The Holiday Season starts even before Thanksgiving Weekend in some places around Texas.
Here are some holiday displays you won’t want to miss! Wherever you live, surely one of these is close to you…and if not, please leave a comment to share what YOUR family enjoys doing!
Here’s the latest information we have:
Marshall’s Wonderland of Lights
November 22-December 30
A feature city in the annual Trail of Lights that reaches through the Pineywoods into northern Louisiana, the Wonderland of Lights in Marshall, Texas is the granddaddy of them all!
The Courthouse Lighting Ceremony crowns the city with over 10 million lights, and a parade welcomes the Season. You can enjoy a Wassail Walk on Main Street, outdoor ice skating, or catch a ride on the Holly Trolly, Wonderland Express or the beautifully restored vintage 1948 Herschel carousel. Then pay a visit to the brand new Santa’s Village for cookies, train building and photos. Or maybe you’d like to bundle up and enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride on one of three carriages through Historic Downtown Marshall, then grab your dancing partner and listen to live music at Telegraph Park downtown performed by local musicians, area churches and school choirs.
The display is open Tuesday-Sunday from 6-9 pm and on Saturdays from 4-10 pm. They’ll be closed on Mondays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.
Historic San Antonio
November 19-January 2
Beginning November 18 from 3-9:30, the campus of the University of Incarnate Word sparkles with millions of lights for their “Light the Way” drive-through display. Of course, during the holidays the San Antonio River Walk and historic district shine brighter than ever from Nov. 20-Jan 2. The Ford Holiday River Parade (November 24) is an enchanted way to find your Christmas spirit.
Salado Christmas Stroll
First two weekends of December
In Central Texas, Christmas doesn’t get much twinklier than at the Salado Christmas Stroll in historic Salado, Texas. Historic stagecoach stop, ruins of one of the first colleges in Texas, unique shops, great food, carolers and carriage rides … there’s so much to do in this quaint little village! A Christmas Parade usually kicks off the event on Nov. 2 followed by the traditional Christmas stroll on Dec. 2 (though stores offer extended hours throughout the shopping season). The strolls are a festive time to enjoy the lights, savor a holiday meal, and do some shopping while listening to carolers and sleigh bells. Be sure to try to stop by the street vendors’ stalls selling spiced cider, gourmet popcorn, and roasted nuts!
Galveston’s Dickens on the Strand
December 1-3
Galveston celebrates the Season in style with their annual Dickens on the Strand event. More focused on British history than Texas history, the event is still a ton of fun, and there’s plenty of Texas history on display all around you while you’re there!
Credit: Marijana Krokar
Texas Tech University’s Candlelight at the Ranch
December 8-9
Candlelight at the Ranch, an annual event at the National Ranching Heritage Center on Texas Tech University campus in Lubbock, captures the traditional spirit of a pioneer Christmas. From 6:30-9 each evening, your family can step back in time as you walk along paths lit with luminarias, enjoy the songs cowboys might have shared around a campfire on the open prairie over a century ago, or warm up with hot cider and fresh popcorn as historical interpreters trim the tree with homemade decorations.
The event is free, but donations to are welcome.
Burnet’s Main Street Bethlehem
December 1-3 and 8-10
Discover the Reason for the Season by visiting Bethlehem right here in Texas as the ancient city of Christ’s birth is re-enacted by members of First Baptist Church two blocks off main street in Burnet from 6-9 pm.
Feel the expectancy of this miraculous night as you pick your way through travelers, peddlers, and villagers along with camels, donkeys, sheep, and goats. Explore the narrow streets to faint strains of ancient music and savor the smells of fresh goat butter, campfires, and hot bread. Then immerse yourself in the din of the marketplace; the revelers in the tavern, shouted insults to and from the Roman oppressors, merchants, craftspeople, taxpayers, and beggars all seeking money, or position, or revenge. Then search for the inn, only to find it full (as others did long ago), and follow the trail to the cave where a road-weary couple has moved in with the animals.
