Winter Village brings the holiday season back to downtown Tampa on Nov. 22, when Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park becomes a magical wonderland with themed ice skating nights, tree decorating contests, winter train rides through downtown and historic Ybor City, and other fun festivities.
New this year is the Tampa Bay Ice Show, where on select nights, skaters will showcase their dazzling skill during 10-minute performances in front of the backdrop of the Hillsborough River and the University of Tampa minarets.
Anyone can still hit the ice during open skating and themed skate nights that start at $17 (ie: Thunderstruck Thursdays for the Tampa Bay Lightning and and the Ugly Sweater Skate on Christmas Eve). A silent disco happens on Fridays.
There’s even a tree decorating contest, and the new Winter Village Express train ride, which offers a one-hour, round trip journey on the TECO Streetcar complete with sing-a-longs, trivia, milk and cookies, and festive surprises for riders of all ages. Only five trips are scheduled; Tickets go on sale Nov. 1 for $10.
Along with all the fun festivities, this year’s Winter Village will have more shops to stroll through than ever before. While browsing through its biggest market yet, shoppers can enjoy everyone’s favorite seasonal flavors and holiday treats at the Winter Village Café.
For more information on Tampa’s Winter Village visit wintervillagetampa.com.
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This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2024.