"Kick off the holidays with our first ever community-wide tree lighting." That is how The Villages Entertainment describes Light Up The Villages, set for Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026. The official announcement says the event will come "to all Town Squares on the same evening."
For two straight years the tree lightings were spread across several nights, so you could catch more than one. This year every square shares a single evening. If Lake Sumter Landing is your square, Dec. 1 is worth planning ahead. It is also only the first of two December events on the Market Square calendar.
How three nights became one
The change came in steps, and you can trace each one in Villages-News coverage.
- 2024, three separate ceremonies. Lake Sumter Landing went first, on a Saturday, with the tree lit at about 8 p.m. Brownwood Paddock Square followed on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and Spanish Springs Town Square on Friday, Dec. 6, according to Villages-News.
- 2025, two nights. Spanish Springs and Brownwood held their festivals on the same evening, Saturday, Nov. 29, with sing-alongs and countdowns starting at 8 p.m. at both squares. Lake Sumter Landing went last, on Saturday, Dec. 6, Villages-News reported. Official vendor information listed both Spanish Springs on Nov. 29 and Lake Sumter on Dec. 6 as 4 to 9 p.m. events.
- 2026, one night. Every Town Square on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Lake Sumter Landing had its own night both years. It opened the season in 2024 and closed it in 2025. Under the 2026 format, it shares the night with every other square.
What moving to a Tuesday changes
The new format changes three things beyond the name.
The tour becomes a single evening. In 2024 you could see Lake Sumter's tree on a Saturday, Brownwood's on a Wednesday and Spanish Springs' on a Friday. In 2025 Spanish Springs and Brownwood shared Nov. 29, with both countdowns starting at 8 p.m., but Lake Sumter still had its own date a week later. This year all squares share one evening. The announcement hasn't published start times, so whether the countdowns overlap is still unconfirmed. Until times come out, plan on Lake Sumter Landing being your one stop that night.
It moves from a weekend to a weeknight. Each of the 2025 festivals ran on a Saturday. Dec. 1, 2026, is a Tuesday. If you have family visiting over Thanksgiving week, check whether they will still be in town that Tuesday.
It falls inside the winter entertainment hours. Villages-News reported that starting Nov. 1, nightly entertainment at every location, including Eastport and Sawgrass Grove, returns to 5 to 9 p.m. The 2025 Lake Sumter festival began at 4 p.m., an hour ahead of a normal evening. Whether Light Up starts early the same way hasn't been announced. Until it is, the safe assumption is a December evening that wraps up around 9.
What Lake Sumter Landing's past lightings looked like
Since the 2026 program hasn't been released, the best guide to Lake Sumter's version is how the square handled its own nights before. The Villages Entertainment says "each square brings its own unique holiday flare."
In 2025, the Lake Sumter festival opened at 4 p.m. with The Villages Twirlers. Next came the Original Villages Belly Dancers from 4:55 to 5:10 p.m., Viva la Flamenco from 6:55 to 7:10 and Flashmob Fun Addicts from 7:10 to 7:25. Christina Vukel then led a sing-along and the countdown with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, according to Villages-News.
The 2024 night followed a similar pattern, as Villages-News described it. The Live Effect Band played the pavilion, and the lineup included Sounds of Scotland, Clown Alley #179, the Sweet & Sassy Dance Team, the Chinese Asian Dance Group, the Original Villages Belly Dancers and the Villages Twirlers & Drum Corps. Food came from BBQ Brazil Express, the Kettle Corn Cabin, Hadley Family Concessions, Curbside Cuisine, Monsta Lobsta and Kona Ice.
Both years, Lake Sumter's lighting leaned heavily on resident clubs and performance groups. That is a record of past years, not a 2026 lineup, and none of these groups has been announced for Dec. 1.
Dinner before the countdown
Since Dec. 1 is a weeknight, eating on the square before the lights go on is a simple plan. The square has one new option this year. Luma Mediterranean Kitchen held its Lake Sumter Landing ribbon-cutting on Sept. 2, 2026. It serves build-your-own bowls and pitas with choices like shawarma chicken, Mediterranean shrimp and smashed lamb, plus gluten-free and vegan options, Villages-News reported. It is the second Luma in The Villages, after the January opening at Sawgrass Grove, and the concept comes from FMK Hospitality Group.
The official Lake Sumter Landing directory also lists Amelia's and Calypso at The Waterfront Inn, City Fire, Chop House, Flying Biscuit Café, Lighthouse Point Bar & Grille, R.J. Gator's, Thai Ruby and Toojay's. The directory gives names and phone numbers, so calling ahead about holiday-night hours is easy. With every square holding its event the same evening, booking a table ahead may make sense.
Lake Sumter Landing's season, start to finish
The lighting sits in the middle of the square's season, not at the end. Here is the full calendar as published so far.
| Date | Event at Lake Sumter Landing | What's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Halloween, theme "Decades" | Eighteen87 plays 6 to 10 p.m.; costume contest winners announced at 8 p.m. at Center Stage |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | Winter entertainment hours begin | Nightly entertainment 5 to 9 p.m. at all locations |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Light Up The Villages | Same evening at every Town Square; details pending |
| Sat. and Sun., Dec. 12 and 13 | Holly Jolly Arts & Crafts Festival | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free |
Halloween's featured bar-hut cocktail is the Pumpkin Spike, and each square runs its own costume contest.
The Holly Jolly Arts & Crafts Festival matters more this year. Since Lake Sumter no longer has a tree-lighting night to itself, Holly Jolly is now the square's only multi-day holiday event on the published calendar. It is a daytime weekend festival with handmade artisan goods, food trucks, local vendors and live entertainment. Vendor applications are closed, and no more vendor spaces are available. If you can't make a Tuesday night, Holly Jolly's 10 to 5 hours on a weekend may be easier, and it falls 11 days after the lighting.
What hasn't been announced yet
The Villages has said "more details are on the way" and suggests subscribing to Vmail for updates. Here is what's still open as of mid-October:
- Start times at each square, and whether the evening opens before the usual 5 p.m.
- Performers and the "special guests of honor" mentioned in the announcement.
- Where Lake Sumter's tree will stand and how the square will be set up for the evening.
- Which squares take part. The announcement says "all Town Squares" without listing them. Earlier tree-lighting coverage only describes Spanish Springs, Brownwood and Lake Sumter.
On the waterfront, the District has put out a bid for a Lake Sumter Landing Recreational Waterfront Wharf Project. It calls for replacing the existing dock with a new floating dock system that includes a boathouse, gazebo and concession building. Bids were due Sept. 23, 2026, and the project's status is listed as pending, according to the District procurement portal. The posting gives no construction schedule, and nothing published ties it to this December's events.
If hosting family for Light Up has you wondering what the house might be worth before the new year, and that conversation has started at your table, Martha Ridgway can walk through it with you calmly and practically, on your schedule. Request Your Free Home Valuation, and enjoy the lights at Lake Sumter Landing on Dec. 1.
