CLEVELAND (Dec. 17, 2025) – The snow’s been coming down, but Clevelanders are keeping spirits high with traditions that bring everyone home for the holidays. Locals and their visiting friends and family can make new memories as they celebrate the joy of the season, discover winter wonderlands and warm up from the inside out at festive locales. There’s a little something for everyone as Cleveland counts down to the new year.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS & SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS
Clevelanders and visitors can celebrate the city’s diversity as they create holiday memories that will last a lifetime.
WinterLAND
Clevelanders are invited to make merry memories all season long at
WinterLAND on Public Square. Whether it’s lacing up their skates at the Cleveland Foundation Ice Rink, warming up at the outdoor bar and firepits in the new Cheer Garden or just taking in the holiday lights, the annual tradition is sure to keep spirits bright. Locals won’t want to miss the dazzling new holiday
Illuminate CLE light show, running every half hour from dusk until 11 p.m. and featuring synchronized lights set to three new original songs by local artists. And, when that Lake Erie snow machine fires up, everyone can be a kid again with pop-up snow day sledding on the Mall B Slope.
- Full list of winter events and festivities are available online
Wild Winter Lights
The holiday season is even brighter this year as Wild Winter Lights returns to the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This year’s display includes over 1.5 million lights in various holiday-themed areas. Attendees and other “filthy animals” can feel the magic watching a mesmerizing musical light show featuring a 50-foot holiday tree, then stroll to their favorite festive themed area, whether that’s visiting the North Pole Lodge or taking a trip down Frosty Lane.
- Through Tuesday, Dec. 30
- 5-9 p.m. on select evenings
- Full schedule and tickets online
The Light of Kinara
Locals can experience a vibrant Kwanzaa celebration at the Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, a program committed to engaging the community in the preservation and understanding of African diasporic works.
The Light of Kinara performance will include a mix of spoken words, music and dance while reminding Clevelanders of the light that shines from within. Attendees are invited to come together as a community, honoring their heritage and committing to a future grounded in shared values.
- Cleveland Public Theatre: 6415 Detroit Ave.
- Dec. 19-Dec. 21, tickets available online
Together in Tradition: A Kwanzaa Celebration at the Cleveland Public Library
The
Cleveland Public Library offers locals an opportunity to immerse themselves in a rich tapestry of African and African American cultural traditions this holiday season. Clevelanders are invited to learn about the third principle of Kwanzaa: Ujima, a commitment to active and informed togetherness, where community problems are solved together. Soulful music, captivating storytelling and audience engagement will leave attendees feeling creative, united and empowered this holiday season.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Branch: 10601 Euclid Ave.
- Dec. 27, noon-2 p.m.
- Free to attend, registration required online
New Year’s Eve with Lady Caroline
Clevelanders can welcome 2026 aboard the
Lady Caroline, with options for night owls and early revelers alike. For those whose idea of starting the new year off right includes being in bed at a reasonable hour, Lady Caroline’s family-friendly Noon Year’s Eve cruise is the perfect fit, offering lunch, a DJ, and a countdown and sparkling toast at noon. And for the crowd that can keep their eyes open a little longer, Lady Caroline’s New Year’s Eve Party rings in the new year on the water with live entertainment, heavy appetizers, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.
- Lady Caroline’s Noon Year’s Eve cruise: Dec. 31, noon-2 p.m.; tickets online
- Lady Caroline’s New Year’s Eve Party: Dec. 31, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.; tickets online
FESTIVE FUN FOR ALL AGES
‘Tis the season when Clevelanders embark on journeys that will take them from the North Coast to the North Pole.
