In case you’ve bought firm coming for the vacations otherwise you’re searching for family-friendly enjoyable whereas the youngsters are out of college, this is an inventory of native occasions.
HOUSTON — There’s loads to see and do in Houston and surrounding cities over the vacations, together with dazzling mild shows which might be assured to get you within the spirit.
Whether or not you are searching for methods to entertain the kiddos, date evening scorching spots or locations to point out off Houston to vacation guests, we have got you coated!
Houston vacation occasions
Downtown Vacation Magic
Metropolis Lights Downtown Vacation Magic introduced by Shell Vitality is again for its third 12 months and assured to get you within the Christmas spirit.
Houston First Company companions with Downtown Houston+ to create a family-friendly vacation spot to have fun the vacations within the coronary heart of downtown.
The principally free occasion kicks off on Friday, Nov. 22.
For 2024, they’ve added the debut of Snow Glow on the Bayou at Allen’s Touchdown. “It is a spectacular fusion of expertise and nature” with beautiful artwork and light-weight projections on a 100-foot water display over Buffalo Bayou and surrounding infrastructure, the web site guarantees. For a extra immersive expertise, take a bayou tour and get nearer to the magic. The associated fee for the boat tour is $25 per individual and you may want a reservation. Extra particulars right here.
Downtown Vacation Magic additionally consists of 11 distinctive, themed villages with dozens of Insta-worthy spots from Avenida to the Theater District.
- Avenida – Peppermint Plaza
- Marriott Marquis – Texas Winter Lights
- Market Sq. Park – Tinsel City
- Wortham Theater – Sugar Plum Plaza
- Hilton Americas – Land of Sweets
- Discovery Inexperienced – Ice skating
- Lynn Wyatt Sq. – Jingle City
- Trebly Park – Twinkle City
- Hermann Sq. – Metropolis Corridor-iday
- Put up HTX – Winter Wonderlawn
- Alley Theatre – Deck the Timber
Get round with free pedicab rides or hop on board the double-decker trolley for a small charge.
Zoo Lights
Stroll by way of the Houston Zoo to see their magical vacation lights from Nov. 22 to Dec. 31.
Zoo Lights introduced by TXU Vitality options lovely, life-sized animal lanterns, an enchanted forest, a colourful vacation mild tunnel, a cover of glowing flowers and butterflies, Santa’s Workshop and extra!
Zoo Lights is open most evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Ticket costs range relying on if you go, however they vary from $26.95 to $29.95 for adults and kids over 2. Reductions can be found for navy, first responders and lecturers. You want to purchase your tickets prematurely.

