Galleria Fort Lauderdale Holiday 2026: A Coral Ridge Guide
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
"The mall remains in full operation during all of the planned improvements, many of which are already in permitting."
Stephanie Toothaker, the developer's attorney, said that to the South Florida Sun Sentinel in early September. It matters a lot to anyone in Coral Ridge who walks or drives to the Galleria for a quick errand, a dinner reservation or a holiday gift. The headlines are about eight 30-story towers. The mall's own fall calendar is about Santa, a Halloween party and free classes at the Apple store. For the 2026 holiday season, the calendar is the one that counts.
A joint venture of GFO Investments, InSite Group, Prime Finance and Atlas Hill Real Estate bought the 31.5-acre property for $73 million in September 2025. It filed redevelopment plans under Florida's Live Local Act the month before the sale closed. As of the Sun Sentinel's September 5, 2026 report, the plan was still under city review along with a traffic analysis. That was about a year after submission, and the paper said not to expect a groundbreaking any time soon.
The current proposal calls for eight towers, five called Galleria East and three called Galleria West. Each would reach 308 feet 6 inches to the roofline, and the plan includes 3,144 residential units and a 170-room hotel. Earlier coverage said nine towers. The Sun Sentinel says the real number is eight, and an L-shaped building may have caused the confusion. City officials disagree about the plan, and that debate is still open. It doesn't change anything about this year's shopping season.
The tenant schedule moves faster. The mall's next big headline tenant, a Wayfair flagship, is expected in late 2027. Between now and then, the Galleria's anchors, stores and restaurants are the ones listed in the directory today.
The Galleria once had five anchors: Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Burdines, Dillard's and Lord & Taylor. Lord & Taylor closed in 2002, Saks in 2009 and Neiman Marcus in 2020. Dillard's and Macy's anchor the mall today. Apple, H&M and Banana Republic are also listed in the mall directory. In the Sun Sentinel story, Commissioner Steve Glassman named the Apple store as the spot that still draws a crowd.
Dining is the part of the property that matters most on a weeknight. The mall's dining directory lists these spots:
Blue Martini, The Capital Grille, P.F. Chang's and Seasons 52 were also named as Galleria restaurants when the Sun Sentinel covered the sale in September 2025. All four were still on the mall's roster a year later. The directory shows each restaurant on the property but doesn't publish each one's hours, so call ahead for a holiday-week reservation.
Two smaller listings are newer additions. The directory says Artesano Bakehouse is "now open" on Level 2 near Pandora, with croissants, cookies, savory quiches and coffee. Gia's Chocolatier is listed near Macy's and Finish Line. The ownership group is still adding tenants while it waits for city approval of the towers.
The remodel is happening store by store, before any tower is approved. In mid-August, a sales clerk at Chico's told a Sun Sentinel reporter the store would close in two weeks to make way for a remodel of that section. By early September, the sign was gone and brown paper covered the storefront.
Toothaker said some stores are moving to make way for the renovation. She described "significant upgrades proposed to the mall itself, including facade improvements and at significant mall entrances." No timetable has been published for that work, and no notice has been posted about entrances or parking. A store you visited last spring may have moved to a different wing. The directory is the quickest way to check before you go.
The owners are planning the mall's future and programming its current space at the same time. The events page runs through New Year's Eve:
| Dates | Event | Where and what |
|---|---|---|
| Through October 31 | One-on-One Beauty Lessons | Personalized makeup and skincare tips from Sephora beauty experts |
| October 20 to November 27 | Share the Warmth | The mall's seasonal giving campaign |
| October 29 | Halloween BOO BASH | Trick-or-treating, costumes and family activities |
| November 27 to December 24 | A Magical Visit with Santa | Palm Court |
| Through December 31 | Today at Apple | Free sessions at the Apple store |
The Santa page lists several dates within the five-week run:
Reservations are recommended but not required, and walk-ups are welcome as time allows.
The season started on Saturday, October 10, with the mall's "Celebrate You" program. It included styling and beauty activities, free fitness classes, a cooking event at Seasons 52 and a demonstration at Gia's Chocolatier.
For timing, the posted center hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, listed through the week of November 30 to December 6. The calendar lists Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, as 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas-week hours aren't posted yet. Individual stores and restaurants may keep their own schedules.
Two openings near the Galleria are worth watching. As of October 10, neither has a confirmed opening date.
Paris Baguette was announced for 3485 N. Federal Highway, on the Federal Highway side of Coral Ridge. In its September 30 roundup of anticipated fall openings, Miami New Times said it was "opening this fall" and didn't name a day. The chain's Florida location list didn't show a Fort Lauderdale store when we checked.
Peppi's Pizza was listed for Gateway Shopping Center at 1900 E. Sunrise Blvd., farther west along Sunrise. In August the Sun Sentinel reported an owner-supplied target of "end of September or early October." Edible South Florida repeated the same window in September. That window is here, but no opening has been confirmed in the coverage we found.
Neither spot changes what happens inside the Galleria. Both add places to stop along Federal Highway and Sunrise Boulevard, the same two roads a holiday trip to the mall already uses.
If the Galleria's changes have you thinking about how plans this size could affect your own block, Waltzer Realty follows the project's review closely and can walk you through what it means for a Coral Ridge home. Start with a Free Home Valuation, and we'll tell you where your property stands today, before any tower breaks ground.
Guided by integrity, expertise, and exceptional service, our team is dedicated to making every real estate journey seamless, rewarding, and tailored to your unique goals. Whether you're buying, selling, or investing, we're here to help every step of the way.
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2425 E Commercial Blvd #100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308