Event Roundup: Houston Happenings This Holiday Week

Happy holidays! This week, Christmas and the first night of Chanukah both fall on Dec. 25. If you’re looking for ideas of what to do with family this week, especially if you’ve got out-of-towners visiting Houston, here are some fun and festive events happening around town: 

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens: Beyoncé Performs at Halftime 
Weds., Dec. 25, 3:30 p.m.
NRG Stadium
$216+Netflix's first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday (streaming live on Netflix)
Cheer on the Houston Texans as they take on the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, 3:30 p.m. Beyoncé will perform live at halftime, part of Netflix's first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday. This performance in Beyoncé's hometown will be the first live performance of songs from her record-breaking Cowboy Carter album.

The Shul of Bellaire hosts the 2024 Bellaire Chanukah Festival featuring a Lion Dance Show, a Chinese dinner buffet, and a grand menorah lighting. 

Bellaire Chanukah Festival 
Weds., Dec. 25, 4-6 p.m.
Bellaire Town Square 
Adults: $15; children: $10. Includes dinner. 
The Shul of Bellaire hosts the annual Chanukah Festival; highlights include a Lion Dance Show, a Chinese dinner buffet, and a grand menorah lighting. Enjoy Chanukah crafts, face painting, inflatables, latkes and donuts. 

Chanukah Celebration at CityCentre 
Weds., Dec. 25, 5:30-7 p.m.
CityCentre 
Free
Join Rabbi Goldstein for the fifth annual Chanukah Celebration at CITYCENTRE! Gather for prayer, song, and celebration with the community. There will be the lighting of the Menorah, an arts and crafts table, and Kosher donuts from a Kosher bakery.

PJ Library Chanukah Concert 
Thurs., Dec. 26, 10:30 a.m.
Congregation Beth Yeshurun
Free
Join PJ Library for a festive, high-energy event celebrating Chanukah with Billy Jonas Band. Look forward to holiday favorites, original songs, sing-alongs, dancing, and more.

Enjoy a family-friendly movie under the stars at Discovery Green. (Photo courtesy of Discovery Green)

Bank of America’s Screen on the Green: The Year Without a Santa Claus  
Thurs., Dec. 26, 7-8 p.m. 
Discovery Green
Free
Enjoy a family movie under the stars at Discovery Green! Bring a blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy The Year Without a Santa Claus, a 1974 stop motion animated Christmas television special. Meals, snacks, beer, wine and sodas are available for purchase from The Lake House.

Ongoing Holiday Events 
Festive holiday events around Houston include:  

Play in real snow at Children's Museum Houston during their Polar Palooza Snow Days.

Polar Palooza at Children's Museum Houston 
Through Jan. 8
Polar Palooza: Chills, Thrills, and Winter Skills at Children's Museum Houston, Dec. 21-Jan. 8, includes the opportunity to play in real snow and celebrate the magic of the season. Special events include Snow Days (every day through Jan. 4, except Dec. 25, Dec. 30 and 31), A Cozy Christmas Countdown on Dec. 25 (special hours, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.), Celebrating Kwanzaa (Dec. 26), Sugar Rush Bash (Dec. 27), and Celebrating Hanukkah (Dec. 29). 

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston transforms Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens into a sparkling Christmas village. (Photo courtesy of MFAH)

Christmas Village at Bayou Bend 
Through Dec. 30; closed Dec. 24-25, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, $18 adult and youth ages 13+; $12 child, ages 5-12; free for ages 4 and younger; prices increase on premium nights
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston brings holiday cheer to Bayou Bend, including a trail of sparkling lights, carolers, a hand-crafted model train, animated projections, and festive activities such as a cotton snowball toss, reindeer games, and sledding on a faux-snow slope.

Experience holiday magic with Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas held at Memorial City Mall, Nov. 22, 2024-Jan. 5, 2025. (Photo: Enchant Christmas)

Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas 
Through Dec. 29
Memorial City Mall
Adult: $20; ages 4-17: $14; ages 3 and under: free  
This festive event is filled with tons of joyful activities for the whole family, including larger-than-life light displays, a holiday market, ice skating, a snow slide, seasonal treats, live entertainment, and visits with Santa.  

