2025 Holiday Happenings

There are so many ways to celebrate the season and make memories with friends and family. Find some festive events here. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and happy, healthy 2026! Note: Event details are subject to change; please find the most up-to-date information online.

The City of Houston, led by Mayor John Whitmire, will kick off the holiday season with the 76th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thurs., Nov. 27, beginning at 9 a.m. in downtown Houston.

76th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade
Thurs., Nov. 27, 9 a.m.
Downtown Houston
Free The annual Thanksgiving Day Parade will be led by Houston’s beloved sports mascots Clutch, Diesel, Orbit, and Toro as Grand Marshals. The entertainment lineup includes Christian music star Danny Gokey; rising country star Payton Howie; a medley from White Christmas: The Musical by TUTS; dance team the Apache Belles; Kam Franklin, lead singer of The Suffers; local performance group Adams Davy; and more.  

Visit with Santa and two of his reindeer at CityCentre on Sat., Nov. 29, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. during Holiday in the Plaza.

Holiday in the Plaza
Sat., Nov. 29, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
CityCentre
Free Visit with Santa and two of his reindeer. Help fill Santa’s Cadillac with new, unwrapped toys to be donated in exchange for a complimentary photo with Santa. Dance along to holiday classics with the Holiday Show Choir. 

37th Annual West U Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Mon., Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m.
Friends Park
Free The annual West U holiday event will feature dance performances, vendors, holiday games, selfie stations, face painting, reindeer, and more. Enjoy holiday music and watch as the Mayor and City Council welcome the crowd before announcing the 2025 Coloring Contest Winners, who will have the honor of flipping the switch to light up the Christmas tree. 

Bellaire’s Selfies with Santa
Weds., Dec. 3, 4:30 p.m.
Bellaire Civic Center Decorate cookies and take pictures with Santa before his official arrival at Holiday in the Park. Time slots start at 4:30 p.m. Bring your own camera. 

Bellaire’s Holiday in the Park
Thurs., Dec. 4, 6-8:30 p.m.
Bellaire Town Square
Free Snow is forecast for a festive evening in Bellaire, including music from local choirs, food, and family fun.

12th Annual Southside Place Winter Wonderland Carnival
Fri., Dec. 5, 4-7 p.m.
Fields outside Southside Clubhouse 
$25/person for age 2+ The annual Southside Place Winter Wonderland includes inflatables, train rides, a petting zoo, hot cocoa, cookies/photos with Sata and friends, and a huge pile of snow. All proceeds go toward funding improvements to Fire Truck Park. 

Get into the holiday spirit at Memorial Park Conservancy’s annual Deck the Park, marking the kickoff of the Park’s month-long Holiday Lights display. (Photo: Memorial Park Conservancy)

Deck the Park Fri., Dec. 5, 5-9 p.m.
Memorial Park Clay Family Eastern Glades
$10/adult; $5/child; kids 2 and under are free Deck the Park – the kickoff to Memorial Park’s Holiday Lights, which will remain lit through early Jan. – includes holiday activities, a tree-lighting ceremony (6:30 p.m.), an outdoor movie screening (7 p.m.), and festive treats such as a s’mores station. 

Discover an immersive Christmas experience at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, Dec. 5–30.

Christmas Village at Bayou Bend
Dec. 5-30; timing varies by day. Closed Dec. 8, 9, 15, 16, 24, 25
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
$18 (ages 13+), $12 (ages 5–12); free (ages 4 & younger) Discover an immersive Christmas experience at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. A dazzling bridge brings you into a winter wonderland featuring thousands of lights. Sled down faux snow, toss cotton snowballs, hunt for Santa's reindeer, enjoy a 3-D video animation, listen to carolers, look for unique holiday gifts, and more. Take a photo with Santa (by Dec. 23) for $10. New this year: New York-based gingerbread artist and Guinness World Record holder Jon Lovitch will be creating a 500+ gingerbread village sculpture. The Weihnachtsfilm Festival Berlin will also show indie short films with a Christmas-theme.

Deck the Hall: The Mayor’s Holiday Tree Lighting Concert will take place Sat., Dec. 6, 4–8 p.m. in Hermann Square at City Hall, featuring live music, festive entertainment, and the lighting of Houston’s official holiday tree.

