Downtown Cleveland's Tower City is turning into a holiday hub starting Nov. 28, with a 34-day run of free family programming that stretches all the way to a balloon drop on New Year's Eve. The lineup includes a 35-foot tree, recurring weekend activities, and a string of date-specific events built around Santa, snow and other activities.
The celebration, dubbed Tower City for the Holidays, runs from Nov. 28 through Dec. 31, 2026, and will include free, family-friendly programming, events and festive décor, according to Cleveland.com. The décor anchor is a 35-foot holiday tree set up on the Tower City Grand Staircase, the outlet reports.
Santa, Snow And A Returning Forest
Holiday headquarters will give families a one-stop spot for photos with Santa, wish-list mailing and festive arts and crafts, running noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 4, 11 and 18, per the same report. Nearby, Bruce the Spruce's Forest returns with a talking holiday tree and an enchanted forest, open noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 28 through Dec. 19. The forest is described as a Cleveland tradition dating back to the 1960s, according to cleveland13news.com.
Once December weekends arrive, Tower City's snow shows will send fake snow falling through Skylight Concourse at noon and 3:30 p.m., Cleveland.com notes. That same Skylight Concourse space hosts WinterLand on opening day, Nov. 28, from noon to 4 p.m., with train rides, a bounce house, a prize wheel and other holiday-themed activities set up for the day.
Big Gift Giveaway And A Mayoral Visit
Tower City will welcome more than 2,000 children to receive gifts at a Cleveland PAL event running noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 5, Cleveland.com's report states. A week later, Jingle Jam in the Land brings Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb along with Santa and friends to Tower City from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 12; registration is required for that event, per Cleveland.com's coverage.
Evenings during the first three weekends of December get their own adult-oriented twist. Holiday pop-up bar carts will appear in Tower Court and Skylight Concourse, serving signature cocktails, beer, wine and seltzer from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 4, 11 and 18, Cleveland.com's report notes.
Ringing In The New Year At Noon
The season closes out with Noon Year's Eve on Dec. 31, running 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with dance parties, character meet-and-greets, balloon artists and hat decorating. More than 6,000 balloons will drop at noon to mark the occasion, according to the outlet. A Tower City Center page describing a prior 2025 edition of the event calls it a free family celebration featuring sensory play, crafts and giveaways alongside the balloon drop.
Cleveland13News separately describes Tower City hosting a series of interactive experiences and events every weekend in December, a pattern that lines up with the recurring Bruce the Spruce's Forest hours and snow shows. The same report notes nearly 38,000 attendees have turned out for WinterLand, though it does not specify which year that attendance figure reflects. The station's coverage also mentions an 8-foot spiral Story Slide inspired by Cleveland's connection to A Christmas Story, located near The Eatery in Skylight Concourse and open during Tower City's regular hours.
Tower City is located at 230 W. Huron Road in Cleveland, with the full slate of holiday programming running through the end of December before the calendar year turns over at midnight after Dec. 31, following the Noon Year's Eve balloon drop.
