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Christmas with kids in The Villages
In The Villages, Christmas comes to life one square at a time. Three town squares each light a tree, with a countdown, music and Santa.
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The story of Christmas in The Villages
How The Villages celebrates
The big Christmas tradition in The Villages is the tree lighting at its town squares. Spanish Springs Town Square, Brownwood Paddock Square and Lake Sumter Landing each hold their own lighting, with holiday lights, live music, food, crafts and visits with Santa. A 2018 report called the Spanish Springs lighting an annual event that typically marks the start of the holiday season. We could not find the year the tradition began, so we leave it out.
Christmas last year in The Villages
The 2025 season opened on Saturday, Nov. 29, with two tree lightings on the same night, at Spanish Springs Town Square and Brownwood Paddock Square. Both squares offered holiday lights, live music, food, crafts and Santa visits, and the sing-alongs and countdowns began at 8 p.m. A third lighting followed a week later, on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Lake Sumter Landing. That made three tree lightings across the community in the span of just over a week.
Fun facts about Christmas in The Villages
At the 2018 Spanish Springs lighting, the crowd sang carols with an emcee and watched a rock and roll band, belly dancers, cheerleaders, a hula troupe and the Villages Twirlers Show Team and Drum Corps. Santa and Mrs. Claus posed for photos while vendors served food and ran games. The night was chilly, and one attendee said it was his couple's sixth year coming. In 2018, the Spanish Springs lighting came on a Wednesday, not a weekend.
Traditions today
- Spanish Springs Town Square tree lighting: A tree lighting with music, food, crafts and Santa visits, usually among the first of the season.
- Brownwood Paddock Square tree lighting: Lights, live music, crafts and Santa visits, with a countdown starting at 8 p.m. in 2025.
- Lake Sumter Landing tree lighting: The third tree lighting of the season, held on Dec. 6 in 2025.
- Carols and sing-alongs: Crowds sing together before the countdown to the lighting.
- Photos with Santa: Santa, and in 2018 Mrs. Claus too, pose for photos at the town squares.
A fact for kids
The Villages lights its Christmas trees in three different town squares. Everyone counts down together, and then the lights come on.
Questions about Christmas in The Villages
What is the main Christmas tradition in The Villages?
The tree lighting at the town squares is the main tradition. Each year the community lights Christmas trees at its squares, with holiday lights, live music, food, crafts and visits with Santa. A 2018 report called the Spanish Springs lighting an annual event that typically marks the start of the holiday season.
Where are the Christmas trees lit in The Villages?
Trees are lit at three town squares: Spanish Springs Town Square, Brownwood Paddock Square and Lake Sumter Landing. In 2025 the first two were lit on the same Saturday night, Nov. 29, and Lake Sumter Landing followed on Saturday, Dec. 6. Dates vary each year. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
What time do the tree lightings start?
In 2025, sing-alongs and the countdown to the tree lightings started at 8 p.m. on the first Saturday. Other activities, such as food, crafts and music, ran earlier in the evening. Times can change from year to year, so check before you head out with little ones. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
Does Santa come to the tree lightings?
Yes. The 2025 tree lightings at Spanish Springs Town Square and Brownwood Paddock Square included visits with Santa, along with live music, food, crafts and holiday lights. At the 2018 Spanish Springs lighting, Santa and Mrs. Claus also posed for photos with the crowd.
When was the first tree lighting at Spanish Springs?
We could not find the founding year of the tradition. A Nov. 28, 2018 article described a lighting that evening as the first of that season and as an annual event, and one attendee said it was his couple's sixth year attending. So it has run for many years, but we cannot give an exact start.
What was the 2018 Spanish Springs tree lighting like?
Crowds filled Spanish Springs Town Square on a chilly Wednesday evening. A rock and roll band played, an emcee led Christmas carols, and local dance troupes and the Villages Twirlers Show Team and Drum Corps performed. Santa and Mrs. Claus posed for photos, and vendors sold food and played games.
What happens at Brownwood Paddock Square at Christmas?
Brownwood Paddock Square holds one of the community's tree lighting events. In 2025 it took place on Nov. 29 alongside Spanish Springs, with holiday lights, live music, food, crafts and Santa visits. The countdown started at 8 p.m. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
What happens at Lake Sumter Landing at Christmas?
Lake Sumter Landing hosts the last of the season's three tree lightings. In 2025 it was held on Saturday, Dec. 6. As at the other squares, expect holiday lights and a countdown, and check the schedule for live music and Santa. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
Is The Villages a good place for kids at Christmas?
The Villages is best known as a retirement community, so holiday events are not aimed only at kids. Still, the tree lightings include crafts, Santa visits and music that children can enjoy, which makes them a nice outing for visiting grandchildren. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
Are the tree lightings free?
We did not see ticket prices for the tree lightings in our sources, and they are held in open town squares. Food and crafts may cost extra. Check the host's calendar for the current year before you go. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
How do I explain a tree lighting to a young child?
Tell your child that the whole community counts down together, and when the countdown ends the tree glows. In The Villages the countdown began at 8 p.m. in 2025. Mention the music and Santa first, so the waiting feels like part of the fun, and bring a jacket.
What should I bring to a tree lighting in The Villages?
Bring a light jacket, since the 2018 lighting was described as chilly, plus a folding chair or blanket if allowed and some snacks. Evening crowds fill the squares, so arrive early for a good spot.
When does the Christmas season start in The Villages?
The tree lightings usually mark the start. In 2025 the first two were on Saturday, Nov. 29, the weekend after Thanksgiving, and the third on Dec. 6. In 2018, the first lighting at Spanish Springs was on Wednesday, Nov. 28.
Why are there three tree lightings?
The community has three separate town squares, and each holds its own lighting. In 2025 two were held on the same night and one a week later. We did not find a source that explains why, but separate dates may let families visit more than one square.
What kinds of performers appear at The Villages tree lightings?
In 2018 the Spanish Springs show included a rock and roll band, carol singing led by an emcee, belly dancers, cheerleaders, a hula troupe and a twirlers and drum corps. Performers change each year, so expect a mix of music and dance.
Are there crafts for children at the tree lightings?
Yes. The 2025 tree lightings at Spanish Springs and Brownwood Paddock Square featured crafts along with food, live music and Santa. Details of the crafts were not listed in our source, so check the host calendar for hours and ages. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
Is there a Christmas parade in The Villages?
We did not find a Christmas parade in our sources, and the tree lightings are the main community holiday gatherings we could verify. Look at our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for events we confirmed.
Can we meet Mrs. Claus in The Villages?
At the 2018 Spanish Springs lighting, Santa and Mrs. Claus posed for photos with the crowd. At 2025 events, Santa visits were listed. Whether Mrs. Claus attends in a given year can change, so check the schedule. See our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page for what we could confirm this year.
What is Christmas weather like in The Villages?
Evenings can be cool in a Florida winter. The 2018 tree lighting was described as chilly. Our sources give no daytime forecast, so dress in layers for night outings, especially for little kids waiting for a countdown, and check the weather before you go.
Where can I find this year's The Villages Christmas events?
Our Christmas events guide for The Villages on this page lists kid-friendly holiday events a host has confirmed with 2026 dates. For the town squares' tree lighting schedule, also check the host's own calendar. We list only events a host has confirmed.