On the second Sunday of December, the stretch of Orange Street between Molly Goodhead's and the post office turns into a staging lot. Golf carts start pulling in before 5:30 p.m. Each one picks up a float number and waits for a sheriff's vehicle to lead the line out at 6:00 sharp. That's the Ozona Annual Holiday Golf Cart Parade, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday, December 13.
Eight days earlier, downtown Palm Harbor holds its own Christmas parade and tree lighting at 11th and Georgia. Both are holiday parades, and both are free to watch from the curb. But they're organized in completely different ways. For the downtown parade, all you have to do is show up. The Ozona parade is planned, permitted and paid for by neighbors, so if you want to ride in it, you need a decorated cart, a registration number, and a deadline circled on the calendar.
The Ozona Parade Is Paid for by the People Who Ride in It
The Ozona Village Improvement Society, known as OVIS, has sponsored the golf cart parade for the last couple of years. According to OVIS, it has grown to well over a hundred carts. A crowd that size is why OVIS now pulls the permits, buys the insurance and contracts with the Sheriff's Office for support. Those costs are why it started asking participants for donations last year.
That setup explains this year's rules. The Sheriff's Office asked that only "true" golf carts be registered. In recent years, off-road vehicles and roadsters have been showing up in the lineup, and OVIS says they won't be allowed. If one arrives anyway, it'll be asked to leave and its donation will be refunded. A sheriff's vehicle will lead the parade and another will close it, so spectators can see where it starts and ends.
If your cart will be in the lineup, here's the sequence OVIS lays out:
- Register online by Thursday, December 10, 2026. The pre-event donation is $20. Paying in cash at the event costs $30.
- Register early if you want to compete. Only carts registered before the event can enter the best-decorated golf cart contest. Paying at the curb gets you in the parade but not the contest.
- Print your cart number. Once your payment is confirmed, the OVIS Village Treasurer sends a PDF with your golf cart number. It goes on the front of the cart where people can see it, because the judges use it too.
- Watch for the November newsletter. OVIS says it will share contest details there.
- Arrive by 5:30 p.m. on December 13. The gathering area is around Molly Goodhead's and The Ozona Pig. Registration happens between Molly Goodhead's and the US Post Office. The listed event address is 310 Orange St.
The $10 difference between paying ahead and paying at the event matters. Registering early tells OVIS how many carts to plan for, and the donations pay for the deputies who keep the route safe for everyone along it.
Downtown's Version Only Asks You to Show Up
The downtown celebration on Saturday, December 5, runs on a different model. The Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce lists the Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting from 3 to 7 p.m. at 1190 Georgia Ave. Palm Harbor Parks & Recreation lists its free tree-lighting program from 4 to 7 p.m. at Harbor Hall, and here's how it describes the evening:
"Make plans to meet your friends and family at the corner of 11th and Georgia Avenue as we cue up the lights and illuminate the downtown Palm Harbor Christmas tree."
Parks & Rec says there will be Santa, local vendors, entertainment, games and free activities, with food and drinks for sale. The tree is lit at sundown. Since the two organizers list slightly different start times, check with them that week for the parade's exact start.
You can also be part of the downtown event, but that runs through the Chamber, not your own garage. The Chamber's registration form lists parade spots at $50 for a single business or group, $100 for multiple spots, and $25 for a nonprofit. Early-bird market vendor spaces are $75. When this was written, the form said registration wasn't currently available, so groups hoping to enter should contact the Chamber directly.
Put the two together and you get the season's basic split. Downtown is a Saturday afternoon run by the Chamber and the parks district, built for families who walk over and stay through sundown. Ozona is a Sunday night run by a village association, and the neighbors riding in it are paying for part of it.
The Saturdays That Fill In Around Them
The parades sit inside a run of downtown events that mostly land on Saturdays, on the same few blocks around Florida Avenue and Georgia Avenue. Here's the calendar from the first week of November through the last market of the year:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7, 4–7 p.m. | Wine Around Palm Harbor | Palm Harbor Museum, 2043 Curlew Rd | Sold out; email the museum about availability |
| Sat., Nov. 14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. | Touch a Truck, 12th year | Sunderman Sports Complex | Free activities; concessions for sale |
| Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Community Market: It's Local Gift Season | Pop Stansell Park, 797 Florida Ave | Free entry and parking |
| Wed., Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m. | America250, A Musical Celebration | Palm Harbor Library | See museum listing |
| Sat., Dec. 5, afternoon to 7 p.m. | Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting | 11th St and Georgia Ave, Harbor Hall | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Holiday Celebration | Palm Harbor Museum, 2043 Curlew Rd | Free; no reservations |
| Sun., Dec. 13, 6–8 p.m. | Ozona Holiday Golf Cart Parade | 310 Orange St, Ozona | Free to watch; $20 to ride if registered by Dec. 10 |
| Sat., Dec. 19, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Community Market: The Holiday Finale | Pop Stansell Park, 797 Florida Ave | Free entry, parking and golf cart shuttles |
The two market dates bracket the season, one before Thanksgiving and one the week before Christmas. The Downtown Palm Harbor Community Market bills November 21 as its "Local Gift Season" Saturday. It promises 55+ local businesses, live music, food trucks, Market Bingo, a giant kids zone and a pre-Thanksgiving dog wash station, and dogs are welcome.
December 19 is the market's last date of 2026, and it's a bigger day. The listing promises 75+ vendors, real snow, professional Santa photos, and pictures with Jason the mini Highland cow. The Grinch and Elsa are both expected. There's also an ugly sweater contest, a Golden Stocking Giveaway and a toy drive benefiting local families. It's the only event on the calendar that runs free golf cart shuttles, which makes it a natural first outing for a cart that was decorated for Ozona the Sunday before.
The Palm Harbor Museum gives the season a quieter stop on December 12. Its free Holiday Celebration has arts and crafts, games, activities, refreshments and free parking, and you don't need a reservation. Ten days earlier, the museum's America250 program brings Joy Katzen-Guthrie and Deb Carson to Palm Harbor Library, which sits at 2330 Nebraska Ave.
Two Park Changes That Affect Family Outings
If December plans include an outdoor stop between events, two county updates matter. Pinellas County's Know Before You Go page, last updated October 23, 2026, says the existing playground at Wall Springs Park has been closed since September 28 while a new one goes in. Completion is expected in Winter 2026. The closure covers the playground, not the whole park.
The same page lists new county parking rates starting December 1, 2026. Beach parking goes to $3.50 per hour, capped at $12 per day, and boat ramp parking goes to $12 per day. That's worth knowing if you're planning a beach morning before the December 5 tree lighting or the December 13 parade. Downtown events at Pop Stansell Park and the museum, as listed, come with free parking.
For anyone planning to ride in Ozona, the date that matters most is Thursday, December 10. That's the last day to register online for $20 and still qualify for the best-decorated cart contest.
Whether you're trimming a golf cart for Orange Street or just picking your spot at 11th and Georgia, Ali Schaaff loves seeing these North Pinellas traditions come together each December. If the season has you wondering what your own Palm Harbor or Ozona home is worth, get your free home valuation and we'll talk it through over coffee downtown.