A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre 
Through Dec. 29 (no performance on Dec. 25)
Alley Theatre
Prices vary 
Get in the holiday spirit with the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation as he encounters the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The Alley Theatre presents A Christmas Carol, from the novella by Charles Dickens; adapted and originally directed by Rob Melrose; remount directed by Amber D. Gray.

Experience an out-of-this-world holiday event at Galaxy Lights, a space-themed holiday light show. (Photo courtesy of Space Center Houston)

Space Center Houston’s Galaxy Lights 
Through Jan. 5, 6-10 p.m., including Tues., Dec. 31, 6-8 p.m. Closed Dec. 24-25, Space Center Houston, $19.95-27.95; free for children ages 3 and younger; not included in general admission 
Experience an out-of-this-world holiday event at Galaxy Lights, presented by Reliant. Featured activations and presentations include light displays, kinetic light shows, crystal fireworks shows, Apollo-themed lantern displays, a light tunnel, light pods, astronaut “selfie” lantern display, a walk-through space launch system rocket display, a large shooting star display, s’mores fire pits by the launchpad, LED swings under the 747 Boeing Aircraft, and a screening of Holidays in Space.

The annual TXU Energy presents Zoo Lights transforms the Houston Zoo into a winter wonderland. (Photo courtesy of the Houston Zoo)

TXU Energy Presents Zoo Lights 
Through Jan. 5, 5:30-10:30 p.m. (last entry: 9:30 p.m.); closed Dec. 25-25
Houston Zoo
Tickets vary depending on date; $24.95+
The annual Zoo Lights, presented by TXU Energy, transforms the Houston Zoo into a winter wonderland. The Zoo will be lit with earth-friendly LED bulbs. Highlights include Snowy Slopes, featuring a snow machine and ski lift chairs, life-sized animal lanterns, and s’mores-making stations. Santa returns to his workshop to take photos until Dec. 23. New this year: Stroll through the Immersive Twinkle Trail, sponsored by TC Energy, enjoy cookie-decorating stations, and a new holiday tree.

Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker 
Through Dec. 29 (no performance Dec. 25)
Wortham Theater Center
Prices vary 
Experience Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, a beloved Houston holiday tradition. After the annual Stahlbaum Christmas party, embark on a journey through the dazzling Land of Snow to the radiant and jubilant Kingdom of Sweets alongside Clara, Drosselmeyer, and the Prince. Welch’s The Nutcracker presents hundreds of characters, intricate sets, and breathtaking details.

Don't miss the popular Trains Over Texas exhibit at HMNS this holiday season. (Photo courtesy HMNS | Photographer Mike Rathke)

Holly Jolly HMNS
Through the holiday season; the museum will close at 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Price varies
HMNS is celebrating the holidays with a slew of magical holiday activities and special events, including the beloved Trains over Texas exhibit, the largest indoor O-scale model railroad in Texas. 

Sugar Land Holiday Lights presented by Houston Methodist features 3.5 million lights, themed displays, Santa, and more holiday fun. (Photo courtesy of Sugar Land Space Cowboys) 

Sugar Land Holiday Lights
Through Jan. 5, 2025 
Constellation Field
Prices vary; kids 3 and under are free
Sugar Land Holiday Lights presented by Houston Methodist takes place at Constellation Field, featuring more than 3.5 million lights, a dazzling 40 ft. light up tree, light shows, numerous themed displays, Santa Claus (through Dec. 23), holiday vendors, food, and more. New this year: Enjoy a synthetic ice rink on the field.

