Stay safe and enjoy the winter holidays

This year, Christmas takes place on Monday, Dec. 25 and New Year’s Day will be observed on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Before celebrating the holidays with your loved ones, check out our Holiday Guide to learn which County services will be affected, find fun events to celebrate the holiday season, read tips to ensure your holidays are celebrated safely and find ways to give back to your community.

Services

• Miami-Dade County offices will be closed Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
• Transportation and Public Works will operate on a Sunday schedule on Monday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
• Solid Waste Management will operate as scheduled on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
• Miami-Dade Public Libraries will be closed Saturday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 

Events

• Historic Holiday Décor: Holidays in Wonderland, A Lewis Carroll Story
  Visitors can tour the historic houses of Deering Estate as they come alive with holiday accents and decorations that will transport visitors to the whimsical world of Lewis Carroll. The Historic Holiday Décor is displayed daily at 10 a.m. from Nov. 24 through Jan. 7, 2024 at Deering Estate.
• Holiday events at Miami-Dade Libraries
  Search for fun, festive and family-friendly events hosted at local libraries across Miami-Dade County.
• Adoption fees waived in December
  Animal Services encourages residents to experience the lifelong love and joy of pet parenthood by adopting a shelter pet this holiday season. This December, adoption fees at the Pet Adoption and Protection Center and satellite adoption centers are waived for pets over 4 months old.
• The NightGarden at Fairchild Botanical Garden
  Enjoy the cool Miami nights this December at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s NightGarden to explore a combination of lighting effects, state-of-the-art holographic technology, projection mapping, music and more.
• Holiday Cheers – Sip & Stroll
  Adults 21 and over can get into the holiday spirit at Zoo Miami for its Holiday Cheers Sip & Stroll on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. Enjoy a live DJ, unlimited boat rides, special character appearances and more.
• Adopt a shelter pet on Save Charlie Day
  With the exception of extreme cases, animal euthanasia ended in Miami-Dade animal shelters with the passing of the Save Charlie Act. Visit the Pet Adoption and Protection Center on Dec. 16 for a pet adoption event celebrating Save Charlie Day, including free admission, food, activities and fun for the whole family to enjoy.
• Register your kids for winter camps
  Winter break runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2024. Choose from dozens of general camp locations or specialty camps based on your child’s interest. Registration is required.
• Zoo Lights
  Take in over a million dazzling tree lights and joyous holiday spirit as Zoo Miami hosts Zoo Lights on select nights through Dec. 30. Each night hosts a special theme.

Safety Tips

• If you’re cooking at home, pouring oil down the drain can cause messy, costly sewage backups and system-wide clogged pipes. Remember to can the grease
• Check out some more cooking safety tips to make sure your holiday dinner goes off without a hitch
• Learn about the proper ways businesses should handle and dispose of fat, oil and grease
• The holidays shouldn’t be a pain. Learn more about general holiday safety tips to make sure you stay safe in all aspects of the holiday season
• Each year more than 10,000 fireworks-related injuries are treated in emergency rooms across the United States. Check out some tips to enjoy fireworks safely
• One of the nation’s busiest and most dangerous times to drive is the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Check out some driving safety tips
• Stay safe while you shop for the holidays by implementing these shopping safety tips
• Shopping online has become even more common than visiting your local shopping center. Learn more about online shopping safety precautions
• Identity theft most commonly occurs online, but thieves can get your personal information in other ways. Learn more about identity theft and fraud
• If you’re traveling during the holidays, learn how to better prepare for your adventure with these safety travel tips

Giving Back

• United Way of Miami-Dade
  Make a tax-deductible donation to the services that matter most to you. Celebrate the spirit of the holiday by giving back to your community through a donation to United Way of Miami-Dade County.
• Presents for Pets Holiday Donation Drive
  From Dec. 1 through Jan. 31, 2024, the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department launched the third annual Presents for Pets holiday drive for shelter pets in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System. Share the warmth of the holiday season by picking up a present for a shelter pet as they wait for their forever home.
• Animal Services Foster Parent Program
  Have you ever considered fostering a dog or cat in need of a home? Fostering adoptable animals to live in a temporary home allows more space at the shelter, giving more homeless pets a second chance at a new life.