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From Neon to Noel: Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Lights & Beachfront Trails
December in Fort Lauderdale is where the beach meets the holidays in a way that feels perfectly Floridian. Guests staying with Rocket Stay quickly discover that festive doesn’t have to mean frosty. The palm trees shimmer with fairy lights, the waterfront glows with neon reflections, and the salty air carries a hint of Christmas music from Las Olas Boulevard. It’s a city that knows how to celebrate the season with colour, energy and a little ocean breeze.
Walking the beachfront trail after sunset, you’ll see holiday light displays winding through palm groves, sand sculptures illuminated beneath spotlights, and cafés serving hot chocolate beside people in sandals. The famous Christmas on Las Olas event transforms the boulevard into a winter wonderland, complete with artificial snow, choirs, local craft stalls and festive cocktails served under open skies. Families stroll the promenade, couples ride bicycles past the lights, and groups of friends gather near the riverfront to toast to the season.
Beyond the city’s lights, nature puts on its own quiet show. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park sparkles with subtle decorations while still offering its trails and kayaks for those who crave calm after the celebrations. Evenings are best spent by the water—grab dinner on the Intracoastal, watch yachts draped in lights glide past, then return to your Rocket Stay apartment where the glow of the skyline reflects softly through the windows. Inside, everything feels simple and stylish: a private retreat to unwind, plan the next day, or just enjoy the feeling of warm air drifting through an open balcony door while carols play somewhere in the distance. Fort Lauderdale’s take on Christmas is pure contrast—tropical but traditional, festive but never forced—and it’s what makes the city such a joy to experience in December.
