South Florida’s holiday season doesn’t wait for December. By the first week of November, Fort Lauderdale is already stringing up lights, and by early December, Hanukkah celebrations are underway just a few miles from Hollywood, FL. If you’re planning a family trip around any of it, here’s what’s on the calendar this year, and why a group house near the beach makes the whole season easier to enjoy.
Light Up Lauderdale Opens the Season on November 5
Fort Lauderdale’s Light Up Lauderdale celebration, a roughly 10-week run of holiday lights along the New River, kicks off with its “Get Lit” launch party on Thursday, November 5, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Esplanade Park (400 SW 2nd Street). The free event includes live holiday music, kids’ crafts, and a visit from Santa, and it’s an easy evening trip from Hollywood, about a 20-minute drive up US-1 or I-95.
Hanukkah 2026 and the Menorah Lighting at Las Olas
Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, 2026, and runs through sundown on Saturday, December 12, eight nights in all. Fort Lauderdale marks the holiday with its annual Menorah Lighting Celebration on Sunday, December 6 at 6 p.m. at Las Olas Oceanside Park (3000 E. Las Olas Blvd), a free gathering with music and traditional treats alongside the lighting itself. It’s one of several Hanukkah events around Broward County this year, and a nice one to build an evening around if your family is in town for the holiday.
Make It a Group Trip Out of Hollywood, FL
Hanukkah and the holiday season generally mean a full house, parents, grandparents, and cousins flying in from different cities. That’s exactly the situation Total Oasis was built for: five connected units in Hollywood, FL that together sleep up to 30 guests, so everyone gets their own room instead of splitting up across hotel floors. For smaller groups, Kismet Getaways’ other properties, Oasis, Sunrise, and the Sunset units, scale down from there, and several can be combined for mid-sized gatherings. Guest reviews consistently point to the ease of having a full kitchen, shared living space, and a pool for the whole family rather than cramming into standard hotel rooms.
Whether you’re heading to Esplanade Park for Get Lit, over to Las Olas for the menorah lighting, or you just want a home base close to both, Hollywood, FL puts you within about a half hour of nearly everything on South Florida’s holiday calendar this year. Browse availability and book your dates at Kismet Getaways before the season fills up.