Dallas – Fort Worth’s Holiday Cheer
Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer, is unlike anything you will ever experience. It is a mixture of down-home southern comfort, with a hint snow. While the DFW area may not be a winter solstice every holiday season, it definitely makes up for that! If you will be visiting the DFW area, or just home for the holidays, you don’t want to miss out on all of the fun. Especially, with all of the carols, events, food festivals, and other joyous occasions taking place. We challenge you to have the most wonderful time of the year, by enjoying some of the occasions we have listed below…
Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum
Image provided by The North Dallas Gazette
Though anytime of the year is magical at the Dallas Arboretum, this stunning 66-acre acre oasis becomes even more enchanting during the holidays. Specifically, as it transforms during its magnificent makeover for the holidays. Which also includes, well over 500,000 lights illuminating the gardens. The Arboretum is also bringing back its ever-popular 12 Days of Christmas. An outdoor exhibit featuring twelve illuminated Victorian style gazebos, filled with elaborate scenes and whimsical characters. All while, the historic DeGolyer House decks their halls with more than 800 nutcracker figures. Which is all apart of this year’s new exhibit, the “Nutcracker Suite.”
Also, be on the lookout for Santa sightings. As well as musical performances, and live reindeer. Furthermore, you can’t skip over the holiday market and the assortment of activities for the entire family. Holiday events run from November 4 through January 8. General admission ranges from $10 for children ages 3-12 to $15 for adults. Additional discounts are available on the venue’s website.
Richardson’s Santa Village
Images provided by Richardsonliving.com
The City of Richardson is known for transforming the lawn next to the city hall into a virtual winter wonderland every season! It is referred to Santa’s Village. You will much likely find the lawn decked out, complete with extravagant lighting displays and miniature gingerbread-style houses. The displays are not just easy on the eyes, but they offer a variety of fun-filled activities for kids to participate in. To top it off, there’s also a miniature train, Santa photo ops and nightly live performances by local choirs, singers, musicians and dance groups. It’s the perfect place to make the holiday season even more magical for your little ones, plus you can’t beat the price (everything is free). The only drawback is that it’s extremely popular, so expect to find crowds. The fun begins December 2 and runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights through December 17.
Dallas By Chocolate Tours
Images provided by Dallas By Chocolate Tours
Is there any other way to get into the holiday spirit, than by taking in the beautiful scenery of Christmas lights! All while indulging in hot cocoa, as well as premium chocolates. All of these wonderful activities are happening between November 24 and December 30th. Dallas by Chocolate offers a Christmas Lights, Chocolate and Sips tour package that kicks off with a visit to a variety of top local dessert venues before continuing on to view some seriously decked out ‘hoods. Another addition to Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer! The tours last from three to four hours and include transportation via private bus, dessert samples, beverages and a tour guide. Other holiday light tours on offers include a pizza and chocolate experience as well as a taco and margarita tasting. The tours are held every evening except Christmas Eve and Christmas and start at $43.
Dallas Theater Center – WYLY Theatre
Image Provided By The Dallas Theater Center
Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer also entails the Dallas Theater Center’s rendition of A Christmas Carol! A beloved holiday classic about a cantankerous loner who discovers the meaning of Christmas with the help of three mysterious apparitions. And no place puts on a more delightful performance of it than the Dallas Theater Center, which has been doing it now for over three decades. But if you thought this was just another bah humbug production of the same fable, then fear not, this one takes the Dickens’ tale to another level with spectacular special effects, songs, laughter and a talented cast of actors. Speaking of actors, expect to find Brad Leland (from the NBC show, Friday Night Lights) starring in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Tickets start at $18 and the show runs from November 22 through December 28, 2017, at the Wyly Theatre.
Northpark Center Mall
Trains Display at Northpark Mall
You need to pick up some last-minute gifts, but your kiddos want to be entertained too! So, what better place to get it all in than at a shopping center, right? And as far as shopping centers go, NorthPark has got to be one of the most festive ones during the holidays. Expect to find opulent decorations along with a sleigh-full of events which include everything from free marionette shows, live musical performances and an elaborate model train exhibit to a Santa meet and greet. The holiday fun begins on Black Friday with a reindeer festival at 10:30 a.m. in the Centerpark Garden and continues until Christmas Eve.
