As the holiday season quickly approaches it truly “tis the season to be jolly.” It won't be long until the kids are out of school and you're ready to appreciate some quality family time. If this year marks your turn to host the holiday visits you're going to need to plan ahead to entertain your relatives and make the most of time together. We've scoped out holiday happenings throughout the Metroplex so load up the SUV and come along.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Something magical happens when you flip the switch and the Christmas tree springs to life full of glittering ornaments, twinkling lights, candy canes, and memories. Each ornament on the tree has special meaning right down to the macaroni Christmas tree you made when you were six. In Southlake, the tree lighting will take place at 6:30pm on November 19th as part of the kick-off for the Home for the Holidays celebration. Enjoy an evening of family fun from 5:30pm until 8:30pm as Southlake lights up Town Square for the holidays.
Holly Days at Keller Town Center takes place on Friday, December 2, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Join in the holiday spirit as Keller lights the community Christmas tree and prepares for Santa’s arrival.
This time of year Grapevine becomes the Christmas Capital of Texas®. Mrs. Claus will be hosting the Carol of Lights on November 21st starting at 7:00pm when the Mayor lights up the entire town including the 35 foot community Christmas tree. Join the fun at the Town Gazebo.
The centerpiece of the traditional holiday celebration at the Galleria Dallas is the country’s tallest indoors tree soaring 95-feet from the center of the glistening ice rink to the top of the glass atrium. More than 10,000 ornaments and nearly a quarter of a million lights make this tree truly spectacular and the lighting will take place on November 25 after the Holiday Magic on Ice show that begins at noon.
When you leave the Galleria drive the family over to Fort Worth to see the lighting of the Sundance Square Christmas Tree. The official lighting will take place on November 25th at approximately 7:30 after the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights.
Here Comes Santa Clause
Santa Clause may use a sleigh when he delivers the gifts on Christmas Eve but when he rolls into town to visit for the holidays you can usually find him holding court on a beautifully decorated float in a dazzling spectacle. We love bundling up the family and heading off to watch a holiday parade. Ok, so we don't “bundle up” too much here in Texas. Here's a sprinkling of the area's holiday parades.
Keller will be hosting the Very Merry Light Parade on Friday, December 2nd at Keller Town Center at 6:30pm. Santa will make his arrival and he even brought a little snow from the North Pole along to build a two-lane snow slide for the kids to enjoy.
One of North Texas' largest lighted Christmas parades, the Parade of Lights, takes place in Grapevine on December 1st at 7:00pm on historic Main Street. More than 100 colorfully lighted floats will provide a festive procession to dazzle the thousands of merrymakers along the parade route.
You won't want to miss the spectacular Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights in Downtown Fort Worth on November 25th starting around 6:00pm. The parade runs from Belknap Street to Commerce Street, around 6th Street to Houston Street and up to Weatherford transforming downtown Fort Worth with more than 100 entries illuminated with more than 500,000 lights.
For the last 23 years, the Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade has been bringing together the magical combination of children, the holiday season, and charity to Downtown Dallas. This year’s parade will start at the corner of Field and Commerce on December 3rd at 10:00 am. Drawing crowds of more than 350,000 this parade for a cause is one you need to put on your calendar. You can find the entire parade route and more info at ww.childrensmedicalcenterdallas.com/parade.
Jingle Bell Rock
Get yourself in the holiday spirit at the Arthritis Foundation's Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis® by joining one of the thousands of walkers and runners who are hitting the pavement for a great cause. Celebrate this season of giving by wearing a holiday themed costume and tie some jingle bells to your shoelaces. Registration begins at 7:00am at Trinity Park in Fort Worth on December 3rd.
The Santa Scurry begins at 7:30pm in Keller at Town Hall on December 2nd at 7:30pm. Register now to participate and when you pick up your race packet at the Santa Scurry Suite in The Arthouse shops on the 1st from 2:00pm to 8:00pm bring an unwrapped toy for the Community Storehouse. Run for fun and help others this holiday season.
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
It just wouldn't be the holidays without the magic of music and with all the fabulous venues available around the Metroplex a plethora of musical entertainment awaits you and your loved ones.
Bass Hall welcomes the season with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's Home for the Holidays concerts. This Forth Worth tradition is filled with the joyous sounds of the season and is sure to put you and your family in the holiday mood. Performances run from November 25th to November 27th and you can find more info on the website at www.basshall.com.
The holiday classic, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, has finally come to the stage as a wonderfully crafted musical. Coming to Bass Hall direct from Broadway, making its North Texas debut, this show is full of dancing laughter and unforgettable music. Enjoy the magic at Bass Hall from November 29th to December 4th.
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's annual presentation of the powerful Handel's Messiah has become part of a sacred tradition during the holiday season. Experience the magic of this musical masterpiece at Bass Hall on December 5th at 7:30pm.
The Palace Theatre in Grapevine has several musical offerings throughout this holiday season with a selection that is sure to please everyone’s holiday taste. The Texas Tenors offer a musical mix of country and classical with their own Texan twist guaranteed to make you merry and bright this Christmas. You can tap your toes and clap you hands all month long during December when the Grapevine Opry Christmas Spectacular takes the stage every Friday and Saturday night. Christmas at the Movies is a Broadway-style musical that bring the scenes of your favorite holiday movie to life on the Palace stage. You can find all the details on the website at www.grapevinetexasusa.com .
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Twelve days just isn't long enough to pack in all the holiday happenings in our area but here are a few more goings-on that you may want to include in your travels this season.
The Galleria Dallas has Holiday Magic on Ice shows at various times throughout the season. Enjoy “Missile Toes,” celebrity skaters, and area youths as they perform at these complimentary shows on the Ice Rick at center court.
On December 20th at 5:00pm you can attend the Hanukkah Menorah Lighting and Celebration at Galleria Dallas on Level 1 near the guest reception center. The first lighting of this giant menorah is followed with entertainment and refreshments and another candle will be lit each subsequent night of Hanukkah.
A horse-drawn carriage ride is just the ticket to enjoy the holiday lights at Southlake Town Square beginning November 20th and going through January 1st. Enjoy the feeling of an old-fashioned sleigh ride with your family as you enjoy time together nestled in your elegant Victorian carriage driven by Whitehaven Carriage Company, the premiere horse drawn carriage company in the Metroplex.
When you step out of your carriage take a leisurely stroll through Southlake Town Square to admire the beauty of their annual merchants Deck the Windows displays. Don’t forget to stop in at City Hall to view the stunning creations of the Festival of Trees artisans. The trees will be on display in the lobby of City Hall from November 7th until they are delivered to their sponsors on December 16th.
Before we know it the New Year will be here and another holiday season will go into the family scrapbook. This year, take the time to make a memory that will last a lifetime long after the presents under the tree are forgotten. Happy Holidays!