December in West Palm Beach

West Palm BeachOctober 29, 2026

West Palm Beach in December

December is when downtown West Palm Beach dresses for the holidays. A Christmas tree carved from sand rises on the waterfront, the Kravis Center fills its calendar with holiday concerts and a Broadway Grinch, the Saturday GreenMarket is in full swing on the Great Lawn, and the restaurants along Clematis Street set their tables out under strings of lights. All of it sits about twenty minutes south of the residence, across the bridge on the mainland.

This guide covers the city side of the season, from the first week of December 2026 through the South Florida Fair in January 2027. It is written for guests at OASENA who want a few evenings in town and the rest of the week by the ocean. Each date below is the one announced for the season, and where a 2026 date is still to come, we mark it as expected and give the usual pattern so you can plan around it.

The season at a glance

• Thursday, December 3: the city's holiday tree lighting for Sandi on the waterfront, 6 to 10 PM, free.
• December 2 to 17: holiday concerts at the Kravis Center most weeks, from Dave Koz to The Tenors.
• Saturday, December 5 (expected): the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade on the Intracoastal, a short drive north of the residence.
• December 22 to 27: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at the Kravis.
• December 31: New Year's Eve on the downtown waterfront, which welcomed 2026 with midnight fireworks.
• Mid to late January 2027 (expected): the South Florida Fair at the fairgrounds west of the city.

For the island side of the holidays, with Christmas morning on the balcony and New Year's Day by the pool, see Christmas on Singer Island. For Worth Avenue and the town of Palm Beach across the lake, see the Palm Beach holiday season. The year-round calendar lives on our events page.

Sandi, the Christmas tree made of sand

Sandi is the reason many people drive downtown in December. Each year the city brings hundreds of tons of sand to the waterfront at the foot of Clematis Street, and a team of sculptors shapes it into a Christmas tree about 35 feet tall. Recent trees have used about 700 tons of sand and around 5,000 lights. Sandi first went up in 2012 and is carved again every year with a new theme around its sides.

How the tree comes together

The work begins in November. Trucks deliver the sand to the Great Lawn, and the sculptors spend a couple of weeks shaping the tree and carving the details. In 2025 the city invited the public to watch the sculpting every day from 9 AM to 5 PM between November 17 and November 26, and that year's tree carried musical notes, instruments and sea creatures around its base. Much of the sand comes back from earlier Sandis. If you are in town before the lighting, stop by in daylight to watch the carvers at work on the scaffolding.

Seeing Sandi lit

• When: evenings from the lighting on Thursday, December 3, 2026, through New Year's Eve. In 2025 the light shows ran nightly from 6 to 10 PM.
• Where: the Great Lawn and Waterfront Commons at 100 North Clematis Street, beside the Intracoastal.
• Admission: free to walk up and look.
• Best moment: just after dark on a weeknight, when you can stand at the rail and watch a full cycle of the light show.

A low fence circles the sculpture, and the signs ask visitors of every age to admire it from the rail rather than sit, climb or lean on the sand. Bring a phone for the photo everyone takes, the tree lit blue or red with the palms and the water behind it. The tree stays up into the first days of January, and then the sand is hauled away to be used again the next year.

The city's holiday season on the waterfront

Around the tree, the city runs a month of free holiday programming on the waterfront, presented by FPL. The official kickoff is the tree lighting on Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6 to 10 PM, spread across Waterfront Commons, the Meyer Amphitheatre and Flagler Drive. It is a free night of live entertainment for all ages, and it ends with the illumination of Sandi.

What the season has included

The full 2026 program is still to come, and the 2025 season gives a good picture of it, since the city tends to bring its favorites back.

• Ferris, a 50-foot Ferris wheel on the waterfront beside Sandi, with rides sold by the ticket.
• Synchronized light and music shows on the tree every evening.
• Live music on the lawn and a holiday boutique.
• A pancake breakfast with Santa beside Sandi in early December.
• The Centennial Fountain in Centennial Square, its jets lit in holiday colors with Sandi glowing at the end of the view.

Making an evening of it

The lighting night is the liveliest of the season, with a stage show, local families out on the lawn and a countdown to the moment the tree lights up. Arrive by 6 PM, park in a garage a few blocks back, and walk down Clematis to the water. For a quieter look, come any other evening in December: the tree is lit every night, the fountain is running, and you can walk straight up to the rail.

A good rhythm is a walk to the tree at dusk, dinner on Clematis Street, and a second look at Sandi on the way back to the car, when the light show is in full color. From the waterfront it is about twenty minutes back over the bridge to the residence, where the balcony faces the other way, out over the dark Atlantic.

