The Palm Coast area has 2 Christmas events for kids we could confirm for the 2026 season, from Tree Lighting Ceremony in Palm Coast on November 28 to Starlight Parade in Palm Coast, on December 12. Every listing links straight to the host. It is one stop on our guide to Christmas events for kids in Florida, part of our guide for every state.
The short version
- 2 kids’ Christmas events confirmed in Palm Coast for 2026, in Palm Coast
- First: Tree Lighting Ceremony, Palm Coast, November 28. Runs latest: Starlight Parade, Palm Coast, through December 12
- Every event here charges admission or a ticket; check each host
- Checked on each host’s own page; each listing links straight to it
What are you looking for?
All 2 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Palm Coast event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Palm Coast.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Palm Coast before they fill up.
- Start your magical Christmas season now Every event appears the moment you enter your email.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Waiting inside
- 2 Santa
- 2 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 1 Crafts
Enter your email and all will appear instantly.
The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 1 Christmas event in Palm Coast.
- New events in Palm Coast every week
- Exclusive access to free events
- Your magical Christmas season starts now
- Christmas Eve Express and free advent calendar
- One-tap add to calendar
Christmas events for kids in Palm Coast
2 confirmed events for kids in Palm Coast, soonest first.
Tree lighting
Tree Lighting Ceremony
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 6 to 9 pm
- Where: Central Park in Town Center, Palm Coast
- Cost: Price not listed
Details, tips and host
The City of Palm Coast opens the holiday season with its Tree Lighting Ceremony at Central Park in Town Center. It is the kickoff for the Rotary Club of Flagler County's 21st Annual Fantasy Light Festival, and City Council members take part.
Families can visit Santa's Village, which has kids' crafts and a Letters to Santa station, and take photos with Santa Claus, who arrives on a Palm Coast fire engine. Food trucks and entertainment are planned. The event page lists the evening from 6 to 9 pm and does not give a price.
Parent tip: Arrive early for a spot near the tree and to give the kids time at the craft tables before Santa arrives.
- Host
- City of Palm Coast (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave, Palm Coast, FL 32164
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Holiday parade
Starlight Parade
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 4 to 9 pm
- Where: Central Park in Town Center, Palm Coast
- Cost: Price not listed
Details, tips and host
The Starlight Parade is the City of Palm Coast's annual evening holiday parade, held at Central Park in Town Center. The event runs from 4 to 9 pm, with pre-parade entertainment until the parade begins at 6 pm.
Santa's Village is open from 4 to 5 pm, which makes it a good first stop for little ones before the crowds build along the route. The Rotary Club of Flagler County's Fantasy Lights display is also open nightly in the same park, from 6:30 to 9 pm. The page does not list a price or the exact route.
Parent tip: Visit Santa's Village in the first hour, then claim a viewing spot before the 6 pm start.
- Host
- City of Palm Coast (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Central Park in Town Center, 975 Central Ave, Palm Coast, FL 32164
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in Palm Coast? Bring Rally home.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. It makes a cozy bedtime story after a big day with Santa. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $16.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $16.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Every event above was confirmed on the host’s own page, with the date, time, cost and the small things parents ask about (sign-ups, ages, what is included). Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Florida Christmas train rides page.
Palm Coast Christmas events for kids at a glance
- Kids’ Christmas events
- 2 confirmed for 2026
- Cities
- Palm Coast
- Season
- November 28 to December 12, 2026
- Free events
- 0
- Kinds of events
- tree lighting and holiday parade
- Last checked
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Palm Coast Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Tree Lighting Ceremony in Palm Coast on November 28; the last runs to December 12. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Tree Lighting CeremonyPalm Coast · Nov 28
- Starlight ParadePalm Coast · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Florida Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Gainesville, Sarasota, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Cape Coral, Lakeland, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Port Saint Lucie, Palm Bay, Spring Hill and Deltona. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on Amazon2026 Christmas events are coming in late November
More Christmas events arrive in late November: unlock the list and we'll email you as soon as we confirm them.
The story of Christmas in Palm Coast
Palm Coast's Christmas story starts with a little girl's wish. Tiffany Butler dreamed of a Christmas light show in her town, and in 2006 her father helped turn that dream into Fantasy Lights, which now glows every December at Central Park.
How Palm Coast celebrates
Palm Coast's holiday season centers on Central Park in Town Center. The Rotary Club of Flagler County's Fantasy Lights festival began in 2006, after a young girl named Tiffany Butler, who died of a heart condition in 2002, wished for a Christmas light show in Palm Coast. Her father, Bill Butler, launched the first event. The city's Tree Lighting Ceremony opens the festival each year, and the city also holds the Starlight Parade in Town Center and a Holiday Boat Parade on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Christmas last year in Palm Coast
In 2025 about 6,000 people attended the city's Tree Lighting Ceremony at Central Park in person and about 10,000 more watched the livestream. Children went onstage to count down and light the tree, and families met Santa afterward. The Starlight Parade followed on Saturday, December 6 with 68 decorated floats and 17 food trucks, and the Holiday Boat Parade lit the Intracoastal on December 13. On December 20 the city marked 20 years of Fantasy Lights, which opened with more than 57 animated light displays.
