You’ll be having a wonderful Christmas in Houston this year. From holiday concerts, to winter wonderlands, festive bars, and more: here are 20 fantastic things to do at Christmas in Houston this merry season!
1. Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest
Drawing inspiration from the renowned Forbidden Forest and showcasing cherished elements from the Harry Potter™ and Fantastic Beasts™ series, this remarkable adventure presents an illuminated woodland pathway and enchanting creatures in Austin, immersing you in the enchanting realm of the Wizarding World.
Every mesmerizing aspect, from the intricacies of a Hippogriff’s feathered wing to the mist meandering through the dense forest, contributes to the overall enchantment of the encounter.
📍1760 State Highway 71 West, Cedar Creek, 78612
📅 November 10 – December 19
2. Float on this Wintry Holiday Rooftop
The holiday season in Houston gets an energetic start, quite literally, at the Marriot Marquis. The Marriot Marquis Houston is transforming its iconic downtown rooftop into a complete Winter Wonderland, complete with Christmas movie screenings, dazzling holiday lights, and a heated lazy river as the centerpiece of their special seasonal event known as Texas Winter Nights.
📍1777 Walker Street
📅 November 8 –
3. Houston Nutcracker Ballet Market
Knock out your Christmas shopping in the most festive atmosphere possible this holiday season at the Houston Nutcracker Ballet Market! Taking place from November 14 to November 17, the market is set to host over 270 vendors, 50 booths, as well as a series of special events!
📍NRG Stadium
📅 November 14 – 17
4. Coca-Cola Classic Christmas
Need a new holiday tradition? Embark on a festive journey through the new Coca-Cola Classic Christmas in Houston! Hosted at the Memorial City Mall, the new Houston Christmas event will feature 55,000 square feet of festivities including a Christmas market, ice skating, snow tubing, holiday eats, drinks, and more!
📍Memorial City Mall
📅 November 16 – December 29
5. Witness an enchanting Holidays Candlelight concert
Step inside one of Houston’s most splendid venues, where candlelight will cast a flickering spell, crafting a truly enchanting atmosphere. Get ready to be transported to a celestial realm as you immerse yourself in cherished winter classics, from carols like “Deck the Halls” and “Ding Dong! Merrily on High” to works in The Nutcracker and more.
📍Multiple locations
📅 Multiple dates
6. Winter Wonderlawn
The heart of Houston’s cultural scene, a bustling food market, an inviting rooftop location, and those who love to celebrate are gearing up to kick off the holiday festivities in style. They’re bringing back their highly acclaimed “Winter Wonderlawn” for the holiday season, starting on November 4, and it will remain open until January 14.
📍401 Franklin St.
📅 November 4 – January 14
7. Cruise through Houston’s Most Christmassy Neighborhoods
The holiday season isn’t truly official until the various neighborhoods in the city are completely bathed in holiday lights and decorations. This year, make sure to take a drive through Houston’s most brilliantly adorned and festive streets and neighborhoods.
📍Multiple locations
📅 Mid Novemberish
8. Houston Texans Christmas Day Game and Beyoncé Performance
The Houston Texans will face off against the Baltimore Ravens this Christmas Day in Houston. If you don’t want to leave the site of your newly opened presents underneath the tree, the game will be broadcast on Netflix as a part of its first ever NFL Christmas Gameday broadcast. To top it off, Houston’s own Beyoncé Knowles will be performing songs off of Cowboy Carter for the first time live for the game’s halftime show.
📍NRG Pkwy
📅 December 25
9. Radiant Nature
Radiant Nature is a large-scale light festival inspired by the spectacular Chinese lantern festivals. This November, the wonderful light festival is set to return to the Houston Botanic Garden with new miraculous installations. Kicking off this fall, the Radiant Nature will feature over 50 large-scale installations including a life-sized Chinese festivals, an interactive dragon, luminous walk-through tunnels, and more!
📍1 Botanic Lane, Houston, TX 77017
📅 November 8 – February 23
10. Get in on all the Festivities at Moody Gardens
Season’s greetings, Houston! While some cities may enjoy the advantage of snowy and traditional cozy weather, here in the south, we make the most of what we’ve got.
If you haven’t already taken to the ice this holiday season, you can certainly do so at Moody Garden’s Ice Land beginning November 23. This holiday attraction features stunning ice sculptures, beloved characters, festive decorations, and more, including a sparkling ice bar.