Immersive art studio ARTECHOUSE presents the first-ever immersive Houston Holiday Spectacular, a dazzling experience that brings the holiday season to life through art, technology, and interactive design. (Photo: ARTECHOUSE)

ARTECHOUSE’s Holiday Spectacular 
Through Jan. 5, 2025
ARTECHOUSE
Prices vary; general admission: Starts at $30; children (4-15): $17; children under 4: free
Immersive art studio ARTECHOUSE presents the first-ever immersive Houston Holiday Spectacular, a dazzling experience that brings the holiday season to life through art, technology, and interactive design. The exhibit reimagines popular holiday and ASMR themes through stunning digital landscapes, including The Tingle Bells Immersion Gallery, which invites visitors into three captivating scenes that evoke comfort, curiosity, and nostalgia, and Spectacular Factory, a whimsical adventure featuring floating bells, candy cane carousels, and dancing nutcrackers.

Skylawn, the 5-acre rooftop park at POST Houston, is decked out in beautifully illuminated lights and décor this season. (Photo: Lance Childers)

POST’s Winter Wonderlawn
Through Jan. 11, POST Houston, $7-15 
Skylawn, the 5-acre rooftop park at POST Houston, is decked out in beautifully illuminated lights and décor this season. Experience thousands of lights, a 25-foot Christmas tree, and multiple holiday-themed activations with a fantastic view of Houston’s skyline as the backdrop.

It's the opening weekend of Green Mountain Ice at Discovery Green, a perfect spot for picturesque ice skating. (Photo courtesy of Discovery Green)

Green Mountain Energy Ice 
Through Feb. 2, 2025; times vary
Discovery Green
Admission: $18
Skate around the ice rink at Discovery Green. Throughout the Ice season, there will be special events, including DJs, Skating Stars, Sundays with Santa, We Love Houston Wednesdays, and more. New this year: Bumper Cars on Ice, Jan. 6-19.

A stunning 100-foot long tunnel featuring fuchsia flowers is just one of 50 eye-catching lantern displays at the Houston Botanic Garden's all-new Radiant Nature.

Radiant Nature Presented by Reliant 
Fri., Sat., and Sun. nights, starting at 6 p.m., as well as some weeknights, through Feb. 23
Houston Botanic Garden
$28.50 for ages 3+
Inspired by traditions celebrating the Lunar New Year, as well as regional plants and animals, Radiant Nature features more than 50 Chinese lantern installations throughout the mile-long path, set to a complementary soundtrack. This year’s exhibit features an all-new collection of lantern installations, including a massive iridescent dome that guests can walk inside, where they’ll see a large, moving lotus flower. Other new attractions include a life-sized Chinese palace, a canopy tunnel constructed of traditional oil paper umbrellas, pandas in a field of bamboo with a waterfall, interactive morning glories and sunflowers, and an interactive dragon that guests can manipulate to make it “dance.”

Buffalo Bayou Cistern will light up for the holidays with Cistern Illuminated, a winter light installation, Nov. 25, 2023-Jan. 7, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Buffalo Bayou Partnership)

Cistern Illuminated 
On view through Jan. 26, 2025 (tickets not available Dec. 24-25); hours: Weds. and Thurs., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Brighten up your winter with Cistern Illuminated, an immersive light and sound installation in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. This annual tradition transforms the underground decommissioned drinking water reservoir into a breathtaking spectacle, showcasing the Cistern’s repeating columns and their uncanny reflections on the surface of the water below. A unique and original soundscape follows the moving lights around the cavernous Cistern. On select dates, the Cistern Illuminated installation will be accompanied by live choral performances.

City Lights Downtown Holiday Magic
Through Dec. 31
Downtown 
Free for most locations
City Lights Downtown Holiday Magic, presented by Shell Energy, is back for the third year with more spectacular lights, music, and magical fun. During this annual tradition, Houston First Corporation is once again teaming up with Downtown Houston +, Discovery Green, Alley Theatre, POST Houston, Hilton Americas-Houston, and Marriott Marquis to create memorable experiences for everyone at 12 uniquely themed locations. Open to the public and mostly free to enter, these locations offer an ice skating rink, sparkling lights, mesmerizing Christmas trees, totally post-able selfie stations, and many other activities to brighten the season for the whole family. To make exploring even easier, hop on the Hop-in Hop-off Holiday Bus, which will take you on a festive tour of the city's holiday highlights. Experience the magic of the holiday season downtown. Find the 12 magical locations here. 

More Events
See our event calendar for more events.