Okoboji Holiday Season Guide
Create magical holiday memories with your family in Okoboji this winter holiday season! From light displays to meeting Santa, and plenty of opportunities to get the perfect gifts for under your tree, there's something for everyone in Okoboji this Holiday Season!
LIGHT DISPLAYS
You can never go wrong with a holiday light show!
Lights are on from 5-10pm every night until January 3rd so come back & enjoy them again & again. For the rest of the season you can pull up the main driveway under the rainbow arch & turn around in the parking lot or park & walk around.
Here is a map of some of the areas. The light blue is a path to the light maze. The red is a lit path around the house. The pink shows the path to take to get back to the grove walk lit trail. Please watch your step and the ground is uneven & there are cords! Try to stay on the pathways so you are less likely to trip on cords as there are very few cords in the walkways. As always it is free to come see the lights. Donations are welcome & go towards the light display. There is a donation box on the light pole by the garage. Thank you & hope you enjoy the lights.
Downing Family Christmas Light Show
2184 213th Ave, Milford, IA
Location: 1078 110th St., Lake Park, IA 51347
November - January
Lueders Ridiculous X-Mas Lights are doing a computerized light show! We have increased our channel count and added many more lights, so now we have 200,000+ lights for 2023. We hope you will come to enjoy it as much as we enjoy presenting it. Be sure to tune you radio to 97.5 FM. Most of all remember the reason for the season.
LIVE MUSIC AND HOLIDAY SHOWS
Jazzed Up Christmas 2023
Roof Garden Ballroom | Dec. 2nd @ 7-9:30pm
Jazzed Up Big Band is excited to present our 5th Annual Jazzed Up Christmas on December 2nd in the Roof Garden Ballroom at Historic Arnolds Park! The 2022 show was fantastic, and we have another great one for you this year!
You'll enjoy holiday classics such as Michael Buble's Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Stan Kenton's Angles We Have Heard On High, The Carpenter's Merry Christmas Darling, Harry Connick's Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, and Tom Kubis' God Rest Ye Merry Trombones, along with several swinging big band features! Be sure to warm up your voices for a sing-along, too!
Shawn Cable: The band is happy to welcome back Shawn Cable as one of our vocalists. Shawn is an Emmy® award-winning Chief Meteorologist at KEYC in Mankato.
Kate Wismer: This is Kate's first time performing with Jazzed Up Christmas. Kate is a veteran stage performer who has performed in musicals nationwide. She was Milly in the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers national tour and has played Nellie Forbush at several regional theaters. Emmy-winning choreographer Al Blackstone notably directed her in a production of Annie where she shared the stage with Broadway's original Annie, Andrea McArdle, as Miss Hannigan. Kate grew up in Britton, SD, and serves as the artistic director of The Northern Fort Playhouse and director and producer of the Miss South Dakota and Miss South Dakota's Teen competition every year. She sings lead with the Union Cattle Band and enjoys relaxing at the lake with her family and Pepper the Chocolate Lab.
Celebrate the Christmas season with your family, friends, co-workers, and employees at Jazzed Up Christmas!
Get your tickets here!
Damon, Dave & Ryan Holiday Show
Pearson Lakes Art Center | Dec. 12 @ 7:30pm
Shaun Johnson Holly Jolly Holiday Tour
Roof Garden Ballroom | Dec. 15 @ 7:30pm - 10pm
This holiday, Shaun Johnson is celebrating the season with passionate and melodic, big band driven traditional pop. As the lead singer of Tonic Sol-fa – and an Emmy winner – Shaun reworks classic Christmas fare with a charismatic charm, and his performances routinely sell out. Make plans to see this nationally acclaimed Billboard Top 5 artist as he returns to the Paramount Theater this December!
Get your tickets here!
A Lakes Area Christmas
Pearson Lakes Art Center | Dec. 21 @ 7:30 pm
A Lakes Area Christmas featuring: Jessica Schable, Jennifer Johnson, Brian Moore, Tyler Pedersen, & Terry Klein
Above the Covers - New Years Eve Party
Roof Garden Ballroom | Dec. 31st @ 8:30pm - Jan. 1st 12:00am
Ring in 2024 with us! There will be a balloon Drop at Midnight as well as party favors and a Photo Wall.
