Santa Claus arrives at The Gardens Mall on Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m., led through the mall by the Palm Beach Gardens High School marching band and a cast of costumed characters. The parade ends in the Grand Court, where Santa takes his throne and the mall's holiday season formally begins. The mall posted its full holiday calendar on Oct. 24, and it runs from the parade through Christmas Eve, with student dancers, a youth orchestra, a Nutcracker, a day for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre and a daylong school music marathon that raises money for type 1 diabetes research.

The Gardens Mall is at 3101 PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens, about a mile east of I-95. It opened in 1988. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The mall's calendar lists the holiday season as Nov. 1 through Dec. 25.

Santa's Arrival Parade, Nov. 13

The parade starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The Palm Beach Gardens High School marching band plays Santa in, and the procession finishes in the Grand Court. The mall's holiday page does not list a cost or tickets for the parade.

Photos with Santa, Nov. 14 to Dec. 24

Santa photos begin the next day, Saturday, Nov. 14, and run every day during mall hours through Thursday, Dec. 24. The set, called Santa's Enchanted Garden, is on the Lower Level Grand Court. The mall encourages families to book a photo time in advance through its reservation link and also takes walk-ups. Photo package prices are not posted on the mall's holiday page, so check the booking page before you go.

On weekends, Nutcracker stilt walkers work the Grand Court on Saturday and Sunday afternoons through Christmas Eve.

Performances on the calendar

Local dance schools and student musicians fill the mall's two main stages, the Grand Court and Nordstrom Court, on set dates through December:

  • Saturday, Nov. 14, 2 p.m.: Academy of Dance performance, Nordstrom Court.
  • Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Maltz Jupiter Theatre Day, Grand Court. The mall will donate 5 percent of the day's sales logged at its Concierge desk to the Jupiter theater.
  • Monday, Dec. 7, 2 p.m.: Dance Theater of Florida holiday performance, Grand Court.
  • Friday, Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m.: Char-Mar School dance performance, Nordstrom Court.
  • Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m.: MUSICTHON, Nordstrom Court.
  • Friday, Dec. 18, 5:30 p.m.: North Palm Youth Symphony, Grand Court.
  • Saturday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.: Paris Ballet holiday performances of The Nutcracker, Nordstrom Court.

MUSICTHON, Dec. 12

The longest event on the calendar is MUSICTHON, a full day of student music organized by the Palm Beach Music Teachers Association. Performers come from Palm Beach County school music programs and from the Treasure Coast, and the mall lists the event as running 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12, in Nordstrom Court. It is open to the public, and all proceeds go to Breakthrough T1D, the foundation that funds type 1 diabetes research. The mall has not listed an admission charge.

The Angel Tree, Nov. 20 to Dec. 20

The Salvation Army Angel Tree goes up on the lower level east wing from Friday, Nov. 20, through Sunday, Dec. 20. Each paper angel on the tree carries the name and holiday needs of a child in Palm Beach County. Shoppers take an angel, buy the gifts and bring them back to the tree, where donations are collected.

Planning a visit

The mall offers a free shuttle, called the Circuit, along with wheelchair and stroller rentals through its Ready, Set, Stroll program. Individual store and restaurant hours can differ from mall hours, and the mall has posted separate holiday hours for the season on its website.

The parade is Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Court at The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens. Santa photo reservations open through the link on the mall's Holiday Magic page, and the management office answers questions at 561.775.7750.

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