It's the most wonderful time of the year! What is better than grabbing your family and friends to sip on hot cocoa and take awe in the spectacle of Christmas lights? Lucky for you, apartments in Gainesville are near some of the greatest spots to catch these twinkling lights in all of their glory.
The Town of Tioga knows how to do Christmas! This multi-use plaza housing restaurants, bars, retail stores, a fitness center and more hosts an annual holiday festival and tree lighting ceremony. You can enjoy holiday music, food, crafts, activities for kids, live entertainment and more. Even if you aren't able to make it for the celebration, the beautiful Christmas tree stays lit in the middle of the plaza, drawing visitors from all of the Gainesville apartments in the area.
The annual Light the Village event in Haile Plantation celebrates the magic of the holiday season. This event takes place in the Haile Village Center, which is typically covered in Christmas lights during the holidays. Live entertainment, as well as horse and carriage rides are some of the magical activities you can take part in. Of course, even after this event is said and done, the Haile Village Center will remain lit and is a beautiful place to take a stroll while looking at holiday lights.
One of the most well-known displays of Christmas lights near Gainesville apartments is the duck pond at North Florida Regional Medical Center. After the annual lighting ceremony, these lights stay up well after the holidays, so you have multiple chances to get out and take a look! These beautiful light displays feature multiple holiday scenes, complete with music and interactive decorations. If you have not seen or walked around the duck pond during this time of year, do yourself a favor and make a point to go see it!
Besides visiting these local holiday hot spots, it's often fun to find very well-decorated neighborhoods in Gainesville and drive through them with your family and friends. The best part is that all of these activities are free, so you won't have to pay a thing in order to get your holiday fix! The City of Gainesville hosts their annual tree lighting ceremony downtown at the Historic Thomas Center each year, while residents of apartments in Gainesville come out to enjoy the spectacle. The entire building is decorated as well as the beautiful tree that sits in the foyer. If you decide to attend the ceremony, horse-drawn carriage rides are provided by the Duckpond Neighborhood Association to view the Christmas lights on all of the historic houses in that area.
Depot Park is another great place to check out Christmas lights in Gainesville! The large outdoor area will be decorated for all of the holiday season and open to the public for viewing. It's a great place to go with friends that's close to downtown so you can go grab dinner after seeing the show! Finally Butler Town Center hosts a tree lighting ceremony. This event is great for the whole family and Santa even makes an appearance!