With Christmas fast approaching, here are seven Dallas area events to put you and the family into the holiday spirit. Even Scrooge will smile with these family-friendly activities. They are all FREE. So break out the reindeer sweater Aunt Maude sent last Christmas and take the whole family out for a merry good time.
Dickens of a Christmas, McKinney
Take a trip back in time to the 19th century during McKinney’s Dickens of a Christmas. Enjoy holiday music with costumed carolers, visit Santa, and even do a little Christmas shopping in McKinney’s antique stores. Historic downtown McKinney (111 N. Tennessee St.) hosts its thirty-first Dickens of a Christmas celebration over Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 27. Dickens of a Christmas is free, though there are nominal fees for some events like snow tubing, ice skating and horse-drawn carriage rides. Click here for details
Children’s Medical Center Holiday Parade, Dallas
Move over New York and make room for Dallas’ holiday parade. The Children’s Medical Center Holiday Parade is in its twenty-third year and expected to draw over 350,000 people to downtown Dallas on Saturday, Dec. 3. Grammy-nominated Jordin Sparks will appear at the parade this year and sing Cure off her album Battlefield. Bob the Builder, Elmo and the Nutcracker will also make an appearance along with other giant inflatable character balloons. The parade benefits Children’s Medical Center and fittingly the parade’s grand marshals are five patients from the medical center. The parade begins at 10 a.m., but get there early for the best seats. For more information, click here.
Christmas in the Square, Frisco
Why mess with Christmas lights at home when you can visit Christmas in the Square at Frisco Square (6101 Frisco Square Blvd) and enjoy over 175,000 holiday lights. Billed as the largest choreographed holiday light show in Texas, the lights are synchronized to music. There are even snow machines to give you that wintery feeling here in balmy Texas. This year, a balloon glow is scheduled for Dec. 17 from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Christmas in the Square kicks off Nov. 25 and runs through New Year’s Eve. Click here for a calendar of events.
Merry Main Street, Frisco
On Saturday, Dec. 3, Christmas in the Square joins forces with the City of Frisco for the twenty-first annual Merry Main Street. Bring a thermos of hot chocolate and enjoy a night of music and festivities with children from local elementary schools singing your favorite holiday songs on three stages. Other activities include a children’s holiday store, free photos with Santa and a petting zoo with reindeer. This year Frisco kicks it up a notch with fireworks and a light show during the traditional tree lighting ceremony. For details, click here.
Lone Star Christmas, Gaylord Texan Hotel, Grapevine
Everything is bigger in Texas – including Christmas. If you need a backdrop for your Christmas card, the best place to take that holiday family photo is the Gaylord Texan Hotel (1501 Gaylord Trail). You don’t need to stay at the hotel to enjoy the decorations within the four acre, indoor garden. Each year, the Gaylord Texan Hotel transforms its atrium into a winter wonderland complete with a 52-foot rotating Christmas tree, 1.5 million lights and 12,000 ornaments. There is even a life-sized Gingerbread House. Click here for more information on Lone Star Christmas at the Gaylord Texan Hotel.
Holiday Magic on Ice, Galleria, Dallas
For those wanting to combine shopping and a holiday treat, visit the Galleria (13350 Dallas Parkway). Each year this upscale indoor shopping mall offers a range of free holiday entertainment. Galleria hosts five Holiday Magic on Ice performances between Nov. 25 and Dec. 17. The ice show features Missile Toes – you guessed it, an ice skating Santa Claus. Galleria boosts the tallest, indoor Christmas tree soaring an impressive 95 feet from the ice skating rink. Click here for a complete entertainment schedule that includes musical performances and free puppet shows with Slappy’s Holiday Circus.
The Littlest Wiseman, Fort Worth
The Christmas season would not be complete without attending a Christmas Pageant. The Dorothy Shaw Bell Choir hosts nine performances of The Littlest Wiseman from Dec. 3 through Dec. 11 in the William Edrington Scott Theatre (1300 Gendy Street). This lavish Nativity pageant play is made possible through a grant from the Walsh Foundation. Advance reservations are required, and children must be at least 4 years old to attend. Click here for tickets and more information.