Deck the Hall: The Mayor’s Holiday Tree Lighting Concert Sat., Dec. 6, 4-8 p.m. 
Hermann Square at City Hall
Free Kick off the holiday season with The Mayor's Holiday Tree Lighting Concert, including live music, entertainment, and the lighting of Houston’s official holiday tree. Grammy-nominated R&B legend Brian McKnight will headline the evening. Activities begin at 4 p.m., with the concert starting at 6 p.m., culminating in a fireworks finale and snow. New: Winter Wonderland Kids Zone, offering crafts, games, and activities. Families can visit Santa’s Workshop for photos.

Levy Park’s two-day festival features a special performance by River Oaks Dance, a festive holiday market, crafts, treats, and more.

Levy Park’s Holiday Festival Sat., Dec. 6-Sun., Dec. 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Levy Park
Free Levy Park’s two-day festival features a festive holiday market, craft station with Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa activities, a family photo booth with Santa (pups welcome), live music and a special performance by River Oaks Dance, and holiday eats and drinks.  

Architecture Center Houston hosts the annual, delicious competition at Levy Park. Spectators can cheer on the teams, play in the kids’ construction zone, enjoy lawn games, a scavenger hunt, and more.

16th Annual Gingerbread Build-Off
Sat., Dec. 13, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Levy Park 
Free for spectators Architecture Center Houston hosts the annual, delicious competition at Levy Park. Competing teams will create 100 percent edible, architectural masterpieces using gingerbread, candy, and other sweet treats. Spectators can cheer on the teams, play in the kids’ construction zone, enjoy lawn games, and more.

Gather at Discovery Green for Carols on the Green, the company’s annual holiday concert and sing-along combining beloved carols with festive Spanish-language favorites, held in partnership with the park. (Photo: LaTroya Brooks)

Carols on the Green Sat., Dec. 13, 7-8:30 p.m.
Discovery Green
Free Celebrate the season at Carols on the Green with Houston Grand Opera. This year’s event is a festive celebration of Latin American culture. Enjoy an evening of traditional Spanish songs, carols, mariachi, and more. 

PJ Library's Family Chanukah Party
Sun., Dec. 14, 2-4 p.m.
Family-friendly brewery in Sugar Land (location provided after RSVP)
Free Join PJ Library for a family Chanukah party, including treats, crafts, and snacks. The location has a large playground. 

Bellaire Chanukah Festival Sun., Dec. 14, 4 p.m.
Bellaire Town Square
$15/adults; $12 for children The Shul of Bellaire’s annual Chanukah Festival includes a delicious dinner buffet, Menorah lighting, live music, face painting, crafts, a surprise entertainer, Judah the Maccabee on stilts, and a Gelt Launcher. 

9th Annual Memorial Villages Twinkle Light Parade
Thurs., Dec. 18, 6-8:30 p.m.
Parade begins at 6 p.m. at Frostwood Elementary and arrives at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church by 7:30 p.m. for an outdoor community holiday celebration. 
Free The annual Twinkle Light Parade will include dozens of festive floats, vehicles, and golf carts parading through the Villages. After, join at MDPC for a celebration including cookie decorating, snow, hot chocolate, a balloon artist, live music, and pictures with Santa.

HMNS Holly Jolly + Trains Over Texas
Throughout the season  
Houston Museum of Natural Science, Level 1 
Prices vary by event. General admission: adults: $25; children: $16 HMNS is offering holiday activities and events, including Santa’s Workshop (Sat., Dec. 6), Santa Claws (Sun., Dec. 7), Breakfast with Santa (Sat., Dec. 13), The Polar Express screening (Sun., Dec. 14), Cookies with Santa (Sat., Dec. 20), and Snow Flurry (Sun., Dec. 21), plus holiday favorite Trains Over Texas, a popular special exhibit. 

Astros Light Up the Park, an all-new holiday celebration, will transform Daikin Park into a one-of-a-kind, immersive winter wonderland, Nov. 22-Jan. 4. (Photo: Houston Astros) 

Astros Light Up the Park Through Jan. 4
Daikin Park
$20-$45 This new immersive experience presented by Houston Methodist will offer a festive blend of lights, sounds, and holiday joy with an Astros twist. Expect themed Astros- and Houston-inspired light displays and shows; special guests including Astros Santa and Orbit, holiday treats, and theme nights. 

