I-Drive Business Improvement District Hosts Official Holiday Tree Lighting at ICON Park

Tree lighting and snowfall event to take place Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. End Quote

Orlando, FL (1888PressRelease) November 13, 2024 - The holiday season is the most magical time of the year in Central Florida, and there’s one staple that signals the start of the holiday season in Orlando — the I-Drive Business Improvement District’s official holiday tree shining under The Orlando Eye at ICON Park!

At 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, a ceremony will take place to celebrate the lighting of the 50-foot holiday tree decorated from top to bottom. Local celebrities and officials, including Mayor Jerry L. Demings, will gather to flip the switch that will make lights dance on the beautiful tree and signal the start of the holiday season on International Drive.

The event will feature performances from Emcee and vocalist Jonathan McFadden, the Dr. Phillips High School Dance Magnet Program performing excerpts from the Nutcracker, and special appearances by the Grinch, the Gingerbread Man, and Santa’s Elves.

The world-famous Blue Man Group is also set to make a surprise appearance at the destination’s annual tree lighting event with their own distinctive kind of holiday “help.”

The beloved lighting ceremony will transform from classic to creative as the blue men plan to crash the event, interrupting the Mayor and county officials to help flip the switch in an explosion of colorful celebration and fun.

Blue Man Group were invited as special guests for this year’s ceremony, as they prepare to open their new show and custom-built theater at ICON Park opening April 3, 2025. Full of both new scenes and classic favorites, the show will feature Blue Man Group’s unique blend of high-energy live music, creative art, and comedic audience interactions. The Blue Man Store is now open at ICON Park, and tickets are on sale now at Blueman.com

Following the ceremony, snow will fall on The Lawn from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. During this time guests can also experience the flavors of the season brought to you by Pepsi. The Pepsi holiday pop up on the lawn will provide tastings, giveaways, activities, and more!

To add to the festivities, guests can also visit The Santa Workshop Experience located inside The Wheelhouse to meet Santa and take festive family photos. Reservations for The Santa Workshop Experience are required in advance – Click here to book your tickets now.

“As the heart of the Orlando Entertainment District, ICON Park is proud to host the I-Drive Business Improvement District’s official holiday tree again,” said Chris Jaskiewicz, president and CEO of ICON Park. “We welcome locals and tourists alike to enjoy all of the amazing holiday experiences across International Drive and look forward to creating magical memories this season.”

ICON Park is at the center of the new Orlando Entertainment District. With free parking and conveniently located near I-4, Universal Boulevard and the Beachline, this premiere entertainment complex is easy to access for any Central Florida resident or Orlando tourist.

The holiday tree will be present for viewing at ICON Park through New Year's Day.

To learn more about the I-Drive District holiday tree lighting ceremony, click here. For more information about ICON Park, visit https://iconparkorlando.com/.
To view or download images, click here.
About ICON Park
ICON Park is a global leader in location-based entertainment in the most-visited destination in the U.S., attracting millions of guests each year with its unique collection of branded immersive experiences including attractions, restaurants, bars, live entertainment and shops.

ICON Park’s portfolio of 50+ tenants includes globally recognized brands that appeal to both families and adults. The destination encompasses multiple, world-famous entertainment attractions, over a dozen immersive restaurants and bars, nightly live music, and an extensive shopping and outdoor marketplace — all anchored under the brilliant lights of The Orlando Eye by Merlin Entertainments. Just a few of the famous brands that call ICON Park home include Merlin Entertainments’ Madame Tussauds and Sea Life Aquarium, Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, Darden’s Yard House, Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips, The Sugar Factory, Museum of Illusions, Shake Shack, Tin Roof, Uncle Julio’s and Build-A-Bear Workshop. Open 365 days a year, ICON Park’s continual roster of activities, nightly live music, and special events — plus free parking and no gate admission — make it a popular day and night choice for Orlando’s 74 million visitors and residents.

ICON Park is located at the epicenter of Orlando’s Entertainment District — with entrances on both International Drive and Universal Boulevard – and surrounded by 150+ hotels, world-famous theme parks, the second-largest convention center in the United States, and 1,000+ restaurants, attractions and retail outlets The area is further expanding with $5 billion in growth investments including Universal Orlando’s much-anticipated fourth theme park Epic Universe; $4 billion in new and expanding hotels, attractions, restaurants, convention space, entertainment venues and roadwork enhancements; hundreds of millions of dollars to further expand Orange County’s convention center; and a leg of the $1.75 billion high-speed rail line project, Brightline, which will directly link the I-Drive area to Orlando International Airport and the 50+ million passengers it serves annually.

To learn more about ICON Park, visit https://iconparkorlando.com.

About Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon, known for its award-winning theatrical productions, iconic characters and multiple creative explorations. Blue Man Group performances are euphoric celebrations of human connection through art, music, comedy and non-verbal communication.

Since debuting at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991, the live show has expanded to additional domestic residencies in Boston, Chicago, and Las Vegas, an international residency in Berlin, and multiple North American and World Tours, reaching more than 50 million people worldwide.

Blue Man Group is universally appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds, and continually injected with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and sensory stimulating graphics. Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. For more information, please visit Blueman.com.

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