Holiday Gift Guide 2024

In my admittedly non-scientific polling of West Orange (i.e. I asked a few friends), it seems our community was ready to get the holiday season underway. Indeed, for the first time I can remember, we saw a few twinkling reindeer in our neighborhood greeting trick-or-treaters on Halloween night. 

In our excitement for the Christmas season, my wife and I decided our decorations would go up early this year. And so, on Sunday, Nov. 2, I pulled the tree out of hibernation in the garage and set it up in our living room — much to the delight of our kiddos. Now, mind you, no ornaments have not been placed on its branches, and no lights are affixed to the outside of our home. But hey: It’s a start!

Some may say that’s ridiculous, even ludicrous. To them, I say, “Get over it!”

Every year, the holiday season comes and goes in a blur, so why not rev it up just a few weeks earlier?

In that spirit, the Observer is ushering in the season with our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide — our handbook for the holiday season!

This year, we’re decking the halls by showing off many of our awesome hyperlocal businesses and their incredible offerings in West Orange’s official “wish book.”

This guide is chock full of gift ideas for every person on your list. And the best thing? They’re all available right here, at a shop in our community owned by someone who might even be your neighbor. 

In addition to our physical wish book, we have again partnered with these merchants to create our online O-Mazing Holiday Gift Guide! 

HOLLY JOLLY CHRISTMAS
Of course, our guide also includes a plethora of information you need to make your 2024 holiday season one to remember.

Check out our exclusive calendar of holiday events (pages 24-27) and make your plans for some Christmas fun with friends and family. There are so many events right here in our communities — Winter Garden, Ocoee, Windermere, Horizon West, Dr. Phillips, Oakland and Gotha. And if that weren’t enough, we’ve even included some favorites from throughout Central Florida.

If you’re sending gifts to loved ones across the state, the country or the world, we have shipping deadline information (page 5). And whether you’re traveling or staying home for the holidays, be sure to check out some safety tips courtesy of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (page 10).

Finally, we invite you to learn about many of the local non-profit organizations that do such important work in our community (page 16). We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the season of giving than supporting one of these worthy operations.

In the coming weeks, our community will be full of holiday cheer every weekend. Our team will be present at many of these events, so if you see us, please make sure you stop by and say hello!

From all of us at the Observer: We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!