Get your tickets here!
SHOPPING
Holiday Makers Market
Pearson Lakes Art Center | 11/9 - 12/22
Hours: Tues. - Sat. 10am - 4pm; Thursday 10am - 9pm
Handcrafted creations for every budget! The Little Red Gift Gallery is bursting with holiday cheer and has spilled into the Weaver Lobby Gallery. Come and shop the ever changing inventory with new items being added often through December 22nd.
Holiday Market in the Park
Arnolds Park Roof Garden | Dec. 1 @ 4-7pm
Join us in the Roof Garden for our Holiday Market from 4-7pm! Browse 30+ vendors for some unique and local holiday shopping. Canned food entry fee for local food pantry! Live music by Dave Rowley, horse and sleigh rides down Lake Street, pictures with Santa, and more!
Holiday Open House | Dec. 12th 5pm-7pm
Enjoy 20% off merchandise all day- Stop in for cider & cookies.
Light hors d’ouevres served in Pomerantz Hall from 5-7pm.
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
Free Merchant Matinee | ELF
Milford Pioneer Theatre | Thu Nov. 30 @ 4pm; Sat Dec. 2 @ 9:15, 10:15, and 11:30; Sun Dec. 3 @ 10:00 & 11:30 am
Presented by Milford Commercial Club
Pioneer Theatre is pleased to continue the decades-long tradition of offering FREE movies around the holidays. This year, we are pleased to offer five different classic movie selections from Thanksgiving through Christmas! This movie series would not be possible without the generous support of our presenting and supporting sponsors, each of whom contributes to cover the cost of tickets for all
Note: Showtimes are subject to change. To view the showtimes for the current day, open the ticketing app. Seating is first-come, first-served. We are unable to reserve seats for free movies, but we anticipate having plenty of available seating. Guests are encouraged to arrive 15-30 minutes prior to showtime.
Holiday Fantasy Weekend in Milford
Dec. 2nd | 9:30am - 2pm
Free Community Showing of The Grinch!
Great Lakes Cinema 7 | Dec. 2 @ 10am - noon
Doors and Concession open at 9:30 AM! Free different community showing the first Saturday of every month!
Free Merchant Matinee | Christmas Vacation
Milford Pioneer Theatre | Thu Dec. 7 @ 4pm; Sat Dec. 9 @ 10 & 11:15 am; Sun Dec. 10 @ 11:15 am
Presented by Dickinson County Animal Clinic
Pioneer Theatre is pleased to continue the decades-long tradition of offering FREE movies around the holidays. This year, we are pleased to offer five different classic movie selections from Thanksgiving through Christmas! This movie series would not be possible without the generous support of our presenting and supporting sponsors, each of whom contributes to cover the cost of tickets for all
Note: Showtimes are subject to change. To view the showtimes for the current day, open the ticketing app. Seating is first-come, first-served. We are unable to reserve seats for free movies, but we anticipate having plenty of available seating. Guests are encouraged to arrive 15-30 minutes prior to showtime.
Santa's Village | Downtown Spirit Lake
Dec. 9 | 9am - 3pm
Enjoy a full day of holiday fun strolling the streets of downtown while taking in Santa, the Grinch, live music, carriage rides, crafts, games, secret shopping, painting and many more activities.
More attractions to be announced!
Pictures with Santa at Allure & Co.
Dec. 9 | 10am - 2pm
Come meet the big guy in red at Allure & Co. on Saturday, December 9th from 10AM-2PM during Santa's Village Downtown Spirit Lake. Take your own pictures of the kids or the whole family in front of a winter scene with Santa & Mrs. Claus!
Santa's Workshop
Okoboji Red Brick Farm | Dec. 9 11am - 1pm
1983 Highway 9, Spirit Lake, IA
RSVP 916-879-5936
Free Merchant Matinee | The Grinch
Milford Pioneer Theatre | Thu., Dec 14 @ 4pm, Sat., Dec. 16 and Sun., Dec. 17 @ 10 and 11:15am
Presented by Campus Women's Club
Pioneer Theatre is pleased to continue the decades-long tradition of offering FREE movies around the holidays. This year, we are pleased to offer five different classic movie selections from Thanksgiving through Christmas! This movie series would not be possible without the generous support of our presenting and supporting sponsors, each of whom contributes to cover the cost of tickets for all
Note: Showtimes are subject to change. To view the showtimes for the current day, open the ticketing app. Seating is first-come, first-served. We are unable to reserve seats for free movies, but we anticipate having plenty of available seating. Guests are encouraged to arrive 15-30 minutes prior to showtime.
