A huge holiday party weekend awaits, and winter markets abound

The biggest holiday party and fair weekend of the season arrives this weekend, packed with ugly sweater parties, tree lightings, and nostalgia.

Thursday

Start your weekend a day early with Happy Hour from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 at Crazy Cork Wine Bar, 940 City Plaza Way in Oviedo. Learn more.

Experience a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”-themed Holiday Tree Lighting from 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 at Center Lake Park, 299 Center Lake Lane. There will be photos with Santa, live reindeer, carolers, food trucks and more. Tickets are free. Learn more. 

Experience folk opera “Hadestown: Teen Edition” at the Winter Springs Performing Arts Center starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 at 1425 Tuskawilla Road, Suite 145. Tickets start at $16. Learn more. 

Friday

Enjoy fun activities with prizes at Sushi Pop’s 14-Year Anniversary starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at 310 W. Mitchell Hammock Road in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Deck the halls with the Oviedo Mall at the Ugly Sweater Party from 5:30-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at 1600 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Wear the most outrageous and ugliest sweater for a night of holiday cheer. There will be a kids craft station, holiday market vendors, live entertainment, shopping discounts, Santa Claus and drinks. Learn more.

Start your weekend with a show and watch “A Christmas Carol” from 8-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at Imagine Performing Arts Center in Oviedo Mall, 1220 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Tickets start at $18. Learn more. 

Saturday

Get your shopping started early with St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s 26th-Annual Holiday Gift Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2021 W. State Road 426 in Oviedo. There will be local vendors and a free concert featuring the Brass Band of Central Florida. Learn more. 

Start your bee-filled era with Beginning Beekeeping Class from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Black Hammock Bee Farms, 2385 Howard Ave. in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Let your kids get crafty at Mini Maker Craft Market from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 7 at 50 Smith St. in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Catch the Christmas classic, “Elf,” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Regal Movies, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. One of this season’s $5 Christmas favorites, bring the whole family and have a laugh with Buddy and all the elves. Learn more.

Experience the holidays in new ways with Holidays Around the World from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Stenstrom Elementary PE Pavilion, 1800 Alafaya Woods Blvd. There will be bounce houses, tables with holiday activities and food trucks. A portion of the proceeds will go back to the Stenstrom Elementary PTA. Learn more. 

Witness the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Ceremony from 1-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Winter Springs VFW, 420 N. Edgemon Ave. The ceremony will pay tribute to the lives lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor and reflect on a pivotal point in world history. Learn more. 

Run with Brooks Rehabilitation for the 2024 Orlando Challenge Mile starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Memory Mall at UCF, 4356 Scorpius St. in Orlando. Learn more. 

Get your holiday spirit on with Winter Springs’ Winter Wonderland event from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Winter Springs Town Center. There will be the 42nd annual parade, a tree lighting and local performances. Learn more. 

Bask in the holiday spirit with the City of Oviedo Holiday Parade from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Oviedo Center Lake Park, 299 Center Lake Lane. The parade starts at the Gym & Aquatic Center and flows through Oviedo Boulevard, ending at the corner of Center Lake Lane and City Plaza. Learn more. 

Sunday

Continue the movie binge with “A Christmas Story,” starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Regal Movies, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Tickets cost $5. Learn more.

Grab a drink and enjoy the Christmas Special Edition Ultimate Werewolf from 12:30-7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Oviedo Brewing Company, 1280 Oviedo Mall Blvd. “Ultimate Werewolf” is a card game that takes place over a series of days and nights, where players have to find the werewolf. There will also be a white elephant gift exchange and an ugly sweater contest. Learn more. 

Take in an evening show with the family at “White Christmas the Musical” starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Oviedo On The Park. The show is being put on by Inspired Theatre Company Tickets start at $15. Learn more. 

Future Events

Spend time at the park and make crafts at City of Oviedo’s Holiday Crafts at the Park from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 at Center Lake Park, 299 Center Lake Lane. The event is free and for children ages 5 and younger. Learn more.

Join AdventHealth Well 65+ Oviedo, a new senior-focused practice, for complimentary hot chocolate, cookies, crafts, holiday music and dancing by DJ Hairspray and more from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Dec. 12 at 1665 W. Broadway St., Suite 102. Learn more. 

