Christmas Day 2023: What’s open in South Florida

Lois K. Solomon, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
·6 min read

In this lively, energetic region we live in, Christmas Day comes with a jolt: It gets real quiet.

The vast majority of businesses are closed, and the roads are near empty. It seems like there’s nowhere to go and nothing to do.

But there’s actually a world of open South Florida restaurants and attractions for those who want to get out of the house on Dec. 25. The weather is expected to be warm, with high temperatures in the 70s, making it a perfect day to head outdoors for a walk or family softball game.

Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures or a restaurant with a cozy atmosphere, you’ll find lots of options below, all open on the holiday. How lucky we are to be able to leave our winter jackets in the closet to celebrate this holiday season.

PARKS AND ATTRACTIONS

Outdoor options:The beaches are open, as is Everglades National Park (which has three entrances: in Homestead, Miami and Everglades City). Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale and the Ski Rixen USA cable park in Deerfield Beach are open, but other Broward County parks are closed. Palm Beach County parks are open.

Museum of Discovery and Science: 401 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale; 954-467-6637; mods.org. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check out the kid-oriented Lego, hurricane, minerals and space exhibits. The IMAX theater will be showing several films throughout the day, including “Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope,” about inspirational natural initiatives around the world.

Xtreme Action Park: 5300 Powerline Road, Fort Lauderdale; 954-491-6265; xtremeactionpark.com. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The park is an enormous indoor entertainment site with a ropes course, go-karts, bowling, roller skating, laser tag and escape rooms.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS, DISPLAYS & ENTERTAINMENT

Holiday Fantasy of Lights: at Tradewinds Park, 3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek; holidaylightsdrivethru.com. From 6 to 10 p.m., check out this 3-mile drive through an extravagant light display. Cost: $26 a car.

Christmas at The Oasis: at Oasis Church, 12201 SW 14th St, Pembroke Pines; 954-433-4838; visitoasis.org/christmas. Hours are 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The church says “almost a million” lights will be on display. Train rides, hay rides, a selfie wall and holiday music will add to the festivities.

Sandi the Christmas Sand Tree: at the Great Lawn, 100 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach; wpb.org/events. Sandi is billed as the “world’s only 35-foot, 700-ton holiday sand tree.” She has a synchronized light and music show on the quarter hour from 6 to 10 p.m.

100-foot Christmas Tree: at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; downtowndelraybeach.com/events. Open on Christmas Day from 5 to 9 p.m., the Holiday Village is right in downtown Delray Beach with its funky restaurants and people-watching spots.

SHOPPING

Swap Shop: 3291 W. Sunrise Blvd., Lauderhill, and 3438 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth Beach; floridaswapshop.com. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Swap Shop is a flea market where you can find almost anything you can think of, from sunglasses to kitchen decor to car parts. It’s a South Florida institution, around since opening as a drive-in theater in 1963.

Festival Marketplace: 2900 W. Sample Road, Pompano Beach; 954-979-4555; shopfestival.com. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. With items such as clothing, jewelry, electronics and gardening supplies, here’s another flea market that’s good for discount shopping and people-watching. There’s been some question about the future of the site, which was set to be demolished in favor of a warehouse distribution center, but it’s still here and will be open for Christmas Day shopping and food-court dining.

RESTAURANTS

Broward County

Charm City Burger Co.: 1136 E. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach; 954-531-0300; charmcityburgerco.com. The amateur reviewers of “Let’s Eat, South Florida,” the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s foodie Facebook group, love this little joint near the Intracoastal Waterway. One wrote recently: “Just sharing a great experience … Charm City Burger Company! Food was excellent, as always, and service was above and beyond!” Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Christmas Eve and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Day.

Toa Toa Chinese Restaurant: 4145 NW 88th Ave., Sunrise; 954-746-8833; toatoadimsum.com. Opens at 11 a.m. Dim sum, noodles and egg foo young are on the menu.

Timpano Las Olas: 450 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-462-9119; timpanolasolas.com. This eatery will have an a la carte version of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an American-Italian tradition, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Options also include Marinated Seafood Salad ($35), Stuffed Haddock Fillet ($58) and Pan-Roasted Dover Sole ($75).

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Palm Beach County

Avocado Grill: 125 Datura St., West Palm Beach; 561-623-0822; avocadogrillwpb.com. On Christmas Day, this restaurant with a view of the Intracoastal Waterway will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. In addition to the a la carte menu, there will be special holiday dishes including Beef Tartare ($25), Seared Jumbo Scallops ($45), Grilled Beef Tenderloin ($65), Truffle Risotto ($42) and a Praline Chocolate Tart ($12).

Leila Restaurant: 120 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-659-7373; leilawpb.com. Known for its Middle Eastern cuisine, this family-owned eatery will be open from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and offer a special dish of Roasted Leg of Lamb with Vegetables, Rice and Salad for four people ($165). And both evenings will have the usual live entertainment with belly dancing performances.

The Seagate Hotel & Spa, 1000 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 561-665-4900; seagatedelray.com On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, from noon to 10 p.m., the Atlantic Grille’s holiday specials menu will include items such as Winter Kale Soup with Lamb Shank ($14), Crab Stuffed Snapper ($48), Roast Prime Rib of Beef ($56) and Yule Log Christmas Tree dessert ($16).

Ben’s Kosher Deli, 9942 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton; 561-470-9963; bensdeli.net. The deli will be open regular hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for lunch, dinner and takeout. There are two catering specials: a Holiday Season Dinner ($329.88) and a Party Platter Plus ($199.90). There are also catered meals ranging in price from $149.90 to $739.98.

Café Boulud, 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach; 561-655-6060; cafeboulud.com/palmbeach. On Christmas Day, there will be a three-course, prix-fixe brunch for $115 per person and a three-course dinner for $210 per person.

Staff writer Rod Stafford Hagwood contributed to this report.