2023 Top Holiday Events Happening in Florida

December in Florida is a special time, offering a unique blend of festive cheer under the warm winter sun. From the enchanting theme park celebrations in Orlando to the historical charm of St. Augustine, every city lights up with its own distinct holiday spirit. We’ve curated a list of the top 10 holiday events across various Florida cities, ensuring that you experience the best of this joyous season. Let’s embark on a journey through these cities and discover the magic they offer during the holidays!

  1. Orlando
  2. Apopka
  3. Clermont
  4. Gainesville
  5. St. Cloud
  6. Kissimmee
  7. Winter Garden
  8. St. Augustine
  9. Winter Park
  10. DeLand

1. Orlando

2. Apopka

3. Clermont

4. Gainesville: Cultural Celebrations and Winter Fun

5. St. Cloud: Small Town, Big Cheer

6. Kissimmee: Illuminations and Festive Joy

7. St. Augustine: Historic Nights of Lights

8. DeLand: A Historic Holiday Experience

9. Winter Park: An Elegant Holiday Affair

10. Winter Garden: A Festive Tapestry of Tradition and Fun

Each city in Florida offers a unique way to celebrate the holidays. From the thrill of Orlando’s theme parks to the historical elegance of St. Augustine and DeLand, there’s something for everyone in the Sunshine State this holiday season. Plan your visits and experience the magic of Florida’s holiday celebrations! 🎄✨🌴🎉

The Florida Guide to Moving During the Holidays

The end of the year can be a hectic time filled with last minute shopping and holiday parties. One thing that can make the season even busier though, is dealing with a move to Florida at the same time. Having to balance decorating your tree while also packing up kitchen appliances can stress anyone out. Luckily, our team has compiled our list of tips to make moving during the holidays a smoother process.

Keep your decorations minimal if you plan to move during the holiday season.

1. Minimize the Decorations & Gifts

You don’t need to go all out when decorating for the holidays in order to enjoy the spirit of the season. Keep your celebrations low-key by focusing on a few of your favorite traditions and skip the elaborate decorations that take up a lot of time and space (like a full size Christmas tree). If your move is scheduled right before the holidays, pack up your decorations last so you’ll have easy access to them as soon as you get to your new home.

Pro Tip: Keep the gifts small too by choosing to give gift cards, passes, and tickets to experiences like sports events or concerts. Check out our Shop Local Holiday Guide for ideas on tickets and gift cards available in the Central Florida area.

2. Remember Daylight Savings

As the holiday season ramps up, the sun sets earlier and earlier especially in Florida after daylight savings causes us to turn back the clocks an hour. Plan accordingly and try to begin your moving day as early as possible. This will allow you to maximize daylight hours and avoid hauling boxes and furniture in the dark.

Take advantage of your usual holiday card list by including a new address announcement.

3. Announce Your Move With A Holiday Card

If you send out holiday cards every year, take advantage of the opportunity and include a note about your new home. Include a “We’ve Moved” insert that has your new address and add it inside your holiday cards. This way your friends and family will know where to send your housewarming and holiday gifts!

Pro Tip: You can save money by creating your change of address notes at home using a program like Microsoft Word or Pages and printing them with your own printer.

4. Dress Like a Floridian

If you’re moving from out of state, you may not be expecting sunshine and sandal weather in the middle of December. Check the forecast for the week of your move and be sure to pack and wear appropriate clothing. It’s not uncommon for Floridians to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in shorts and flip flops.

You can still enjoy the holiday season by renting a storage unit and delaying your move date.

5. Buy Some Time With a Storage Unit

If you still want to go all out for the holidays this year, another option is to rent a storage unit and delay your move by keeping large items like furniture packed away for a few months. This will allow you to take out your full lineup of decorations and enjoy the full holiday experience without dealing with the majority of your move until the new year.

With a little planning, and some help from a facility like Personal Mini Storage, you can make a successful move even during the busy holiday season. Most importantly thought, remember to take some time to celebrate with your family and friends even if you’re surrounded by moving boxes.

The Central Florida “Shop Local” Holiday Guide

Some people know exactly how to find the perfect gift without breaking a sweat. For the rest of us though, it can certainly be a challenge to figure out what to get everyone on your list before the big holiday party. Plus, it always feels good to support small businesses whenever possible. That’s why we’ve made it easy this year by compiling the list below of locally owned shops in the Central Florida area offering unique gifts your loved ones are sure to enjoy.

Locally Owned Businesses

Online Options:

Tickets & Passes:

Dining Gift Cards:

Using this comprehensive list, you should be able to find a special gift for every family member to put under the tree. Plus don’t forget to create some extra space for your holiday party by reserving a storage unit at a Personal Mini Storage location near you.

5 Space Saving Tips For Hosting Holiday Parties

Playing host to friends and family during the holidays can be an exciting and rewarding experience. It can also be extremely stressful time having to plan out a full menu while creating extra room in your home to host a large gathering. In addition to cleaning out your refrigerator before the big day, there are a number of things you can do ahead of time to make everything go smoothly. To help you prepare for the big day, here are five space saving tips to successfully host your next holiday party at home.

Limit the decorations you keep on your tables in order to save space for food.

1. Clear the Table

Everyone loves to decorate for the holidays, but when it comes to hosting at home, less is definitely more. In addition to making sure there aren’t any lingering Halloween decorations to pack away, you can maximize your space by keeping centerpieces and dĂ©cor to a minimum on your tables and serving areas. This will leave you more room for staging food and more space for your guests to eat.

Pro Tip: When decorating for the holiday season, focus on things you can hang on the wall, instead of taking up table and counter space.

Clearing off your countertops can make a big difference when trying to cook a large meal.

2. Declutter the Kitchen

When it comes to cooking a big holiday dinner, counter space becomes extremely valuable. Spend some time decluttering your kitchen a few days before you plan to cook so you’re not left scrambling for a place to carve a turkey on the big day. Store small appliances, cookbooks, and decorations you won’t be using in a closet or nearby storage unit.

If you’re roasting a turkey, plan to make side dishes that don’t require using your oven.

3. Keep Sides Out of the Oven

The star of most holiday meals is usually a large turkey or ham. These dishes can take 3-5 hours to roast inside the typical oven depending on the size. According to Epicurious.com, you should calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey, or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Because your oven will be in use for most of the day, try to choose appetizers and side dishes that can be made ahead of time and don’t require using your oven to cook. Easy recipe ideas include salads and fresh fruit dishes along with thanksgiving favorites like stuffing.

Pro Tip: Instant mash potatoes can be a fast and easy alternative that can be made on the stove top.

Try moving your furniture around to create more gathering and walking space in your rooms.

4. Shuffle the Furniture

If you’re hosting friends and family in a small space, every extra inch matters. Before your guests arrive, take some time to organize each room of your home and remove any clutter you find. Rearrange your furniture in a way that allows your guests to easily gather together. Pushing sofas and chairs against the wall can help create more central space for tables .

Pro Tip: It may sound counter-intuitive but consider moving some side tables into storage. Your guests will appreciate the extra room to spread out.

5. Spread Food & Drinks Out

Guests tend to congregate close to where food and drinks are being served. If possible, set up multiple serving areas to help keep guests spread out in different areas. Avoid traffic jams and long lines by serving appetizers and your special holiday punch in different areas.

With a little planning and effort, your home will be ready to host friends and family this holiday season. If you need to make a little extra space, let the team at Personal Mini Storage help with storage spaces of all sizes available at any of our 42 locations across Central Florida.