Clematis by Night on Thursday evenings

Thursday is the night downtown West Palm Beach goes out to hear music. Clematis by Night is the city's free outdoor concert series, held on Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 PM on the Palm Stage on the Great Lawn, at the foot of Clematis Street. Local and regional bands play cover sets, tribute shows and dance music, people spread out on the grass, and the restaurants along the street are lively before and after. In 2026 it won the best outdoor concert series title in USA Today's 10Best readers' choice awards.

Clematis by Night in December

The series has run on December Thursdays in recent seasons, often with a holiday theme. In 2025 a Thanksgiving-night edition opened the holiday stretch, and on December 4 the band Sound Society played the same evening as the tree lighting. For December 2026 the Thursdays fall on the 3rd, 10th and 17th. Lineups are posted on the city's events calendar a few weeks ahead, so check what is on the week you arrive; now and then, on a Thursday when a bigger festival takes over the waterfront, the concert makes way for it.

How to enjoy it

• Come at six for a spot near the stage, or at eight to catch the last set after dinner.
• Bring nothing but a light layer. The bars and restaurants of Clematis Street are steps from the lawn.
• Pair it with Sandi. In December the stage and the tree share the same lawn, so a Thursday gives you both in one walk.
• Take a rideshare if you plan to stay for a drink; the residence is about twenty minutes back.

Clematis by Night suits a first evening of a stay: low effort, free, outdoors, and a quick way to get a feel for the street before you book the dinners that matter. Our arts and culture guide covers the rest of the city's music, from the Kravis Center to the symphony and the opera.

A walk along Flagler Drive

Flagler Drive is the long waterfront road that runs north and south along the Intracoastal through downtown, and its wide path is where West Palm Beach walks, runs and bikes. From the foot of Clematis Street you look straight across the water to the island of Palm Beach, with the bridges arching between the two and the boats of the downtown docks below. It is the easiest free hour downtown and the best place to start or end any visit.

What you pass along the water

• The Great Lawn and Waterfront Commons, home to Sandi in December, the GreenMarket on Saturdays and Clematis by Night on Thursdays.
• The Meyer Amphitheatre, the open-air stage at the south end of the waterfront park, used for the tree lighting and the city's bigger concerts.
• Centennial Square and its fountain, where Clematis Street meets the water, with jets children run through on warm afternoons.
• The public docks, where boats tie up for lunch downtown and where sightseeing and sunset cruises leave from the South Dock.
• The waterfront pier, a boardwalk out over the water with the downtown towers lit behind it after dark.

When to walk it

Early morning is cool and quiet, with joggers, pelicans on the pilings and the sun coming up over Palm Beach. Late afternoon brings the golden light on the towers and the first lights on Sandi. On a GreenMarket Saturday the path is lively with shoppers carrying flowers and coffee, and on a December evening it fills with people heading to the tree.

The walk from Centennial Square south toward the Meyer Amphitheatre and back takes about half an hour at an easy pace. Bring a light layer after sunset, when the breeze off the water cools the evening. If you came by car, the City Center and Clematis garages are a few blocks inland, and if you came by rideshare the drop-off at the foot of Clematis puts you right on the water.

Saturday morning at the GreenMarket

The West Palm Beach GreenMarket is the best reason to be downtown early on a Saturday. The 2026-2027 season, the market's 32nd, opened on Saturday, October 3, 2026, and runs every Saturday through May 22, 2027, with two Saturdays off: February 6 and March 20, when bigger festivals use the waterfront. It sets up on the Great Lawn at 100 North Clematis Street, a few steps from Sandi in December.

The market began with 13 vendors and now draws an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people on an average Saturday. In 2026 it was voted the best farmers market in the country in USA Today's 10Best readers' choice awards, a title it also held in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

What you will find

• Florida produce in its winter season: citrus, greens, tomatoes, herbs and tropical fruit.
• Breakfast on the lawn: coffee roasters, pastries, cider donuts and hot food stalls.
• Flowers and plants, including orchids and holiday greenery in December.
• Pantry gifts: spices, seasonings, sauces, honey and baked goods.
• Handmade goods from local makers, good for small presents to carry home.

Market tips

The market runs on Saturday mornings from about 8:30 into the early afternoon; the city's GreenMarket page has the current hours. Arrive in the first hour for the best produce and an unhurried coffee on the lawn. During market hours parking is free in the City Center, Clematis and Sapodilla garages, all a short walk from the lawn. Bring a tote bag.

The haul goes straight into the residence's full Miele kitchen: fruit for the balcony breakfast, bread and cheese for a late lunch, flowers for the dining table. Our first-morning groceries post and the coffee, breakfast and groceries guide cover the rest of the shopping closer to the island.

The Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade

On one Saturday evening in early December, dozens of boats strung with lights sail up the Intracoastal Waterway to music, and the parks and docks along the route fill with people to wave them by. The Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade is the biggest holiday night on the water in the county. The 32nd parade is expected on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 6 PM, on the usual pattern of the first Saturday evening in December. Confirm it with the organizers in November, before you plan the evening around it.

