Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens is an annual celebration and features over a month of special activities and events for all ages. In 2025, these special events will take place between November 28 – January 4.
Holidays at Bok Tower Gardens
This year’s theme is Let Your Heart Take Flight, where the beauty of the season comes alive in every corner.
Holidays Remembered at El Retiro
November 28 – January 7
Your holiday experience at El Retiro includes a delightful display of sparkling holiday décor that accents the estate’s beauty. Make sure to visit the home’s exterior for a wonderful display of holiday plants, including the towering Blooming Holiday tree.
Tucker & Tillie’s Holiday Scavenger Hunt
Pick up Tucker and Tillie’s Holiday Hide & Seek game sheet at the Visitor Center before making your way to the house, then search for this mischievous pair throughout the grounds of El Retiro. Once you’ve completed your hunt, bring your game sheet to The Shop at Bok for a sweet holiday treat.
Runa: Hark! an Irish Christmas
Saturday, November 29 | 6:00 PM | Free for members, $20 non-member adults and $10 for non-member children
Celebrate the start of the holiday season with an enchanting evening under the stars. The award-winning Celtic group Runa brings their lively and heartwarming holiday show, Hark! An Irish Christmas, to the Oval Lawn for a performance filled with rich harmonies, dazzling instrumentals, and festive spirit.
Delight in the spellbinding sounds of Runa, a Celtic-American roots group celebrated for reinventing Irish folk traditions. A “Celtic-American roots music ‘super-group,’” Runa weaves together the haunting melodies of Ireland and Scotland with the expressive rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco, and blues, creating a fresh and innovative take on timeless folk music.
Meet Santa
Saturday, November 29, December 6 & 20 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Free for members, $20 non-member adults and $10 for non-member children
Before the big night, Santa decided to take a few vacation days and enjoy the warm Florida sunshine at Bok Tower Gardens.
Dressed in his gardening best, meet Santa each Saturday at the Visitor Center.
Ring in Holidays with the Silver Bells Big Band
Saturday, December 6 | 6:00 PM | Free for members, $20 non-member adults and $10 for non-member children
Get ready to swing into the season as the Silver Bells Big Band brings their smooth style and soulful sound to the Oval Lawn. This high-energy 10-piece ensemble features incredible musicians and powerhouse soloists, delivering timeless classics and soulful holiday favorites with a heart-warming, toe-tapping twist—perfect for the whole family.
Enjoy a concert experience like none other atop Iron Mountain while hundreds of twinkling luminaries light the paths. Geert D’hollander will provide a pre-show concert.
Holiday Centerpiece Workshop with Bloombox Floral
Saturday, December 13 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | $85 members, $100 non-members
Join Bloom Box Floral designers Laurel and Michael Lopes for a fun, educational hands on program. A variety of seasonal materials will be provided as well as step by step instruction on how to create a long lasting professional looking arrangement for you to enjoy throughout the season.
Winter Fairy Fest featuring the Nutcracker at the Singing Tower
Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Free for members, included in general admission
Come dressed in your holiday fairy best, as Bok Tower Gardens presents a holiday fantasy extravaganza for fairies, fauns, elves, and gnomes of all ages!
From the Singing Tower, Geert D’hollander casts a spell with breathtaking carillon performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, filling the air with melodies both timeless and new. Beneath the trees, a graceful ballet unfolds alongside Aerial Fairy Dancing at 12–12:45 pm and 2–2:45 pm, with fairies gliding and twirling as if lifted by magic.
Holiday Charcuterie Workshop
Saturday, December 20 | 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | $70 members, $85 non-members (Advance registration required)
Create a charcuterie board for your Winter holiday festivities! Get ready to indulge in a hands-on experience where you’ll learn the art of creating beautiful and delicious charcuterie boards. Learn about pairing different flavors, textures, and colors to create an unforgettable culinary masterpiece. Your ticket includes all materials and food to build your charcuterie board and 2 different cheese tastings.
Yuletide: A Winter Solstice Celebration
Saturday, December 20 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM | Free for members, included in general admission
Celebrate the magic of the Winter Solstice weekend, an enchanting evening of music, light, and tradition at Bok Tower Gardens. The night begins with a lively holiday ceilidh concert featuring The Byrne Brothers, the incomparable Celtic family band and beloved Bok Tower Gardens favorites. Their spirited tunes and joyful energy will set the perfect festive tone for the evening.
After the concert, take a magical stroll along a candlelit luminary path, accompanied by the stirring sound of powerhouse piper Ben Pugh, filling the night air with traditional melodies.
Carols & Carillon
Sunday, December 21 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Free for members, included in general admission
Celebrate the season with Dr. Jonathan Reed, Geert D’hollander, and friends for a magical holiday concert at The Singing Tower. As the sun sets atop Iron Mountain, enjoy a heartwarming program filled with beloved seasonal favorites and the rich tones of the world-famous Bok Tower carillon.
Peace into the New Year
Saturday, January 3 | 6:00 – 8:30 PM | Free for members, included in general admission.
Kick off the new year in style with Paisley Craze, a fan-favorite five-piece band bringing the iconic sounds of the 1960s to life! From the British Invasion—featuring the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Animals—to the sunny, feel-good pop of the Beach Boys, the Monkees, and the Young Rascals, this concert has something for everyone.
Experience the mind-blowing psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane, and groove to the danceable hits of Motown legends like Diana Ross & the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles.
More Info & Tickets
To find out more about all of these events, and a few others, click here
