By LINDA CHION KENNEY
More than 1.5 million lights will be twinkling at the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village, where a sold-out line-up of gift-oriented vendors and competing youth-decorated Christmas trees will be among the featured sights.
Event dates over five festive weeks kick off 6 p.m., Thanksgiving Day at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, with special nights set aside for leashed and well-behaved pets (for photos with Santa Claus) and for heroes, homegrown and otherwise, including military, police, fire, rescue and additional first responders.
“Happy Holidays” in lighted view at the 2024 Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village
More than 1.5 million lights will be on display at the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village.
Gates open 6 p.m. Nov. 27 through Dec. 28 for the light-show drive-through. Santa’s Village will be open Nov. 27-30 and Dec. 4-7, 11-14 and 18-28. Santa’s last day in attendance will be Dec. 24.
Festival officials say this year’s event features more lights, an expanded Santa’s Village, and a return of wine and cider from Plant City-based Keel & Curley Winery. The self-guided tour through the Hometown Hillsborough Historical Village gives a glimpse into seasonal life in olden days.
From Town Square to Holiday Plaza, Santa’s Village includes Santa’s Workshop craft stations, holiday-themed face-painting, holiday movies and shorts, a chance to pet and feed animals in Santa’s Interactive Barnyard, and camel rides.
Picnic tables and fire pits offer space to dine on festival and holiday food, treats and drinks, with holiday rides in Santa’s Carnival, including a reindeer carousel and candy cane swings, mere steps away.
Linda Chion Kenney photos
Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village returns to the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds in Dover.
What started years ago as a modest drive-through of rented lights has become a homegrown spectacle on a much-grander scale, with lights owned by the Hillsborough County Fair Board of Directors, which each year adds a bit more to the seasonal glow.
“The festival started as a contract event, when someone asked to use the fairgrounds for their show,” said Betty Jo Tompkins, a member of the fair’s executive board and a past fair board president. “After doing that for a couple years, we believed we could offer more to the public at a reasonable price point. With the expanded mass of creative and uplifting lights, the festival has become a much-anticipated magical event.”
Long-time board member and current president, Suzie Churchwell, said officials have been working round-the-clock since the Nov. 9 conclusion of the 12-day Hillsborough County Fair to ready the fairgrounds for Santa’s Village and drive-through light show.
“We’ve been out in force to clean up everything from the fair and to get things ready in a short period of time, but it’s all worth it,” Churchwell said. “The festival is a great event for Tampa Bay, giving time for kids and adults to enjoy themselves in the holiday spirit.”
Nestled in the woods off State Road 60 in Dover, at 215 Sydney Washer Road, the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds provides the backdrop for the more than two miles of seasonal and Florida-themed displays, including an animated tunnel.
The Grinch stands in view outside a food offering at the 2024 Festival of Lights and Santa’s Workshop.
Prices for activities in Santa’s Village include those for Santa photos ($5 using your own device, $10 for printed photo), camel rides ($15 to $20 and $5 for a feed cup) and carnival rides ($5 per ride, $40 for a 10-pack ticket book).
Additional activities include hayride ($4 per individual, $12 for a family of four), make-your-own craft tables ($2) and S’mores kits for use at fire pits ($3 per kit). Food and drink prices vary among the many vendor offerings.
“We’ve got pizza, sweet treats, coffee and cocoa, hamburgers and fries, tacos and quesadillas, and Smitty’s hand-dipped buttermilk corn dogs, along with Keel and Curley and more,” Churchwell said.
Available at no additional cost is the walk-through experience, including holiday movies and shorts and live entertainment. Special acts include the nationally known and hometown favorite, Dennis Lee Band; the Strong and Amazing Aerial Stunt Show with Laura J; the Ridge Country Band; and Kyndal Wynn.
Paws and Claus nights are Dec. 4 and 11, for well-behaved dogs and cats, on a leash. For a $10 donation to the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, attendees can get a free printed copy of their pet with Santa Claus.
On Heroes Night, Dec. 18, active and retired military, police, fire and first responders with ID can buy a discounted ticket at the gate only.
Gate admission includes the Festival of Lights drive-through show. The cost is $30 (cash) and $32 (credit card) for a vehicle carrying up to eight people. The cost drops to $25 and $27, respectively, on days when Santa’s Village is not open.
The costs are higher for charter bus loads (up to 30 passengers) and mini-bus loads (up to 15 passengers), with costs ranging from $60 to $84 and from $35 to $42, respectively.
Also offered, a season pass ($75 cash, $79 card), which allows one person, listed as the purchaser, with photo ID in hand, entrance for every day of the festival.
Group pricing is available as well.
Beyond its obvious draw, the Tampa Bay Festival of Lights and Santa’s Workshop furthers the fair board’s mission to turn the fairgrounds into a year-round center for community affairs.
“In January we have the Bull Bash and Rodeo, which kicks off a whole sequence of events for 2026,” Tompkins said. “We also have facilities we can rent to the public for private, business and nonprofit interests. We want people to think of the fairgrounds as the year-round venue they can come to and see all types of programs, projects and activities.”
For more information, visit www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com/ or call 813-737-3247.