The route and the boats

The parade opens with fireworks and sets off from North Palm Beach, just north of Singer Island, then makes its way north up the waterway to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. In 2025 more than 80 boats took part, from small fishing boats to large yachts, each decorated by its crew. The parade is run by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, and in 2025 it collected toys for Toys for Tots and Little Smiles.

Where to watch

• North Palm Beach, near the start, closest to the residence, where the North Palm Beach Country Club has held a viewing party.
• Juno Beach parks: Bert Winters Park and Juno Park, both on the water.
• Jupiter parks: Sawfish Bay Park, Waterway Park and Lighthouse Park.
• Restaurants on the water, including the Harbourside Place dining terraces and the Jupiter Riverwalk; book a table early.

The parade is a north county evening, so on that Saturday downtown West Palm Beach makes a fine morning instead: the GreenMarket, a walk to Sandi, and lunch on Clematis, then back to the residence for an afternoon by the pool before driving north at dusk. Bridges along the route open for the boats, so give yourself a little extra time on the roads near the waterway that evening and enjoy the view. For the lighthouse end of the route, see our Jupiter Lighthouse post.

Holiday shows at the Kravis Center

The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is the main stage of the Palm Beaches, and in December it runs one holiday show after another. Seven holiday performances lead its 2026 season, and the December calendar runs from Dave Koz on December 2 to six days of the Grinch around Christmas.

December 2026 at the Kravis

• Wednesday, December 2, 7:30 PM: Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour, Dreyfoos Hall.
• Thursday and Friday, December 3 and 4, 7:30 PM: Isaac Mizrahi in A Holiday Fruitcake, his holiday music show, in the Rinker Playhouse.
• Saturday, December 5: Velveteen, a new musical.
• Monday, December 7: the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, for a classical evening.
• Saturday, December 12, 7:30 PM, and Sunday, December 13, 2 PM: Disney's The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert, the film on the big screen with the score played live, Dreyfoos Hall.
• Tuesday, December 15, 7:30 PM: Leslie Odom, Jr., The Christmas Tour 2026, Dreyfoos Hall.
• Thursday, December 17, 7:30 PM: The Tenors, Season of Hope Tour, Dreyfoos Hall.
• Tuesday, December 22, to Sunday, December 27: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, part of the Kravis On Broadway series.

Booking

Tickets went on sale in July and are sold on the Kravis Center's site and at its box office. The holiday concerts and the Grinch run are among the most popular nights of the year, so book as soon as your dates are set and choose seats while the whole hall is open. Look at the listing again a week before the show for any updated details on times and seating.

The Grinch is the one to plan around if you are traveling with older children or grandchildren between Christmas and New Year's. The Muppet Christmas Carol Sunday matinee is a gentle afternoon out for adults who grew up on the film, and the Leslie Odom, Jr. and Tenors evenings are the dressier nights.

Planning a night at the Kravis

A show at the Kravis is one of the easiest nights out from the residence. The center sits at 701 Okeechobee Boulevard on the south side of downtown, about twenty minutes from Singer Island, beside CityPlace and a short walk from the Brightline station. It has several stages under one roof: Dreyfoos Hall, the large concert hall where the touring shows and holiday concerts play, and the smaller Rinker Playhouse for cabaret and intimate evenings.

Into January

• Friday, January 1, 2027, 7:30 PM: Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert, Dreyfoos Hall, waltzes and operetta for the first night of the year.
• January 6 to 10: The Great Gatsby, the Broadway musical, on tour.
• Monday, January 11: a Yo-Yo Ma concert, one of the headline nights of the season.

An easy evening plan

1. Leave the residence about two hours before curtain.
2. Park once in the Kravis Center's garage, or take a rideshare to the front door; valet runs on the bigger nights.
3. Have an early dinner nearby at CityPlace, about ninety minutes before the show, and walk over.
4. Arrive twenty minutes early to find your seats without a rush.
5. After the curtain, enjoy a relaxed nightcap nearby while the evening winds down, then drive the twenty minutes home over the bridge.

What to wear

Smart casual is right for nearly every Kravis night: a collared shirt or a light jacket, a dress or good trousers, comfortable shoes for the walk from dinner. Holiday concerts bring out more sparkle, and the opening night of a Broadway run tends to be dressier. The hall is cool inside, so bring a wrap or a sweater.

Our arts and culture guide covers the Kravis season beyond the holidays, including the orchestra and opera evenings that run through the winter. If you are staying into the spring, its spring calendar overlaps with spring training in Jupiter, so a week can hold a ballgame by day and a show at night.