Botanic Backyard Radiant Nature
The Houston Botanic Backyard is bringing again its breathtakingly lovely vacation mild show with larger-than-life Chinese language lantern installations that remember the thrill of nature.
Radiant Nature, introduced by Reliant, includes a life-sized Chinese language palace, a cover tunnel constructed of conventional oil paper umbrellas, pandas in a subject of bamboo with a waterfall, interactive morning glories and sunflowers, and an interactive dragon that friends can manipulate to make it “dance.”
The interactive zone once more options illuminated swings and an angel wings picture spot, plus a set of recent immersive, Instagram-worthy options certain to place a smile on the faces of holiday makers of all ages.
Radiant Nature is open from Nov. 8-Feb. 23 and admission is $28.50. Kids 3 and beneath are free. The prolonged run makes it an amazing spot to have fun by way of the Lunar New Yr celebration on January 29, the annual Chinese language Lantern Competition on February 12 and Valentine’s Day.
Should buy tickets prematurely to park on-site.
Lights within the Heights
1000’s of individuals will head to the Heights on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, for the thirty seventh 12 months of this beloved custom.
Woodland Heights will get all decked out for Lights within the Heights and the entire metropolis is invited to get pleasure from Houston’s largest and brightest block social gathering.
Stroll by way of the neighborhood to admire the work of Heights residents who spend numerous hours dressing their historic bungalows and Victorian houses to impress.
Bands and DJs add to the festive ambiance of the free occasion.
When: Saturday, Dec. 14, 6 – 9 p.m.
The place: Byrne, Euclid and 7-1/2 are the streets chosen for the official route for LITH this 12 months they usually’ll be closed to vehicular site visitors.
PHOTOS: Previous Lights within the Heights
Photographs: 2023 Lights within the Heights
Reliant Lights Mayor’s Vacation Spectacular
Downtown is the place to be on December 7 for the annual Mayor’s Vacation Spectacular in Hermann Sq. at Metropolis Corridor.
The star of the present is a 47-foot-tall white fir tree with practically 100,000 LED lights and 4,000 ornaments.
The free occasion is from 6 to eight p.m. and in addition options Santa, music, fireworks and the lighting of the gorgeous Christmas tree at Hermann Sq..
LeToya Luckett, a two-time Grammy award winner and founding member of Future’s Little one, will co-headline the present with two-time Academy of Nation Music New Feminine Vocalist nominee RaeLynn, of Baytown.
“This superb family-friendly celebration is an unbelievable option to kick off the vacation season for Houstonians,” Mayor John Whitmire stated. “I encourage everybody to hitch us for some vacation cheer and to have fun essentially the most festive and great time of the 12 months.”


Sugar Land Vacation Lights
You may’t assist however get within the Christmas spirit on the eleventh annual Sugar Land Vacation Lights at Constellation Subject.
“This glowing wonderland” options 3.5 million twinkling lights, 10 themed areas, ice skating, a 40-foot Christmas tree, a carnival, Santa and a sensational mild present from Nov. 15 to Jan. 5. (Closed Nov. 18-21)
You may even deliver your canines on particular Lights & Leashes nights.
Magical Winter Lights strikes to Rosenberg
Six million lights and greater than 60 lanterns mix for a stunning show at Magical Winter Lights, which has moved to the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg for 2024.
From The Undersea Paradise to Dino Land or House Maze, they’ve one thing for everybody at seven themed lantern points of interest.
There are additionally carnival rides and video games and reside leisure from characters.
Magical Winter Lights runs nightly by way of January 5 and guarantees to be even larger and higher this 12 months.
- Kids 3-12 & Seniors 65+: $19 ($22 on the gate)
- Ages 13-64: $27 ($32 on the gate)
- Kids 2 and beneath are free
Photographs: Magical Winter Lights
The Mild Park in Katy or Spring
You do not even have to go away your automotive for “essentially the most EXCITING and ELECTRIFYING mild present south of the North Pole!” the Mild Park’s web site guarantees. It is open seven nights every week by way of Jan. 1.
There are two Houston-area areas: Texas Hurricane Waterpark in Katy or Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring.
Sundays-Thursdays: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Fridays, Saturdays and Christmas week: 5:30 to 11 p.m.
On-line tickets are $49 per automobile prematurely or $55 on the gate.
Galveston vacation occasions
Moody Gardens in Galveston
ICE LAND: Rainforest Vacation
The favored ICE LAND at Moody Gardens is again this 12 months with a North and South Pole vibe.
Award-winning grasp ice carvers from Harbin, China have been busy creating turning two million kilos of ice into breathtaking artworks. To maintain them from melting, they’re stored in a 28,000-square-foot tent the place the temperature is stored at 9 levels so costume heat!
Take a festive journey from the North to South Poles the place you may encounter polar bears, penguins, humpback whales, snowy owls, walruses, reindeer and a lot extra.
The attraction opens on Nov. 23 by way of Jan. 1.
ICE LAND tickets vary from $29 to $35 or $24 to $29 for youngsters 4-12 or seniors 65+
Competition of Lights tickets begin are $25 to $29 for adults and $21 – $25 for youths and seniors 65+.
A vacation cross consists of ICE LAND, the Competition of Lights Path, skating rink admission, the Aquarium Pyramid, 3D movie and 4D movie. Ticket costs vary from $65 to $70 for adults and $45 to $50 for youngsters 4-12 and seniors 65+. You may purchase tickets right here.
For extra info go to www.moodygardens.org or name 409-744-4673.
Polar Categorical
All aboard for the favored Polar Categorical Practice Journey on the Railroad Museum in Galveston!
The family-friendly occasion rolled into the island on Nov. 8 and the round-trip rides to the “North Pole” will proceed by way of Dec. 23. Meet most of the characters from the film together with the conductor, the singing cooks, dancing elves and naturally the primary man himself, Santa Claus.
Company are invited to placed on their PJs to board the prepare for a fun-filled journey.
The prepare does not run on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays besides the week earlier than Christmas however the Railroad Museum is open on these days.
Ticket costs range relying on the date and time. Extra particulars right here.


