Holiday Happenings Across The Treasure Coast

Holiday Happenings across the Treasure Coast have changed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Many of the annual Christmas celebrations in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties have been canceled, while others made drastic changes, including some going virtual, to follow safety recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Plus, new events were added this year. All events are free unless otherwise indicated.

Here’s What To Do in 772 this holiday season.

St. Lucie County

Golden Ponds Christmas Drive-Thru: 5:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Golden Ponds Community, 1800 Golden Ponds Drive, Fort Pierce. Residents decorate their homes each year for public drive-thru.

Santa or Banana Pub Crawl: 4:45 p.m. Dec. 12 at Pierced Ciderworks, 411 N. Second St., Fort Pierce. Includes drinks specials at five bars or restaurants, costume contests and raffles. For more information, go to facebook.com/piercedcider.

Delights of December Plant & Gift Sale plus Fun with Virtual Santa: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, 2410 SE Westmoreland Blvd., Port St. Lucie.  Garden Center Plant and Gardens Gate Gift Shop Sale.  Take some virtual Pictures with Santa in the Secret Garden Kelly Pavilion. pslbg.org

St. Lucie Sheriff’s Police Athletic League Toy Run Festival: 1 p.m. Dec. 13 at St. Lucie County Fairgrounds, 15601 W. Midway Road, Fort Pierce.

Sounds of the Season Virtual Holiday Concert: 7 p.m. Dec. 18. Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County will stream online. For more information, go to facebook.com/stluciecsc.

Selfies with Santa: 1:30-4 p.m. Dec. 19 at Tradition Square, 10489 S.W. Meeting St., Port St. Lucie. Visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at for selfies, swag bags an DJ. Face masks required. Stations separated for social distancing. For more information, go to facebook.com/lifeattradition.

12 Pubs of Christmas Holiday Crawl & Toy Drive: 2 p.m. Dec. 19 at 12 bars or restaurants in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie. Face masks required when walking between venues and inside venues but may be removed when seated and eating or drinking. Sanitized bus pickup every 45 minutes at different locations along route to help with social distancing. Tickets are $30 each. For more information, go to facebook.com/santalovesthekids.

Holiday Lights Spectacular: 6-9 p.m. nightly until first week of January at Marina Square on Melody Lane near City Marina at 1 Avenue A. Show consists of more than 100,000 lights wrapped around palm trees and synchronized to holiday music. For more information, call 772-467-3031.

Garden of Lights: 5:30-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays through Jan. 2 at Heathcote Botanical Gardens, 210 Savannah Road, Fort Pierce. Closed Christmas Day but open on Sunday, Dec. 27. Light displays throughout 5-acre gardens. Face masks required. Admission is $10 for non-members, $5 for members, $3 for ages 6-12 and free for kids younger than 6. For more information, call 772-464-4672 or go to heathcotebotanicalgardens.org.

Martin County

Taste of Jensen: 5:30-8 p.m. Dec. 8 outdoors along Jensen Beach Boulevard. Features lighting of community’s 26-foot Christmas tree and Town of Ocean Breeze decorated golf cart parade throughout downtown Jensen Beach. Face masks recommended when not eating or drinking. Temperature checks and other safety measures will be followed. For more information, go to jensenbeachflorida.info/events/2020-taste-of-jensen.

Snow at the Plaza: 9-11 a.m. Dec. 12 at Stracuzzi Plaza, 2895 S.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart. Features playing in 6 tons of snow, bike raffle, treats, face painting, hair glitter and goodie bags for kids. Admission is unwrapped toys. Face masks required. For more information, go to facebook.com/thestracuzziteam.

Santa’s City Lights: 5-9 p.m. nightly Dec. 12-28 at Memorial Park, 300 S.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart. Features forest of Christmas trees decorated by Martin County Realtors of the Treasure Coast and City of Stuart, plus holiday songs playing on speakers via Florida Power & Light Co. Local celebrity judges choose three winners. For more information, go to martincountyrealtors.org.

Christmas Music Virtual Celebration: 7-10 p.m. Dec. 13. Hobe Sound Bible Church will stream online to replace postponed Singing Christmas Tree because of COVID-19. To watch, go to hobesoundbiblechurch.com/live-stream.

Holiday Bash and Fundraiser: 2-9 p.m. Dec. 13 at 26 S.E. Sixth St., Stuart. Five local bands raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Admission is $5 donation. For more information, go to facebook.com/terrafermata.

Holidays Around the World Stroll: 5-7 p.m. Dec. 18 at The Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast, 1707 N.E. Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach. Passports get stamped as people travel to different countries and learn how diverse cultures celebrate holiday traditions. Face masks are required for ages 6 and older. Social distancing must be followed. Tickets are $6 each, but kids younger than 1 are free. For more information, go to childrensmuseumtc.org.

Holiday Paw-ty: 5-8 p.m. Dec. 19 at Zeus Park, 12045 S.E. Zeus Crescent, Hobe Sound. Features puppy pictures with Santa Paws, bone bar and prize wheel, as well as fairy hair and glitter tattoos for humans. For more information, go to facebook.com/campbowwowstuart.

Dashing through Downtown: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 22 along Flagler Avenue, downtown Stuart. Drive-up event features festive display and holiday contest. For more information, go to facebook.com/spoastuart.

Jensen Beach mansion: 5:30-11 p.m. nightly through first week of January at 50,000-square-foot house, 4545 N.E. Ocean Blvd., about half-mile north of Jensen Beach Causeway.