CityPlace at the holidays

CityPlace is the open-air district of shops, restaurants and plazas on Rosemary Avenue, a few blocks south of Clematis Street. It opened as CityPlace in 2000, was renamed Rosemary Square and later The Square, and went back to CityPlace in May 2024, so you will hear all three names around town. It sits at 700 South Rosemary Avenue, next to the Kravis Center and a short walk from the Brightline station.

Holiday events on the CityPlace calendar

These are on the district's 2026 holiday program, and the times are posted on each event page.

• Nightly snowfall, from November 14: artificial snow drifting over the plaza in the evenings.
• Santa's Workshop, weekly from November 14, for photos and visits with Santa.
• A Chanukkah celebration with Palm Beach Synagogue West on Friday, December 11.
• A Kwanzaa performance by Afrique Ngozi Dance and Drums on Saturday, December 26.
• New Year's Eve live music on Thursday, December 31.

What else is here

The heart of the district is Harriet Himmel Hall, a restored historic building that now holds Eataly, the Italian market and restaurants, and makes an easy lunch or a browse among the pastas and olive oils. Around it are national stores, local boutiques, restaurants with outdoor tables, a lawn and a water pavilion, and a hotel.

CityPlace works best as part of a bigger evening: the snowfall and an early dinner, then a show at the Kravis next door. It is also the simplest stop when a group cannot agree, because several kitchens sit within sight of one another. Garages are built into the district. Our Palm Beach dining guide describes the restaurants by district, and the shopping guide covers the stores.

The Norton in winter

Winter is high season at the Norton Museum of Art, when the Palm Beaches' major museum mounts some of its most anticipated exhibitions and its Friday nights are at their liveliest. Our post on an afternoon at the Norton walks through the collection, the Foster + Partners building and the garden. Here are the practical notes for a December or January visit.

Hours over the holidays

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM.
• Friday: 10 AM to 10 PM, with the evening program Art After Dark from 5 PM.
• Sunday: 11 AM to 5 PM.
• Closed: Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• Early close: 3 PM on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Final tickets are sold thirty minutes before closing. Admission is free for children 12 and under, for active military and veterans, and for Florida educators, and Bank of America cardholders get in free on the first full weekend of each month; check the museum's site for the current list.

Getting there and parking

The museum is at 1450 South Dixie Highway, a little south of downtown and about twenty minutes from the residence. Its parking lot is across the street at 1501 South Dixie Highway, paid by app or text, and valid while you are in the museum; on Fridays it runs until 10 PM.

Winter pairings

A Friday in December is the strongest day: the galleries in the afternoon, Art After Dark as the light goes, then a short drive up to Clematis for dinner and Sandi. A Saturday works too, after the GreenMarket. Exhibitions change through the season, so look at what is on before you go; the winter show is often the reason locals visit. The arts and culture guide adds the Society of the Four Arts, the Kravis and the downtown galleries.

Northwood Village for dinner and galleries

Northwood Village is a small, creative neighborhood about a mile north of downtown West Palm Beach, and it is a little closer to the residence than Clematis Street. Its main strip is Northwood Road, a few blocks of low buildings holding art galleries, boutique shops, small local businesses and locally owned restaurants. It feels like a village street, with parking out front and owners behind the counters.

Where to eat and browse

• Café Centro, a long-running Italian restaurant with live jazz in the evenings.
• Malakor Thai Café, for Thai dishes in a casual room.
• Mestizo Fusion, with Peruvian-inspired international cooking.
• Caribbean kitchens and small-plate spots along the road, good for a relaxed dinner before or after a gallery walk.
• Herbs and Earth, a shop of fair-trade teas, crystals and handmade goods, one of several independent stores worth a browse for gifts.

Nights in Northwood Village

Several times a year the neighborhood holds Nights in Northwood Village, an evening of shopping, strolling and open galleries along the street. The 2026 dates were March 27, June 26, September 25 and November 27, the Friday after Thanksgiving, which makes a fine first night for guests arriving for the holiday weekend. The 2027 dates usually follow the same quarterly pattern; look for them on the village's calendar.

Making it work

Northwood is at its best for a quieter dinner than downtown: a table for two at the jazz restaurant, a walk past the gallery windows, and home over the bridge in fifteen or twenty minutes. The dining rooms are intimate, so reserve for a weekend evening in December, and check opening days before you go, as some kitchens rest early in the week. Pair it with a downtown night by having drinks on Clematis first and dinner in Northwood after, or the other way around. For more on the area's galleries and murals, see the arts and culture guide.

Dinner downtown in December

December is a fine month to eat in West Palm Beach. The winter residents are back, stone crab claws are on the menus, the patios are comfortable all evening, and many kitchens add holiday menus for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Our Palm Beach dining guide describes the districts in detail; here is how to use them in the holiday weeks.

