Christmas in Naples, FL 2026: Lights, Parades & Holiday Events
Christmas in Naples, Florida starts the Monday before Thanksgiving, when Third Street South lights its tree on November 23, 2026. The big nights after that are the Fifth Avenue South Christmas Walk on December 4, the City of Naples Christmas Parade on December 8 and the Christmas Boat Parade on Naples Bay on December 19. For Christmas lights, Victoria Park in North Naples is the free drive-through everyone talks about, and Naples Botanical Garden’s Night Lights runs November 27 to January 3.
Below are the 2026 dates, times and places for each, with what we tell friends and clients who ask where to go: when to arrive, where to stand and what to skip. Dates come from each organizer’s 2026 listings, checked in mid-November 2026. Events can change, so check the organizer’s page before you go.
Naples, FL Christmas events at a glance (2026)
| Event | Date | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas on Third tree lighting | Mon, Nov 23, 6–9 PM | Third Street South | Free |
| Naples Snowfall | Thanksgiving week and December Thu–Sat, 7 PM | Third Street South | Free |
| Night Lights in the Garden | Nov 27 – Jan 3 (closed Dec 24, 25, 31) | Naples Botanical Garden | From $36 adults ($18 children) |
| Fifth Avenue South Christmas Walk and tree lighting | Fri, Dec 4, 5–10 PM; Sat, Dec 5, 10 AM–10 PM | Fifth Avenue South | Free |
| City of Naples Christmas Parade | Tue, Dec 8, 6:30 PM | Downtown Naples | Free |
| Santa Paws | Sat, Dec 12, 1–3 PM | Third Street South | Free |
| Christmas Boat Parade | Sat, Dec 19, 6:15–8:30 PM | Naples Bay | Free from parks; City Dock ticketed |
| Victoria Park lights | All of December, sunset to about 10 PM | North Naples | Free |
Victoria Park Christmas lights in North Naples
For a free drive through lights, go to Victoria Park in North Naples, off Airport-Pulling Road between Vanderbilt Beach Road and Immokalee Road. Neighbors there have decorated together since the early 1990s. Windsor Way has lighted arches, Sussex Street has candy canes and Whitehall Street has lighted trees on the mailboxes. Enter from Nottingham Drive.
The lights come on at sunset, and most go off between 10 and 11 PM. Weeknights right after dark are the easiest time to go. Christmas Eve is the most beautiful and the most crowded: luminaries line the lawns, traffic backs up toward Immokalee Road and deputies direct cars. Dim your headlights, drive slowly, and park legally if you want to walk.
Christmas lights at Naples Botanical Garden
Naples Botanical Garden’s Night Lights in the Garden lights up its gardens each evening from November 27, 2026, to January 3, 2027, except December 24, 25 and 31. Until December 17, hours are 6 to 9 PM Sunday through Thursday and 6 to 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. From December 18 the Garden stays open until 10 PM.
Tickets cost more in the last two weeks. Nonmembers pay $36 per adult and $18 per child (ages 4 to 17) through December 17, and $42 and $20 from December 18. Members pay half price. Buy ahead from Naples Botanical Garden, because weekend nights sell out. A weeknight before mid-December is the quietest and least expensive time to go.
Christmas on Third: the tree lighting and the snow (from November 23)
The Third Street South tree lighting, now in its 46th year, is the event locals don’t miss. On Monday, November 23, the street closes to traffic at 6 PM, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on a vintage fire engine, and the tree is lit in the courtyard in front of Tony’s Off Third. Then it “snows.” Arrive by 5:30 if you want to see the lighting itself rather than the backs of other people’s heads.
The snow keeps falling after opening night. During Thanksgiving week (Tuesday through Saturday, but not Thanksgiving Day) there’s live music from 5 to 8 PM and snowfall at 7 PM. Through December, Christmas music plays Thursday and Friday evenings from 5 to 8 PM, and the snow falls at 7 PM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Children can drop letters to Santa in the mailboxes at Fleischmann Plaza and near Sea Salt from November 25 to December 23, and on Saturday, December 12, Santa Paws brings photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus for leashed dogs from 1 to 3 PM.
Third Street is the heart of Old Naples, and the blocks around it are some of the most walkable in Florida. Owners of Old Naples condos and the historic cottages nearby walk to all of this, which is a large part of why that market holds its value.
The Fifth Avenue South Christmas Walk (December 4–5)
Fifth Avenue South holds its Christmas Walk over two days. On Friday, December 4, the avenue is open from 5 to 10 PM and the tree is lit at about 6 PM. We never miss the tree lighting on Fifth. On Saturday, December 5, it runs from 10 AM to 10 PM. Expect Santa, a live nativity, a Christmas market, musicians on the street corners and restaurants with outdoor tables along the avenue.
If you want dinner on the avenue that Friday, book weeks ahead and book directly with the restaurant. The tables fill early, and the restaurants are the best seats for the lighting. Saturday is the easier day with children: the market is open all day, and the crowd is spread out.
The Naples Christmas Parade (December 8)
The City of Naples Christmas Parade steps off at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, December 8. Floats, marching bands and Santa Claus travel through downtown along Fifth Avenue South. It’s a weeknight, so the crowd is mostly local families, and the curb along Fifth Avenue fills by about 5:30.