Santa & Christmas at Oak Hill Outdoor
Oak Hill Outdoor | Dec. 16 @ 10am - 12pm
Free Merchant Matinee | The Polar Express
Milford Pioneer Theatre | Fri., Dec. 22 to Sun., Dec 24 @ 10am
Presented by Okoboji Flooring and Furniture
Pioneer Theatre is pleased to continue the decades-long tradition of offering FREE movies around the holidays. This year, we are pleased to offer five different classic movie selections from Thanksgiving through Christmas! This movie series would not be possible without the generous support of our presenting and supporting sponsors, each of whom contributes to cover the cost of tickets for all
Note: Showtimes are subject to change. To view the showtimes for the current day, open the ticketing app. Seating is first-come, first-served. We are unable to reserve seats for free movies, but we anticipate having plenty of available seating. Guests are encouraged to arrive 15-30 minutes prior to showtime.
Free Holiday Community Showing of Elf
Great Lakes Cinema 7 | Dec. 23 at 10am-noon
Doors and concessions open at 9:30am!
Free Holiday Community Showing of White Christmas
Great Lakes Cinema 7 | Dec. 23 @ 10am-noon
Doors and Concessions open at 9:30am!
Winterfest
Camp Foster YMCA | Dec. 27 at 2pm for check in until Dec. 30 at 10 am for check out
Ages: 8-14
Come join us at Camp for some winter fun! Do fun activities like ziplining in the snow, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, snow tubing, broom ball, conquering the lake and so much more! Even enjoy some OG winter fun of building snowmen, making snow angles, sipping hot coco, and sitting by the fire! We hope to see you there, it’s going to be an un-brr-lieveably fun time!
Open Friday and Saturday 7-9pm and Sunday 3:30-5pm
Stop by the Lakes Ice Arena for some skating fun this winter. They are typically open most weekends for open skate.
$6.00 Admission | $3.00 Skate Rental
Art Smart Interactive Gallery
The Artsmart Interactive Gallery’s newly renovated space serves as an incubator and engine for art-making and creative exploration within PLAC and the community. With a hands-on learning approach, visitors will experience visual, theatrical, and musical art exhibits directly linked to the PLAC collections.
Get creative this winter!! More about the Art Center's educational opportunities and other events can be found here.
Winter Hours:
Tues. - Sat. 10 am to 4 pm
Thursday - 10 am to 9 pm
Hours: Weds.-Sat. 10am - 5pm, Sunday 12-5pm
This is the ultimate destination for classics car enthusiasts, gear heads, art collectors and families looking for a memorable experience! Take a stroll down the vintage storefronts of Spencer, Arnolds Park Boardwalk and West Lake Okoboji. Along with a step back in time, you can check out the state-of-the-art restoration shop and even purchase your favorite vintage ride!
Dickinson County Nature Center
Open Tues. - Sat. 10am - 4pm
It’s all free at the Dickinson County Nature Center! Check out the live animals, indoor beehive, kids space area and all-new interactive exhibits in Pollinator Paradise. Year-round programming is also free.
Open Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10-3
The Dickinson County Museum preserves and shares the heritage of Dickinson County through a variety of exhibits. The Museum is one of the original depots found along the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul Railroad, and it now houses an extensive collection that depicts the area’s historic railroad, agricultural, resort and industrial eras.
CRAFTS/GREENS
Kurio Kastle: Pottery Painting Palace
Hours: Thurs. - Sat. 10am - 6pm, Sunday 12pm - 5pm
Kurio Kastle is an awesome place for a family fun outing. We provide the pottery, glaze, tools, and ideas all you have to do is be ready to have creative fun. Just walk in and get started. No appointment necessary, call ahead for groups of 6 or more. Come, paint, let your inner artist out.
Winter Planter Make & Take | Dec. 2 at 11 am