Christmas At The Anatole
The ultimate Santa meet and greet experience, is underway. The Anatole will put on its epic Breakfast with Santa series, complete with a decadent brunch as they do every season on the Friday after Thanksgiving. As another part of Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer. Children experience Santa story time and of course, a visit with the jolly old fellow himself. Newly added to this year’s joyful events, is Peppermint Park, an outdoor interactive family holiday adventure that features live entertainment. In addition to the light displays, miniature train rides, crafts, cookie decorating. Along with the dance parties, games and more.
As if that’s not enough action-packed holiday fun, Geppetto’s Marionette Theater (located on the hotel property) is also putting on a special “Winter Wonderland” show. that runs every weekend from November 25 through December 30. Better still, the hotel is offering family holiday getaway packages starting at $209 per night. But you don’t need to be a hotel guest to get in on the fun, the activities are open to the public. Just be sure to check the website for more information on pricing and availability.
Grand Prairie – Prairie Lights
Prairie Lights Photos
If you want to see as many lights as possible, this twinkling drive-through wonderland in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie never disappoints. Every year, folks pile in by the carload ($35 per car during the week and $45 on weekends) to cruise through four million lights and hundreds of custom displays set along 2 miles of path. The park also features a holiday village where you can hang with Santa; refuel with hot chocolate and snacks; enjoy an indoor laser show and trek through a lighted walk-through forest. And as if that weren’t enough, the place boasts the world’s largest animated light tunnel at the end of the drive. The park is open nightly (6 – 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 6 ? 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday) from Thanksgiving night until December 31. Now if that isn’t a display of Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer, I don’t know what is!
Christmas in Grapevine
When it comes to getting folks into the ho-ho-holiday spirit, few places do it better than the Dallas suburb of Grapevine (AKA: the Christmas Capital of Texas). Beginning Thanksgiving weekend, the downtown area will transform into a magical dreamland filled with huge decorations and millions of twinkling lights. Expect to find over 1,400 daily events and activities. Ranging from live street performances and tractor-drawn wagon rides to choreographed light shows, strolling carolers and parades. Additional holiday fun can be had with a ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad or a stroll through 14,000-square-feet of hand-carved ice sculptures at ICE! An annual event put on by the Gaylord Texan Hotel.
The Gaylord’s other holiday happenings include snow tubing, gingerbread decorating, ice skating and more. And in case that’s not enough excitement: Historic Downtown Grapevine has more than 80 locally-owned shops, boutiques and wine tasting rooms to boot. Be sure to check the website to get the full schedule of all the events going on in town. This is just a portion of Grapevines contribution to Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer!
Texas Christkindl Lane Inside Enchant
City of Arlington Images
This Christmas season, Arlington’s Globe Life Park is going to be even more festive as the annual Texas Christkindl Market joins up with Enchant, a Texas-sized holiday extravaganza featuring local vendors and artisans as well as everything from nightly entertainment and seasonal eats to ice skating and more than 2 acres of lighted displays. Oh, and speaking of light displays, did we mention that Enchant is home to the world’s largest light maze? The festivities open for the 2017 Christmas period on November 24 and run through December 31. General admission tickets start at $29.95 for adults and $21.95 for children (ages 5-14), seniors and the military. Check the website for additional pricing options.
Six Flags Over Texas Christmas
Images Provided By Six Flags Over Texas
Millions of twinkling lights, thrilling rides, live performances, plus visits with Santa are what you’ll find at Six Flags amusement park’s massive tribute to festive fun. To top off Dallas – Fort Worth’s holiday cheer fun, this year’s Holiday in the Park features everything from a spectacular lineup of seasonal shows to a Christmas train ride and a racing hill made of snow. Along with the tallest steel-hybrid roller coaster in the world and an assortment of rides to keep thrill seekers of all ages happy, expect to find reindeer dance parties, choreographed light shows, Christmas crafts, holiday karaoke and s’more cookouts around a real campfire. The festivities go on select days during the week and every weekend between November 17 and January 7.
We hope that you will find your holiday cheer in the events we’ve mentioned, and so much more!
