On Saturday, December 5, 2026, Santa is booked for photos at the Marion Oaks Community Center in the morning and at Lake Lillian Park in Belleview in the afternoon, and Dunnellon's Christmas parade starts at 6 p.m. The first stop is on Marion Oaks Lane.
Marion Oaks' own holiday events come first on the calendar, and the big events in the nearby towns are timed almost one after another. If you live off SW 484, the season starts at your own community center. On the first Saturday in December, it moves outward in time order.
The building on Marion Oaks Lane is where the season starts
The address to remember is 294 Marion Oaks Lane. The Marion Oaks Community Center is there, and the Marion County Public Library System lists the Marion Oaks Public Library at the same address. Both of the neighborhood's holiday events this year happen in that building.
The first is Trains for Christmas, now in its 16th year. The Marion Oaks Community Association and Meadowbrook Model RR put it on, and it supports Toys for Tots. The 2026 dates are November 14 and 15. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, according to TrainShows.net, and admission is free. Sunday opens an hour later than Saturday, so if you're bringing grandkids to see the trains first thing, Saturday morning gives you the extra hour.
The second is the Marion Oaks Holiday Extravaganza on Saturday, December 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Only in Ocala's listing describes vendors, crafts, food trucks, performances, and photos with Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch. Fun 4 Ocala Kids lists the same date and hours.
If you went last year, plan around the new hours. The 2025 Extravaganza was on December 6 and ran from 3 to 8 p.m., as 352today reported. Moving it to the morning makes room for the rest of the day.
December 5, in order
Because the Extravaganza now ends at 2 p.m., Marion Oaks' event finishes right as Belleview's starts. Dunnellon's parade follows that evening. Here is the day by start time:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Marion Oaks Holiday Extravaganza. Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Lane. Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch are on hand for photos, along with vendors and food trucks.
- 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Light Up Lake Lillian. Lake Lillian Park in Belleview, hosted by the City of Belleview and free. The listing on Fun 4 Ocala Kids mentions Santa, free face painting for kids, bounce houses, games, crafts, cookie decorating and booths from local businesses.
- 6 p.m., Dunnellon Small Town Christmas Parade. Historic Downtown Dunnellon. The Dunnellon Chamber & Business Association lists the event from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
The handoffs aren't equally clean. The Extravaganza closes at 2 and Light Up opens at 2, so the drive between them eats into Belleview's first hour, but you still get most of the afternoon there. The evening is tighter. Light Up runs until 7 and the Dunnellon parade starts at 6, so you'll need to choose. You can stay at Lake Lillian until dark, or leave Belleview early enough to find a spot along the parade route before the first float.
The Dunnellon parade has a theme this year, "A Patriotic Christmas." The chamber says it was chosen because the country is marking its 250th anniversary, and it invited businesses, schools, churches, clubs and community groups to enter floats that honor "America's past while celebrating the joy of the holiday season."
If you'd rather keep December 5 simple, Belleview gives you a second chance at its parade. The Belleview Christmas Parade is on Sunday, December 6, at 2 p.m. downtown, and it's free to watch. Visit Ocala/Marion's holiday guide says the route starts at Lake Lillian and Robinson Road and ends at 110th Street. That splits the two towns across the weekend: Saturday afternoon at Light Up, Saturday night in Dunnellon, and the Belleview parade on Sunday afternoon.
The rest of the season, by date
Outside that weekend, most of the nearby holiday calendar is in Dunnellon. Much of it happens at one building, the Greater Dunnellon Historical Society's Historic Depot on South Williams Street. The Depot's event pages leave the year off their dates, so check them closer to each event.
- Tuesday, November 10, 6 p.m., Holiday Decorating at the Depot. The Historical Society decorates the Historic Depot. Event page.
- November 12 through January 7, 6 p.m. evening slots, Clydesdale Christmas Experiences & Holiday Tours. Grandview Clydesdale Farm & Tours, 10020 SW 125th Court Road, Dunnellon. A regular experience costs $62 and VIP costs $129. Children 2 and under are free. Grandview's holiday page.
- Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, Trains for Christmas. Back home on Marion Oaks Lane.
- Tuesday, December 1, 5 to 6 p.m., Storytime with the Mayor. Belleview Community Center, 5615 SE 110th Place. It includes crafts, a light dinner and a free book. It's a monthly city program, not a holiday event, but it's an easy weeknight stop in early December. City of Belleview calendar.
- Saturday, December 5, the three-stop day described above.
- Sunday, December 6, 2 p.m., Belleview Christmas Parade.
- Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Santa at the Depot for Holiday Express. Santa photos and holiday activities, $5 per person. Event page.
- Thursday, December 17, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Annual Cookie Exchange at the Depot. Bring cookies to trade or buy a box. Event page.
The Grandview tours run the longest. They start two days before Trains for Christmas and keep going after New Year's, so they work for guests who arrive after Christmas, when most of the other events are over.
If you're thinking about a holiday walk at Rainbow Springs, check the park page first. Florida State Parks says day-use reservations are required and that parking renovations from September 9, 2026, to February 4, 2027, will limit parking. The renovation covers the whole holiday season.
Holiday shopping still means driving north
This season's errands follow a familiar pattern. Holiday events come to Marion Oaks, but for now the holiday grocery run goes north.
A new grocery store is on the way. Ocala-News.com reported on September 9 that the exterior and parking lot were nearly finished at the Publix Diamond "A" Shopping Center at SW Highway 484 and SW 49th Court Road. By then the storefront glass was installed and light poles were up on the paved lot. The 19.4-acre site sits just west of I-75. Along with the grocery store, it has more than half a dozen tracts set aside for future retail and commercial use. That report gave no opening date. Until the store opens, the same report says the closest existing Publix is about five miles north at Cherrywood Market.
A Walmart Supercenter is also planned on the corridor. Walmart owns 19.61 acres at 5855 SW Highway 484, near SW 57th Avenue Road just north of Marion Oaks. The plan calls for a 170,995-square-foot store, a liquor store, six outparcels and space for a future fuel station. As of Only in Ocala's October 12 report, Walmart hadn't announced a construction start or an opening date.
So for the 2026 holidays, the grocery list and the event list point in different directions. For gifts close to home, the Extravaganza's vendor booths on the morning of December 5 and the local business booths at Light Up that afternoon are the nearest options. For the holiday meal itself, the nearest open Publix is still at Cherrywood Market until the new store opens.
Our team at Next Generation Realty is following the SW 484 corridor as the Publix site gets closer to opening and the Walmart plans move forward. If you'd like to know how those changes are showing up in Marion Oaks home values, or you just want to compare notes on the December 5 schedule, Contact Us. We're happy to help.
