Holiday lights and Christmas events in Horizon West 2026

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates come from the City of Winter Garden calendar, Hamlin’s events page, Southern Hill Farms and Florida Running Company. The parade and tree lighting have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

The season near Horizon West centers on Saturday, Dec. 5: Winter Garden’s holiday light show opens, Santa visits the downtown Holiday Night Market and Christmas at Hamlin, and Southern Hill Farms in Clermont opens its Christmas Festival. Horizon West has no city government, so Orange County does not stage lights here; the public displays are in downtown Winter Garden, about seven miles north.

What this means for you

• Lights: Winter Garden City Hall, 300 W. Plant St., 6 to 9 p.m. on 10 nights from Dec. 5.
• Santa: Dec. 5 downtown and at Hamlin; weekends at Southern Hill Farms from Dec. 5.
• Trash: Christmas is a Friday; Orange County’s Friday routes run Saturday, Dec. 26.
• City of Winter Garden events: 407-656-4111.

Light displays

A Merry Winter Garden Light Show runs 6 to 9 p.m., the city calendar says:

Christmas at Hamlin lights Hamlin’s 25-foot Christmas tree at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, with “thousands of sparkling lights,” according to Hamlin. The tree lighting and the downtown parade are covered on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

No neighborhood light display in Horizon West had published 2026 dates when we checked. If your street puts on a display open to visitors, send us the dates and address.

Southern Hill Farms Christmas Festival

The farm at 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont, about nine miles west, holds its third annual Christmas Festival on Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20, from 1 to 8 p.m., its listing says. Dec. 13 is marked tentative. Tickets are required.

• Santa Claus: 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
• Snow showers, festive decor, flower field access until sunset, fire pits and photo spots.
• Holiday movie on the lawn nightly at 6:30 p.m.; bring a blanket or folding chair.
• The Fun Zone of rides and inflatables is included with admission; some rides have height and weight limits.

Buy tickets through Southern Hill Farms.

Santa visits

Crossline Church’s Harvest to Holly also promises falling snow and Christmas lights. Christmas at Hamlin adds holiday crafts, cookie decorating and letters to Santa; Hamlin’s page mixes past and future listings, so confirm with Hamlin closer to the date.

In 2025, Winter Garden Fire Rescue ran an annual Santa Run through city neighborhoods from Dec. 8 to 13, the city calendar shows. The 2026 route and dates were not posted when we checked.

Holiday music and theater

• Holiday Fridays on the Plaza, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Centennial Plaza gazebo in downtown Winter Garden, free: the Dickens Carolers on Friday, Dec. 11, and the Mistletones on Friday, Dec. 18, the city calendar says.
• It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the Garden Theatre on Plant, 160 W. Plant St., runs from Dec. 10 to Dec. 20, with evening shows and 2 p.m. matinees on Dec. 12 and 19. The theater also lists Rhinestone Cowgirls on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

Run with St. Nick: 12Ks of Christmas

The Dream Finders Homes 12Ks of Christmas starts and finishes at Hamlin Town Center, 14111 Shoreside Way, on Saturday, Dec. 19. The 12K and 5K start at 7:30 a.m. and kids’ races at 9:15 a.m. Registration is $50 for the 12K and $35 for the 5K before Nov. 28, rising after that, the race page says. The organizer says it has sold out the last three years.

Menorah lightings

No public menorah lighting in or near Horizon West had been announced for 2026 when we checked. Congregations and organizations can send us the date, time and place.

Christmas week: what is open and closed

• Orange County trash: Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, so Friday customers are picked up Saturday, Dec. 26. The landfill and transfer stations are closed on Christmas, the county’s holiday collection page says. Live Christmas trees go out on your yard waste day; cut trees over 6 feet in half and remove the stand and decorations.
• Inside Winter Garden city limits: no collection on Friday, Dec. 25, and no makeup day; city offices are closed that day, the city calendar says.
• Schools: OCPS winter break runs Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, on the district’s 2026-27 calendar.
• Library: the Orange County Library System had not posted its 2026-27 holiday closings when we checked. Last year it closed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, its holiday hours page shows.

What this means for you

• Pick one evening on Dec. 5: the downtown market and light show, or Christmas at Hamlin.
• Buy Southern Hill Farms Christmas Festival tickets ahead; the event is ticketed.
• Put your tree out on yard waste day after Christmas; see our trash and recycling guide.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Winter Garden holiday light show in 2026?

A Merry Winter Garden Light Show runs 6 to 9 p.m. at City Hall, 300 W. Plant St., on Dec. 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 20, 26 and 27, and at the Winter Garden Masonic Lodge on Dec. 19, the city calendar says.

Where can kids see Santa near Horizon West?

Santa visits the Holiday Night Market in downtown Winter Garden (4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5), Christmas at Hamlin (5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 5) and the Southern Hill Farms Christmas Festival, where he is listed from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

When is the Southern Hill Farms Christmas Festival?

Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20, from 1 to 8 p.m., at 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont. Dec. 13 is listed as tentative. Tickets are required.

Does trash pickup change for Christmas in Horizon West?

Yes. Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, so Orange County’s Friday customers are picked up on Saturday, Dec. 26. Other days run as normal.