Howard Middle School

DJ Matt Gray hosts the Ocala Christmas Festival on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ocala Downtown Market, 403 SE Osceola Ave. in downtown Ocala. The festival offers free digital pictures with Santa, holiday gift vendors, food trucks and live entertainment. Admission and parking are free. Vendor spots, food truck spaces and sponsorships are available through Matt Gray at 352-875-4224.

The inaugural Wings Over Ocala Florida Air Show takes place Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2, 2027, at Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Avenue in Ocala, headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Friday is an afternoon, twilight and night show: gates open at 1 p.m., the Blue Angels fly their rehearsal demonstration in the afternoon, and the evening closes with a 300-drone show and a fireworks finale. On Saturday and Sunday, gates open at 9 a.m. and more than a dozen military and civilian acts, including a four-ship F-15 Eagle demo, P-51 Mustangs, an F4U Corsair and the Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car, fly before the Blue Angels close each show. General admission is $45 for adults and $30 for ages 6-17, military and first responders, with children 5 and under free. Tickets and parking are sold online in advance only, with no gate sales. The show is produced by JLC AirShow Management with the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau as title sponsor.

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents the 23rd Annual Symphony Under the Lights on Friday, December 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM at Tuscawilla Park, 800 NE Sanchez Ave in Ocala. Joined by members of the Ocala Youth Symphony, the orchestra performs a free outdoor holiday concert beneath the park's oak trees, presented with the Reilly Arts Center. Admission is free, and the concert is one of the Ocala and Marion County community's long-running December traditions.

The Appleton Museum of Art hosts Holiday Community Day, its December Free First Saturday, on Saturday, December 5, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala. Admission is free, and visitors can see the exhibition A Dickens Christmas: The Urban Family’s Holiday Exhibition and the Community Tree Display, make festive crafts in the Artspace, and get face painting and complimentary holiday photos from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Food vendors on site include The Dancing Empanada, Donut Express, 3 Scoops and a Truck, and Poppy’s Dogs, and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers will be on hand for donors.

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra reunites with Dance Alive National Ballet for Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker with a full live orchestra at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th Street in Ocala, on Friday, December 11, 2026, at 7:00 PM and Saturday, December 12, at 8:00 PM. The Reilly says last season's orchestral version sold out, so it is offered in two performances this year. The production is supported by the PNC Foundation. Tickets are $70 to $130. Dance Alive's traditional Nutcracker, without the orchestra, is a separate production on December 13 and 14.

The City of Ocala hosts Light Up Ocala 2026 on Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 3 to 8 p.m. in downtown Ocala, marking the 42nd year of the community tradition that kicks off the holiday season in Marion County. The free, family-friendly event features more than 100 vendors, three entertainment areas (Stage One on the Downtown Square with live music by Audio Exchange, Stage Two at Citizens' Circle, and the Midtown Street Party), a Punch and Judy puppet show and a Kids' Zone at Parking Lot 5. The Junior Sunshine Parade begins at 3 p.m. at S. Magnolia Avenue and E. Fort King Street, led by the Ocala Police Department Mounted Unit, with local dance studios, Girl Scout troops and Santa Claus. The official lighting ceremony is at approximately 6 p.m. on the Downtown Square. Free shuttles run from 2 to 9 p.m. from four lots, and the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department can be reached at 352-368-5517.