Event Roundup: What to Look Forward to This Weekend

Happy Friday! Hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday. Looking for fun happenings this weekend, especially if you’ve got out-of-towners visiting? Here are some events to consider. 

Celebrate and learn about Hanukkah at Children's Museum Houston on Sun., Dec. 29. 

Polar Palooza at Children’s Museum Houston 
Through Jan. 8
Polar Palooza: Chills, Thrills, and Winter Skills at Children's Museum Houston, includes the opportunity to play in real snow (every day through Jan. 4, except Dec. 30 and 31). This weekend, special events include Sugar Rush Bash (Dec. 27) in which visitors can build candy creations and Celebrating Hanukkah (Dec. 29) in which visitors can explore Hanukkah traditions with dreidel interactives, olive press demos, and storytelling. 

22nd Annual Chanukah Menorah Parade  
Sun., Dec. 29, 5 p.m.
Parade begins at Chabad Outreach Center 
Free for spectators
The 22nd Annual Chanukah Menorah Parade will honor our greater Houston area first responders. The Chanukah Menorah Parade is a beloved Houston tradition that brings people together to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Chanukah. The parade features 50 vehicles adorned with Menorahs accompanied by Houston area police, fire trucks, EMS, and rescue vehicles. The program begins at Chabad Outreach Center with remarks from esteemed guests, music, Chanukah treats, and prizes for kids. The parade is set to arrive at Houston City Hall at 6:30 p.m.

29th Annual Menorah Lighting at Houston City Hall 
Sun., Dec. 29, 6:30 p.m.
Houston City Hall
Free
Celebrate Chanukah on the fifth night with the annual menorah lighting at Houston City Hall, including addresses by dignitaries and elected officials. Look forward to music, dreidels, sufganiot, Chanukah gelt, and gifts for children.  

A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre: Final Weekend 
Through Sun., Dec. 29
Alley Theatre
Prices vary 
Enjoy 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.

Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker: Final Weekend 
Through Dec. 29
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.

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: Last Weekend 
Through Dec. 30
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.

Ongoing Holiday Events 
If you haven’t gotten the chance yet, more festive holiday events around Houston include:   

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. 

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 
*Now extended through Jan. 5 
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, and live entertainment.

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.) 
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.

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.
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.

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, 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.

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

Holly Jolly HMNS: Trains Over Texas
Through the holiday season 
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Free to visit Trains Over Texas
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. 

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.”

More Events
See our event calendar for more events.