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Miami might not have piles of the natural, 100 percent organic white stuff necessary to build a magical snowman (I mean, we’ve all seen how hard Tony Montana tried, right?), but the city more than makes up for that deficit with an abundance of holiday spirit and extravagance.
Weeks before Thanksgiving, light displays, holiday parks, markets, and even ice skating rinks pop up across South Florida, from Doral to Coral Gables to Homestead. Even without the return of Santa’s Enchanted Forest (R.I.P.), the wealth of options can be dizzying. To help you choose, here, in chronological order by opening date, are the best holiday pop-ups in Miami.
Elf Factory
First things first: Not a factory that makes elves. This is a factory run by elves who, apparently tired of the lack of upward mobility in the North Pole, have started a business in which parents pay to have kids build their own damn toys — with the supervision of said elves. Or, as Elf Factory puts it: “Expert-guided Christmas workshops in Doral where kids create real toys and crafts, building confidence, skills, and memories that last.”
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That’s right, people: The elves have seized the means of production and with their newfound power, they will help you and your children build age-appropriate toys inside an elaborate and whimsical replica of Santa’s workshop. Options range from ugly sweaters to plushies, hand-painted Christmas pajamas, ornaments, clay sculptures, and more. 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday through December 30, at CityPlace Doral, 3530 NW 83 Ave., Ste. 120, Doral; 786-630-8554. Workshops cost $39 to $49 via elf-factory.com.
Christmas Wonderland
Listen, I don’t care what the “Nice” list says — your kids don’t want to be nestled all snug in their bed. They want to be eating fried dough and riding rides with names like the Dizzy Dragon, Crazy Mouse, Motorcycle Mump, and Monkey Maze in a holiday-themed amusement park. Also, if you want to see Santa before the big day, you gotta go big or go home. Lucky for Miami residents, Tropical Park is bringing “big” to us with the Eye in the Sky, the largest traveling Ferris wheel in North America. The 14-acre park is also home to 50 rides, and activities including a fireworks display scheduled for 10 p.m. each Friday, a Noche Buena experience, and a 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve countdown. November 13 through January 4, 2026, at Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th St., Miami; 855-231-4772. Tickets cost $39 via miamiwonderland.com.
Jungle Island photo
Luminosa at Jungle Island
One partridge in a pear tree? A mere 12 drummers drumming? Those are rookie numbers! The gorgeously handcrafted lamp scenes that make up the sprawling, often-breathtaking Luminosa include “more than 160 tons of steel, 200,000 feet of silk-like fabric, 58,000 LED bulbs, and 720,000 feet of LED light strips…created by over 200 people from around the world, including Chinese artists, graphic global designers, welders, and seamstresses.” Tell your lords a-leaping, you gotta pump those numbers up. November 14 through March 7, 2026, at Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trl., Miami; 305-400-7000; jungleisland.com. Tickets cost $27 to $39 via luminosamiami.com.
Downtown Miami Holiday Village
O come all ye thriftful — to the second annual Downtown Miami Holiday Village in the heart of…well, downtown! Each weekend, you’ll find more than 60 vendors, bounce houses, a photo booth, holiday-themed craft workshops (ornament making and mug/candle painting), performances by local artists, and a toy drive that will get you deeper into the holiday spirit while getting on the right side of those naughty/nice numbers. 1 to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, November 15 through December 21, at 174 E Flagler St., Miami; instagram.com/magiccityflea.
Winter Festival at the Berry Farm
You knew they were gonna say, “berry bright,” right? But that’s the sort of pun you can get away with when you’ve lit up your beloved farm with more than 150,000 lights, serve complimentary hot chocolate and popcorn for kids, put on holiday hayrides, book Santa for photo ops, screen movies under the stars, and create a magical experience called “Snowfall and the Berry Bright Winter Nights Light Path.” It’ll be a jolly ol’ time, ya hear? November 21 through January 4, at the Berry Farm, 13720 SW 216th St., Miami; 305-560-0531; visittheberryfarm.com. Tickets cost $15 to $24 via showpass.com.
Zoo Lights
As anyone who has seen Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas can tell you, animals can yuletide with the best of us. So, it should perhaps come as no surprise that with so many animals “on staff,” Zoo Miami is set to put on one of the more unique holiday pop-up parties around. From more than a million tree lights to an arctic train ride, a new holiday animal show (“Jingle Paws & Santa Claws”), and character meet-and-greets, the holidays finally tap into a wild side. Select nights November 21 through December 30, at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152 St., Miami; 305-255-5551. Tickets cost $21 via zoomiami.org.
