The holidays are a great time to see things you can not see any other time of year; from incredible attractions at Orlando theme parks such as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom to the Universal Studios’ Grinchmas, seasonal fun is around every corner. And during the month of December, you can literally see it walking down the street with several incredible parades. From Orlando to Winter Park, Florida is lighting up with these holiday and non-holiday-related city celebrations that you and the family should definitely not miss.

The first parade to kick off the seasons this month is the 56th annual Ye Olde Hometown Christmas Parade in Winter Park. Presented by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, this yearly parade down Park Avenue showcases holiday themed floats and local figures with a special appearance by the man of the season himself, Santa Claus. The fun starts at 9 am at Canton Avenue and ends at approximately 10:30 am at Lyman Avenue. After the parade, be sure to enjoy Park Avenue’s incredible shops and the beautiful nearby city park.

Next up is the Orlando award-winning Christmas Parade, which will feature a totally new look this year. Now a spectacular night parade and festival, “Light Up the Holidays” will feature twinkling floats and the sounds of eight local high school marching bands. The parade will also be filled with celebrities and stellar performances, starting with an opening performance by the cast of the Pirates Dinner Adventure. The event will be hosted by sound effect master Michael Winslow from the film Police Academy, who will narrate a cooking demonstration with Emeril’s Orlando Chef.

The two-hour procession will circle Lake Eola Park starting at Robinson Street and Summerlin Avenue in Thornton Park. Lasting from 6 pm to 8 pm, the parade will be aired on ORANGE TV and WRDQ-TV 27 on December 20th. Accompanying the parade will be the Holiday in the Park festival at Lake Eola Park, featuring vendors, retailers, and entertainment.

And as a prelude to the Champs Sports Bowl game on December 27th, Winter Park will host the 2nd annual Champs Sports Bowl Parade of Bands on December 26th at 2 pm. School bands and team mascots from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten Teams will march through downtown and along Park Avenue. After turning west on Garfield Avenue, they’ll perform a “Bandtastic Game Day Preview” in Central Park.

Wrapping up the month of parades will be the 2008 Spherion Orlando Citrus Parade presented by Delta Air Lines on December 30th. Since 1999, this annual parade draws people from all over who come to see the unique vegetation-adorned floats. Only in the Citrus Parade can you see floats decorated with more than 100,000 oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines. This year, The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison and Extreme Makeover’s Paige Hemmis will cohost the annual parade, which features Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Lochte as Grand Marshal and Grammy Award winner Scott Stapp singing the National Anthem. The parade will begin at 11 am at Orange and Robinson Avenue, turn on to South Street, and then end on Rosalind and Robinson Avenue in front of Lake Eola Park.

All these great parades happen only once a year, so if you’re a resident or visiting town, you have to catch at least one. So pack a lunch, wear your sneakers, and get ready to see incredible floats, entertainment, and celebrities march down the streets of Orlando and Winter Park.