Which district for which night

• Clematis Street for a come-as-you-are night: sidewalk tables, cocktail bars, live music and a walk to Sandi after dinner.
• The waterfront end of Clematis, where the hotel rooftops and the French bistro on the corner look out over the water and the tree.
• CityPlace for an early dinner before the Kravis, or for Eataly when everyone wants something different.
• Northwood Village for a quieter table, jazz and small independent kitchens.
• Across the bridge in Palm Beach for a dressier evening; see the Palm Beach holiday season.

What to order in season

Florida stone crab season runs from mid-October to early May, and December is when the claws are on almost every seafood menu, served chilled with mustard sauce. Our stone crab season post has the full story. Local grouper, snapper and mahi turn up as specials, and the area's Cuban, Peruvian and Italian kitchens are strong all winter.

Holiday reservations

• Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are the first nights to book; many downtown restaurants offer prix-fixe menus with early and late seatings, and November is the time to reserve yours.
• Kravis nights bring theatergoers to the restaurants nearest the center from about 5:30 PM; book a table ninety minutes before curtain.
• Friday and Saturday evenings through December and January are lively across downtown, so book any table you care about a week or more ahead.

If you plan to enjoy wine, a rideshare there and back keeps the evening simple. And on the nights you would rather stay in, the GreenMarket and the island's fish markets stock the residence kitchen for a dinner on the balcony.

Holiday shopping on Clematis and at CityPlace

Downtown West Palm Beach is a pleasant place to finish a gift list, with a historic main street of independent shops, an open-air district of familiar stores, and a Saturday market full of small things made nearby. It is a short walk between all three.

Where to shop

• Pioneer Linens on Clematis Street, a family linens shop trading downtown since 1912, for towels, bedding and table linens with a story.
• The Clematis boutiques, for clothing, gifts and home pieces in the street's older storefronts.
• CityPlace, for the national brands, Eataly's pantry shelves and an evening of shopping under the snowfall.
• The GreenMarket, for spices, sauces, honey, baked goods and handmade crafts from local makers.
• Northwood Road, for galleries and independent shops a mile north.

Gift ideas from the Palm Beaches

• A jar of local honey or a spice blend from the GreenMarket.
• Linen napkins or beach towels from Pioneer Linens.
• A small print or ceramic from a downtown or Northwood gallery.
• Something from the Norton Museum's shop, if you visit.
• A bag of beans from one of the coffee roasters at the market.

Shopping tips

Shop on a weekday morning for the quietest stores, or fold it into a GreenMarket Saturday, when parking is free in three downtown garages during market hours. For the full map of the area's shopping, from Worth Avenue's courtyards to the antique dealers along Dixie Highway, see the shopping guide, and for a morning on the island across the lake, our Worth Avenue morning post.

The residence has a closet and drawers in both suites and a washer and dryer, so a shopping day fits easily into a week's stay.

An indoor afternoon downtown

Downtown West Palm Beach has a full indoor afternoon within a few blocks: galleries, a matinee, a long lunch and old shops. These are the plans we suggest for a December day off from the sun.

Indoor plans within twenty minutes

• The Norton Museum of Art, open every day but Tuesday, with the galleries, the restaurant and the shop all under one roof. See an afternoon at the Norton.
• A matinee at the Kravis. The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert plays Sunday, December 13, at 2 PM, and the Grinch musical runs December 22 to 27; check its schedule for matinees.
• Eataly at CityPlace, for a long lunch, a coffee at the bar and a browse through the market.
• Pioneer Linens and the Clematis shops, an hour of browsing in buildings that have stood on the street for a century.
• The Society of the Four Arts across the bridge in Palm Beach, for a lecture or a concert, covered in our arts and culture guide.

A sample afternoon

1. Lunch at Eataly in CityPlace around noon.
2. Two hours at the Norton in the early afternoon, when the galleries are calm.
3. Coffee and a walk on Clematis Street as the shops light up.
4. Sandi at dusk, then home to the residence for dinner.

Back at OASENA, the resort's spa is an elevator ride below, about 100,000 square feet with 22 treatment rooms; treatments are run by the resort and booked and paid for with the resort. Our indoor day page lists more ideas around the island, and our Loggerhead Marinelife Center post covers the sea turtle hospital in Juno Beach.

New Year's Eve on the waterfront

West Palm Beach welcomed 2026 with its first downtown New Year's Eve fireworks since 2017, a fifteen-minute display over the Intracoastal at midnight, and the waterfront is expected to be the center of the night again on December 31, 2026. The city and the Downtown Development Authority will announce the 2026 plan closer to the night, and last year's celebration gives a good picture of what to look forward to.

How downtown celebrated in 2025

• Sandi's grand finale on the Great Lawn at 100 North Clematis Street, 8 PM to midnight, with live music, a DJ, food and drink for sale and the Ferris wheel turning.
• Midnight fireworks over the Intracoastal, presented by the Downtown Development Authority with the Flagler Museum.
• Rooftop and ballroom parties at downtown hotels and bars, with tickets sold ahead.
• Prix-fixe dinners at Clematis Street restaurants, with early and late seatings.
• A fireworks catamaran cruise from the South Dock, out on the water for midnight.

