Holiday tree lighting, Christmas movies, parade coming up

As the holiday season approaches, check out the many themed events in your town this week and beyond, including a holiday tree lighting or two, Christmas photos with Santa and an ugly sweater party.

Thursday 

Watch “The Play That Goes Wrong” at 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 2 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at Winter Springs Performing Arts, 1425 Tuskawilla Road, Unit 145. Tickets cost $16. Learn more.

Karaoke lovers can sing the night away from 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30 at Spill Wine Bar, 1196 Tree Swallow Drive in Winter Springs. Participants can sing in pairs, groups or take the stage solo. Learn more.

Friday

Look your best in your favorite ugly sweater to kick off the holiday season at Deck the Mall: Ugly Sweater Party from 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 at Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. There will be an ugly sweater contest, photos with Santa, live music, shopping discounts, food and more. Learn more.

Celebrate the season by painting a Christmas cow at a step-by-step painting class from 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 at Songbirds Music, Art, & Dance Center, 181 E. Mitchell Hammock Road in Oviedo. The cost to attend is $15 per person and includes all supplies. Learn more.

Come listen to live music from a variety of genres by The Rundown from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1 at Rock & Brews Oviedo, 7131 Red Bug Lake Road. Learn more.

Saturday

Enjoy local vendors at the Oviedo Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at Lawton House, 200 W. Broadway St. The market takes place every first and third Saturday of the month. Learn more. 

Watch a special screening of  “The Polar Express” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at  Regal Cinemas, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Tickets cost $5. Learn more. 

Watch Winter Springs’ Winter Wonderland Parade from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at Winter Springs Town Center, 1160 W. State Road 434. This event will feature a guest appearance by Santa, local entertainment, and the city’s annual tree lighting. Learn more.

Join the City of Oviedo for their annual Christmas Parade from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at Center Lake Park, 299 Center Lake Lane. Food, soft drinks and alcohol will be available to purchase at 5 p.m. Learn more.

Rock around the Christmas tree this holiday season at School of Rock Oviedo and School of Rock Orlando’s Christmas Fest 2023 from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. There will be live music, a silent auction and food trucks. The cost to attend this event is free, but wristbands will be sold for $20 to partake in the maze, train ride, petting zoo and other activities. Learn more.

Sunday

Immerse yourself in holiday cheer during a reading of “The Nutcracker” with Imagine Performing Arts Center from 1-2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at B. Dalton Bookseller, 1260 Oviedo Mall Blvd. There will be sweet treats and a cozy setting for families at this free event. Learn more.

Watch a special screening of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” from 1-3 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at Regal Cinemas, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Tickets cost $14.98 for general admission and $12.84 for children ages 3-11 years old. Learn more.

Spend the morning focusing on your wellbeing with yoga from 10:15-11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at The Factory Bar at The Food Factory Foodie Collective, 888 City Walk Lane in Oviedo. Stay after class for $5 mimosas, $10 bloody marys and $20 draft pitchers all day. Attendees will need to RSVP here. Learn more.

Calling all Girl Scouts who are interested in robotics. There will be a basic robotics class for Girls Scouts of all levels from 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at Mad Science Laboratory, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Girl Scouts who complete this class will receive a badge for their level. The class costs $26 to attend. Learn more.

Future Events

Bring the kids to see Santa, available daily through Dec 24 at the Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. There are a variety of packages to purchase that include digital and print photos, which cost $39.99-$49.99. Times vary each day. Learn more. 

Celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with Green Acres Farms of Oviedo/Geneva from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7 at Green Acres Farm of Oviedo/Geneva, 1700 Marsh St. This event is open to people of all religious backgrounds and is free to attend. Attendees are encouraged to bring food to share. Learn more.

Drive through the Christmas festivities at “Light Up Central Winds!” from 7-9 p.m. Dec. 8, 9, 10, 15 and 17 at Central Winds Park, 1000 Central Winds Drive in Winter Springs. Motorists are encouraged to enter the event through Tuskawilla Drive. A special walk-through night will be hosted Saturday, Dec. 16. Learn more.

Join the City of Oviedo for Winterfest from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 at Center Lake Park, 299 Center Lake Lane. Activities include a bounce house, face painting, holiday train and more. The cost to attend is $25. Learn more.

