It’s that time of the year for thrills and holiday cheer at Busch Gardens Christmas Town, the biggest and brightest holiday celebration in the Tampa Bay area. Now through January 7, 2024, the park transforms into a bright winter wonderland of seasonal entertainment, unique and up-close encounters with animals, culinary masterpieces as well as attractions like Serengeti Flyer and the award-winning hybrid coaster Iron Gwazi. Iconic and beloved entertainment options will take over the entire park and be available through the 58 consecutive days of the event, all included with regular park admission.
All-new this year, guests can celebrate the season with light displays that will take over the Jungala area, extending all the way though Pantopia featuring a light-up walkthrough dragon. Located in the Bird Gardens area of the park, guests are sure to step into wonder through a marvelous light tunnel, presented by Coca-Cola and composed of thousands of glimmering LED lights seamlessly synchronized to a symphony of holiday tunes. Also, a brand-new 40-foot pixelated tree will deck the halls at Cheetah Plaza.
Celebrating the holidays for more than a decade, Christmas Town returns with some of the fan-favorites that guests hold near and dear, such as Santa’s North Pole Experience, presented by Coca-Cola. Also returning is Storytime with Mrs. Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Friends at Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland, where guests get to meet and greet the most famous reindeer of all.
Other returning entertainment options are Christmas on Ice at the Moroccan Palace Theater, Elmo’s Christmas Wish, Three Kings Journey and the Holly Jolly Express. The evening sky comes to life with ‘Holiday in the Sky, a Nighttime Spectacular,’ presented by Bad Boy Mowers. This colorful display of festive fireworks choreographed to a soundtrack of classic holiday tunes will take place on the Festival Field on select event nights.
Christmas Town offers an abundance of festive flavors to satisfy the holiday cravings on your visit. In addition to traditional hot cocoa, which will have a dedicated cabin with options to choose from, guests can immerse themselves in a seasonal culinary journey throughout the park, including dishes such as chicken coq-au-vin served with red bliss mashed potatoes; holiday poutine, served with gravy, cheese curds and cranberry relish and smoked turkey with stuffing, cranberry relish, gravy and Texas toast; and the festive cheese and berries, a brie tart with blackberry jam and sliced almonds.
There will be signature Christmas Town cocktails to sample as well, including the mistletoe margarita, ginger snap mule and candy cane lane, which consists of vodka, Monin peppermint, grenadine and a splash of lime.
Guests looking for an extra dose of holiday cheer can opt to enhance their Christmas Town experience by selecting from a nice list of jolly upgrades. For Santa’s North Pole Experience, presented by Coca-Cola, and meet and greets with Rudolph and Friends, a Santa/Rudolph Priority Access Line is available for purchase. And for a merry memorable experience, guests can book a Christmas Town VIP Tour, which will include front-of-the-line access to Santa’s House and Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland, a complimentary souvenir mug, reserved seating to the Christmas on Ice show, an opportunity to feed flamingos and more. A Christmas Town Elite Tour is also available, including everything the VIP tour offers plus a meet and greet with Santa and reserved seating for the fireworks show.
To be the first to know about event details and special offers, visit www.christmastown.com.