📍1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554
📅 November 23 – January 1
11. Go Winter Wild at Zoo Lights
The zoo is ready to showcase a wide range of captivating delights for visitors of all ages, such as a stunning 33-foot-tall tree that changes colors, an overhead display of glistening flowers and butterflies, and the beloved Coca Cola bear.
📍6200 Hermann Park Drive
📅 November 22 – January 5
12. Sip Spirits at these Festive Bars
To embrace the joy of the season, some of our cherished locals have adorned their spaces with festive lights, decorations, and an abundance of holiday drinks.
📍Multiple locations
📅 Multiple dates
13. Houston Holiday Spectacular: A Multi-Sensory Festive Take-Over
Experiential art venue ARTECHOUSE is debuting a nostalgic new immersive experience this holiday season. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in a digital holiday world with sights and sounds of Christmas joy.
📍600 W 6th St.
📅 November 22 – January 4
14. Warm up with Hot Chocolate
It’s fair to say that most of us aren’t big fans of the bitter cold, but it does offer a unique chance to indulge in extra coziness. After all, true winter conditions don’t visit us too often, so we might as well relish in the wintery delights that aren’t quite suitable for Houston’s usual humidity.
To celebrate the season with hot chocolate, a quintessential symbol of winter warmth, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 places to cozy up in Houston.
📍Multiple locations
📅 Multiple dates
15. Go Ice Skating al Fresco
Amidst all the holiday bars, markets, and indulgent seasonal dining, it’s essential to squeeze in some physical activity. Whether you prefer an indoor setting, the great outdoors, or something in between, we’ve compiled a list of the finest holiday-themed ice rinks in Houston for you to enjoy some skating this season.
📍Multiple locations
📅 Multiple dates
16. Ogle at Houston’s Holiday Light Displays
Starting from November 16 and continuing until January 5, you have the opportunity to witness the yearly light exhibition, touted as “the most technologically advanced light display in Texas” – and this claim is no exaggeration. Take, for instance, their dynamic light presentation:
“Partake in two cutting-edge kinetic light shows where numerous hanging lights execute meticulously choreographed movements synchronized to music above the Main Plaza,” as described on the Space Center’s event webpage. “Observe as the spheres move harmoniously to craft vibrant shapes and patterns.”
📍1601 E NASA Parkway
📅 November 16 – January 5
17. See Magical Winter Lights
As the holiday season approaches, the organizers of Magical Winter Lights are excited to announce their return to Houston on November 17. They will be bringing back a 20-acre wonderland filled with enchanting lights, lantern displays, and joyful winter entertainment. This magical experience will be available from tomorrow until January 7!
📍4310 State Highway 36, Rosenberg, Texas 77471
📅 November 15 – January 5
18. Santa’s Wonderland
Give a warm “howdy” to the holiday season in College Station with the annual Santa’s Wonderland. This grand and festive holiday tradition offers a Texas-sized display of lights, a gingerbread village, a snowy playground, live music, and endless joy for the entire family.
📍18898 Hwy 6, College Station, TX 77845
📅 November 15 – December 30
19. Watch Holiday Movies on a Rooftop
In between the decorating, shopping, and occasional binge eating, it’s good to celebrate the spirit of the season by watching some of your favorite holiday classics. In Houston, you can do just the thing at Rooftop Cinema Club, which will be screening all of your holiday favorites this December!
📍1700 Post Oak Blvd 5th Level
📅 December
20. Hitch a Ride on the Polar Express
Enjoy hot cocoa, dancing elves, and singing chefs on the real-life Polar Express in Galveston this holiday season! The merry, two-hour trip whisks pajama’d passengers to the North Pole for a truly unique holiday experience for the whole family – perfect for the kids!
📍2602 Santa Fe Pl, Galveston, TX 77550
📅 November 8 – December 23
21. Dickens on the Strand
The beloved stories of Charles Dickens comes to life once again this December in Galveston for the 51st annual Dickens on The Strand. Kicking off on December 6, The Strand will transform into 19th-century Victorian London with parades, live entertainment, costumed vendors, and roaming characters!
📍The Strand Galveston, TX 77550
📅 December 6 – December 8
22. Christmas Village at MFAH
The Houston Museum of Fine Arts’ fantastic Christmas Village returns this December with a dazzling array of lights, vendors, live actors, faux snow, and more across the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens.
📍6003 Memorial Driv
📅 December 6 – December 30