All things Kringle
Santa has made his way to Cleveland and is inviting locals to step into his world of merry making. At
Mr. Kringle's Inventionasium in Tower City, all things are possible – even the chances of becoming an honorary elf. Guests can travel through secret tunnels as they create new toy ideas and unleash pure imagination to create the perfect holiday invention. It all ends with a personal pitch to the big guy himself and a chance to share their Christmas wish list. For a cozy night in, locals can book a trip to
Mrs. Kringle's Suite at Gervasi Vineyards. Classic holiday movies and milk and cookies delivered to the room where the fire is oh-so delightful are sure to bring smiles. For even more holiday magic, visit
Mr. Kringle's Suite located in the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Don “naughty or nice” robes, read holiday stories and listen to merry melodies in a festive winter wonderland.
- Mr. Kringle’s Inventionasium: Tower City Center: 230 W. Huron Road, Suite 7286, Cleveland
- Mrs. Kringle’s Suite: Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa; 1700 55th St NE, Canton
- Mr. Kringle’s Suite: Hilton Cleveland Downtown; 100 Lakeside Avenue East, Cleveland
Larger-than-life Gingerbread Chalet
Clevelanders and their visitors will have a sweet experience at Turn Bar + Kitchen at
The Ritz Carlton, where a life-sized gingerbread house offers a whimsical private dining space. Made with over 4,000 hand-laid gingerbread bricks and over 500 pieces of candy, the unforgettable experience features plenty of sweet details that capture the spirit of the season. A new “A Christmas Story”-themed cocktail menu adds to the festive fun.
- Reserve the chalet online (up to eight guests); more holiday events found online
Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concerts
Severance Music Center is keeping spirits high with
The Cleveland Orchestra’s annual holiday concerts. Mandel Hall will be fully decked for the holiday, and concertgoers are encouraged to do the same. Attendees can join in the holiday cheer and sing along – and maybe even spot a special appearance of a jolly man in a red suit.
- Severance Music Center: 11001 Euclid Ave.
- Through Dec. 21, tickets online
FROST
An enchanting winter wonderland awaits at the Cleveland Botanical Garden’s
FROST experience. Attendees will enter a world of ice-capped gardens with a dozen immersive, themed rooms. Holiday lights so warm they could certainly make the Grinch’s heart grow a size or two, photo ops and plentiful seasonal plants complete the festive feel.
- Cleveland Botanical Garden: 11030 East Blvd.
- Through Jan. 4: tickets online
- Note: Closed on Mondays
Festivus for the Rest of Us at Market Garden Brewery
Seinfeld fans and those just looking for a unique holiday celebration won’t want to miss Market Garden Brewery’s
Festivus Celebration on Dec. 23. The holiday “for the rest of us” will kick off with a fresh pour of Market Garden’s Festivus Ale before moving on to the traditional elements of the made-for-TV celebration: feats of strength, Festivus miracles and of course, the airing of grievances. True fans can even flex their Seinfeld muscle with Festivus trivia – prizes (and bragging rights) included.
- Market Garden Brewpub: 1947 W. 25th St., Cleveland
- Dec. 23, 7-10 p.m.
- Tickets available online
Cleveland x Holiday Bars
Clevelanders love a good theme, and for those looking for a little extra help keeping
spirits bright, the city delivers with various bars transformed into festive, decked-out social spaces. On East 4
th Street, locals can rock around the Christmas tree at the House of Blues
Foundation Room Holiday Bar or have a Holly Dolly (Parton) Christmas at
Jolene’s. Fans of “A Christmas Story” can pay homage to the city’s role in the movie at the former Higbee’s building when they play their cards right at the
Sleigh Bar within JACK Cleveland Casino. And down at the
Flats East Bank, waterfront holiday wonder awaits with three themed pop-ups.
More festive fun for locals and their visiting friends and family awaits at ThisisCleveland.com/Holidays
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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s destination marketing and management organization. The private, non-profit organization’s mission is to stimulate economic growth by attracting people and connecting them to experiences that illustrate Cleveland’s diversity, creativity and contagious passion. In 2024, visitation increased for the fourth straight year to 18.6 million visits, with visitor spending infusing a record-high $6.9 billion into the local economy. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com