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Christmas is a time of celebration and cheer! This Christmas Eve, you have a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to spending your time in Houston. The Space City boasts a variety of holiday activities to enjoy, right from admiring the winter lights to indulging in some delectable, warm beverages. You are sure to have fun celebrating the holidays with locals who are just as unique as they are warm-hearted since people in Houston, Texans love their Christmas traditions.
If you are coming to Houston for Christmas this year, you will want to make sure you get your fill of Christmas cheer. Let’s dive right into the Christmas Eve events happening in Houston.
To help you celebrate this holiday season, we have put together a list of Christmas Eve things to do in Houston.
A trip to Houston would not be complete without a ride on the Christmas train over the holidays. Choo choo! This delightful Christmas-themed display in Victory Camp in Alvin is one of the locals’ favorite activities in the Houston region for this holiday season. It features 279 trees covered with lights, over 500 pounds of popcorn, and homemade deep dish pizza just like your grandma used to make. Enjoy an old-fashioned train ride out on open-air carriages while viewing over 300,000 twinkle lights and festive displays that will get you into that holiday spirit and mood.
One of Houston’s most popular Christmas events is Magical Winter Lights. Each year the festival is highlighted by a range of family activities intertwined with colorful lanterns and live performances. Themed lanterns, carnival games, and rides, nightly acrobatic displays, an interactive dinosaur area, parades, and pictures with Santa Claus—all these elements of this 20-acre, 50-day lantern festival work to bring holiday cheer to visitors from across America each winter. Moreover, this is the country’s grandest lantern festival. With over 100 separate lantern sets divided into eight different themed divisions, it is certain to be an experience like no other on the continent.
Sprinkle additional Christmas cheer this holiday season with a merry stay at Oyo hotels in Houston!
Looking for a fun escape from the city during the holidays? Hop on over to Rudolph’s Lightshow – a Christmas wonderland you don’t want to miss! The entire property is animated with over one million lights, making it easy to get into the holiday spirit. They have built-in music, which will play over the radio. So tune in and listen to your favorite holiday tunes as you watch animated light displays throughout.
This event transports visitors to snow-speckled Lapland with over 1 million lights, snowmen, and light tunnels. One of the biggest events on Houston’s holiday calendar. You wouldn’t want to miss out on this. While in the city, enjoy the holiday cheer this season with an exclusive 20% off on hotels in Houston with OYO!
Incandescent lights shine beneath the tall, towering green tree. It’s an evergreen that stands tall in front of the city hall because it is environmentally conscious; it only emits LED lights, making the city more energy-efficient. This hundred-year-old custom invites Houstonians to take pictures with friends underneath the colossal Holiday Tree at Houston City Hall decked out in shimmering decorations and spiced with many matching stars to make for a magical walk throughout downtown. The Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular will be held on December 4th, starting from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
You can skate beneath the beautiful arc of Downtown Houston’s lights, where you’ll create long-lasting memories with your family and friends. Even though Houston has mild winters compared to most winter vacation destinations, it’s a perfect city for getting into the holiday spirit. The city has an ice rink located at Discovery Green Park, which is open every day, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Tickets must be purchased online for admission on Mondays only (or $8 when purchased online), but on other days admission is $15 per person when you include skate rentals.
Explore one of Houston’s most treasured holiday traditions, the Gingerbread Village competition, hosted at the Architecture Center. If you’re in town with children, be sure to include a visit to this unique exhibition when planning your trip to Houston during the Christmas season. The annual Gingerbread Village Competition showcases stunning pieces of delectable artwork that will take you by surprise. Kids surely won’t want to miss the kiddy construction zone, where they can feel like real artists themselves. And Santa Claus will be making an appearance for special photo opportunities with everyone—so don’t forget your camera. What’s more? This event is free for all visitors!
The holidays are a time for celebration, and what better way to enjoy the festive spirit than by staying at one of the Oyo hotels in Houston? Book your stay in Houston, and we’ll offer you a limited time, 20% off on all bookings!
People who live in Houston and want some culturally unique shopping experience this season may want to visit the Tomball German Festival and Christmas Market. At this Bavarian-style festival, one can enjoy three stages of live music playing traditional German songs. There will be a Christmas market where people will be able to feast on traditional foods and drinks. On top of these, interior merchants sell authentic handicrafts. You can enjoy arts and crafts along with your favorite German delicacies at the Tomball German Festival on December 10th from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., with extended hours on December 11th from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Christmas in Houston wouldn’t be the same without a trip to Space Center Houston. During Galaxy Lights, an immersive Christmas tradition all our own, you might embark on a one-of-a-kind festive experience. One stroll through the holiday lights will bring back fond memories of growing up universal—it’s that rare opportunity to look at giant replicas of each planet, take a picture with Santa Claus, gaze at a 20′ glittering tree, and learn about global diversity by looking at larger-than-life globes of countries around the world. Not only is this event fun for the whole family, but majestic music will make it feel like Christmas is truly here.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a local or just visiting the area – you have to experience this one-of-a-kind holiday event before it ends on January 1st.
The holiday season is one of our favorite times of the year. All the festivities from decorating the house to traveling to visit family and friends is always something to look forward to. The Christmas season is a particularly fun time in Houston because there are so many events and activities to take part in. Happy Holidays!
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April 3, 2024 
