Oldsmar lights its tree at City Hall. Palm Harbor holds a parade down Georgia Avenue and a market in Pop Stansell Park. East Lake has no main street for any of that, so its holiday season happens in two public places on the East Lake Road corridor. One is the East Lake Community Library. The other is John Chesnut Sr. Park.
On the calendar, most of it lands on two Saturdays, December 5 and December 12. Each pairs a library event with something nearby. The two longest-running traditions in the mix send their proceeds or gifts to people in need close to home.
The calendar at a glance
Here is the season in one table, with the anchor events in East Lake and the short-drive extras in Oldsmar and Palm Harbor.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Now through Dec. 18 | Annual Giving Tree | East Lake Community Library | Library hours |
| Now through Jan. 4, 2027 | Ardea Country Club Art Club exhibition | East Lake Community Library | Library hours |
| Mon., Nov. 30 | Tree Lighting Ceremony | Oldsmar City Hall, 100 State Street West | 6 to 7 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | DIY Handmade Holiday Cards | East Lake Community Library | 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Santa's Merry Meet and Greet | East Lake Community Library | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Palm Harbor Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting | 1190 Georgia Ave., Palm Harbor | 3 to 7 p.m. |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Jingle Bell Ball; Winter Trivia Night | East Lake Community Library | 10 to 11 a.m.; 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Tue., Dec. 8 | History on Christmas talk | East Lake Community Library | 2 to 3:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | "The Holiday" Book Bedazzling and Movie Night | East Lake Community Library | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | YMCA Reindeer Run 5K | John Chesnut Sr. Park, Shelter #6 | 8:30 a.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | A Holiday Story Comes to Life! | East Lake Community Library | 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Downtown Palm Harbor Christmas Market | Pop Stansell Park, 797 Florida Ave. | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
The library hosts seven of the single-day events and both of the season-long ones. The rest of the season gathers around the two Saturdays.
The library got its season going early in November
Two things are already up at the East Lake Community Library and will last longer than any single event.
The Annual Giving Tree started November 5 and runs through December 18. The library runs it with Hope Villages of America to provide holiday gifts for young victims of domestic abuse. With a run that long, you can pick a tag on any ordinary visit, whether you're returning a book or dropping by on a weekday.
The other is an exhibition by the Ardea Country Club Art Club, on view from November 3 through January 4, 2027. The library listing says the art club has been meeting for more than 10 years. Ardea Country Club sits within the East Lake Woodlands community, so this show has a direct link to the neighborhood.
The rest of the library's December is aimed at specific ages:
- DIY Handmade Holiday Cards, Thursday, December 3, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Registration is required.
- Jingle Bell Ball, Monday, December 7, 10 to 11 a.m., for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.
- Winter Trivia Night, Monday, December 7, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., for children. Registration is required.
- History on Christmas: How Has the Christmas Spirit Fared During War?, Tuesday, December 8, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
- "The Holiday" Book Bedazzling and Movie Night, Wednesday, December 9, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The card workshop and the kids' trivia night both require registration, so those two need planning ahead.
Saturday, December 5: Santa in the morning, a parade in the afternoon
The first big Saturday starts with Santa's Merry Meet and Greet at the East Lake Community Library, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Palm Harbor Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting starts an hour after the Santa visit ends. The Palm Harbor Chamber lists it from 3 to 7 p.m. at 1190 Georgia Ave. in downtown Palm Harbor.
Put together, a family can see Santa in East Lake around midday and stay for the tree lighting in Palm Harbor that evening. Two neighboring communities fill one long holiday day.
Saturday, December 12: the 35th Reindeer Run
This is the oldest tradition on the list. The YMCA of the Suncoast's Reindeer Run 5K is in its 35th year at John Chesnut Sr. Park, 2200 East Lake Road South. The race starts at 8:30 a.m. from Shelter #6. Strollers and well-behaved dogs are welcome, and the organizers encourage festive costumes.
The proceeds go to a program that operates on the corridor all year. M.A.S.H., short for Mainstream Adults Sharing Hope, is a YMCA of the Suncoast community program for adults 18 and older, including adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. It focuses on social connection and healthy habits. The group meets on the second and fourth Friday of each month, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the multipurpose room of the John Geigle (North Pinellas) YMCA at 4550 Village Center Drive in Palm Harbor.
Most of the deadlines come before race day. Here are the key dates in order:
- Friday, November 20. The registration page says to register by this date to guarantee a shirt and your size. It's the first deadline on the race calendar.
- Friday, December 11, 5 p.m. Online registration closes. This is also the last chance to transfer a registration to another person.
- Saturday, December 12. In-person registration is open on race day, and the race starts at 8:30 a.m.
Registration costs $35 and includes a race T-shirt. The race is a fundraiser, so all registrations are final and there are no refunds. You can transfer an entry, though.
You can make a full morning of it. The race starts at 8:30, and the East Lake Community Library starts "A Holiday Story Comes to Life!" at 10:30 a.m. that same Saturday, running until 11:30. Plenty of runners and walkers will be done in time to get there.
Before you head to Chesnut Park
John Chesnut Sr. Park is a county park, and Pinellas County posts short-term changes on its County Parks: Know Before You Go page. On the most recent update, dated November 6, the park's boardwalks closed for one day for aerial mosquito control and were scheduled to reopen the next day. Short closures like that can happen without much notice, so check the page before you go, especially on race morning.
A county contractor is treating exotic aquatic vegetation across an 8.5-acre pond in the park. Work began May 13, with four treatments scheduled over 12 months. The pond is treated in sections to avoid anoxic conditions and fish kills. Over the holidays, part of the water may look different from one visit to the next.
The two dates that bracket the season
East Lake's busiest stretch runs from December 3 to December 12. Two events nearby fall on either side of it.
Monday, November 30. Oldsmar holds its Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall, 100 State Street West, from 6 to 7 p.m. It's a short weeknight drive from the corridor.
Saturday, December 19. The Downtown Palm Harbor Christmas Market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pop Stansell Park, 797 Florida Avenue. Visit Palm Harbor says it will have more than 75 local businesses, Santa, live music, a toy drive and family activities. It falls the day after the library's Giving Tree closes on December 18, so if you missed the tree, the toy drive is another way to give.
For the East Lake events themselves, the dates to keep in mind are November 20 for a guaranteed Reindeer Run shirt, December 5 for Santa and the parade, December 12 for the race and the library's story hour, and December 18, the last day of the Giving Tree.
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