There’s something unmistakably magical about the holidays in Seaside, Florida, from the Christmas lights and the Santa sightings to the fireworks spectacular for New Year's Eve as the town welcomes the new year on the shores of the Gulf.
The town’s iconic pastel cottages, walkable streets, and Gulf breezes create the perfect backdrop for a season that feels both nostalgic and wonderfully new. Each winter, Seaside transforms into a coastal Christmas village, glowing under more than 114,000 twinkling lights and lined with dozens of beautifully decorated Christmas trees. It’s a place where traditions flourish, memories come naturally, and the holidays feel a little more meaningful.
Here, the season doesn't just come and go on December 25th. All of December is alive with events and festivities, from the free music concerts and the special markets, to the complimentary Photos with Santa and the Gulf's best New Year's Eve Fireworks event as the year 2025 gives it up for the brand new year of 2026.
The whole holiday period is a time of slowing down and connecting with family, friends, and community. Whether you're strolling through Central Square underneath lit-up palm trees, or wandering beneath the glow of the lighted and holiday-decorated Post Office - feeling like being in a Norman Rockwell postcard - everything is designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and savor the magic of the moment. Even the town's 10 mph speed limit on the brick-paved roads!
Seaside Holiday Traditions
Celebrating 44 years of holiday traditions, Seaside continues to honor the founders’ vision: a town built for connection, community, and joy. Whether you’re returning with generations of family or experiencing Seaside for the first time, Christmas on the coast invites you to see the season through fresh eyes - full of wonder, warmth, and effortless charm. Enjoy a sunlit stroll on less crowded beaches, build sandcastles with family, or catch a stunning winter sunset over the Gulf from one of the nine celebrated pavilions.
From Christmas through New Year’s Eve, the town celebrates with Christmas Eve services at the Chapel and an outdoor concert in the Amphitheater (Dec. 24th), and the annual New Year’s Eve, Count Down Seaside! This NYE celebration is from 4 pm to 9 pm with arts and crafts, a live band, and the famous fireworks spectacular over the waters of the Gulf at 9 pm.
This year, we invite you to stay with Homeowner’s Collection and make Seaside your home for the holidays. Enjoy the town at its most enchanting and take part in the traditions that make this time of year so special.
Seaside Holiday Events Not to Miss
All of December is filled with magic, with the lights in the trees, the markets, the concerts, the photo opportunities, and the general buzz of the town at this special time of year.
America's most photographed Post Office shows why it's famous for selfies, looking even more compelling with its Christmas decorations. And even more photo memories can be made with our complimentary Photos with Santa opportunities. In the run-up to Christmas the great man himself will be on hand to hear the kids' wishes, from December 13-21.
Christmas Eve offers live music at the Amphitheater with Fred Domulot at 5-7 pm. On the same day, the famous Chapel at Seaside offers two services, at 4 pm and again at 5:30 pm.
New Year's Eve is a special celebration that Seaside rocks, and many people come specifically to stay during this time. The most happening small town along Hwy 30A lights up the skies over the Gulf with the best Fireworks Show on the coast - that happens at 9 pm - but leading up to that moment is a day filled with fun for kids and family. Starting at 4 pm, the New Year's Eve in Seaside festivities happen at the Post Office, with face painting, balloons and arts & crafts to please everyone. Grab that unique family photo, one of the last of this year!
