Are you looking for some fun, family friendly Christmas events for your family to enjoy this year? We asked our Texas friends to tell us which events they love to take their families to each year and now we’re sharing the list with you!
Let us know which ones you love to see too!
Drive Through Events
The Christmas Train–Alvin, TX
Each year in December hundreds of volunteers from Living Stones Church and Victory Camp come together to set up and host the Christmas Train at Victory Camp in Alvin, TX. The event began back in 2000, and over the years has quickly become one of the Houston areas favorite Christmas Events. The train is open to the public and all ages are welcome.
Trains depart every 7-10 minutes. Tickets can be purchased online and will reserve you a place on your selected train. Early Admission times available for groups of 20+ by reservation.
Tickets are $8 online and $10 at the door.
Find our more information at https://www.thechristmastrain.org/
Alvin, TX is about 40 minutes to the south from downtown Houston.
Prestonwood Forest Nite of Lites–Houston, TX
The Nite of Lites festivities
Homeowners participate in
The Nite of Lites event typically begins on the second weekend in December and runs through the last weekend in December.
No admission fee.
Find out more at: http://www.prestonwoodforestonline.com/index.php
Santa’s Wonderland–College Station, TX
Santa’s Wonderland claims to be the Biggest Christmas attraction in the state of Texas! They say they exist to preserve & perpetuate the true meaning and “Spirit” of Christmas and to brighten the lives of all of our guests every Christmas season!
Santa’s Wonderland is composed of Santa’s Town and the headlining attraction, the magnificent Trail of Lights which has over 3 million lights! There’s food, musical entertainment, shopping, and other activities for people of all ages.
Visitors can purchase tickets to ride through the Trail of Lights in either a horse and carriage or a hayride. You can grab a picture with Santa and dance in the nightly snowfall. There are lots of photo opportunities with characters, a giant Christmas light Texas flag, and a longhorn.
Find out more information and purchase tickets at: https://www.santas-wonderland.com/
Tickets are $35–$50 each depending on age and hayride or carriage ride.
Walk Through Events
Dickinson Festival of Lights–Dickinson, TX
A Walk-thru Event at Paul Hopkins Park – With Free Admission, Parking and Shuttle Service. The Dickinson Festival of Lights is the epitome of the word “Community”. Retirees, businessmen and women, housewives, teachers, and high school students get involved with setting up the festival.
Open Nightly from November 28th Thru December 31st, 2015
6 pm – 9 pm (Weather Permitting)
Last Shuttle Bus Runs at
While you are there you can also decorate a cookie for $1.00, purchase Items that flash and blink for $1.00 – $5.00, purchase hot dogs, nachos, soft drinks, coffee, hot cocoa, popcorn, candy etc. for $1.00 – $4.00, and take a picture with Santa for free with your own camera or $5.00 if you wish to purchase a photo there.
For more information check out http://www.dickinsonfestivaloflights.org/
Dickinson Festival of Lights is about 40 minutes south of downtown Houston.
Marble Falls Walkway of Lights–Marble Falls, TX
The Marble Falls Walkway of Lights is one of the biggest holiday events in the Highland Lakes every year. Two million lights on more than 130 sculptures illuminate Lakeside Park beginning each year in November. The Walkway of Lights in Marble Falls runs 6-10 p.m. each day through January 1st — weather permitting. On weekends and holidays — including Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve — children can visit with Santa and his elves.
The trail can take about 30 minutes to complete. In the event of rain, the decision to open or close is made each day at 3 p.m.
Find out more information at https://www.101highlandlakes.com/marble-falls-walkway-of-lights
There’s no admission fee, but donations are appreciated.
Marble Falls, TX is about 1 hour west of Austin.
Magical Winter Lights–La Marque, TX
Magical Winter Lights is a spectacular, larger-than-life festival that presents a fresh multicultural take on traditional holiday light shows. This 52-day holiday celebration occupies 20 acres of outdoor space featuring Texas-sized lantern masterpieces using Chinese lantern-making techniques, some of which are 60-feet high. The festival is Houston’s largest holiday celebration and the nation’s largest lantern festival of its kind. They recommend you plan to be there for about 3 hours to walk through the lantern exhibits, watch a Chinese acrobatic performance, shop, eat, and see musical performances.
Festival operating hours are Sunday-Thursday 5pm-10pm and Friday-Saturday 5pm-11pm. Magical Winter Lights is open on all major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day).
Find out more at https://magicalwinterlights.com/
Admission costs $13–$22 per person.
La Marque, TX is about 35 minutes south of downtown Houston.
The Pathway of Light–Madisonville, TX
Several area churches present the “Pathway of Light in Madisonville, TX. “THE PATHWAY OF LIGHT” is the recreation of the life of Christ from birth to resurrection through an outdoor interactive live experience. The script is based upon the Gospels beginning with the Gospel of Luke to provide a basis for the sets, casts, dialogue, and narratives.
Guests are encouraged to make reservations for a personal tour of this quarter mile-walking path. Each tour group is made of between 1-25 people and leaves every 10 minutes starting at 6 p.m.
http://thepathwayoflight.com/
Admission is free. Donations are accepted.
Madisonville, TX is about 30 minutes north of Huntsville, TX or 45 minutes east of College Station, TX.
A Walk Through Bethlehem–Pasadena, TX
Experience South Main’s village of Bethlehem. See shop owners and craftsmen demonstrate their skills – carpentry, metalwork, tannery, pottery, weaving, basket making, olive press, wine and rope making, and bread baking. Experience the marketplace and the Synagogue, and of course, the depiction of the birth of Jesus.
Admission is FREE and there will be complimentary hot cocoa and cookies outside the walls of the village as local school choirs, bands, and orchestras perform.
Find out more at their Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/738642749832515/
Pasadena is about 30 minutes from downtown Houston.
A Little Bit of Everything Events
Moody Gardens–Galveston, TX
Moody Gardens offers
You can find out more at https://www.moodygardens.com/holiday_season/
Prices range from $14–$65 depending on age and number of attractions you want to see or do.
Ice Land at Moody Gardens 2017 
Ice Skating at Moody Gardens
Gaylord Texan Christmas–Grapevine, TX
You can find a little bit of everything at the Gaylord Texan for Christmas. ICE! is an indoor winter wonderland featuring two million pounds of colorful ice sculptures and five two-story tall ice slides. You can also go snow tubing, decorate gingerbread houses, ice skating, and take photos with Santa, read books with Mrs. Claus, and eat breakfast with Rudolph and his friends.
Find out more information at https://www.marriott.com/gaylord-hotels/gaylord-texan-lone-star-christmas-dallas-grapevine.mi?elqTrackId=e5e5fd09c65741dc982494edad057085&elqaid=547&elqat=2#Experiences
Prices for the activities range from $14–$100 per person for an all inclusive package.
Let us know which events in Texas are your favorite! Is it on our list? Do we need to add it?
And if you go visit one of the places on our list let us know how it goes!
