The 40-foot animated Christmas tree on the Promenade at Sunset Walk lights up at 6:30 p.m. Will it light up next Monday, or the Wednesday after Thanksgiving? For most of the season it won't, and that changes how a Margaritaville Resort Orlando owner, a visiting family or a Kissimmee neighbor should plan December evenings.
Sunset Walk lists its Holiday Nights Celebration for "select nights" from November 19 through December 25, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m. The full list of dates shows a pattern. Until December 17, Holiday Nights runs Thursday through Sunday, except Thanksgiving week, when it starts on Friday. After that it runs every night through Christmas. Most of the season's other dated events fall on those same nights.
Seven nights in November, eight in early December, nine in a row at the end
The published dates are November 19 to 22, November 27 to 29, December 3 to 6, December 10 to 13, and December 17 to 25. November 19 is a Thursday, so every block before the final stretch starts on a Thursday or Friday and ends on a Sunday.
| Stretch | Holiday Nights dates | Days of the week | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening week | Nov 19–22 | Thursday to Sunday | 4 |
| Thanksgiving weekend | Nov 27–29 | Friday to Sunday | 3 |
| First December weekend | Dec 3–6 | Thursday to Sunday | 4 |
| Second December weekend | Dec 10–13 | Thursday to Sunday | 4 |
| Christmas run | Dec 17–25 | Every night | 9 |
That adds up to 24 nights. Thanksgiving itself, Thursday, November 26, isn't on the list. The Holiday Nights weekend that week begins Friday, November 27. No Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday is on the list until December 21.
On a scheduled night, the Promenade program includes:
- Santa Claus and his Mischievous Elves, plus towering toy soldiers
- The nightly lighting of the 40-foot animated tree at 6:30 p.m.
- Nightly "snow falls" and live music
- S'mores fire pits, with s'mores sold at the Mobile Bar outside The Wharf
- The Pearl Express Train Tour at $8 a ride, leaving from the Promenade's "North Pole Roundabout," and a Pearl Express Trampoline Ride at $15
Admission and parking are free, the public is welcome, and the event page says the Promenade is always pet-friendly. The same page includes a notice that only tickets bought through Eventbrite will be honored and that no other ticketing platforms are authorized. That matters most for the paid events later in the season.
The extras land on the same long weekends
Sunset Walk's other November and early December events mostly fall on Holiday Nights dates. A single evening can cover a show or a car display and the tree lighting.
- Thursday, November 19: The Tribute to ABBA, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Opening night of Holiday Nights is also a ticketed dinner show at The Wharf. Rock of ABBA performs, with reserved seating on the Main Deck and in the Crow's Nest, dinner service from 5 p.m., a 7 p.m. show, and full menu and bar service. The Tribute to ABBA page lists free self-parking.
- Saturday, November 21: Fall Fitness Fest, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This morning event on the Promenade includes six 20-minute fitness classes, a group walk and warmup, a DJ, vendors, a Q&A and giveaways. Attendees reserve a spot and sign an event waiver. Anyone who finishes all six classes gets two complimentary 2027 admissions to Island H2O Live!
- Saturday, December 5: Cars of the Rising Sun, 5 to 8 p.m. This Show Car Saturday Nights edition features more than 100 Datsun, Nissan, Infiniti and JDM vehicles, plus live music. Admission and parking are free. It overlaps the first two hours of that night's Holiday Nights, so the cars are still on display when the tree lights up.
- Thursday, December 10: The Premier Tribute to Fleetwood Mac, 5 to 9:30 p.m. It follows the same format as the ABBA night at The Wharf: reserved Main Deck and Crow's Nest seating, dinner from 5 p.m., and a 7 p.m. show.
- Sunday, December 13: Santa's Toy Drive & Car & Truck Show, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission and parking are free. Car owners and spectators are asked to bring two new, unwrapped toys. It's a daytime event that ends four hours before that night's Holiday Nights begins, the last night of the early-December weekends.
The ABBA and Fleetwood Mac tributes both fall on a Thursday with Holiday Nights running outside. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. and the show at 7 p.m., so the 6:30 p.m. tree lighting comes in the gap between them.
