Around the holiday season, some of us are looking for festive things to do. But…some of us are looking for a break from the holiday stuff, too. Well Jacksonville can treat you to both this December! Read on for all of the best activities to do this month.

Saturday, December 1

Void’s Holiday Gift Guide Pop-Up – At The Mini Bar in Jax Beach, Void Magazine’s Annual Gift Guide is coming to life! They will have gifts from Lulamae, Couture Jems, and Rainbow Shades just to name a few. Come eat donuts, drink mimosas, and knock out your holiday shopping from 8AM-noon.

Sunday, December 2

Jags vs. Colts – At 1PM on the TIAA Bank Field, it is GOING DOWN. Jags will be playing the Colts for a (fingers crossed) big comeback!!! Tickets are as low as $39, so get your seat now!

Tuesday, December 4

WinterFEST Holiday Mixer – The Jax Beach business community is mingling at Adventure Landing’s WinterFEST from 5-7PM.This festive holiday mixer is a great chance for some networking, with reindeer games and a nightly snowfall. It only costs $5 if you hop to it now!

Wednesday, December 5

Silent Disco Artwalk – Want a late night Silent Disco after dark? From 9PM- 2AM, you have a chance to party all night long at Myth Nightclub’s event featuring five different channels of music from over a dozen of the region’s best DJs and producers! You can keep it simple and go for free or spruce it up with VIP bottle service!

Friday, December 7

Dinner with Santa – We all love Chick-fil-A. It’s impossible to not love Chick-fil-A. But what makes it even better is eating some nuggets with Santa! At Chick-fil-A in Mandarin, Santa is bringing his sleigh, so get ready for some good food and a photo opportunity from 5:30-7:30PM.

Saturday, December 8

Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl – The nation’s oldest and ugliest Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl will be taking place in Jacksonville Beach on Saturday from 5pm-2am! With a route that covers 12 of our favorite beach bars, wear your ugliest Christmas sweater and get ready to get rowdy. If you want to go above & beyond the free route, you can ball out with some special perks.

Festival of Lights 5K – For all my 5K lovers, stay in shape throughout all of the family gatherings and holiday meals upon meals by running the Festival of Lights 5K at 6PM. Held the same evening as San Marco’s Holiday Magic, prepare for some real festive magic with carolers, pictures with Santa Clause, and horse drawn sleigh rides.

Sunday, December 9

GAAM Holiday Nerd Market – With a focus on selling nerdy stuff from over 30 vendors, the GAAM team is putting on the Holiday Nerd Market for all our gamers out there! There will be musical performances, game stations, Super Smash Bros, gaming selfie spots, & more.

Monday, December 10

Holiday Candle Class – Whether you think you CANdle or CAN’Tdle, you CAN make a candle! Wicked Barley is holding the next class with holiday scents including Blue Spruce and Mistletoe!  All tickets include one free beverage from the bar, your candle, and games with prizes.

Wednesday, December 12

Sand Volleyball Open Play – As Jax Fray is getting ready to roll out winter leagues, stay busy in the meantime with some 6 on 6 sand volleyball! At South Beach park in Jax Beach, make new friends while you sip on some alcoholic beverages and enjoy volleyball. The party is happening from 6:30-8:30PM.

Thursday, December 13

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Anyone feeling classy? Whether you love some rock, some orchestra, or neither, give rock orchestra a try with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra! This Thursday at 7:30PM, they will be performing at the Veterans Memorial Arena! Get your ticket now.

Friday, December 14

The Nutcracker – The Florida Ballet’s annual presentation of “The Nutcracker” is going down at 7:30PM at the UNF Lazzara Performance Hall. If you’re ready to have your imagination captured and be thrown into an amazing performance, come watch this enchanting ballet!

Saturday, December 15

Ameris Bank Jacksonville Marathon & 5K – Whether you’re looking to do your first marathon, complete a half, or keep it simple with a 5K (not to say you wouldn’t be working hard!), sign up for ones of these runs with Ameris Bank! All the courses are pretty and flat, AND you can qualify for the Boston Marathon this day!

Sunday, December 16

Deck the Chairs – Head to Jax Beach to channel some festive Christmas spirit at their Deck the Chairs event! Near the SeaWalk Pavilion, there are cute Christmas scenes set up, with lights and splendor! You can even make a nice, free date out of it.

