At 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, the doors at 201 Reid Avenue open to people carrying boxes of ornaments, extension cords and parts of trees that are not finished yet. This is the first setup day for the 2026 Forgotten Coast Festival of Trees at The Joe Center for the Arts. Setup continues Friday and Saturday, then Monday and Tuesday, and every display has to be finished by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17.
The Christmas on the Coast parade on Saturday, December 12 is the last event of a season that will have been running downtown for more than three weeks. Most of that season, from the Santa visits to the workshops and the festival choirs, happens inside one building on Reid Avenue, and it is set up to raise money for the arts center that hosts it.
A season run as a fundraiser
The Joe calls the festival one of its most important fundraisers of the year. The money supports exhibitions, children's art camps, adult classes and workshops that run all year. Local artists, businesses, organizations and friends of The Joe create the trees and displays. Festival admission is free, so the fundraising happens through sponsorships, display entries and a silent auction.
Because it is a fundraiser, the festival keeps its own hours, which are not The Joe's usual gallery hours. Normally the gallery opens Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closes at 3 p.m. on Saturdays. The 2026 festival schedule changes that. All times are Eastern:
| Day | Festival hours |
|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 20, opening night | 5 to 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Wednesdays through Saturdays | 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Sundays, Nov. 22, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 | Noon to 4 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Nov. 25 | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Thanksgiving, Nov. 26 | Closed |
| Saturday, Dec. 12, final day | 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
| Mondays and Tuesdays | Closed |
After opening weekend, festival Saturdays stay open until 6 p.m., three hours later than a normal gallery Saturday. The last day goes back to a 3 p.m. close, nearly two hours before parade lineup begins.
November 21 starts at 8 in the morning
The festival opens on the evening of Friday, November 20, with a free opening and family reception at 5 p.m. The Joe lists selfies with Santa, a "Night Before Christmas" performance by the Panhandle Players, Christmas carols, and the opening of the silent auction. Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. that night.
The busiest morning of the season comes the next day. Three separate organizations have scheduled events on Saturday, November 21:
- 8 a.m. The Port St. Joe Garden Club holds Christmas in the Garden at 216 8th St. It is free and has handmade gifts, baked goods, holiday décor and a chance for a selfie with Santa.
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Salt Air Farmers' Market sets up on Miss Zola's Drive, in the shaded downtown park at the corner of US Highway 71 and Reid Avenue. The market is dog-friendly and sells produce, crafts and plants from local farmers and artisans.
- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Festival of Trees has its first full day.
- 1 to 3 p.m. The FCFC Gift Wrapping Station opens at The Joe for the first of six sessions.
- 5 to 7 p.m. Kelly Deal leads a Paint Night called Autumn Colors Bouquet.
The market comes back on December 5 and December 19, its first- and third-Saturday schedule. The December 5 market falls during the festival, and the December 19 market comes a week after the festival ends.
The weeks in between belong to The Joe
Between the opening weekend and the final Saturday, most of the downtown holiday calendar takes place at 201 Reid Avenue. The Joe's calendar lists these festival programs:
| Date | At The Joe |
|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Guided Qigong with Carolyn Boucher, 9 a.m.; Florida Snowball Fight, 1 p.m.; Santa and Mrs. Claus, 2 to 4 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 29 | FCFC Gift Wrapping Station, noon to 2 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Gift wrapping, noon; Christmas Gnome Ornaments with Cynthia Abromitis, 1 p.m.; Christmas Bow Making with Designs by Conni, 4 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Kids' Cupcake Decorating with Bayside Bakery, 3 p.m.; Santa and Mrs. Claus, 4 to 5 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Santa and Mrs. Claus and gift wrapping, 4 to 5:30 p.m.; First Friday, 5 p.m.; Christmas Storytelling for All Ages with Robyn Rennick, 6 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | "Yule" Ukulele Orchestra of the Forgotten Coast, noon; Santa and Mrs. Claus, 2 to 4 p.m.; Paint Night with Kelly Deal, Festive Flamingo, 5 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Philadelphia Primitive Baptist Choir, 2 p.m.; Vision Inspired Praises Choir, 3 p.m. |
| Tue., Dec. 8 | Merry & Marbled with Bayside Bakery, 6 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | Santa and Mrs. Claus and gift wrapping, 4 to 6 p.m.; Festive Holiday Yummies Demo with Chef Colleen Cleek, 6 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Jingle at the Joe, 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Gift wrapping, noon to 2 p.m. |
Including opening night, that adds up to six Santa and Mrs. Claus visits. Two fall on Saturday afternoons and the rest are on weekday afternoons or early evenings. Thursday, December 3 has a cupcake class from 3 to 4 p.m. followed by a Santa visit from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 9 has a Santa visit and gift wrapping that ends as Chef Colleen Cleek's demo begins.
Saturday, November 28 is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the Snowball Fight and a Santa visit fill the early afternoon. The Joe's own listing calls it a "Florida Indoor Snowball Fight."
The auction ends two days before the festival does
The silent auction opens at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 20, during the opening reception. It closes on Thursday, December 10. Because the festival keeps going through December 12, the last two days of tree viewing come after bidding has ended. Anyone who wants to bid needs to visit by December 10.
Jingle at the Joe runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on December 10, the same day bidding closes. The Joe describes it as a night of music and festive fun.
The next evening, December 11, the music moves away from The Joe. The Bay Area Choral Society performs its annual Christmas concert, Jingle All the Way, at 6 p.m. at 1001 Constitution Drive. The program mixes sacred and secular Christmas music, with musicians from Florida State University. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students.
December 12 runs from the festival to the lighthouse
On Saturday, December 12, the festival's final hours and the parade fall on the same day. In order:
- 11 a.m. The Festival of Trees opens for its last day. It closes at 3 p.m., three hours earlier than the other festival Saturdays.
- 1:30 p.m. The Gulftones Barbershop Chorus performs at The Joe.
- 2:30 p.m. The "Yule" Ukulele Orchestra of the Forgotten Coast plays its second festival set.
- 4:45 p.m. Parade lineup begins for Christmas on the Coast.
- 5 p.m. Float judging begins. Floats compete in four categories: Schools and Non-Profit, Family and Friends, Business, and Faith Based.
- 6 p.m. The parade starts on Monument Avenue. Afterward, Santa is at the Cape San Blas Lighthouse.
Christmas on the Coast is a City of Port St. Joe event. The City posts the parade route and float entry forms at cityofportstjoe.com.
The festival is fully over by the next afternoon. Displays come down on Sunday, December 13, from noon to 4 p.m. The December 19 Salt Air market on Miss Zola's Drive is the last scheduled downtown market of the year.
Beach Properties Real Estate Group has called Port St. Joe home since 2010. Our team will be on Reid Avenue this season along with everyone else. If you are hosting family for the holidays and want suggestions for where to take them between the Festival of Trees and the parade, or you have other questions about life on the Forgotten Coast, Contact Us.