Enjoy a night of lights, snow, a DJ, goodies, food from local restaurants and hot coffee and cocoa at Boys Town Central Florida’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Festival at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 at 975 Oklahoma St. in Oviedo. The event is free but donations to the nonprofit are appreciated. Learn more. 

Regular events

For Friendsgiving, why not take part in four rounds of live pub-style trivia with the Five Minute Professor from 7-9 p.m. every Monday at Rock & Brews, 7131 Red Bug Lake Road in Oviedo. Questions cover topics such as history, geography, pop music, TV shows, science, nature, movie stars and space travel. Prizes are given every week, and a raffle takes place the last Monday of every month. Enjoy happy hour before and after trivia.

The above pub-style trivia with the Five Minute Professor also takes place from 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday at Gators Dockside, 167 E. Mitchell Hammock Road in Oviedo. Prizes are given every week, and a raffle takes place the last Wednesday of every month. Enjoy all you can eat boneless wings special on Wednesday.    

Dementia-Friendly Dining is every Tuesday from 2-5 p.m. at Perkins Restaurant, 701 E. State Road 434 in Winter Springs; every Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. at the Town House Restaurant, 139 N. Central Ave. in Oviedo and every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2-4 p.m. at Pepe’s Cantina, 3100 Alafaya Trail. in Oviedo. Families and friends may bring their loved ones who are living with dementia to a friendly, safe, and enjoyable meal. Learn more.

Take a break from fall events with a run through Oviedo’s historic downtown every Tuesday night with Oviedo Run Club. Most folks who attend this casual, social run start the run just before 6 p.m. Participants start in the parking lot of Oviedo’s Historic Celery Pre-cooler, located at 159 N. Central Ave. and run the distance of their choice along the Cross Seminole Trail. New members get a free T-shirt. Learn more. 

Join Oviedo Brewing Run Club’s Tuesday night run from 6:30-10 p.m. at 1280 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Participants gather at the front of Oviedo Brewing Company every Tuesday evening and start the run at 6:30 p.m.

Adventure Cycling offers two night bicycle rides a week. Enjoy a No Rider Left Behind ride for the whole family from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Tuesday nights. Learn more. 

Get a more intense workout at the Throwdown ride, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. every Thursday. Learn more. Both start at 1491 E. State Road 434, Suite 110, in Winter Springs. 

Come on out to boozy bingo from 7-9 p.m. every Tuesday at Bonfires Kitchen, 1340 Alafaya Trail in Oviedo. Enjoy games and sing-a-longs. Learn more.

Enjoy yoga outdoors at 9 a.m. every Wednesday at Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center, 1601 Alafaya Trail in Oviedo. The drop-in cost is $10 per person. Learn more.  

Sing your heart out at Open Mic Nite every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. at Spill Wine Bar, 1196 Tree Swallow Drive in Winter Springs. Enjoy drink specials, food options and live music. Learn more.

Enjoy live traditional Irish music sessions every Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. at Irish 31 Oviedo, 65 W. Mitchell Hammock Road in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Learn the art of improv comedy from 6-7 p.m. for teens and from 7-8 p.m. for adults every Wednesday at Penguin Point Productions, 1220 Oviedo Mall Blvd. in Oviedo. Classes are $25 a session billed in four-week increments of $100. Learn more. 

Join the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post every Thursday for their Burger Night event from 5-7 p.m. at the Winter Springs VFW Post 5405, 420 N. Edgemon Ave. Learn more.

The Irish 3.1 Run Club meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Irish 31, 65 W. Mitchell Hammock Road in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Enjoy Trivia Night every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at Bonfires Kitchen, 1340 Alafaya Trail in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Enjoy Free Bingo Night at District Eat and Play Oviedo every Friday night from 6-7 p.m. at 1395 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Learn more.

Get ready to cycle with a Breakfast Ride every Saturday from 8-11 a.m. at Adventure Cycling, 1491 E. State Road 434 Suite 110 in Winter Springs. Ride either 8 or 20 miles and enjoy a potluck-style breakfast afterward at this free event. Learn more. 

Be a bookworm with Storytime at B. Dalton Bookseller at 1 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday at Oviedo Mall, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Kids can enjoy snacks and activities while improving their literary skills. Learn more.  

Think and Drink Trivia Night is every Sunday from 8-10 p.m. at Kava Culture Kava Bar, 1174 Tree Swallow Drive in Winter Springs. Enjoy drink specials and a weekly changing trivia theme. Learn more.

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