Event Roundup: What to Look Forward to This Holiday Weekend

Festival goers walk through the main entrance at Magical Winter Lights 2015. (Photo: Ngan Vu)

We wish you a wonderful, happy holiday weekend with friends and family! Here’s a roundup of family-friendly holiday events going on this weekend.

Ice at Discovery Green 

Enjoy the ICE at Discovery Green with your family. Open Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Christmas Day, 1-8 p.m. The ICE will continue through early Feb. 

Magical Winter Lights 

Take a trip around the world with Magical Winter Lights, larger-than-life lanterns shaped like landmarks and landscapes from around the world, international performances, food, carnival rides and holiday shopping. Open Christmas Week and continues through Jan. 8. 

Moody Gardens Festival of Lights

Ice Land

Bundle up and celebrate winter at Moody Gardens with Ice Land. Ice Land is open Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-10 p.m., and Dec. 25, noon-10 p.m., and continues through Jan. 8. 

Festival of Lights 

Head to Moody Gardens to enjoy more than one million lights, live entertainment, an outdoor skating rink, an Arctic Slide and more. Open every day, 6-10 p.m., through Jan. 8. 

Melissa Pritchett as Spirit of Christmas Past in the Alley Theatre’s A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas. Photo by John Everett.

Christmas Village at Bayou Bend 

Get in the holiday spirit at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens with carolers, Santa, a snowball-play area, holiday treats, art activities, live reindeer and more. Open every evening through Jan. 1 except Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31. 

Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker 

Houston Ballet presents a new production of The Nutcracker by Stanton Welch AM. Look forward to performances on Dec. 22, 23, 24, 26 and 27.  

Alley Theatre's A Christmas Carol 

Enjoy the Alley Theatre’s re-telling of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday story. There are no performances Dec. 24-25 but it continues through Dec. 29. 

Winter wonderland at the Houston Zoo. (Photo: Stephanie Adams/Houston Zoo)

Tran-Siberian Orchestra 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra will celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. Look forward to performances on Dec. 23. 

Zoo Lights  

Experience the wonder of the Houston Zoo, all lit up with festive light displays this holiday season. Zoo Lights is closed Dec. 24-25 but you can plan to go on Dec. 23 or 26 with family. Zoo Lights continues through Jan. 15. 

Winter Break Bash at the JCC​ 

Head to the Jewish Community Center on Sunday morning for winter fun including a bounce house, face painting, crafts, a performance of Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins and more! 

Bellaire Chanukah Festival 

Celebrate Hanukkah this Sunday afternoon with Chinese food, live entertainment, crafts, outdoor inflatable fun, face painting and, of course, latkes and other Chanukah treats. 

More Events

See our event calendar for more events going on. Share your holiday moments with us by tagging us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or submitting your photos here.