Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced that Christmas Town, the park’s award-winning holiday event, will be returning this year in modified form to provide guests with a safe experience this Holiday season. The event kicks off with a preview weekend with light displays and select entertainment elements on November 14 and 15; and Christmas Town will run daily with its full lineup from November 20, 2020, through January 3, 2021.
Busch Gardens’ creative team has consulted with medical experts to offer a modified event with required reservations and limited capacity. The event features open-air entertainment and experiences as well as enhanced health, safety, and sanitation measures, including temperature checks, face-covering requirements, and physical distancing. Included in park admission, park guests can enjoy holiday traditions, from millions of twinkling lights throughout the park’s 335 acres to physically distant holiday shows, animal encounters, and contact-free visits with Santa and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Some of this year’s festivities include:
- NEW “Spark the Night” Fireworks Show: This year, guests will have several opportunities to enjoy festive bursts of Christmas colors as they cover the sky in a dazzling display. Fireworks are offered select nights throughout the event at the Festival field, offering plenty of space for guests to spread out and enjoy the sights.
- “Christmas on Ice”: For the first time ever, park guests can enjoy Busch Gardens’ longest-running holiday show at a NEW outdoor location on the Festival Stage. This fan-favorite skating production will perform awe-inspiring delights on real ice for physically distant audiences every Friday through Sunday and additional holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
- Elmo’s Christmas Wish: Families can sing and dance with their favorite furry friends in this fun holiday show. Celebrate the Christmas spirit with Sesame Street in the outdoor Sunny Day Theater with physically distant seating.
- Three Kings Journey: The musical tale of the famed journey to Bethlehem is now offered alongside festive eats at the spacious Dragon Fire Grill.
- Holly Jolly Express: All aboard for Christmas Cheer! With limited capacity, this locomotive is on track to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with favorite songs of the season as guests venture through the park in festive fashion.
Card-Worthy and Contact-Free Photo Opportunities
- Santa’s Merry Meet & Greet: Jolly elves guide guests to see Santa for a physically distant photo at a spacious new outdoor location this holiday season.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Jingle all the way to Pantopia to Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland to find the most famous reindeer of all and snap some contact-free pictures with Rudolph and Clarice.
- Original Christmas Town Characters: For moments that sparkle, guests will encounter the Poinsettia Princess, Sugar Plum Princess, Ice Princess and jolly snowmen throughout their Christmas Town journey.
- Sesame Street Friends: Enjoy physically distant photo opportunities with everyone’s favorite furry friends in their festive holiday attire.
In addition, guests can explore the Christmas Town Village: a delicious destination filled with drinks and dishes from an all-NEW chef and mixologist created holiday menu. Beyond a selection of fan-favorite seasonal beers and mulled wine, guests can also choose from a variety of new holiday-inspired beverages rooted in classic Christmas traditions. These unique, limited-time options include specialty cocktails like the “Winter Wonderland Hot Toddy” made with winter cider, honey whiskey, and a chai infusion and the festive “Spiked Hot Cocoa” with gingerbread crumbles, caramel, and whipped cream.
Guests can purchase a Christmas Town Sampler Lanyard, starting at ONLY $34.99 for a 5-punch lanyard. Pass members can enjoy an extra special offer with an exclusive 12-punch lanyard for the price of a 10-punch lanyard to sip and savor throughout the event.
Busch Gardens will also be offering exclusive 2020 holiday merchandise. which is only available during this special event.
Visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information, park hours, and to purchase tickets, Fun Cards, or Annual Passes.
