TAMPA, Fla. — Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the holiday season is off to a festive start with several of Tampa Bay's seasonal standards opening this weekend.
If you're looking to jump-start your holiday spirit this weekend but tighten your belt after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, here's a sampling of weekend events across the Tampa Bay area that will give you an early dose of Christmas cheer without breaking your budget.
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26
Where: Amalie Arena
How much: Tickets start at $25. More prices here.
What: 93.3 FLZ and Capitol One are kicking things off with the annual Jingle Ball, offering audiences a chance to see some of this year's pop stars perform their hits live. Tampa's lineup this year features Niall Horan (formerly of One Direction, with the 2023 hit single "Heaven" and the acclaimed solo album "The Show"), Teddy Swims (breakout country/soul singer-songwriter with the hit single "Lose Control" from his debut album), Zara Larsson (Swedish dance-pop star with the hit single "Can't Tame Her"), Doechii (rising rap star and Tampa native with her first Billboard hit "What it Is (Block Boy)"), Paul Russell (rapper with the viral TikTok hit "Lil Boo Thang"), Kaliii (a rap artist with the recent hit single "Area Codes"), and Lawrence (pop/soul band led by a brother-sister songwriting team with the recent single "i'm confident that i'm insecure").
There are still tickets available, with prices ranging from $25.50 to $95.50.
When: 6-9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until Christmas (beginning Nov. 24-25)
Where: HarvestMoon Fun Farm, Masaryktown near Spring Hill
How much: $12.95 per person, ages 3 & up (2 & under free)
What: 'Tis the season for farms around the area to pack up their pumpkins and haunted hayrides and bring out the Christmas tree light displays, hot chocolate, and photo ops with Santa. This weekend, the HarvestMoon Fun Farm gets things rolling with its evening Christmas activities.
Buy some festive refreshments, take an enchanted hayride or a stroll along the Christmas tree trail, or take the kids to a wide range of free farm activities (including petting farms, storytime and much more).
When: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday until Christmas
Where: SunKissed Acres, Dover
How much: $8 per person in advance, $9 at the gate (ages 2 and under free)
What: Yet another chance for festive family fun at the farm, this one in east Hillsborough County, just southwest of Plant City. SunKissed Acres has its own dazzling display of "dancing" Christmas light displays (light displays synchronized to music) on a 1/3-mile walking trail. Afterward, visitors can stop at the Holiday Village for some light refreshments, games, and outdoor holiday movies on the big screen.
When: 5-10 p.m. Nov. 23 through Dec. 31
Where: Largo Central Park
How much: Free park admission, $6 per carnival ride (or 10-ride pass for $50)
What: Both family-friendly and dog-friendly (except for the rides), Largo's Christmas-y carnival continues to delight visitors with a dazzling display of more than 2 million Christmas lights, local refreshment vendors, free photos with Santa and much more.
For a small fee, kids and adults can enjoy a series of holiday-themed rides, including the Christmas carousel, Flying Santa's Sleigh Ride, and the new 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel offering a view of the 70-acre park and its light displays. The park will also offer free entertainment throughout the month of December, including "Jingle and Jazz" on Dec. 9.
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25
Where: Albert Whitted Park, North Straub Park, downtown St. Petersburg
How much: Free
What: St. Pete kicks off a month of holiday activities with an evening of fun illuminated with Christmas lights. The evening kicks off with the 95th annual Santa Parade. Santas, elves, gingerbread men, and all sorts of other costumes will parade along the downtown waterfront. Immediately after the parade ends, visitors can gather around this year's Christmas tree at North Straub Park for the official tree lighting ceremony.
Be sure to check the city's holiday events calendar for other family-friendly events and activities scheduled throughout December.