Dickens on the Strand
Make a journey again in time to Nineteenth-century Victorian London at Galveston’s 51st annual Dickens on the Stand. Take pleasure in parades, reside leisure, buying and extra as you stroll by way of the Strand on Dec. 6, 7 and eight.
The occasion options parades, reside leisure on 4 stands and new additions, together with Tiny Tim’s Play Land, Shopkeeper Abilities Village and roaming characters.
Mingle with royalty as “Her Majesty Queen Victoria” and “Prince Albert,” and their courtroom roam by way of the Strand. You too can meet Ollie Dickens, the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens himself.
Costumed distributors promote meals and drinks on rolling carts or you are able to do a bit of Christmas buying.
Friday, December 6, 5-9 p.m. — FREE admission
Saturday, December 7, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 8, midday – 6 p.m.
Tickets on Saturday and Sunday are $25 for adults and $13 for youngsters 7-12. Kids 5 and beneath get in free.
Pearland
Hometown Christmas Competition
Location: Independence Park, 3449 Pearland Parkway
Parking: Accessible at Pearland Excessive College; ADA parking accessible on the Independence Park Liberty Drive Entrance
Pearland’s Hometown Christmas Competition is again with a night of leisure, buying, lights, inflatables, meals vehicles and far more! Take pleasure in a drone present introduced by the College of Houston Clear Lake at Pearland starting at 8:30 p.m. or play within the snow at HEB Winter Wonderland. Phrase has it that Santa may even drop by to unfold Christmas cheer.


Hometown Christmas Parade
Location: FM 518 (Broadway), from Outdated Alvin Street to Pearland Parkway – Map of parade route, detours
The Metropolis of Pearland will host the forty second annual Hometown Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 7. The night parade consists of dozens of colourful floats, marching drill groups, distinctive basic vehicles and extra!


Market Road in Lights in The Woodlands
Market Road in The Woodlands is magical this time of 12 months. They’ve a Texas-size, 70-foot-tall Christmas tree and nightly synchronized mild present with vacation music each hour starting at 5:30 p.m. till 9:30 p.m. day by day.
Market Road in Lights additionally gives loads of buying and eating choices.
Whilst you’re within the space, lace up some ice skates and take a look at The Woodlands Ice Rink day by day by way of mid-January.
Residence for the Holidays in Spring
Outdated City Spring is all decked out for its forty fourth annual Residence for the Holidays. Benefit from the “Texas-style winter wonderland” whilst you browse for distinctive presents in any respect the retailers by way of Dec. 24.
Take pleasure in vacation lights, horse-drawn carriage rides and leisure all through city.
The Christmas Practice in Alvin
Alvin has its personal Christmas Practice that chugs by way of festive mild shows in Victory Camp.
The Christmas Practice referred to as “Outdated Smokey” operates Nov. 29-30, Dec. 5-7, Dec. 12-14 and Dec. 16-23.
On-line tickets for $12 to $14 are really helpful and a few dates and occasions are already bought out.