Christmas 2026 in Ponte Vedra Beach: Marriott tree lighting Nov. 27, Palm Valley Boat Parade Dec. 5, Deck the Chairs from Nov. 25 and Nights of Lights.

Last checked Nov. 7, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, Jacksonville Beach Deck the Chairs, Florida’s Historic Coast, the county’s tourism site, the library calendar and Hebcal for Hanukkah dates.

Ponte Vedra Beach’s holiday season opens the day after Thanksgiving with the Sawgrass Marriott Tree Lighting Celebration on Friday, Nov. 27, and the area’s two big light displays are close by: Deck the Chairs in Jacksonville Beach, about two miles north, and Nights of Lights in St. Augustine. The boat parade and other parades have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Updated Oct. 23: the Palm Valley Boat Parade is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and St. Augustine has set Light-Up! Night for Saturday, Nov. 21.

Updated Nov. 7: St. Augustine has posted the Nights of Lights shuttle schedule and lots, and the Sawgrass Marriott has added a Champagne Brunch on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Updated Oct. 31: Deck the Chairs has posted its week-by-week 2026 program, with a Sunday Christmas Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Holiday season at a glance

  • Nov. 21 to Jan. 18: Nights of Lights, downtown St. Augustine, every evening, free; Light-Up! Night ceremony 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21
  • Nov. 25 to Jan. 1: Deck the Chairs, Seawalk Pavilion, Jacksonville Beach, free
  • Friday, Nov. 27: Tree Lighting Celebration, Sawgrass Marriott
  • Tuesday, Dec. 1: Polar Express Pajama Storytime, Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library
  • Dec. 4-11: Hanukkah (first candle the evening of Dec. 4)
  • Saturday, Dec. 5: Holiday Sing-Along at the library, then the Palm Valley Boat Parade at 6 p.m.
  • Dec. 24-25: county offices and libraries closed for Christmas

Tree lighting and Santa at Sawgrass Marriott

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa holds its annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Nov. 27, with treats, holiday crafts, snowfall effects, photo opportunities and fireside s’mores and hot cocoa. From Thanksgiving weekend, a life-size gingerbread display stands in the main lobby. Teddy Bear Tea sessions run at Vernon’s on select dates in late November and December, a holiday Teddy Bear Brunch runs Sundays at 1912 Ocean Bar & Rooftop, and a Champagne Brunch is at 1912 Ocean Bar & Rooftop on Saturday, Dec. 12, the resort’s holiday page says. The resort says its holiday events are open to local visitors as well as guests; it has not yet posted times.

Light displays

Jacksonville Beach Deck the Chairs runs Nov. 25, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2027, at the Seawalk Pavilion and Latham Plaza. It is the flagship program of the Students in the Arts Alliance: lifeguard chairs decorated for the season and five weeks of free holiday arts and entertainment, held since 2013, according to its website. Its 2026 event guide sets a theme for each week:

  • Nov. 25 to Dec. 1: opening week celebration
  • Dec. 2-8: Students in the Arts Week, featuring The Nutcracker by Florida Ballet
  • Dec. 9-15: Tuba Christmas Music Week, with holiday favorites played by 150 tubas
  • Dec. 16-22: chair decorating awards week
  • Dec. 23-30: Christmas to New Year’s week, with the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl pep rally

A Sunday Christmas Market runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Sunday of the season, and a musical light show and student stage programs run every week; the guide does not yet give their times and says dates and times may change.

Nights of Lights in St. Augustine runs every evening from Nov. 21, 2026, through Jan. 18, 2027, with millions of white lights across the historic downtown. It is free, and no tickets are needed. Light-Up! Night is Saturday, Nov. 21, with live entertainment from 4 p.m. and the lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in the Plaza de la Constitución, according to Florida’s Historic Coast. The City of St. Augustine’s free Park & Ride Shuttle runs 1 to 11 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and most Sundays from Nov. 21 to Jan. 2, and daily Dec. 18 to Jan. 2, with no service on Christmas Day. Park at the St. Johns County Health Department, Broudy’s Lot or the San Marco Lot; every shuttle stops at the Visitor Information Center, 10 S. Castillo Drive. On Light-Up! Night an extra Anastasia Island route runs 4 to 11 p.m. from Anastasia Baptist Church, 1650 A1A South, and R.B. Hunt Elementary, the tourism office says.

At the library

The Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd., lists these free holiday programs:

  • Holiday Music Workshop for adults: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Nov. 7, 14 and 21
  • Polar Express Pajama Storytime: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, for ages 0 to 5 (listing)
  • Live Music! Holiday Sing-Along: 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 (listing)
  • Seymour’s Holiday Book Sale: Nov. 30 to Dec. 5 and Dec. 7-12; more dates on our holiday shopping page

The library is closed Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25, and reopens Saturday, Dec. 26.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, Dec. 4, and the eighth candle is lit on Friday, Dec. 11, according to Hebcal. No public menorah lighting in Ponte Vedra Beach had been announced as of Oct. 23; synagogues and Chabad centers can send theirs through our contact page.

Christmas week closures

  • County offices: closed Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25.
  • Trash: no garbage, recycling or yard waste collection on Christmas Day, the county’s garbage collection page says; transfer stations are closed that day too.
  • Schools: St. Johns County winter break runs Dec. 21 to Jan. 1; classes resume Jan. 5.

What this means for you

  • Go to Deck the Chairs early in the season; it closes Jan. 1.
  • Plan parking before you drive to Nights of Lights; the tourism office has a parking guide.
  • Check back in November: we add Santa visits and light displays as organizers post dates.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Sawgrass Marriott tree lighting in 2026?

Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, according to the resort’s holiday page, with treats, crafts, snowfall effects and s’mores. The resort’s life-size gingerbread display goes up the same weekend.

When is Deck the Chairs in Jacksonville Beach?

Nov. 25, 2026, to Jan. 1, 2027, at the Seawalk Pavilion and Latham Plaza. It is five weeks of free holiday arts and entertainment around decorated lifeguard chairs.

When are the Nights of Lights in St. Augustine 2026?

Every evening from Nov. 21, 2026, through Jan. 18, 2027, in historic downtown St. Augustine. It is free.

When is Hanukkah 2026?

The first candle is lit the evening of Friday, Dec. 4, and the eighth on Friday, Dec. 11. No public menorah lighting in Ponte Vedra Beach had been announced as of Oct. 10.