Put the two neighboring calendars side by side for the week of Nov. 22 and they fit together. WaterColor holds its gatherings in daylight at Marina Park, the Lakehouse and Fish Out of Water. Seaside schedules its gatherings after dark in the Amphitheater and Central Square. Most days one town's event ends and the other's begins later that evening. Saturday, Nov. 28, is the exception. WaterColor's Old Florida Holiday & Winter Market and Seaside's Turn on the Town both start at 3 PM, and each ends with a tree lighting.
Here is how the week lays out, day by day, and where the overlap falls.
Sunday Opens at Marina Park and Closes in the Amphitheater
The WaterColor community calendar lists a Fall Festival at Marina Park on Sunday, Nov. 22, from 1 to 4 PM, at 238 WaterColor Blvd W. One hour after it ends, Seaside starts its season. Ballet Pensacola performs The Nutcracker Ballet Act II in the Seaside Amphitheater at 5 PM, the opening event in Seaside's Christmas in Seaside calendar.
With one hour between the two, a family can go from lawn games at Marina Park to a seat for the ballet on the same afternoon.
The Beach Club starts the week before. It has live music on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 3 to 6 PM, and Trivia Night on Friday, Nov. 20, from 4 to 6 PM, both at 24 Goldenrod Circle. WaterColor Resort describes the Beach Club as a shared amenity for residents and WaterColor Inn & Resort guests, not open to the general public, so those two evenings are for the community and its guests.
Tuesday Stays Inside WaterColor
Tuesday, Nov. 24, is the one day this week when only WaterColor has something on. Thanksgiving Movie Night at Marina Park begins with crafts and lawn games at 3:30 PM. The movie starts at 5 PM, and the listing asks guests to bring chairs and blankets.
The 5 PM start fits late November on the Gulf, when the sun sets early and the lawn is dark enough for a screen before dinner.
Thanksgiving Day Comes Down to Reservations
Inside WaterColor, Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 26, comes in two forms, and they book in opposite ways. The WaterColor holiday events page lists both.
- WaterColor Lakehouse, Thanksgiving Day Buffet, 10 AM to 3 PM. Reservations are required by email at [email protected]. The menu lists $95++ per adult and $35++ per child ages 6 to 12. Children five and under eat free, and taxes and a 24% gratuity are added.
- Fish Out of Water, Thanksgiving Day Featured Plates, 11 AM to 9 PM. Turkey and dressing are served alongside the All-Day à la carte menu. Reservations are not accepted, and seating is first-come, first-served.
The two meals cover different parts of the day. The Lakehouse buffet is a midday meal you plan ahead, and it ends at 3 PM. Fish Out of Water serves for six more hours after that. It suits a household whose turkey is still in the oven at noon, or one hosting guests whose arrival time keeps moving.
Friday Morning in WaterColor, Friday Night in Central Square
Friday, Nov. 27, follows the pattern most clearly. WaterColor fills the morning and Seaside takes the evening.
At 8 AM, Fish Out of Water opens Breakfast with Santa, which runs until noon with first-come seating. The breakfast buffet menu lists $68++ per adult and $24++ per child ages 6 to 12. Children five and under eat free, and taxes and a 24% gratuity are added.
During the same morning, the Beach Club's Burn Off the Turkey hands out route maps for biking or walking and running from 8 to 9 AM, at the WaterColor Inn front desk or the Beach Club. Participants finish the route with a tracking app. The club recommends Strava. Screenshots go to [email protected] by 2 PM, and winners in the run and bike categories are announced by email at sunset.
Seaside picks up that night. Central Square Cinema shows How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 7 PM, and guests are asked to bring a blanket, towel or lawn chair.
Saturday, Nov. 28, Is the One Overlap
On Saturday, both towns start at 3 PM.
| WaterColor | Seaside | |
|---|---|---|
| Event | Old Florida Holiday & Winter Market | Turn on the Town and Holiday Parade |
| Hours | 3 to 9 PM | 3 to 8 PM |
| Where | Town Center and Cerulean Park | Parade along 30A, then Krier Plaza, the Amphitheater and the Christmas Village |
| Program | Horse-drawn carriage rides, local artists and vendors, photos with Santa, tree lighting | Emerald Coast Theatre Company performance, lighting of the town, Santa photos |
| Host | WaterColor Community Association | Seaside |
The WaterColor Community Association's event listing puts the market's run in perspective:
"Our favorite family-friendly holiday event of the year is back! We are excited to announce that the Old Florida Holiday & Winter Market will return for its 19th year in WaterColor on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM!"
The two programs line up step for step. Each has Santa photos, each has a tree lighting, and each starts at the same hour. The differences are in the closing times and in what fills the gap between them. Seaside's Turn on the Town page says Santa photos at the Christmas Village run until 8 PM. WaterColor's market stays open until 9 PM, and the WaterColor Store stays open until 9 PM for holiday shopping. That makes WaterColor's market the last of the two still running.
Seaside's parade also raises money for a local clinic. Seaside says proceeds from parade registration benefit Point Washington Medical Clinic. Anyone entering a float will find a "Holiday Float" entry on the registration page for $150 plus a $9.71 fee.
If you are driving to Seaside, the town runs a complimentary shuttle every day from 6 AM to midnight, from a designated lot off Hwy. 331 S. to the Lyceum Archway. Seaside's parking page lists $5 an hour from 8 to 10 AM, $7 an hour from 10 AM to 7 PM, and $5 an hour from 7 to 10 PM. Seaside's 2026 parking announcement adds that rates can change with the day, occupancy and town events.
After the Trees Are Lit, the Calendars Settle Into a Rhythm
Once Saturday is over, neither town stacks events again. The season settles into a weekly schedule in Seaside and a few fixed dates in WaterColor.
- Dec. 5 to 6. The Seaside Holiday Market fills the center of town with local artisans and makers for a weekend.
- Dec. 12 to 23. Santa is in Seaside every evening from 4 to 6 PM. After Breakfast with Santa on Nov. 27 and the two Saturday events, this is the fourth chance at a Santa photo along this part of 30A, and the only one that repeats night after night.
- Dec. 21 to 24. The WaterColor Store and WaterColor Kids holiday sale takes 15% off storewide Dec. 21 to 23 and 25% off on Dec. 24, in-store and online. The discount is applied at checkout.
- Dec. 25. Fish Out of Water serves Christmas Day dinner from 5 to 9 PM, with chef-curated holiday features alongside the à la carte and kids' menus. As at Thanksgiving, seating is first-come, with no reservations.
- Sunday, Dec. 27. The WaterColor Resort events page lists a bubble tasting with chocolate truffles, 25% off bottles of wine and champagne, and live music by Weston Hines from 3 to 6 PM.
- Dec. 31. Seaside welcomes 2027 in Central Square from 4 to 9 PM with arts and crafts, face painting and a photo spot in front of the Post Office. Live music starts at 5:30 PM and fireworks go off at 9 PM, with viewing from the Amphitheater or along the beach.
New Year's Eve follows the same pattern as Thanksgiving week. Seaside holds the night, and WaterColor's last scheduled event of the month is a Sunday afternoon tasting four days earlier.
At Emerald Dunes Realty, we follow WaterColor's calendar the way our neighbors do, from the Fall Festival at Marina Park to the tree lighting at Cerulean Park. If you would like a local's guide to WaterColor's holidays or to the homes nearby, Start Your Coastal Home Search with us.