Fun facts about Christmas in Palm Coast
Fantasy Lights grew from 16 light displays to more than 50 animated ones, and Rotary members have given more than 36,000 volunteer hours to the festival. At the 2025 tree lighting, Palm Coast Ford powered the city's tree with an electric pickup truck decorated with synchronized lights. At the Starlight Parade, a Santa's Village is open early for meeting Santa before the floats roll. The boat parade is billed as the largest lighted boat parade in Florida, and boats start at Cimmaron Basin and head south to the Grand Haven Gazebo.
Trains and Christmas in Palm Coast
We did not find a train museum in Palm Coast, but trains still show up at Christmas. At the 20th anniversary Fantasy Lights night in 2025 at Central Park, the festival offered Santa's Merry Train Ride throughout the evening, along with Santa's Village and its themed elf houses for children.
Traditions today
- Fantasy Lights: The Rotary Club of Flagler County's nightly light display at Central Park, started in 2006 and now with dozens of animated exhibits.
- The Tree Lighting Ceremony: Children count down onstage to light the city's Christmas tree, and families meet Santa afterward.
- The Starlight Parade: Illuminated floats, performers and community groups travel through Town Center, with a Santa's Village open before the parade.
- The Holiday Boat Parade: Lit boats cruise the Intracoastal Waterway, billed as the largest lighted boat parade in Florida.
- Santa's Village: A corner of Central Park with elf houses, hot cocoa, marshmallow toasting and time with Santa.
- Giving back: Fantasy Lights raises money for local nonprofits and scholarships for Flagler County high school seniors.
A fact for kids
In 2025 children went onstage in Palm Coast to count down and light the city's Christmas tree, which was powered by an electric pickup truck covered in blinking lights.
Questions about Christmas in Palm Coast
How did Fantasy Lights start in Palm Coast?
Fantasy Lights grew from the dream of Tiffany Butler, a young girl who died of a heart condition in 2002 and wanted to see a Christmas light show in Palm Coast. Her father, Bill Butler, a Rotary Club member, launched the first event in 2006. It began with 16 light displays.
What is the oldest Christmas tradition in Palm Coast?
Of the traditions we could verify, the Holiday Boat Parade is among the oldest. A local article said the 2025 parade marked its 42nd anniversary, though another listing for 2023 gave a different count, so the exact start year is unclear. Fantasy Lights, which began in 2006, is the best documented one.
How many lights are in Fantasy Lights?
In 2025 the festival opened with more than 57 animated light displays, up from 16 displays when it began. The Rotary Club of Flagler County puts them up at Central Park in Town Center, and the festival also has live music and themed nights.
Who runs Fantasy Lights?
The Rotary Club of Flagler County runs it. Net proceeds from gate donations and sponsorships go to local nonprofit charities and scholarships for Flagler County high school seniors. At the 20th anniversary in 2025, speakers said volunteers had given more than 36,000 hours to the festival over two decades.
When does Fantasy Lights run each year?
It runs nightly from the Tree Lighting Ceremony in late November through December 30, usually from 6:30 to 9 pm. In 2025 it opened on November 29. Themed nights and Santa visits change from year to year, so see our Palm Coast Christmas events guide on this page for this year's schedule.
How long has Palm Coast held a tree lighting ceremony?
The city held its 14th annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 29, 2025, which means it began around 2012. It happens at Central Park in Town Center and opens the Fantasy Lights festival. The 2024 ceremony was the 13th, held on November 30 with Santa turning on the lights.
How many people go to the Palm Coast tree lighting?
About 6,000 residents attended the 2025 Tree Lighting Ceremony in person, and about 10,000 more watched the livestream, according to the city. Families come for the countdown, Santa, kids' crafts and Santa's Village. If your child is small, arrive early to find a spot where they can see the tree.
Who lights the tree in Palm Coast?
Children do, at least in 2025. Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri invited kids onstage to count down and light the city's Christmas tree. In 2024 Santa turned on the lights. Check the city's listing to see how the ceremony is run in the current year.
What is the Starlight Parade in Palm Coast?
The Starlight Parade is the city's annual evening holiday parade through Town Center, with illuminated floats, performers and community groups. In 2025 it was held Saturday, December 6, with 68 floats, 17 food trucks, live entertainment and a Santa's Village open before the 6 pm start.
