By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Thankful for a strong fair showing in post-hurricane times, Hillsborough County Fair officials are set to advance the area’s hometown holiday tradition with the year-ending Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village extravaganza
Touted for its more than 2-mile drive through nearly 2 million animated lights, the holiday tradition runs Nov. 28 through Dec. 29, at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds in Dover, at 215 Sydney Washer Drive. The drive features “elaborate light displays themed to Florida and traditional winter holidays,” including an animated light tunnel and this year’s “Santa’s Winter Wonderland” expansion.
Linda Chion Kenney file photos
Lights leading into Tampa Bay’s Festival of Lights & Santa’s Village, at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds in Dover
Lindsey, 7, and Rein, 4, take a pose before their Santa visit.
As for Santa’s Village, its offerings include holiday-themed rides, food, crafts, photo backdrops, activities and marketplace, along with a self-guided walking tour of Hometown Hillsborough Historical Village, decked out in seasonal décor and lights.
New this year is wine and cider from Keel & Curley Winery in Plant City. Also on tap are visits and photos with Santa, who returns to the North Pole in time for Christmas.
The entertainment lineup includes the Riverview High School Victorian Carolers, the Victorian-age style ensemble group that sings traditional holiday music without instrument accompaniment, dressed in period costumes. Founded by music teacher Elizabeth “Liz” Stewart, the a cappella singing group is directed by Riverview alumnus Acadia Bravo, now in her third year teaching at the school.
“We’ve been performing at the Hillsborough County Fair, and when we were given the invitation to come to the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights, we thought it would be fun to add to our season,” said Stewart, who this year launched a new group, the Madrigal Singers.
“It’s like the Renaissance Fair meets a Christmas festival,” Stewart said, of the “British” singers dressed and performing in and as a royal court. Among the group’s inaugural performances is a dinner theater performance Dec. 20 at the King’s Veterans Theatre, a community theater in Sun City Center.
More than 2 miles of lights are on view at Hillsborough’s hometown holiday festival.
Rounding out the announced entertainment for Santa’s Village at the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights are EVE; Jordan Denise Williams; Strong and Amazing Aerial Stunt Show with Laura J; Dance 4 Donations; Aimee Carter; and the legendary Dennis Lee Band, a fixture for decades at fairs and festivals nationwide, including the Florida Strawberry Festival and Florida State Fair.
As for the 12-day county fair, it ended Nov. 11 with a Veteran’s Day drone salute to Veterans and first responders. With final numbers yet to be tabulated, Betty Jo Tompkins, in an interview last week, said attendance was strong in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, just 13 days apart. While last year’s record-breaking show and attendance numbers are likely to hold, some individual event records were set, as in the “remarkable sale of two turkeys, one for $10,000 and the other for $11,000,” Tompkins said.
As for the youth livestock shows, “There’s no question the hurricanes had an impact,” Tompkins said. “Because of the trauma they went through, there were a number of animals that didn’t make weight and some that even died. We adjusted the weight down a little bit, but even with that adjustment, some animals didn’t make it.”
Still, “the prices were phenomenal this year once again,” Tompkins added. “The community stepped up. The business community at large stepped up. And that made it profitable for the students who showed their animals.”
Hours and ticket prices for the holiday-themed festival vary by the day of visit for both the drive-through lights and Santa’s Village stroll, ranging from 6 to 9 p.m. or 6 to 10 p.m. for the lights, and from 6 to 10 p.m. or 6 to 11 p.m. for Santa’s Village.
Prices are $30 per carload, and $25 for the nights the village is closed. The $75 Season Pass option is good for every night but requires that the person named in the purchase be in attendance every night the car drives through. There is both a charter bus ticket ($50 for drive-through, $80 for drive-through and Santa’s Village) and mini-bus option ($35 and $40, respectively).
As with the county fair, there are special nights for special groups at the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village, including Heroes Night on Dec. 5. Active and retired military, police, fire and other first responders with identification get a discounted admission of $15 per car. ID must be shown at the gate, as these tickets reportedly are not available online.