Spend the evening with your family at Oviedo Night Market: Naughty vs. Nice, from 5-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 at 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. There will be unique holiday vendors, festive food and drinks and live music to keep the holiday spirit going all night. Learn more. 

Grow your garden with the Native Plant Christmas Market with Cuplet Fern from 5-10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 at 1600 Oviedo Mall Blvd. There will be native plants and seasonal gifts. Learn more. 

Enjoy some pancakes at Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at Oviedo High School, 75 Aulin Ave. Along with pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee, there will also be free photos with Santa. Tickets start at $10. Learn more. 

Rock, roll and ride over to Rock & Brews Oviedo for Oviedo Cars & Coffee Toy Drive from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7131 Red Bug Lake Road. The toys are needed for the upcoming “Christmas in the City” event held by HOPE Helps. Learn more. 

The North Pole comes to Oviedo with the City of Oviedo’s Winterfest from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at Oviedo Center Lake Park, 299 Center Lake Lane. There will be rides, attractions, food trucks and a cash bar. Learn more. 

Sing a song at Karaoke Night from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at Winter Springs VFW, 420 N. Edgemon Ave. Learn more. 

Steam toward Oviedo Mall to catch “The Polar Express” $5 Christmas Favorites starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Put on some cozy pajamas and watch a Christmas classic with the family. Learn more. 

Take in a Christmas Classic with a “White Christmas” 70th Anniversary from 1-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at Regal Movies, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Learn more. 

Walk into a winter wonderland at Lukas Nursery with their Family Winter Event from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at 1909 Slavia Road in Oviedo. There will be holiday arts and crafts, live Christmas carolers, jam tasting and a “sleigh” ride where you will see Santa. Tickets are $15. Learn more. 

Watch Christmas come alive at the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Festival from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 at 975 Oklahoma St. in Oviedo. Learn more.

Have a laugh with Kevin Hart on his Acting My Age tour starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19 at the Addition Financial Arena at UCF, 50 Gemini Blvd. N., in Orlando. Tickets start at $42.50. Learn more. 

Catch a show with “The Nutcracker” by University Performing Arts Centre, with the first show starting at 5 p.m. and the second show starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at Center Lake Park in Oviedo, 299 Center Lake Lane. The show is free. Learn more.

Roast some s’mores at Campfire Christmas from 5:30-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22 at University Carillon, 1395 Campus View Court in Oviedo. Outside on the field by the pond, there will be a campfire, as you roast marshmallows, sing Christmas carols, hang out with mini horses and play games as Christmas nears. Learn more.  

Regular Events

Dementia-Friendly Dining is every Tuesday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Perkins Restaurant, 701 E. State Road 434 in Winter Springs; every Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Town House Restaurant, 139 N. Central Ave. in Oviedo and every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 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.

Get fit before the summer season with the City of Oviedo’s Deep Aqua Fit aerobics class from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Big Kahuna Pool, 148 Oviedo Blvd. Learn more. 

Give back this holiday season with the Winter Springs Police Department Toy Drive at Winter Springs Police Department Lobby, 300 N. Moss Road, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Oaks at Tuskawilla, 1500 Winter Springs Blvd., Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Winter Springs City Hall, 1126 E. S.R. 434, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can drop off any new, unwrapped toy to bring joy to children across the community. Learn more. 

Mondays

Enjoy “Mingle Mondays” with varied activities every Monday from 10 a.m. to noon at Palm Medical Centers, 220 Alafaya Woods Blvd. in Oviedo. Anyone aged 65 and older can participate in a different activity every week, such as rock painting, charades, bingo, trivia and more. Learn more.

Put your strategy to the test and play some casual games of chess with people of all ages from 6 to 8:45 p.m., every Monday at the Oviedo mall food court. 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd, Oviedo, FL 32765. Learn more. 

Take part in four rounds of live pub-style trivia with the Five Minute Professor from 7 to 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 on the last Monday of every month. Enjoy happy hour before and after trivia. Learn more.

Play trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. on Mondays at The Food Factory Oviedo, 888 City Walk Lane. Trivia is hosted by MissingLink Entertainment. Learn more. 

Take part in twice-a-week yoga sessions at 9 a.m. every Monday and 3 p.m. every Thursday at Oviedo Woman’s Club, 414 King St. Learn more. 

Tuesdays

Play some indoor pickleball from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, at the Gymnasium and Aquatic Facility, 148 Oviedo Blvd. Learn more. 