Monday, December 17

Jax Illuminations Light Show – Maybe you’ve already gone, maybe you haven’t, and maybe you’ve never heard of it, but this Drive Thru Light Show is the MOVE this holiday season. At 6PM, pull your car up to Jax Illuminations on St. Johns Bluff Road and drive your merry way through their 1 mile light show! Only $20 and quite the spectacle.

Wednesday, December 19

Speed Dating – Sounds a bit unique, right? But for all my single people out there looking for love, give Speed Dating a chance at the Wine Bar! If you know you have a shot at meeting your soulmate, why not do it? 7PM– be there or be lonely (Just kidding).

Thursday, December 20

Christmas Party – Imagine Office Christmas Party. People jumping off stages and climbing on things…That is what we WANT, right? …Right? Well, basically you can get that same thing…or much milder…with the Comedy Club of Jacksonville. For only $10, you can make a scene at this Christmas party and get dinner, drinks, and a show!

Friday, December 21

Run Santa Run 5K – With a Santa suit for every ready-to-run participant, this 5K is quite the comedic race. You really get in the holiday mood with their lights, Christmas décor, candy cane stations, and oh so much more. At 6PM at Henry J. Klutho park, brace yourself for some Christmas magic…and running.

Saturday, December 22

WinterFEST – Well, you always have your seasonal options of Deck the Chairs or Jax Illuminations, but if you need something new, try out WinterFEST at Adventure Landing! From 2-10PM, treat yourself to a winter experience with an outdoor ice skating rink, light displays, s’more roastings, and tons of other fun stuff!

Sunday, December 23

Luminaria – At 6pm, Riverside and Avondale’s premier celebration, Luminaria, is hitting the streets– well, sidewalks. With over 20,000 candles, the event was established by local volunteers as a way for neighbors and their friends to socialize and commemorate the season by walking amongst the sidewalk candles.

Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve!

Elf – “Buddy, the elf. What’s your favorite color?” We all know Elf is one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. So if you don’t have much going on, head to Alhambra Theatre for the MUSICAL showing of Elf! Keep in the mind that this is nation’s longest continuously-running professional dinner theater, so you’d really be getting the full sha-bang.

Wednesday, December 26

Gingerbread Extravaganza – You all had an amazing Christmas, or maybe you celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa instead, but, either way, we all love gingerbread!! The Gingerbread Extravaganza showcases some of the most creative artisans in the city of Jacksonville, who spend hours constructing edible displays! What else could be more intriguing?

Friday, December 28

Catty Shack Night Feeding – Ever been to Catty Shack? Ever been to their Night Feeding? Whether it’s a yay or nay, you KNOW that this event sounds awesome. At 6pm, get your ticket to watch all the wild massive cats of the world be fed 600 POUNDS of meat!

Saturday, December 29

Cheers to the New Year – Get an early start celebrating 2019 by heading out to Hyperion Brewing Company for their (early) New Year’s Eve party! Last year their “Eve of the Eve” Party was a HUGE hit, and they’re prepared to keep it going this year. Live music, complimentary food, a champagne giveaway, and a beer garden…All that for only $15.

Monday, December 31 New Year’s Eve!

New Year’s Eve River Bash – Every year at the Jacksonville Landing, an earth-shaking party goes down on New Year’s Eve. Everyone wants to be at the Landing for some good ‘ole NYE entertainment, drinks, and picture-perfect opportunities. Party goes all night from 9PM-1AM.

STRATA Party – STRATA Clothing is opening their Florida warehouse to host their 2nd Annual NYE party in Downtown Jax that will feature the premier of their eight story documentary! From 9PM-3AM, come one, come all to receive a free, exclusive gift bag with complimentary cocktails and heavy horderves all night. Talk about a perfect way to ring in the new year!

And that is a WRAP. Talk about a lot to do in Jacksonville this December…Dare I say, there is almost an overwhelming amount to do. Get all your best buds or hot dates, and hit the town! Be sure to tag us at your favorite events using #JAXFray and #FrayLife.

With all these events coming  up, there are plenty of photo opps. If you just can’t get enough content for the gram, though, here are some other photo worthy spots here in Jax.

View More Articles By Lexi Aughenbaugh

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