December in West Palm Beach: Why the Holidays Here Surprise Everyone

There is a version of the Florida holidays that lives up to the stereotype: a plastic Santa on a lawn in 80 degrees, a sad artificial tree in a strip mall window, everyone quietly admitting they miss November. West Palm Beach is not that version. WPB actually figured out how to do December — and the locals who know what's going on spend most of the month outside, which is exactly the point.

Sandi and Ferris: The #1 Holiday Display in the Country

Every December, the waterfront on Flagler Drive is taken over by Sandi — a 35-foot Christmas tree sculpted entirely from sand. Not decorated sand. Sculpted. Artists spend weeks on it, and every year the detail work gets more impressive. The display around Sandi has been ranked the #1 best public holiday light display in the United States, which is the kind of title that sounds like tourist board nonsense until you stand in front of it.

Right next to Sandi is Ferris — a full Ferris wheel that becomes part of the display. The whole waterfront scene, lit up against the Intracoastal with boats anchored offshore watching from the water, is one of those things that makes people stop mid-sentence when they see it for the first time.

It's free. It's walkable from every downtown condo. And it runs all month.

Ice Skating at the Ben

Here's the one that gets people: there's an outdoor ice skating rink set up in front of the Ben Hotel on Second Street every December. Outdoor. Ice skating. In South Florida. In weather that hovers around 72 degrees.

It works, the crowd shows up every night, and there is something genuinely absurd and fun about lacing up skates while wearing a light jacket and palm trees sway overhead. For anyone who grew up doing this in a cold-weather city and thought they were leaving it behind — you didn't. You just moved the rink to somewhere with better weather.

Clematis by Night Goes Holiday

The city's weekly outdoor concert series on Clematis Street shifts into holiday mode for December, and the street itself gets decorated in a way that actually looks good. Live music, holiday programming, the wide sidewalks full of people — it becomes one of the better versions of Clematis by Night all year. The crowd is in a good mood, the weather is perfect for it, and if you live in the downtown corridor you walk out your front door into it.

The Actual Point

People who haven't spent a December in WPB tend to write off the Florida holidays before they experience them. The ones who own here know: December is one of the best months of the year downtown. The tourists haven't fully arrived yet, the weather is ideal, and the city has programmed the month with things worth going outside for.

If you're evaluating downtown WPB condos and wondering what the off-season actually looks like — this is what it looks like.

This guide is provided by DO Homes Group, West Palm Beach's luxury condo specialists. For personalized recommendations, contact our team.