10 of the Best Winter Activities in Florida

Searching for fun winter activities in Florida to get you into the seasonal spirit? While we may not have snow, winter is the BEST time to live in the Sunshine State! The cooler temperature and festive atmosphere make it easy to enjoy the season in our own unique way! From holiday-themed activities in December to general activities you can enjoy all winter long, I’ve put together a list that brings the magic of a winter wonderland, Florida style!

Me in front of a Christmas lights display.

Holiday Winter Activities in Florida

1. Head to a Holiday Lights Event

I can still remember being a kid driving around with my family at Christmas time to look at all the lights! It is one of my favorite holiday memories and I can’t wait to carry this on with my own son! While you can absolutely drive around your local neighborhoods for an even more memorable occasion you can attend a holiday lights event in your area! Every year, my husband and I try to find a new event to go to. If you are local to the Tampa Bay area there are a lot of great holiday light events listed below!

Tampa Bay Holiday Light Events

Holiday Lights in the Gardens at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo
Christmas Town at Busch Gardens
Christmas in the Wild at ZooTampa
Tampa Bay Festival of Lights at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds
Pirate Water Taxi’s River of Lights
Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum
Holiday Spectacular on the Tampa Riverwalk
Oakdale Christmas Display in St. Petersburg
Lights of Lake Park Estates in Largo

One of our favorite events is the Holiday Lights in the Gardens which is also pet friendly! Lights of Lake Park Estates is only a short drive away and also worth checking out for a memorable evening!

Colorful Christmas lights on trees at a botanical garden.

There are many other holiday light events all over Florida. One of the most popular events is Night of Lights in St. Augustine (this is a big item on my Florida bucket list!). One other light event that is still on my list to visit is Light Up Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland. Popular Disney events include Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Epcot’s International Festival of the Holidays, and Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll in Orlando. A few Miami holiday light events include Holiday Fantasy of Lights, Fairchild’s Night of the Garden, Zoo Miami Zoo Lights, Deering Estate Holiday Lights and many more!

2. Try unique cocktails at a pop up Holiday Bar

For a fun date night in December, find a holiday pop up bars in your area! This is actually one activity on the list I haven’t had the opportunity to do myself yet, but it is definitely on the calendar for December this year! In the Tampa Bay area there are several every year. A few of the popular ones are listed below.

The Blitz at Barterhouse (Ybor City/Tampa)
Miracle at Mezzo (St. Pete)
Sonder’s Santa Social Club (Dunedin)
Joy Bar (Tampa)

This is far from a comprehensive list even in the Tampa Bay area and definitely doesn’t even scratch the surface when it comes to the rest of Florida. Check out social media or Google to find a holiday pop up bar near you!

3. Host a Holiday Party

This is an idea you can truly customize to your taste! A few ideas for hosting a holiday party include a cookie exchange, holiday beer tasting, ugly Christmas sweater theme, or a holiday movie marathon. You can even combine multiple of these ideas to ensure a fun and festive night!

One of my friends has a holiday cookie and beer party. Everyone brings a sweet treat to share and guests can vote on the best baked good. For anyone who is not into baking, they can opt to bring their favorite holiday beer to share! There is always a good mix of cookies and drinks and the host usually supplies some additional appetizers which makes for a great night! To add to the atmosphere you can either play holiday music or movies int the background.

A group of girls in ugly Christmas sweaters.

4. Sip on seasonal flavors at a local coffee shop

Everyone goes crazy for fall flavors (pumpkin spice anyone?), but I can also appreciate the winter classics including peppermint and gingerbread! Plan a coffee date with a friend to get in the holiday season and sip on your favorite flavor. I personally go for anything peppermint! You can make it extra fun by challenging yourself to see how many coffee shops you can visit this holiday season and rank the various drinks!

Not a big fan of coffee? Consider ordering some hot chocolate or a gingerbread chai! One coffee shop that always stands out during the holiday season in Tampa is Willa’s Provisions. They really get in the festive mood by decking out the coffee shop in holiday decor!

5. Participate in a First Day Hike

A popular tradition is to celebrate the first day of the year outside! Many Florida State Parks offer “first day hike” events on January 1st each year. I haven’t attended one of the organized hikes, but I do try to visit a park to start my New Year! You can go for a hike at any of your local parks or preserves. For a unique first day hike consider hiking from North Clearwater Beach to Caladesi Island State Park. Below is a list of some of my favorite Florida State Parks to hike at!