The city publishes the final route and road closures closer to the date. Downtown streets close to traffic in the late afternoon, so park early or plan to walk in from a few blocks away.
The Christmas Boat Parade on Naples Bay (December 19)
Our favorite night of the season is the Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday, December 19, from 6:15 to 8:30 PM. Local boat owners string their boats with lights and parade the length of Naples Bay. The Marine Industries Association of Collier County organizes it, and the proceeds go to its foundation.
You can watch for free from Naples Landing and Bayview Park, or book a table at a bayside restaurant: Kelly’s Fish House, The Boat House on Naples Bay, Pinchers at Tin City and the Riverwalk all overlook the route. The Naples City Dock is a ticketed viewing area. If you have a boat, you can enter it, and anchoring off the route to watch is part of the tradition.
Many of the boats come from the canals of Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, Royal Harbor and Windstar on Naples Bay, where the dock is behind the house. If a seat on the water for this parade appeals to you, look at Gulf access homes and condos with boat docks.
More holiday stops around Naples
These are listed by each venue for 2026. Confirm times before you go, because smaller events move more often than the big ones.
- Venetian Village on the edge of Park Shore holds Holiday on the Bay on December 12, with a snow show at 6 PM.
- Mercato, between Pelican Bay and Vanderbilt Beach, lights what it calls the largest real tree in Southwest Florida in early December. The evening is free.
- The Naples Players in Sugden Plaza show their Festival of Trees free, Monday through Saturday from late November to December 20, alongside the holiday musical in the theater.
- Artis–Naples stages The Nutcracker on December 5 and 6 and the Holiday Pops from December 17 to 20.
For everything else to do while you’re here, see our guides to things to do in Naples and the Naples beaches.
Restaurants open on Christmas Day in Naples
Plenty of Naples restaurants open on Christmas Day, but most serve a set holiday menu by reservation only, and the good tables are gone by mid-December. The beachfront resort restaurants are the most reliable choice for Christmas brunch or dinner, and many restaurants on Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South open as well. Most restaurants post their Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus in early December, so check then and book the same day.
Planning your evening
Arrive early. Downtown parking fills an hour before the big events, and streets close to traffic in the late afternoon on parade and lighting nights. For Third Street and Fifth Avenue, park once and walk between them; they’re a short walk apart.
Bring a light layer. December evenings in Naples are mild, but it is cooler on the water at the boat parade than downtown. Our Naples weather by month guide has the details.
Book dinner now. The restaurants on Fifth Avenue, on Third Street and along the bay are the best seats for every event on this list, and December reservations go quickly once season starts.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Naples Christmas tree lighting in 2026?
Third Street South lights its tree on Monday, November 23, 2026, from 6 to 9 PM, with Santa arriving on a vintage fire engine and snowfall after the lighting. Fifth Avenue South lights its tree at about 6 PM on Friday, December 4, during the Christmas Walk.
When is the Naples Christmas Parade in 2026?
The City of Naples Christmas Parade is on Tuesday, December 8, 2026, at 6:30 PM. It travels through downtown along Fifth Avenue South with floats, marching bands and Santa. The city posts the final route and road closures closer to the date.
Where is the best place to watch the Naples boat parade?
Naples Landing and Bayview Park are the best free spots for the Christmas Boat Parade on December 19. For dinner with a view, book a bayside table at Kelly’s Fish House, The Boat House or Pinchers at Tin City. The Naples City Dock is a ticketed viewing area.
Does it snow in Naples at Christmas?
Not real snow, but Third Street South makes its own. The Naples Snowfall falls at 7 PM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through December, and nightly except Thanksgiving during Thanksgiving week. It’s free, and children love it.
Where can I see Christmas lights in Naples for free?
Victoria Park in North Naples is the best free Christmas lights display, with arches, candy canes and lighted mailboxes on almost every street from sunset until about 10 PM. Third Street South and Fifth Avenue South are also lit all season and cost nothing to walk.
How much are tickets to Night Lights in the Garden?
Nonmember tickets to Night Lights in the Garden are $36 for adults and $18 for children ages 4 to 17 through December 17, rising to $42 and $20 from December 18. Members pay about half. Buy ahead, as weekend nights sell out.
Where is Victoria Park in Naples, and is it free?
Victoria Park is in North Naples, off Airport-Pulling Road between Vanderbilt Beach Road and Immokalee Road, with its entrance on Nottingham Drive. Driving or walking through the Christmas lights is free. Go on a weeknight right after dark to avoid the traffic.
Are restaurants open on Christmas Day in Naples, FL?
Yes, many Naples restaurants open on Christmas Day, usually with a set holiday menu and reservations required. The beachfront resorts are the most reliable for Christmas brunch and dinner. Menus appear in early December, and the best tables are booked by mid-December.
Spending the holidays in Naples for good
A lot of people decide to buy here in December, standing on Third Street with the snow falling in shirtsleeves. If you’re one of them, we can show you what living walkable to these traditions looks like, from a condo in Old Naples to a home on the water in Port Royal. Start with our guide to Naples neighborhoods, browse Naples homes for sale and Naples condos for sale, or talk to a Naples Realtor® on our team.
