Nocatee A Glow Lasts Two Nights. The Light Show Lasts the Month.

Nocatee's December is two events under one name. Nocatee A Glow runs on Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Spray Waterpark and Nocatee Station Field. Admission is set up around the Nocatee Resident Card. On Dec. 6 the event ends and the light show keeps going. According to the official A Glow page, "the full light show will continue from December 6th - December 31st."

The two parts have different rules, and the difference matters if you are hosting family over the holidays. The kickoff weekend works like a resident amenity that guests can join. In at least two recent years, Nocatee's own announcements described the month-long display after it as open to the public. If that pattern holds, December has two windows: the first weekend for your household, and the rest of the month for guests who arrive on their own schedule.

Dec. 4 and 5 Run on a Resident Card

Every resident, including infants, has to show a valid Nocatee Resident Card at the entrance. Physical and digital cards are both accepted. Residents get in free both nights and don't need to RSVP. Guests pay $15 per person in advance or $20 at the door. Guests of every age need a ticket, and they must come in with a resident who has a valid card. Tickets are limited, nonrefundable and good only for the date bought.

Both evenings run the same program, and Nocatee asks residents to pick one. Here is what the night includes:

• Gates and check-in: Gates open at 6:15 p.m. and attractions start at 6:30. Everyone checks in at registration before going to the activities.
• Light Show debut: It plays at Spray Waterpark at 7 and 8 p.m.
• Station Field stage: The Vocalita's Trio performs at 6:15, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m. The Palm Valley Academy Dance Team performs at 7 p.m. and BLA Dance Academy at 8:15 p.m.
• For kids: Santa and friends, trackless train rides, inflatables, balloonists, a craft station and a petting zoo.
• Santa line: It moves quickly, and each family gets one photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
• Food: The trucks in the Food Truck Village on Nocatee Station Field serve only cardholders and their guests. Blue Water Grill is also open.
• Not allowed: Pets, balls and outside alcohol. Wine, beer and mixed drinks are sold on site.
• Parking: First-come, first-served at Spray and Splash waterparks, with overflow at Nocatee Community Park. There is no shuttle.

State Farm Insurance's Jonathan Gibbs is the gold sponsor and ICI Homes is the silver sponsor.

For a household, those rules make the kickoff a simple outing. For a host, the costs add up quickly. A family of four visiting from out of town needs four guest tickets for one specific night, and someone with a card has to walk in with them.

The Show After the Event Changes Every Year

The light show on Dec. 6–31 is the more flexible part, and it has also changed the most from year to year. Nocatee's news blog has described it differently each December:

The details for the rest of the month have usually come out after A Glow, not before. The 2023 post went up on Dec. 11, the 2024 post on Dec. 16, and the 2025 post on Dec. 12. The 2023 post also included a one-night change: on Dec. 18 of that year, the display opened to the public at 7 p.m. because of a special event. Showtimes and gate times can change midmonth, so check the current post before bringing a carload.

Nocatee's 2024 announcement called the open-to-the-public display "a wonderful opportunity to preview Nocatee's resort-style amenities." In a year with that policy, a resident's visiting relatives could walk through on a Tuesday without a ticket.

Planning Guests Around the Two Windows

Taken together, the calendar suggests a simple plan for December:

1. Dec. 4 or 5 for the household. Pick one night, bring every family member's card, and buy guest tickets ahead of time at the $15 advance price instead of $20 at the door.
2. Dec. 6–31 for visiting family. Check the current light-show post on Nocatee's news blog for access and showtimes, then plan a weeknight visit around them.
3. A Saturday market for anyone in town. The Nocatee Farmers Market has a history of public holiday markets, covered below.
4. Dec. 12 for a morning with Santa. It's a second chance at a photo without the A Glow line.

Before and After the Lights

The streets around the waterparks have several restaurants that weren't there last December, which helps when you're feeding a group before a 6 or 7 p.m. show.

Riviera 89 opened Sept. 18 at 100 Marketside Ave., Suite 305. The Ponte Vedra Recorder described it as serving Italian-French food, with a full bar and indoor and outdoor seating. It's the sit-down option of the group, good for adults visiting after the kids' event weekend is over.

SoFresh held its grand opening on Sept. 3 at 75 Irondale Road, Suite 105, in Marketplace at Nocatee, according to the St. Johns Citizen. The menu has customizable bowls, salads, wraps, quesadillas, smoothies and juices. The SoFresh location page lists hours of 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekends, late enough for an early dinner before a show.

Easy Açaí is in the former Clean Juice space in Nocatee Town Center, east of Crosswater Parkway. Its announced hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Its grand-opening event is set for Dec. 12, the same Saturday as Breakfast with Santa.

Firehouse Subs is slated for late fall 2026 at The Corner Markets at Nocatee, across Crosswater Parkway from Splash Waterpark. Jacksonville.com reported the planned address as 1035 Crosswater Parkway, Suite A. Splash is one of the two A Glow parking areas, so this corner sits next to the kickoff weekend.

On the A Glow nights themselves, food is already handled on site by the Food Truck Village and Blue Water Grill. The new restaurants matter more for the evenings after it.

The Calendar From Here

The season actually starts before December. The Nocatee Farmers Market Fall Festival is this Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Nocatee Station Field, 400 Nocatee Center Way. It's open to the public, with more than 70 vendors, live music and family attractions. It's an easy first outing for anyone already in town for Thanksgiving.

Breakfast with Santa is Saturday, Dec. 12, from 8 a.m. to noon at Blue Water Bar and Grill and Spray Waterpark. Resident tickets cost $15 per adult and $10 per child, and Lazzara Orthodontics is the primary sponsor.

Santa makes one more scheduled stop at the Nocatee Farmers Market on Dec. 19. Recent December markets have followed a pattern. The 2024 "Winterfest" market was open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with about 70 local vendors, and the 2025 version used the same hours with around 70 vendors. The 2026 listing on the resident events calendar will have this year's details.

The A Glow kickoff takes a resident card on Dec. 4 or 5, and the light show at Spray Waterpark runs through Thursday, Dec. 31, under whatever access rules Nocatee posts for this year.

If the holidays have you thinking about where your Nocatee home stands before the new year, Julie Little Brewer can put together a current, neighborhood-specific picture of its value in time for your January plans. Request Your Complimentary Home Valuation.