Miramar Beach's 2026 holiday season starts on Friday, November 20. That's six days before Thanksgiving. Grand Boulevard opens it with a parade that evening. Baytowne Wharf follows on Saturday with champagne and the first look at its light show. The Sandestin Turkey Trot closes the weekend on Sunday morning at Baytowne Marina.
So if you're waiting for the leftovers to be put away before thinking about holiday plans, you'll miss the opening weekend. Once you know the order of events, the rest of the calendar through December is easy to plan.
A Rock Weekend Comes First
Before the holiday programming starts, the Village of Baytowne Wharf brings back Tribute Weekend on November 6 and 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. both nights on the Events Plaza lawn. It's free. Friday is Pandora's Box, an Aerosmith tribute. Saturday is The 77 Experience, a tribute to the music and pop culture of 1977. Baytowne suggests bringing blankets and lawn chairs.
That gives you about two weeks before the season starts in earnest.
November 20 to 22: Three Events, Three Days in a Row
The opening weekend moves across the resort. It starts at Grand Boulevard on US-98, moves into the Village on Saturday, and finishes at the marina on Sunday morning.
- Friday, November 20: Hometown Holiday Parade, Grand Boulevard, 5 to 7 p.m. Grand Boulevard bills it as the kickoff to the holiday season. The lineup includes local high school bands, local sports and dance teams, the Emerald Coast Theatre Company, and special guests.
- Saturday, November 21: 14th Annual Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights, Baytowne Wharf, 4 to 6 p.m. You'll need a ticket to sample the more than 30 champagnes and sparkling wines and the appetizers from featured Village restaurants. Wine tastings are 21 and over. Carolers stroll the decorated streets, and the evening ends with Baytowne's choreographed light show, Nights of Lights.
- Sunday, November 22: Sandestin Turkey Trot, Baytowne Marina, 7 to 11 a.m. Packet pickup starts at 6 a.m. The 1-mile walk starts at 7 a.m. and the 5K at 7:30, with a tailgate at 11 a.m. Registration is $50 for adults and $40 for military and participants 17 and under.
The Grand Boulevard event page gives the most practical advice for Friday night:
"Come early for dinner, shopping, and a great parking spot."
That line comes from Grand Boulevard's parade listing. It matters because the parade runs during dinner hours on a Friday.
Tickets for Saturday weren't on sale yet when this was written. Baytowne's November calendar lists them as "on sale SOON," and the ticket link goes to the Sandestin Wine Festival's Sparkling Wine page. Check that page before you plan around the tastings. You don't need a ticket to walk the decorated Village that evening.
The Village Tree Lights Up Twice
The Village tree has two lighting moments a week apart, and the two official calendars describe them differently.
Sandestin's listing for Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights says the November 21 evening ends with "the first tree lighting of the season and a preview of Baytowne's choreographed light show, Nights of Lights."
Baytowne's own calendar gives the official Village tree lighting to Santa on Saturday, November 28. He rides down Baytowne Lane to the Event Plaza Lawn and lights the tree.
Taken together, November 21 is the preview night and November 28 is the official lighting, with Santa, a brass band and fireworks. If you have kids, the November 28 event is free, outdoors and fireworks-sized. The November 21 event is built for adults and centered on tastings. Same tree, different crowds.
Thanksgiving Weekend Is All at Baytowne
Once the opening weekend at Grand Boulevard and the marina is over, Thanksgiving weekend happens in the Village.
Friday, November 27 is a free screening of The Polar Express on the Events Plaza Lawn at 6 p.m. It works well for a family that has been indoors since Thursday.
Saturday, November 28 is Here Comes Santa Claus, from 6 to 9 p.m. Along with the parade down Baytowne Lane and the tree lighting, the Village lists face painting, balloon making, a brass band and a fireworks display. It's free. Sandestin's resort listing gives the end time as 8 p.m., but Baytowne's own calendar says 9 p.m. Use Baytowne's time for planning and assume the fireworks come late in the evening.
So between November 20 and November 28, there are three Baytowne evenings, a Grand Boulevard parade and a morning 5K at the marina. That's a lot to fit into a holiday week, especially with family in town.
December 4 and 5 Is the Busiest Stretch on the Calendar
The busiest dates of the season come a week after Thanksgiving. On Friday, December 4, Grand Boulevard holds three events at once in and around Grand Park. Saturday morning brings its holiday market. Saturday evening, Baytowne has its Lantern Parade.
| When | Event | Where | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Dec. 4, 4–7:30 p.m. | Festival of Trees | Grand Park, Grand Boulevard | 16 trees decorated by local nonprofits on view 4–6:30 p.m., winners announced at 7:30 |
| Fri, Dec. 4, 4–8 p.m. | Holiday Sip & Shop | Grand Boulevard | Shopping and style sessions all day, champagne tastings 4–6 p.m. |
| Fri, Dec. 4, 5–7:30 p.m. | Live Music on the BLVD: The Will Thompson Band | Grand Park | Part of the Grand Boulevard events calendar |
| Sat, Dec. 5, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | Holiday Market on the Blvd | North Lawn, Grand Boulevard | Holiday market |
| Sat, Dec. 5, 5 p.m. | Lantern Parade | Village of Baytowne Wharf | Free; Baytowne says 2026 details are coming soon |
On Friday, one evening at Grand Boulevard covers the trees, the champagne and the band. Arrive around 4 p.m. for the Festival of Trees, since tree viewing ends at 6:30. Stay through 7:30 for the winners and the end of the band's set. The Holiday Sip & Shop tastings end at 6, so do those first.
On Saturday, you can go to the Holiday Market on the Blvd in the morning and the Lantern Parade at Baytowne that evening without any overlap. Baytowne's Lantern Parade page still reads "2026 Info Coming SOON!!", so check the details closer to the date.
After That, December Is Mostly Weeknights
After the first weekend of December, both venues switch from big weekend events to a weekly schedule. You can plan most of December by day of the week:
- Every night, December 1–31: Nights of Lights at Baytowne Wharf, with free shows at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. on the Village tree and the Events Plaza Lawn.
- Tuesdays, December 1–22: Holiday Entertainment on The Boulevard, 6 to 7 p.m. in Grand Park, with rotating local holiday performers.
- Wednesdays, December 2, 9 and 16: Baytowne's Wednesday Night Concert Series, Holiday Edition, with Visits with Santa from 6 to 8 p.m. Both are free. The lineup includes the Niceville High School Chorus on December 2 and the Fort Walton Beach Choir on December 16.
- Fridays, December 11 and 18: Grinchmas in the Village, with free Grinch photos from 5 to 7 p.m. and a big-screen showing.
- Saturday, December 12: Tuba Christmas, 5 to 7 p.m. in the Village. It's free, and there's an extra Santa visit during the performance.
Because Nights of Lights runs every night, the Wednesday concerts, Grinch Fridays and Tuba Christmas all line up with a light show. For example, a Wednesday Santa visit that ends at 8 p.m. finishes in time for the 8 p.m. show. If out-of-town guests arrive mid-December, any weeknight at Baytowne gives them lights, and on Tuesdays Grand Boulevard adds an hour of holiday music in Grand Park.
Back to the opening weekend. If you want the Sparkling Wine tastings on November 21, the ticket page is the one thing to watch over the next few weeks. Baytowne and Sandestin both say events can change, so check the Baytowne Wharf calendar the week of anything you plan around.
If you're bringing family down for Thanksgiving week and want help planning the trip, or you're thinking about a place near Baytowne or Grand Boulevard for future holidays, John Baldree works year-round in Miramar Beach and knows the season's calendar. Let's Connect.