Zoo Miami photo
Winter Wonderland
Did you know the tagline for Homestead is “The Future Lives Here”? For the next two months, you can add winter to that list of residents. And the chilly season is a pretty great neighbor, with its artisan-festooned holiday market village, ice skating, performances on and off the ice, well-adorned tree, lights, and “festive activities for guests of all ages.” Tuesday through Sunday, November 22 through January 18, 2026, at Losner Park, 104 N. Krome Ave., Homestead; 305-224-4570. Tickets cost $20 to $22 via discoverhomestead.com.
Hard Rock the Holidays
Remember in Love, Actually, when Bill Nighy’s washed-up pop star Billy Mack accidentally hits No. 1 on the charts with a holiday rerecording of “Love is All Around” as “Christmas Is All Around”? And it helps him reevaluate his life, undergo an almost Scrooge-like transformation, and become a better person in touch with his feelings and non-toxic masculinity? Well, if his story ever got its own sequel, it’s difficult to imagine a better setting than Hard Rock the Holidays, a pop-up in which 24 acres of the Guitar Hotel Pool will be transformed “into a glowing wonderland complete with more than 20 themed areas, interactive photo moments, and a signature Guitar Hotel Light & Music Show, synchronized to holiday classics.” Legend has it that if the DJ plays “Christmas Is All Around” three times, Hugh Grant will show up and make snarky jokes about your Christmas wish list and compare your ugly sweater unfavorably to the one Colin Firth wears in Bridget Jones’ Diary. (That visual is my Christmas gift to you.) November 29 through January 3, 2026, at Seminole Hard Rock, 1 Seminole Wy., Davie; 866-502-7529. Tickets cost $45 via casino.hardrock.com.
Very Merry Garden at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild has to be one of the most consistently inventive, family-friendly botanical gardens in the country — and its monthlong holiday offerings are no exception. Very Merry Garden includes not only the usual natural beauty and lights, but the chance to write a priority mail letter at an outpost of Santa’s Post Office, enjoy story time and cocoa with Mrs. Claus, or engage in a bit of Christmas-themed “your mission, should you choose to accept it” shenanigans: “Santa’s reindeer have escaped and are roaming freely through the Garden, enjoying reindeer games and basking in the sunshine. Now, Santa needs your help to bring them back to the North Pole! Can you find them?” December 1 through January 4, at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Rd., Miami; 305-667-1651; fairchildgarden.org.
City of Coral Gables photo
Coral Gables Holiday Park
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s really like to visit Santa’s workshop, Coral Gables does an incredible job of putting together a Matrix-worthy simulation. It’s whimsical, it’s magical, and the entire community gets into the spirit. The festivities kick off with the annual Christmas tree lighting at Coral Gables City Hall at 5 p.m. on Friday, December 5.
On December 21, there is a special Hot Chocolate with Santa event ($30 per family of four), plus photo ops with the Big Guy throughout the rest of the month. Be sure to check the city website for rules before attending. Some pro tips include: “Santa likes to talk to his fans, so please be patient,” and “We may close the end of the line ahead of schedule to prevent further visitors from standing in line in vain, if we determine that they will not make it to see Santa that day before he has to go back to the North Pole.” 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. December 5 through January 4, 2026, at Coral Gables City Hall, 405 Biltmore Wy., Coral Gables; 305-446-6800; coralgables.com. Admission is free.
Nights of Lights at Pinecrest Gardens
You can tell a lot about a holiday pop-up by the company it keeps. For Pinecrest Gardens — one of the most beautiful outdoor spaces in the entire city, incidentally — that company includes the Greater Miami Symphonic Band, the Maria Verdeja School of the Arts, Alhambra Orchestra, and…the Grinch. Not bad! There’s also a train display, pictures with Santa, a “jolly craft corner,” story time, and caroling. The best part? When you take a pic with the Grinch and share it on social media, you’ll enter a drawing to win a Pinecrest Gardens Family Membership. Select nights December 5 through 28, at Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Rd., Pinecrest; 305-669-6990. Tickets cost $20 via pinecrestgardens.org.