My dog and I on the suspension bridge at Hillsborough River State Park.

Boardwalk trail with trees surrounding it at De Leon Springs State Park

General Winter Activities in Florida

6. Visit Snowcat Ridge or and an Ice Skating Rink

Looking to experience snow in Florida? If the answer is yes, you need to head to Snowcat Ridge in Dade City, Florida. Snowcat Ridge is an alpine snow park with seasonal hours from November through February. Popular activities at the park include snow tubing, playing in the snow in the artic igloo, ice skating, and the music and light show. The specific opening date for the 2025 season is not yet listed on their website, but should be available soon!

For anyone that doesn’t live in the Tampa Bay area or does not want to make a trip there to experience Snowcat Ridge, consider looking for a local ice skating rink instead! Ice skating is a fun (and sometimes challenging) winter activity!

7. Visit a Florida Spring to View Manatee

The best Florida winter activity for animal and nature lovers is to look for manatee! Due to the cooler water temperatures manatee head to the Florida springs to stay warm. The springs stay a consistent 72 degrees providing an ideal environment for manatee in the winter. Another place to look for manatee is next to power plants which also provide warm enough water. If this is something you are interested in, check out my favorite places to view manatee in central Florida.

Four manatee with two of them looking right at the camera.

Three Sisters Springs with several manatee in the water.

A unique opportunity is to book a tour where you can actually swim with manatee! The most popular spot for this is in Crystal River. I experienced this with Adventure Diving and I can’t recommend the experience enough!

Three girls on pool noodles observing manatee.

8. Plan a trip to the Everglades

Florida is home to 3 national parks, the largest and most visited is the Everglades! Winter is the perfect time to plan a visit because it is the dry season. This means cooler, more enjoyable temperatures, less bugs, and possibly more wildlife!

There is so much to explore when you are planning a trip to the Everglades National Park! Consider taking a tram tour or riding your bike along the 15-mile tram road for opportunities to view alligators up close at Shark Valley. Hit the water on an airboat tour or stay on land and hike one of the most popular traills, the Gumbo Limbo Trail or Angina Trail. If this sounds like fun and you are ready to start planning your trip I have crafted the perfect one day or two day itinerary to get you started!

An alligator between the water and the grass basking in the warm sunlight

9. Cheer on your Favorite Team at a NHL Game

One of my favorite memories living in Channelside, a neighborhood in downtown Tampa, was walking to the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games! I had only been to one professional hockey game before moving to Tampa, but I became a huge fan. Live sports are always a fun activity and the electric environment inside Amalie Arena (soon to be Benchmark International Arena) is unmatched!

My friends and I at the Tampa Bay Lightening game.

Me in a large white chair that says Go Bolts.

For my south Florida readers, you can head to Amerant Bank Arena to watch the Florida Panthers, but my loyalty will always remain with the Bolts! I used to score great deals on hockey tickets by attending weeknight games or checking discounted apps shortly before gametime. Another option if you are looking to save some money or catch an away game is to look for watch parties. In Tampa, outdoor venues such as Sparkman Wharf and Armature Works will host hockey watch parties which can be just as fun as attending the game live.

Tampa Bay Lightening watch party at Armature Works.

My husband and I in front of the Eastern Conference Final sign.

10. Witness the Pirate Invasion at Gasparilla

This list wouldn’t be complete without including Gasparilla! I’ve lived in Tampa for 9 years and this is always a memorable event! Gasparilla events span over a four month period (December through March) including the Gasparilla Bowl, Gasparilla Distance Classic, Gasparilla Music Festival, and Gasparilla Film Festival.

However, the most popular events occur at the end of January. The Gasparilla Children’s Parade and the Gasparilla Pirate Fest are the two most highly anticipated events. They are typically held on the last two Saturday’s of the month with the children’s parade occurring the week before the pirate fest. Additionally the Sant’Yago Knight Parade is held in February each year.

What can you expect if you attend the Gasparilla Pirate Fest? Bayshore Boulevard as well as many other roads in downtown and South Tampa are closed and thousands of people hit the streets to attend parties as well as the parade. To help you get in the spirit many people will dress up in their best pirate attire! While this event is certainly not for everyone, I think it’s something you should experience at least once!

Myself and two friends dressed in black and red for Gasparilla.

My husband and I in front of a pirate flag.

Are you Ready to Start Exploring Florida in the Winter?

Hopefully this post gave you some ideas of the best winter activities in Florida! Leave a comment below and let me know which one you are planning to experience first!