DELRAY BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — Delray Beach is getting ready to flip the switch on its famous 100-foot Christmas tree, and much of downtown will shut down to cars so people can spread out and walk the streets.

The City of Delray Beach is hosting the 100-Ft Christmas Tree Lighting and Yuletide Street Festival on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Old School Square, along East Atlantic Avenue and North Swinton Avenue, according to the city’s event announcement. Santa is scheduled to light the tree at 7 p.m.

Once the tree is lit, visitors can walk inside the structure and see animated scenes that highlight the “Village by the Sea,” or head over to Santa’s Holiday Village for ice skating, a carousel, mini golf, and visits inside Santa’s house, the city said. Atlantic Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic so families can walk the street, shop, and take part in games and activities, including a silent disco and carolers.

City officials are urging visitors to plan their routes and build in extra travel time, noting that people come from all over to see the tree and downtown festival. Ahead of the tree lighting, Delray Beach has a full slate of events at and around Old School Square, including the GreenMarket on Saturday, November 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the Delray Beach School Choice and Workforce Showcase on Monday, December 1, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Atlantic Community High School; the “Delray in White” garden party on Wednesday, December 3, from 5 to 10 p.m.; a hospitality career fair that same Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and a CRA social at the Edmonds Baine Building on Thursday, December 4, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Several streets around downtown and the beach area will be fully closed at various times for the holiday events and festival. Full road closures include:

• SW 1st Street between SW 1st Avenue and Swinton Avenue
• NW 1st Street between NW 8th Avenue and NW 3rd Avenue
• SE 1st Avenue near Sundy Village
• The Strand South Tower at 150 SE 3rd Avenue between SE 1st Street and East Atlantic Avenue
• The Strand North Tower at 50 SE 3rd Avenue between SE 1st Street and East Atlantic Avenue
• Gulfstream Boulevard, Gulfstream Drive, De Carie Street, Oceanview Avenue, and Webb Avenue

For the main tree lighting night, Swinton Avenue will be closed from Atlantic Avenue to North 1st Street, Atlantic Avenue will be closed from Swinton Avenue to NE/SE 5th Avenue, and NE 2nd Avenue will be closed from Atlantic Avenue to NE 1st Street, all from 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., according to the city’s road-closure notice.

The city is also using the tree lighting to highlight how the downtown has changed around it. According to the Downtown Development Authority, Delray’s original tree was a 50-foot structure bought in 1993 to help revive a struggling downtown business district. In 1995, the DDA added another 50 feet to mark the city’s centennial — “100 feet for 100 years.” The city has since purchased a new 100-foot tree, and downtown Delray is now billed as a year-round destination.

This year marks 32 years of the tree, and the city is pitching the December 2 celebration as a night of food trucks, music, crafts, vendors and “many more holiday surprises” along Atlantic Avenue, Old School Square and Pineapple Grove. More than 60 vendors are expected along the route, with culinary offerings clustered on Swinton Avenue, according to the event listing.

The Holiday Village around the tree will stay open through the end of December, with different operating hours and special nights. On December 2, the Gingerbread Ticket House, carousel, mini golf and walk-through tree will run from 6 to 9 p.m., with ice skating from 5 to 9 p.m. From December 5 through December 19, ice skating operates Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 9 p.m. December 7 is marked as a Sensory Friendly Day, with ice skating from 1 to 9 p.m. Additional skating days are scheduled December 22–23 from 1 to 9 p.m., with extended hours again December 26–28, the city said.

Santa’s House will also be open on a rotating schedule. Santa is expected to take photos from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on December 2, then on select evenings through December 23, including themed nights with American Sign Language, sensory-friendly hours, and Creole and Spanish language support. On most nights, Santa’s House is open from 5 to 8:30 p.m., with a few earlier afternoon sessions. Last tickets are sold 30 minutes before closing.

Most Holiday Village activities are ticketed. The walk-through tree is free, but the holiday carousel rides are $6, ice skating is $6, and mini golf is $6, according to the city’s pricing sheet. A “ride all day” wristband is listed at $20. Santa photos are priced at $10 for a take-away photo. Tickets are sold at the Gingerbread Ticket House, with last sales at 8:30 p.m., and are nonrefundable.

The city says the tree and village will stay open for visitors through New Year’s, and reminds residents to watch for updated traffic and road-closure information as the holiday season ramps up in downtown Delray Beach.

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