[Altavia]

One of the nicest Christmas events in Florida at the beautiful Ocala facility within an hour north of the Villages

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November 29 – December 23, 2024
Winter Wonderland
presented by AdventHealth Ocala
5pm-9pm Wednesday – Sunday
with Friday & Saturday entertainment

With over one million twinkling lights and show-stopping decorations, World Equestrian Center – Ocala Winter Wonderland promises to bring merriment and cheer to all this holiday season.

Starting November 29 from 5pm-9pm Wednesday through Sunday, meet the real Santa Claus in Indoor Arena 2 or steal away to see the Grinch in Indoor Arena 1 at this family-friendly event.

The full enchantment of Winter Wonderland is on display Fridays and Saturdays with a lineup of holiday entertainers, musical performances, face painters, balloon artists, festive foods of the season and much more.

Don’t miss the heartwarming and ever-popular Breakfast with Santa special events on the terrace and Tinsel Trot 5K under the lights to get in the spirit of the season!

Tickets are not required except for special events.
Parking fees per-vehicle apply from 3pm-9pm, Wednesday through Sunday and include event entry and entertainment.

Weekend Themes:
🎄November 29 & 30 | Christmas Market
Browse holiday vendors for unique gifts and visit the WEC retailers for the Black Friday Sip & Shop from 5pm to 9pm on opening night

🎄December 6 & 7 | Paws and Claus
Bring your pup for a festive holiday photo, plus meet some of your favorite canine characters. Well behaved dogs on leashes are welcome to see the light displays on the Grand Plaza, however, Santa and the Grinch are unable to meet with dogs.

🎄December 13 & 14 | Nutcracker Inspired
Watch short live ballet performances in the plaza celebrating the classic Nutcracker story

🎄December 20, 21, 22 & 23 | Frozen
Step into a wonderland and meet your favorite characters from the beloved film Frozen


WEC Winter Wonderland 2024 - World Equestrian Center

[Laurawilcox]

Though I feel the facilities are amazing, we were not impressed with the event this year. Maybe previously it might have been different. It was $30 for parking which was the price of us attending. It didn’t seem crowded but the primary lot had a Full sign on it and no one was directing us elsewhere. It is missing any sort of a theme so you have costumed Minions, and Iron Man in addition to the Grinch and Santa. Various items like a lighted model of a VW bus, a flying ballon etc. , felt very much like they pulled together what they found.

It was supposed to be market night but the offerings were things like caricatures and sales at their stores. Took 15 minutes to walk the area and decided to try the Yellow Pony Pub in the hotel. This was 5:30 and they were on a 2 1/2 hour wait. Left disappointed.