ALL IS BRIGHT The Houston Zoo offers immersive light displays and festive experiences for the whole family during Zoo Lights. (Photo: Houston Zoo)

TXU Energy Presents Zoo Lights  Through Jan. 4
Houston Zoo
$26+ Explore a dazzling winter landscape filled with fantastical bursts of color, immersive light displays, and festive experiences for all ages. As the Zoo transforms into a nighttime holiday spectacular, visitors will journey through vibrant realms like the Enchanted Forest, marvel at the shimmering Iridescent Immersion, and sip hot chocolate by cozy s’mores stations. Santa returns to his workshop through Dec. 23, and new features include Wild Wonder Lights and the Neon Playground.

Houston's brightest space-themed holiday light show, Space Center Houston's Galaxy Lights, takes place Nov. 15-Jan. 4. (Photo: Space Center Houston - Aaron Rodriguez)

Space Center Houston’s Galaxy Lights   Through Jan. 4, 6-10 p.m. (Closed Nov. 27, Dec. 10, Dec. 24, and Dec. 25) 
Space Center Houston
$19.95-$27.95 Experience the magic of the holiday season and the wonders of space at Galaxy Lights. View the Apollo-themed lantern activations, take a walk under the stars through a 200-foot LED light tunnel and 30-foot-tall light display of the Space Launch System rocket, enjoy LED light swings under the 747 Boeing aircraft, a crystal fireworks light show choreographed to an epic playlist, a 40-foot-tall shooting star light display, and daily screenings of the original film Holidays in Space. Then, gather around a fire pit station and enjoy hot cocoa and s’mores. 

The 12th annual Sugar Land Holiday Lights presented by Houston Methodist features 3.5 million lights and family-friendly holiday fun, Nov. 21-Jan. 4.

Sugar Land Holiday Lights
Through Jan. 4
Constellation Field
$18.24+ The 12th annual Sugar Land Holiday Lights features millions of dazzling light displays, Santa Claus (through Dec. 23), a new 9-hole Mini Golf Course, a carnival (Nov. 28-Jan. 1), a synthetic ice rink, vendors, food, and more. 

Cistern Illuminated
Through Jan. 18
Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern
Tickets vary Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern will be transformed into a transcendent spectacle of color, echo, and optical illusion. Tours will be offered Weds.-Sun., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m, 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. On select evenings, Cistern Illuminated will be further enhanced with live performances by Ars Lyrica. 

Glide under the glittering lights of downtown this holiday season. The Ice at Discovery Green is open Fri., Nov. 21, 2025-Mon., Feb. 16, 2026.

Green Mountain Energy Presents Ice at Discovery Green Through Feb. 16; hours: Mon.-Thurs., 5-10 p.m., Fri., 5-11 p.m., Saturday and HISD school holidays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Thanksgiving Day, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, 1-7 p.m., Martin Luther King Day, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Discovery Green
$18 plus tax (includes skate rentals)  Glide under the glittering lights of downtown. Enjoy festive themed nights like Skate with Santa or DJ Skate nights.

Enjoy thousands of lights, two 25-foot Christmas trees, and multiple holiday-themed activations with a fantastic view of Houston’s skyline during Winter Wonderlawn at The POST's Skylawn. (Photo courtesy of POST Houston)

Winter Wonderlawn Through Jan. 11
POST Houston 
Weekdays: $12; Fri-Sun: $19; Children 5 and under: Free Skylawn, the five-acre rooftop park at POST, is decked out in illuminated lights and décor this holiday season. Enjoy thousands of lights, two 25-foot Christmas trees, and multiple holiday-themed activations with a fantastic view of Houston’s skyline. After Thanksgiving, take photos with Santa on Saturdays from 5-8 p.m. 

RADIANT Inspired by traditions celebrating the Lunar New Year, the zodiac calendar, and regional plant and animal life, Radiant Nature at Houston Botanic Garden is a Chinese lantern festival with larger-than-life installations.

Radiant Nature Through Sun., Feb. 22, timed entry from 6-8:30 p.m. Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, along with select weeknights
Houston Botanic Garden 
$28.50+. Get $2 off admission on Thursday and Sunday nights. Inspired by traditions celebrating the Lunar New Year, the zodiac calendar, and regional plant and animal life, Radiant Nature this year will celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. The floral-inspired portion of Radiant Nature includes a field of giant Texas bluebonnets, the vibrant red of holiday poinsettias, a tunnel of morning glories, and a glowing peach tree.

Editor's note: Find more upcoming events on our calendar.