For 2026, CityPlace already lists New Year's Eve live music on its plaza, and the Kravis Center has its Salute to Vienna New Year's Concert the following evening, January 1, at 7:30 PM.

Getting there and home

In 2025 parts of Flagler Drive, Clematis Street and nearby streets were closed to cars from 1 PM to 1 AM, leaving them to people on foot, and five garages opened for the night: Sapodilla, Clematis, Evernia, City Center and Banyan, with event pricing after 9 PM. On-street parking west of Rosemary Avenue was free. The simplest plan is a rideshare to a meeting point a few blocks from the water, with a time agreed for the ride home after the fireworks.

The residence keeps quiet hours from 11 PM to 7 AM, so the party stays downtown and the return is a quiet one: twenty minutes over the bridge, a last glass on the balcony with the sound of the surf, and New Year's Day by the heated pool. Christmas and New Year's at the residence itself are in our Christmas on Singer Island post.

The South Florida Fair in January

Every January the South Florida Fair fills the fairgrounds west of West Palm Beach with rides, livestock barns, concerts, exhibit halls and a midway of fair food. It is the first big event of the new year in the Palm Beaches. The 2026 fair ran from Friday, January 16, to Sunday, February 1. The 2027 fair is expected in mid to late January 2027, on the usual pattern of about two and a half weeks starting on a Friday in mid-January, and the fair's site will post the exact dates.

What is there for adults

• The livestock and agriculture exhibits, a look at the farm side of Palm Beach County.
• The exhibit buildings, open until 10 PM each night of the fair.
• Evening concerts on the fair's stages through the run.
• Contests and shows, including a fiddle contest and a kids' mile already on the 2027 schedule.
• The food: the fried, sugary and smoked fair classics, best shared.

Hours, parking and directions

In 2026 the gates opened at noon on weekdays and at 10 AM on weekends and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, closing at 10 PM; the midway opened an hour after the gates. Parking is in the fair's own lots on a first-come basis, paid by card at the gate. Tickets are sold on the fair's site.

The fairgrounds are at 9067 Southern Boulevard, about a mile and a half west of the Florida Turnpike. From the residence, drive south on I-95 to exit 68, Southern Boulevard, head west about seven miles, and turn right on Fairgrounds Road for Gate 3 or Gate 12. Allow about 35 to 45 minutes each way. A weekday afternoon is the most relaxed time to go, and an evening concert makes a fine close before the drive home to the ocean.

January is also the start of the equestrian season in Wellington, a short drive west of the fairgrounds; see Wellington's horse season to pair the two.

Getting downtown from the residence

Downtown West Palm Beach is about twenty minutes from the residence by car, and every place in this guide is within a few blocks of the waterfront once you are there. Here is how to get there and where to leave the car.

Driving and parking

From Singer Island, cross the Blue Heron Bridge to the mainland and head south on US-1 into downtown. The city runs several public garages within a short walk of Clematis Street and the waterfront:

• City Center garage, 199 North Dixie Highway, in the middle of downtown.
• Clematis garage, 500 Banyan Boulevard, a block off Clematis.
• Banyan garage, 200 Banyan Boulevard, a short walk from the waterfront.
• Sapodilla garage, 645 Clematis Street, at the west end of the street.
• Evernia garage, 333 Evernia Street, convenient for the south side of downtown.

Parking is paid in the garages and at the street meters, and it is free in the City Center, Clematis and Sapodilla garages during GreenMarket hours on Saturdays. CityPlace and the Kravis Center have their own garages, and the Norton has a lot across the street. At the residence, valet parking is run by the building and is paid.

Rideshare

Rideshare cars are plentiful between Singer Island and downtown, and they are the easy answer for New Year's Eve, the tree lighting and any dinner with wine. Agree a pickup corner a block or two from the center of the festivities.

Brightline

The Brightline station sits downtown, a short walk from Clematis Street and CityPlace, about fifteen to twenty minutes by car from the residence. Guests arriving from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Orlando can ride in, take a car to Singer Island, and keep the week free of driving. See the Brightline train guide and our guide to getting around without a car.

Flying in, President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), formerly Palm Beach International (PBI), is about fifteen minutes from the residence and close to downtown, so an evening flight can still leave time for a first walk to Sandi.

A December weekend, day by day

The first weekend of December 2026 lines up the biggest downtown nights of the season: the Sandi lighting on Thursday, Art After Dark on Friday, the GreenMarket and the boat parade on Saturday. Here is a four-day plan from the residence. Check-in is from 4 to 10 PM, so arrive on Wednesday or plan Thursday afternoon around your flight.