Where does the Starlight Parade go?
In 2025 the route started at the Central Avenue roundabout, then followed Park Street, Lake Avenue and City Place, ending on Bulldog Drive at Flagler Palm Coast High School. The parade is also live-streamed on the city's YouTube channel, which is handy if the little ones get tired.
What is the Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade?
It is a parade of lit-up boats and yachts on the Intracoastal Waterway, billed as the largest lighted boat parade in Florida. In 2025 it was on December 13 at 6 pm, starting at Cimmaron Basin and heading south under the Hammock Dunes Bridge to the Grand Haven Gazebo before turning back.
Where can kids watch the Palm Coast boat parade?
Good viewing spots include Waterfront Park, St. Joe's Walkway and Canopy Walk. Watching is free. In 2025 a free shuttle ran from 4 to 9 pm from the European Village and the Daytona State College Palm Coast Campus lot, since parking at Waterfront Park is limited. See our Palm Coast Christmas events guide on this page for this year.
Who is Santa's Village for?
Santa's Village is for families with young children at Central Park. It has had kids' crafts, hot cocoa, marshmallow toasting, themed elf houses and chances to meet Santa. It is open early at the Starlight Parade, from 4 to 5 pm in 2025, so families can visit before the parade begins.
How do I explain Fantasy Lights to a young child?
Tell your child that a little girl named Tiffany once wished for a Christmas light show in her town, and her dad and the Rotary Club made it come true in 2006. Now volunteers put up dozens of animated lights every year, and the money raised helps local students and charities.
What do Palm Coast families do to give back at Christmas?
Fantasy Lights is built around giving. The Rotary Club of Flagler County uses donations to support local nonprofits and college scholarships, and the 2023 festival raised over $30,000. The 2025 Starlight Parade grand marshal was a pastor from the Grace Community Food Pantry.
Where is Palm Coast's city Christmas tree?
The city's Christmas tree stands at Central Park in Town Center, where the Tree Lighting Ceremony happens and where Fantasy Lights glows nightly through December 30. For this year's date, time and activities, see our Palm Coast Christmas events guide on this page.
Is there a Christmas market in Palm Coast?
On December 20, 2025, the Fantasy Lights 20th anniversary night opened with a Holiday Market at Central Park, featuring food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, local businesses and community displays. Whether it returns this year is best checked in our Palm Coast Christmas events guide on this page.
Does Palm Coast get snow at Christmas?
Snow is very unlikely, since Palm Coast is on Florida's coast. The town's traditions here include lights, parades and a boat parade on the Intracoastal Waterway. Kids can still enjoy hot cocoa and marshmallow toasting at Santa's Village, even if they wear shorts.
Is there a train to see at Christmas in Palm Coast?
At the 20th anniversary Fantasy Lights night in 2025, Santa's Merry Train Ride ran throughout the evening at Central Park, next to Santa's Village and its themed elf houses. We did not find a train museum in Palm Coast, so for this year's train offerings, see our Palm Coast Christmas events guide on this page.
What do the Rotary and the city do together at Christmas?
The City of Palm Coast and the Rotary Club of Flagler County team up each year. The city hosts the Tree Lighting Ceremony, which opens Rotary's Fantasy Lights, and the mayor presented a proclamation honoring 20 years of the festival on December 20, 2025. Central Park is the home of both the ceremony and the festival.
Sources
- City of Palm Coast Tree Lighting Ceremony Welcomes Thousands to Open the Holiday Season, City of Palm Coast
- Celebrate the Season with the City of Palm Coast's Annual Starlight Parade This Saturday, City of Palm Coast
- Palm Coast Celebrates 20 Years of Fantasy Lights on December 20, City of Palm Coast
- Tis the season: Palm Coast, Rotary Club of Flagler County celebrate Fantasy Lights Festival, Observer Local News
- Seas the Season at the Palm Coast Holiday Boat Parade, Visit Flagler
- 14th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony Kicks Off the Holiday Season on November 29, City of Palm Coast
Palm Coast Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Palm Coast this year?
We confirmed 2 for the 2026 season. Good places to start: Tree Lighting Ceremony (Nov 28) and Starlight Parade (Dec 12). Every event on this page has the times, the cost and a link to the host.
Where can kids meet Santa in Palm Coast?
2 events here include a visit with Santa. Bring your own camera; most visits allow photos.
Do we need tickets or reservations?
For 2 of the 2 events, yes: they sell tickets or ask you to sign up ahead. Meals with Santa and ticketed shows fill up first. Most library and park events are walk-in, and each listing says which is which.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Palm Coast?
Yes, but they have their own guide. Santa trains and holiday train rides are listed in our Palm Coast Christmas train rides guide, so this page sticks to story times, Santa visits and other events off the rails.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 4, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.