5 winter festivals in Dallas to light up the season

The holiday season can bring much joy, and Texans are no strangers to amping up the party factor. With countless community events taking place around the state, Dallas is a notable hub for yuletide merriment, with events spread from late November through early December. Ahead, five winter festivals in Dallas to get attendees feeling merry and bright.

The Dallas Holiday Parade kicks off the holiday season for the city and has been since the 1980s. Thousands gather from across the state and beyond to enjoy the parade—held in early December—taking in the elaborate winter-themed floats, dance performances, marching bands, celebrity appearances, and more. In fact, the parade even offers VIP packages where you can decorate gingerbread cookies and meet both Miss America and Santa Claus. To date, the Dallas Holiday Parade is the city’s largest one-day, outdoor event and it certainly lives up to the “everything’s bigger in Texas” accolade.

Looking for another great light display? Book it to the Dallas Zoo on select nights from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. A particular draw for kids, the Dallas Zoo Lights Festival includes an elaborate holiday display of your favorite zoo animals, over one million sparkling lights, larger-than-life animal lanterns, and 3D lighted sculptures, nightly musical performances, a programmed light show, and after-hours rides on the carousel and mini train. Pro-tip: For a night on the twinkling town with your significant other, buy tickets for the one annual designated 21+ night.

Enchant Christmas is billed as the world’s largest Christmas light maze and village, hosted in not only Dallas, but also several other cities across the country. An immersive experience for your senses, Enchant Christmas in Fair Park wows visitors with over 10 acres of light sculptures, live entertainment, interactive games, holiday shopping, ice skating, and, of course, a Santa village. Plus, this winter festival has a story-themed Christmas light maze where you can walk through lighted tunnels searching for presents with special surprises along the way, including a 100-foot-tall Christmas tree. Before you leave, be sure to check out the village filled with tiny shops from talented specialty crafts vendors and delectable holiday treats. The experience usually lasts from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day.

With a German-inspired Christmas Village, intricately designed gazebos inspired by "The 12 Days of Christmas," and a 50-foot-tall animated tree, the Holiday at the Arboretum is the perfect outing for friends and family from near and far. This beloved winter festival reimagines the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens where visitors can enjoy over one million holiday lights, live holiday music, and cooking demos, to name a few of the standout attractions. Throughout the gardens' sprawling grounds, the festival celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, showcasing traditions from each holiday event. The festival takes over the Arboretum from mid-November to New Year’s Eve, with new surprises on deck every year.

About 20 minutes from Dallas and noted for having over 1,000 festive events during the holiday season, Grapevine is known as the Christmas capital of Texas for a reason. With so many fêtes to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down which to attend. Thankfully, we did the grunt work for you.

First, for a traditional winter festival, check out the Grapevine Vintage Railroad that transforms into the North Pole Express, with an appearance by Santa and caroling elves and concludes with a stroll through the North Pole Forest and a Broadway-style show. Then, visit the Gaylord Texan Resort for the popular Lone Star Christmas and ICE! Sculptures event. Here you’ll find a dazzling light show, a 54-foot tree, sculptures made from millions of pounds of ice, and a 12-lane snow hill for tubing, among other wintertime activities. Lastly, swing by Dr. Sue’s Chocolates for its scrumptious daily happy hour and hot chocolate bar with flavorings and toppings like extra chocolate (duh), marshmallows, peppermint, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Check out GrapevineTexasUSA.com for a full list of holiday events and their dates.