Thursday, December 3

• A slow morning on the balcony, then the beach and the heated pool.
• Leave around 5:15 PM for downtown and park in a garage near Clematis.
• The tree lighting on the waterfront from 6 PM, with Clematis by Night on the lawn.
• Dinner on Clematis Street, or Isaac Mizrahi's holiday show at the Rinker Playhouse at 7:30 PM.

Friday, December 4

• Sunrise from the balcony and a beach walk.
• A late morning at the spa, booked ahead with the resort.
• The Norton in the afternoon, staying on for Art After Dark from 5 PM.
• Dinner in Northwood Village, with jazz if you have booked the Italian room.

Saturday, December 5

• The GreenMarket from 8:30 AM, with coffee on the lawn and a look at Sandi in daylight.
• Back to the residence with the market haul for lunch on the balcony.
• An afternoon on the private beach, with beach-butler service bringing drinks to your chair.
• The Holiday Boat Parade at 6 PM (expected), from a park in Juno Beach or a waterfront table in Jupiter, or the musical Velveteen at the Kravis.

Sunday, December 6

• A walk on Flagler Drive and brunch downtown or at CityPlace.
• Gift shopping on Clematis Street and at Pioneer Linens.
• A last swim and a quiet dinner at the residence.

Checkout is at 10 AM. If you can stay one more night, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe plays the Kravis on Monday, December 7. Longer winter itineraries are on our itineraries page, and the planning page brings dates, booking and arrival together.

Coming home to the residence

Every evening downtown ends with the same easy drive: twenty minutes north, over the bridge, and up to the 12th floor of the Happiness Tower, where the balcony faces east over the Atlantic. OASENA is a private two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath residence, and in December it makes a calm home base between nights in the city.

What the residence gives a December stay

• The balcony, private and east-facing, for sunrise coffee and a last glass after the Kravis.
• A full Miele kitchen for the GreenMarket haul and a dinner in on the nights between outings.
• Two suites and a sofa bed: the king suite, the queen suite with a workspace, and the living-room sofa bed, for up to six guests.
• Laundry in the residence, handy for a week that mixes beach days with evenings out.

Included with the stay

• The residents' heated pool and whirlpool.
• The fitness centre, the yoga terrace and the meditation garden.
• The private beach with beach-butler service.
• 24-hour security, EV charging and paid valet parking run by the building.

The resort's spa, about 100,000 square feet with 22 treatment rooms, is an elevator ride below; treatments are booked and paid for with the resort and are not part of the stay. The wellness page and the spa and wellness guide describe what it offers.

Who it suits in December

The residence is set up for adults: couples on a holiday escape, two couples sharing a week, or friends coming down for the season. It is not suited to infants and small children. Guests are 25 and over, the house rules ask for quiet hours from 11 PM to 7 AM, and parties and events are not allowed, which keeps the building peaceful when you come home late from the city. See stays for couples, stays for friends, the amenities and the house rules.

What to pack for December evenings

December in the Palm Beaches is warm by day and comfortable by night. Days are mild and sunny enough for the beach, and nights cool off pleasantly, sometimes into the 60s or upper 50s in December and January. That makes it sweater weather on the balcony at dawn and for the walk back from dinner, and perfect sleeping weather with the doors cracked.

For the evenings in town

• A light sweater or wrap for the waterfront after dark and the air-conditioned Kravis hall.
• One dressier outfit each for a holiday concert or a Palm Beach dinner.
• Comfortable walking shoes for Clematis Street, the GreenMarket lawn and Flagler Drive.
• A light jacket for New Year's Eve, when you will be outdoors until midnight.

For the days by the ocean

• Swimsuits for the heated pool, the whirlpool and the beach.
• Sunglasses, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen: the December sun is still strong.
• A tote bag for the GreenMarket and gift shopping.
• Workout clothes for the fitness centre and the yoga terrace.

Leave at home

Beach towels and chairs, a hair dryer, bath essentials and a stocked kitchen are provided, and the washer and dryer mean you can pack for half the week. The full list is on our packing list, and month-by-month weather is in the when to visit guide, where December and January are among the most popular months of the year.

A practical note for planning: the residence has no early check-in from December through April, so on arrival day plan a late lunch downtown or a walk on the waterfront before heading over for the 4 PM check-in. Booking details are on the how to book page.

Into the new year

The holiday weeks open the liveliest and most social part of the year in the Palm Beaches, and the calendar keeps filling after New Year's Day. If you are planning a longer winter stay, or a second trip in February or March, here is what follows the December season in the neighborhoods around the residence.