Take a yoga class every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. with Don Cross at the Rural Heritage Center, 101 E. Main St. in Geneva. The class meets in the Lake Jessup Room. Text Don at 407-415-3809 for more information. 

Take 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 the Historic Celery Precooler, 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 to 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. 

Practice calming yin meditation on Tuesdays from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Our Suite Village, 1750 W. Broadway St., Suite 112, in Oviedo. The first class is $5 and regular classes are $15. Text Cathy at 786-520-6736 to reserve a spot and learn more.

Wednesdays 

Join The Geneva Village Homemakers at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of every month at the Geneva Community Center, 161 First St. in Geneva. The all-age group has a book club, a cards and games club, and a dinner club. Learn more or call 407-349-0040.

Make unique greeting cards during card classes from 2 to 4 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday at BeauQCreations, 1327 W. Broadway St. in Oviedo. Learn more. 

Sing your heart out at Open Mic Nite every Wednesday from 6 to 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 to 9 p.m. at Irish 31 Oviedo, 65 W. Mitchell Hammock Road. Learn more.

Experience community acupuncture on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Zen Space Wellness, 1945 W. County Road 419, Suite 1111, in Oviedo. Prices range from $25-50. Pay what you can afford for 30-60 minutes. Call Melanie at 407-488-8830 to schedule an appointment and learn more. 

Test your skills at a weekly chess meetup with Seminole County Chess from 6-9 p.m. every Wednesday at the Oviedo Mall Food Court, 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Learn more.

Pub-style trivia with the Five Minute Professor takes place from 7-9 p.m. every Wednesday at Gator’s 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 an all-you-can-eat boneless wings special on Wednesday. Learn more. 

Thursdays

Get an intense workout at Adventure Cycling’s Throwdown ride from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Thursday. Learn more. It starts at 1491 E. State Road 434, Suite 110, in Winter Springs.

Join local veterans every Thursday for a Burger Night event from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Winter Springs Veterans of Foreign Wars 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.

Attend Oviedo Jeep Club’s monthly meetup from 6 to 8 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at varying locations. Mingle with other Jeep owners while enjoying food and drinks. Learn more.

Play trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. every Thursday at Oviedo Oyster House, 1340 Alafaya Trail. Learn more. 

Race your radio controlled car at a Seven Tails Circuit event at 7 p.m. every Thursday at the Oviedo Mall, hosted by the Orlando Mini Z Club. The event invites folks to come “test, tune and race.” Learn more. 

Fridays 

Join the “Fabulous Fridays” tea party every Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at Palm Medical Centers, 220 Alafaya Woods Blvd. in Oviedo. Anyone aged 65 and older can play games while enjoying music, pastries and tea. 

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

Test your knowledge and have the chance to win a prize at a trivia night from  7 to 10 p.m. every Friday at Tijuana Flats Oviedo, 1016 Lockwood Blvd. Learn more.

Saturdays 

Calling all service industry workers, grab your family and friends and head to Oviedo Oyster House for a chance to get $25 off your bill. Enjoy a night of music and food with your guests. From 10 p.m. to close, every Saturday at 1340 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo, FL 32765. Learn more. Attend karaoke night at Oviedo Oyster House at 9 p.m. every Saturday at 1340 Alafaya Trail. Learn more.

Get ready to cycle with a Breakfast Ride every Saturday from 8 to 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.

Join Orlando Mini-Z Club for their weekly Mini-Z racing at the new Seven Trails Circuit in the Oviedo Mall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1465 Oviedo Mall Blvd. 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.

Sundays 

Attend breakfast by the river every Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon at Barr Trail, 851 Barr St. in Oviedo. This is a family-and-dog-friendly event that offers fruit, tea and more. Learn more.

Get up on stage and share your talent for open mic night from 8 p.m. to midnight every Sunday at Muldoon’s Saloon, 7439 Aloma Ave. in Winter Park. Learn more.

Bring your differently abled child to Special Needs Open Gym from 2 to 3 p.m. monthly on Sundays at United Gymnastics Academy Oviedo, 542 S. Econ Circle. The cost is $5. Learn more. 

The Museum of Geneva History is open from 2 to 4 p.m. every second and fourth Sunday at 165 First St. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Find local archaeological finds, pioneer crafts, family records and Civil War information. Learn more by calling 407-349-5697.