Santa is coming to town! He’s bringing the magic of the holidays to your own front door. Meet Santa and his helpers as they make a grand entrance on a decorated sleigh. He will visit 20 homes each night between 6 p.m.-10 p.m. starting on Saturday, December 17th, Sunday, December 18th, and Monday, December 19th. Santa will stop by for a quick hello and take pictures before heading back to the North Pole.

To have Santa make a special visit to your home, Margate residents must register in person, on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, December 10th, from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. at Margate Fire Administration located at 1835 Banks Road. A $10 cash donation for each participating child is required, which will benefit the Margate Police Department’s Toy Drive.

It’s time to untangle the lights and pull out all the dazzling holiday decorations! We invite you to compete in Our Margate’s Holiday Decorating Contest to win prizes for being the best-decorated houses this holiday season.

 All finalists will be on a map to share the best holiday decorations in town. It’s free to enter: the registration deadline is 5 p.m. on December 9. Judges will visit homes on Monday, December 12, beginning at 6 p.m.

If your garbage or recycling cart is damaged, missing, or in need of replacement, simply email garbage@margatefl.com or call Republic Services directly at 954-583-1830 or DEES at 954-972-0828.

For your convenience:

• Garbage carts are available in 35, 65, or 95 gallons.

• Recycling carts are available in 35 or 65 gallons.

Please include your name, address, cart color(s), cart size(s), contact details, and reason for the request. There is no charge for your first replacement. There is also no charge if your cart is damaged during the collection process or has a manufacturer defect.

A replacement fee will be applied for any subsequently damaged carts where the damage is due to neglect, abuse, modification, or any other damage not covered under warranty.

Effective December 2022, the Utility Payment portal on the City of Margate's website has a new look using a new secure platform (Bill2Pay) for credit card and e-check payments. The screens may look different, but payments will still be applied to your individual water account. New enhancements include: saving your preferred method of payment, scheduling a future payment, setting up automatic payments using a bank account or credit card, and signing up for email or text message alerts.