January to March near the residence

• The GreenMarket keeps running every Saturday through May 22, 2027, apart from February 6 and March 20.
• The Kravis Center moves into its Broadway and concert season, starting with The Great Gatsby on January 6 to 10.
• The South Florida Fair in mid to late January (expected).
• Wellington's equestrian season, with polo and show jumping from January into spring; see Wellington's horse season.
• Golf in Palm Beach Gardens, where winter is the heart of the golf season; see the Palm Beach Gardens golf season.
• Spring training in Jupiter from late February, with two major-league teams sharing one ballpark; see spring training in Jupiter.
• Manatees at the warm-water lagoon on cool mornings; see manatee season.

Choosing your weeks

For the downtown holiday season, the first two weeks of December give you the Sandi lighting, the boat parade and most of the Kravis holiday concerts, with the city in a festive but relaxed mood. The week between Christmas and New Year's brings the Grinch, the fireworks and family gatherings. January offers the fair, the start of the equestrian and golf seasons, and quieter beaches after the holidays.

The owner's open December and January nights are on the booking calendar; the how to book page explains the steps, and the longer stays page covers a month or more by the ocean.

Common questions

When is the Sandi tree lighting in 2026?

The City of West Palm Beach has scheduled its holiday tree lighting for Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 6 to 10 PM on the waterfront at 100 North Clematis Street. It is free, with live entertainment and the first lighting of Sandi, the 35-foot sand tree. After that the tree is lit every evening through New Year's Eve.

How far is downtown West Palm Beach from the residence?

About twenty minutes by car. Cross the Blue Heron Bridge from Singer Island and head south on US-1 into downtown. The city's public garages, including City Center, Clematis, Banyan, Sapodilla and Evernia, are a short walk from Clematis Street and the waterfront, and rideshare cars are easy to find for the trip home.

When is the Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade in 2026?

The parade is expected on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 6 PM, which follows the usual pattern of the first Saturday evening in December. It sails north on the Intracoastal from North Palm Beach to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. Confirm the date with the organizers in November before you plan around it.

When is the West Palm Beach GreenMarket open?

The 2026-2027 season opened on October 3, 2026, and runs every Saturday morning through May 22, 2027, except February 6 and March 20. It sets up on the Great Lawn at 100 North Clematis Street. Parking is free in the City Center, Clematis and Sapodilla garages during market hours.

What holiday shows are at the Kravis Center in December 2026?

December at the Kravis brings Dave Koz on December 2, Isaac Mizrahi's holiday show on December 3 and 4, The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert on December 12 and 13, Leslie Odom, Jr. on December 15, The Tenors on December 17 and the Grinch musical from December 22 to 27. Tickets are sold on the Kravis Center's site and at its box office.

Is there a New Year's Eve celebration in downtown West Palm Beach?

Downtown welcomed 2026 with a party on the Great Lawn from 8 PM to midnight and fireworks over the Intracoastal at midnight, the first since 2017. The 2026 plan is still to come, and CityPlace already has New Year's Eve live music on its plaza. Check the downtown and city event pages in December.

When is the South Florida Fair in 2027?

The 2027 fair is expected in mid to late January, the usual pattern, with exact dates to come on the fair's site. The 2026 fair ran from January 16 to February 1. The fairgrounds are at 9067 Southern Boulevard, about 35 to 45 minutes from the residence.

Is the residence a good base for a December trip to West Palm Beach?

Yes, for adults, couples and friends. OASENA sleeps up to six on Singer Island, about twenty minutes from downtown, with an east-facing balcony, a full Miele kitchen and the residents' heated pool, private beach and fitness centre included. It is not suited to infants and small children, and guests must be 25 or older.

Sources

• City of West Palm Beach: Holiday Tree Lighting, December 3, 2026
• WPTV: Sandi tree lights up the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront
• WFLA: Sandi Tree, 700-ton holiday sand sculpture, returns in 2025
• WPTV: West Palm Beach GreenMarket returns Oct. 3
• Discover The Palm Beaches: Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade
• WFLX: Where to watch the 31st annual Palm Beach Holiday Boat Parade
• Kravis Center: holiday shows announcement, 2026
• WFLX: Kravis Center unveils its 2026-27 season
• CityPlace West Palm Beach: events calendar
• WFLX: It's CityPlace again
• Norton Museum of Art: plan your visit
• Discover The Palm Beaches: Northwood Village
• Downtown West Palm Beach: New Year's Eve
• WFLX: New Year's Eve fireworks return to West Palm Beach
• South Florida Fair: hours and directions

Photographs

• Cover photo: “Sandi Tree in Blue” by LTreadwell, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Centennial Park In West Palm Beach Florida water fountain with colored lights for the Christmas Holidays” by LTreadwell, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “West Palm Beach waterfront - panoramio” by FHolmstock, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach” by Mjrmtg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “Norton Museum of Art Front Facade” by Nortonedits, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Photo: “West Palm Beach Skyline Night” by Andyxox, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Photographs of the residence and the resort are the owner’s own.