Two Mondays and a Wednesday belong to Dance Station Studios
The holiday performances are the one part of the season that doesn't follow the long-weekend pattern. Sunset Walk lists Dance Station Studios for holiday-themed performances on the Promenade on December 14, 16 and 21, from 6 to 7:15 p.m.
December 14 is a Monday and December 16 is a Wednesday. Neither is on the Holiday Nights list, which skips from December 13 to December 17. December 21, also a Monday, falls inside the nightly Christmas run. Weeknight visitors who can't get to the Promenade on a weekend before December 17 have these two performance evenings as an option.
From December 17 through Christmas, the tree lights up every night
Starting Thursday, December 17, Holiday Nights runs nine nights in a row and ends on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve and Christmas night are both on the schedule.
The resort adds its own event during that stretch. The Margaritaville Resort Orlando Holiday Celebration is on Friday, December 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the resort's Grand Lobby, with live entertainment and family activities. Admission and parking are free. It ends while Holiday Nights is still running on the Promenade, so the lobby event and the 6:30 tree lighting can share an evening. Owners hosting guests that week can plan around it.
The Dance Station performance on Monday, December 21, is the only scheduled extra in the nightly run besides the lobby celebration. The Wharf's tribute concerts both come earlier in the season.
New Year's Eve has a free daytime party and a paid street party
Holiday Nights ends December 25. Six days later, on Thursday, December 31, the Promenade has two New Year's Eve events, each for a different crowd.
| Happy Noon Year Kids' Party | Rocking New Year 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. |
| Cost | Free admission and parking | $27 general advance, $50 VIP |
| The big moment | Confetti blast at noon | Mirror-ball drop and fireworks at midnight |
| Lineup | DJ Scotty B, Mr. Harley and performers, with party favors | DJ Scotty B., Project DJ Slam and DJ K1X, with performers and light and FX shows |
The Happy Noon Year Kids' Party gives younger children a countdown about 12 hours early. Rocking New Year 2027 is billed as an all-ages street party. VIP tickets are for guests 21 and older and include a main-stage viewing area, premium favors and a midnight champagne toast. General tickets are priced as advance sales.
Dinner before 6:30, and the water park is closed until spring
Island H2O Live! isn't part of the holiday plans. The park's FAQ describes its operating season as March through October, and the Sunset Walk directory lists the same months. The two 2027 admissions offered at Fall Fitness Fest are for the next season.
For dinner before the tree lights at 6:30, the Sunset Walk dining directory currently lists these restaurants and bars, grouped by what kind of evening they suit:
- Sit-down before the lighting: The Wharf, with an oyster bar, market-fresh fish and live music; BR77 Brazilian Steakhouse; Ford's Garage, with burgers and craft beer in a 1920s service-station setting; Rock & Brews; Lizzie's BBQ, which also serves weekend breakfast; El Jefe Tequilas, a taco cantina with more than 200 tequilas; and KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot.
- Quick bites for a train-ride night: Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi, SoFresh bowls, Cowboy Chicken and La Boom Café's macarons, pastries and empanadas.
- Dessert after the snowfall: Cold Stone Creamery, Bahama Buck's shaved ice, and frozen drinks in souvenir cups at Fat Tuesday.
- Making a night of it: Estefan Kitchen Orlando, which pairs Latin and Cuban food with a dance floor; Studio Movie Grill; and GameTime's arcade and sports bar.
- Morning coffee: 7 Brew Coffee's drive-through, convenient before the Fitness Fest or the Toy Drive.
Two resort spots work differently. Euphoria, an upscale seafood restaurant with a show kitchen and lounge, welcomes locals. Salty Rim Bar & Grill, the poolside bar, is limited to resort guests and their guests. Visitors staying at the resort during the Christmas run, along with their guests, can start at Salty Rim and then walk to the Promenade for the 6:30 lighting.
If you own a cottage or home at Margaritaville Resort Orlando, or are thinking about buying one, the holiday season shows how guest demand builds around the Promenade's calendar. The Suzanne and Chad Team works with resort owners every day and can show you how a December like this one fits into your plans for your property. Start your home search with us.
