This Saturday, November 7, the Veterans Day Parade steps off at 10 a.m. at 38500 5th Ave. in downtown Zephyrhills. At the same hour, vendors open for the Historic Downtown Dade City Farmers Market at Agnes Lamb Park, 14200 9th St.
November 7 is the only day this season when both towns have a downtown event at the same time. After that, the published 2026 dates never land on the same day. Dade City has a date, then Zephyrhills, then Dade City again, all the way to the Santa event on December 19. Most of these events also sit on just a few blocks: 5th Avenue in Zephyrhills and 7th Street in Dade City. If you live anywhere between the two towns, you can plan November and December around every one of them without having to choose.
November 7 is the one day both towns overlap
The Zephyrhills parade runs from 10 a.m. to noon, according to Main Street Zephyrhills. The Dade City market runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Its organizer, Community Markets & Events, lists baked goods, honey, handmade items, décor, plants and gifts. The market goes two hours past the end of the parade, so you can watch the parade and still make the market before vendors pack up.
The same Saturday kicks off Dade City's Veterans Week. The City of Dade City lists it on its homepage as November 7 through November 14, with events honoring veterans. That week ends on the busiest single day on Dade City's November calendar.
From here, the dates take turns
Here are the published dates in order:
- Saturday, Nov. 7: both towns, with the Zephyrhills Veterans Day Parade and the Dade City Farmers Market
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Dade City, with the Civil War Reenactment and the Grand Heritage Ball
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Zephyrhills, with the Downtown Zephyrhills Saturday Market
- Monday, Nov. 23: Zephyrhills, with the Christmas Tree Lighting
- Friday, Dec. 4: Dade City, with the Christmas Parade
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Zephyrhills, with the Festival of Lights
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Dade City, with the Christmas Stroll
- Saturday, Dec. 19: Zephyrhills, with Santa Comes to Town
From November 14 to December 19, the town changes with every entry on the list. Saturday, November 28, the weekend after Thanksgiving, has nothing on this list, and the first weekend of December is the one time both towns have a big event, on back-to-back nights.
November 14 belongs to Dade City's history calendar
Veterans Week ends on a Saturday that runs from morning into night in Dade City. The Pioneer Florida Museum holds its Civil War Reenactment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day. The day before, Friday the 13th, it hosts a Civil War History Field Trip Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The museum is at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road.
The reenactment ends at 4 p.m., and an hour later the Dade City Heritage Museum's Grand Heritage Ball begins. It runs 5 to 10 p.m. at the Dade City Garden Club, 13630 5th St. The Zephyrhills chamber listing says Regency or Victorian period attire is required and the evening is 21 and over. It also lists a live string quartet and emcee, heavy hors d'oeuvres, a dessert reception, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle and best-dressed awards.
That Garden Club address is on 5th Street, and it's a good place to point out how the street names work out here. Dade City and Zephyrhills both have a 5th and a 7th, and those streets carry a lot of the season in both towns. The ball is on Dade City's 5th Street. Zephyrhills' parade, tree lighting and Festival of Lights all list 38500 5th Ave. Dade City's parade and stroll use 7th Street. When a listing gives only a street name, check which town it means.
Zephyrhills takes the back half of November
The Downtown Zephyrhills Saturday Market is on the November 21 listings from Florida's Sports Coast. That entry doesn't give an exact address. Two days later, on Monday, November 23, the Main Street Christmas Tree Lighting is set for 7 p.m. at 38500 5th Ave., according to the Greater East Pasco Chamber of Commerce. Because it falls on a Monday, the tree lighting is the one event this season that stays clear of the weekend rotation.
If you drive into downtown Zephyrhills for these, expect some sidewalk work nearby. The City of Zephyrhills posted an alert on October 27 about a sidewalk project starting in November 2026. It is expected to take about six months and will add 3,800 feet of sidewalk on 6th Avenue and Airport Road, plus 2,200 feet in Zephyr Heights. That means the work will still be underway for every holiday event on the list.
December 4 and 5 put the two towns' biggest nights back to back
The two towns' biggest nights fall on back-to-back days. Dade City's Christmas Parade starts at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 4, and runs along 7th Street from MLK Boulevard to Church Street. This year's theme is America250. The Pioneer Florida Museum runs entries for the parade, and its calendar puts the spectator policy plainly:
Always free for spectators!
The museum invites spectators to wear red, white and blue for the theme, or festive light-up Christmas clothing, though it says that's optional. Post a parade photo publicly on Facebook and tag the Pioneer Florida Museum by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, and you're entered in a drawing for four free museum admission passes.
Less than a day later, the Main Street Zephyrhills Festival of Lights runs from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, at 38500 5th Ave. Go to both and you'll see the two downtowns' biggest holiday nights about 21 hours apart.
The food this year fits those two nights well. Farm Basket Café is at 14117 7th St. in Dade City, on the same street as the parade. The Hernando Sun reported that the Greater East Pasco Chamber of Commerce held its ribbon cutting on June 25. The family-owned deli and bakery took over the space long known as Olga's and serves coffee, made-to-order sandwiches and baked goods. This is its first holiday season downtown.
In Zephyrhills, the newest sit-down option downtown is Trattoria Napoli on 7th Street. It held its grand opening August 27. Tampa Bay 28 reported that it received a $50,000 commercial improvement grant from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency and that the owner brings more than 30 years of culinary experience. According to the city's grant program document, awards run from $1,000 to $50,000 per property, so the restaurant received the largest amount the program allows. In December 2025, by comparison, the same agency approved about $9,000 toward repaving a parking lot for the Village Inn.
If you just want something quick before the Dade City parade, Dade City's first Chick-fil-A opened September 3 at 12645 U.S. 301. The company says it's operator Scott Amole's second local restaurant, after Zephyrhills.
The final two Saturdays close the rotation
On December 12, Dade City's 2026 Christmas Stroll runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at Meridian Street and 7th Street, according to Visit Florida. That puts it on 7th Street again, eight days after the parade.
On December 19, the season ends back on 5th Avenue in Zephyrhills. Santa Comes to Town, also called Santa @ Zephyr Market, runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church Zephyrhills, 38300 5th Ave. It's presented by First National Bank of Pasco. Florida's Sports Coast lists free photos with Santa, children's activities, goody bags, holiday music, local vendors and a "Florida snow flurry," with free admission and free parking. It's the last Saturday on the list before Christmas week.
Older calendar pages for some of these events still show 2023, 2024 or 2025 dates. Look for the 2026 listing from the group that runs each event before you drive out.
If you're thinking about calling east Pasco home, or you already do and just have questions about the area, The Waugh Group is glad to talk Dade City and Zephyrhills with you, from the parade routes to the new places to eat. Schedule a free consultation whenever you're ready.
