Seaside's Holiday Parade Starts in Seagrove. Here's the Season That Follows It Home.
November 12, 2026
November 12, 2026
"Please remember that the parade starts from Seagrove Plaza (3723 E County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459), just to the west of the Tom Thumb in Seagrove."
That line comes from the instruction sheet for parade entrants, attached to Walton County's October 27 agenda packet. It shows how Seaside's holiday season actually works. For one afternoon, the celebration starts a mile and a half east of town and comes down 30A to Central Square. After that, nearly everything happens within a short walk of the Amphitheater, and most events start in the late afternoon.
Seaside asked the county to close County Road 30A from Campbell Street to Central Square, a 1.5-mile stretch, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 28. The county's Outdoor Review Committee heard the plan on September 10. Representatives from the Walton County Sheriff's Office, South Walton Fire District, Code Compliance, Public Works, Emergency Management, and Planning and Development attended. The committee approved the event on condition that the Board of County Commissioners approve the road closure.
The packet also gives the parade's history. It ran every year until COVID and came back in 2023. This year is the fourth parade since it returned. Proceeds from parade registration go to Point Washington Medical Clinic.
The entrant sheet sets a tight schedule for the afternoon, because the road has to reopen on time:
The sheet says the Sheriff's Office and the fire district require the parade to keep moving, and that entrants who stop could leave 30A closed longer than the county allows. The instructions on parking are firm:
"You will receive a TICKET if you park in the Residential area of Seaside. Please use the designated parking areas within Downtown Seaside to avoid receiving a citation."
When entrants reach Seaside, they are told to keep driving down 30A and not to turn around on residential streets. This is the one point in the season where the celebration leaves town, and the county's paperwork is built around making the gap between parade and road traffic as short as possible.
Once the parade arrives, the evening moves into town. Seaside's holiday overview, published October 28, lists the order: an Emerald Coast Theatre Company performance at Krier Plaza, then the town lighting at the Seaside Amphitheater, then the Christmas Village, where Santa takes photos until 8:00 p.m. The event page says Santa officially opens the season at the tree lighting.
The parade is the main event of Thanksgiving week, but two Amphitheater nights come before it.
On Sunday, November 22, Ballet Pensacola performs The Nutcracker Ballet Act II on the Amphitheater stage at 5:00 p.m. Seaside lists it as complimentary and open to the public, with lawn seating first-come, first-served. Seaside's article calls it the start of the holiday season in town.
On Friday, November 27, the night after Thanksgiving, Central Square Cinema shows How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey at 7:00 p.m. Guests are asked to bring a blanket, towel, or lawn chair. The listing notes the screening depends on the weather.
Last year followed the same weekday pattern. Seaside's September 2025 lineup had the Nutcracker on Sunday, November 23, the movie on Friday, November 28, and Turn on the Town on Saturday, November 29. Each date this year falls one day earlier because of the calendar. The order hasn't changed: ballet on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, a movie the night after, and the parade on Saturday. The one change is the film. In 2025 it was the animated Grinch, and this year it's the live-action version.
The Seaside Farmers Market changes its schedule in late fall. The official schedule lists November and December as Saturdays only, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Amphitheater, with local produce, baked goods, specialty foods, and live music. On parade Saturday, that means a market on the lawn in the morning and a tree lighting there in the evening.
After the tree is lit, Seaside's December events mostly start at 4 p.m. and run until dark or just after.
The Sounds of Seaside concerts happen in the Amphitheater on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Guests are asked to bring chairs or blankets.
Photos with Santa run every day from December 12 through December 23, 4 to 6 p.m., in the Christmas Village. The photos are complimentary.
On Wednesday, December 16, and again on Wednesday, December 23, the concert and Santa's hours overlap exactly, with music in the Amphitheater and Santa in the Christmas Village at the same time. Families who want both on those evenings have one two-hour window and two places to be.
The SEASIDE® Holiday Market is the one December event that fills a whole day. Local artisans, makers, and vendors set up in Central Square on Saturday, December 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On that Saturday morning, the holiday vendors in Central Square overlap with the regular farmers market in the Amphitheater.
The one daytime fixture with longer hours is the bar under The Daytrader's thatched roof. Seaside's holiday article lists Miracle at The Daytrader as Northwest Florida's only Miracle Pop-Up Bar, with holiday décor and seasonal cocktails, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. through the holiday season. Seating is first-come, first-served. Seaside notes that merchant hours vary during the holidays and suggests calling ahead.
Parade night ends with Santa photos at 8:00 p.m., and the November 27 movie is listed until 8:30 p.m. New Year's Eve runs later than either.
Seaside's celebration runs from 4 to 9 p.m. in Central Square. Arts and crafts, face painting, and a photo spot in front of the Post Office start at 4 p.m. Live music begins at 5:30 p.m., and the fireworks are at 9 p.m. Seaside invites guests to watch from the Amphitheater or along the beach and to bring a blanket or lawn chair.
New Year's Eve starts at 4 p.m., like the Wednesday concerts and Santa's December visits. It's the last event of the season, the day after Flow Tribe plays the final Sounds of Seaside concert in the same Amphitheater. From November 22 to December 31, Seaside's holiday calendar leaves its few blocks around the Amphitheater only once, for 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon in November.
If you'd like to know how Seaside's seasonal calendar could affect timing on your own property, The Fitzpatrick Group can talk it through with you. Request a Complimentary Market Valuation, and we'll explain what the current season means for your home's price and timing.
Specializing in 30A luxury properties, Tom offers an unparalleled level of service, marketing expertise, and personalized attention, ensuring your real estate needs are met with honesty and integrity.