is one of my favorite beaches in South Florida. At Symphony in Lights, you will enjoy over 250,000 lights synced to music from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Gulfstream Park is located at 901 S Federal Hwy, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009.
  • Fairchild Botanical Gardens NightGarden is another Christmas Lights destination you should add to your list. NightGarden takes over the 80-acre property and transforms it into a wonderland of lights. You and your family will enjoy dazzling mazes, scavenger hunts, snowfall experience, and glowing dandelion fields. Kanye West’s famous talking tree? You will find it here. Fairchild Gardens is located at 10901 Old Cutler Rd, Coral Gables, FL 33156.
  • Fort Lauderdale’s Winterfest Boat Parade is my all-time favorite. Even though this is not part of the Best Christmas Lights In Miami locations, it is nearby in Fort Lauderdale. But find a spot early! Over a million people line the New River and Intracoastal Waterway as the boat parade makes its way to Pompano Beach. Private boats through large mega yachts with hundreds of lights, music and even a celebrity or two. 

Be sure to plan ahead, so you can hit all of these amazing Christmas Lights Display in Miami and South Florida. Happy early holidays! The links below will help you plan your Miami Christmas Vacation:

Disclosure: I earn a commission if you make a purchase through my links at no additional cost to you! I would never recommend anything I don’t personally use, and the income goes to keeping this site updated and free for everyone!

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About Denise

Denise Sanger lives a life split between her love for fitness and her passion for travel particularly to the BEACH.  Denise also has a love of marketing and lives in beautiful Suwannee County, Florida. You can find out more about Denise here: About Denise

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