From Christmas caroling to twinkling lights, one of our favorite area bloggers, Shawna Holly, shares her family’s best picks for seasonal cheer this December.
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Publisher’s Note: for a sense of all that awaits you this December at Old West Christmas Light Fest at Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne, see their advertisement (below) as well as the photo essay we produced in collaboration with them for our readers.
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Story by Shawna Holly
Here we are again, eagerly standing on the cusp of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!” It seems that the authentic Texas Hill Country charm that we all know and love grows infinitely more remarkable under the glow of twinkling Christmas lights; with the sights and sounds of small-town Christmas parades, festivals, and markets; and with every taste of velvety rich pecan pie, savory tamale, and crisp Spritzgebäck cookie.
Because I’m always ready to shout from the rooftops just how much I love our region–especially at Christmas, I’d like to share with you some of my family’s favorite things to see from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. What’s special about this particular list, however, is that the events are annual traditions. That means we get to chip away at it—little by little—every Christmas season, building a tremendous treasure trove of cherished family memories along the way!
Care to join in the fun in 2018?
Grab yourself a mug of something warm, find a cozy spot on the couch, and let’s start clicking some links and planning our holiday adventures.
Austin
Austin Trail of Lights, Zilker Park: More than forty displays, two-million lights, food trucks, nightly entertainment and activities, and special event nights such as a Fun Run, Heroes Night, Movie Night, UT Night and more.
Boerne
Christmas at the Ranch, Don Strange Ranch: Dozens of movable displays, interactive carriage and hayrides through more than three-million dazzling lights, and food, shopping, and Santa every night at Santa’s Village.
Old West Christmas Light Fest, Enchanted Springs Ranch: Millions of Christmas lights all centered around an Old West town glowing with holiday spirit. Photos with Santa, campfires, tasty food and drink, holiday games, shopping, and cookie decorating all add to the Old West Christmas fun.
Take a look:
The Christmas Town, Vanguard Institute: Live music, free hot cocoa and coffee, hayrides through the lights, a live performance of the Christmas story, shopping, Christmas movies, games, food, drink, and a Gingerbread Forest of more than a hundred decorated trees and a twenty-four-foot gingerbread house!
Fredericksburg
Any ONE of Fredericksburg’s many holiday celebrations: The Christmas tree and German Pyramid at Marktplatz, an ice-skating rink, the Light the Night Christmas Parade, and Kinderfest are all great options. Additional activities include the Christmas Wine Affair, Holiday Cookie Decorating and German Traditions tour at LBJ State Park, and the kickin’ Luckenbach Christmas Ball at Luckenbach Dance Hall!
Gruene
Photos with Cowboy Kringle, historic Gruene: Look for Kringle in the breezeway between The Grapevine and Gruene General Store. Why? Because, hey, are you really even a Texan if your kids don’t have at least one picture with Cowboy Kringle?
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Johnson City
Lights Spectacular, Courthouse Square: With more than a million Christmas lights covering three city blocks, this season-long celebration is equally breathtaking by foot or by horse-drawn carriage.
Marble Falls
Walkway of Lights, Lakeside Park: Truly a wondrous sight to behold, with more than two million lights blanketing this lakeside park and its sculptures. Concessions and Santa photos are available and are fundraisers for local non-profit organizations.
New Braunfels
Wassailfest, downtown New Braunfels: Grab your lederhosen and head out to see Christmas lights and enjoy shopping, door prizes, and family-friendly entertainment such as puppet shows, bell choirs, barbershop quartets, and more. And LOTS of wassail…with the evening culminating with the crowning of the top “Wassail-Meisters”, who are of course, chosen by the people.
Santa’s Ranch: Over a million lights to be seen as you wind your way down more than a mile of twinkling country road. Tours are taken by car and you’ll find concessions at the entrance, so you can grab your hot cocoa, kettle corn, or candied nuts to enjoy along the way!
San Antonio
The BIG FOUR: Holiday Lights on the Riverwalk; San Antonio Zoo Lights; SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration; and Holiday in the Park at Fiesta Texas. They’re all legendary events, and you should try to see them all at least once with your kids.
Light the Way, University of the Incarnate Word: Join the celebration as the campus is illuminated with nearly a million lights! Highlights include student performances, shopping, food trucks, kids’ corner, and pictures with Santa. Afterward, those magnificent lights can be seen every night, into January.
Santa’s Railroad Wonderland, Texas Transportation Museum: Forty-acres of lights, covering nearly every foot of the Texas Transportation Museum, including the historic depot, trains, garden railroad, and three scale-model railroad layouts. PLUS, experience nighttime train rides through the lights and photos with Santa!
San Saba
The Dancing Lights of Mill Pond Park: A drive through experience with thirty-acres of Christmas lights, timed and set to music on 88.7FM. Open nightly, into January.
Sip N Stroll Wine Tasting Event: Ticketed participants will pick up their wine glass at the San Saba Visitors Center then make their way through the downtown area to shop local businesses and sip a variety of delicious wine from local Hill Country wineries.
Wimberley
Trail of Lights, EmilyAnn Theatre: A six-acre walk-through trail of lights with food, coffee, s’mores, and hot cocoa to keep you warm. Pick up a few light-up accessories and toys at the on-site shop so the whole family sparkles under the stars, and don’t forget your free children’s book from the book tent!
And that’s a wrap!
How lucky are we to live in such a wonderful place? With so many opportunities to bring on the Christmas Spirit and bring out the child in all of us?
Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful, warm, adventure-filled, memory-making, old-fashioned Hill Country Christmas!
Shawna Holly is a mom to three rambunctious kiddos, always on the go—In her world, pen and paper, crayon stubs, and washable markers are all acceptable tools for crafting upbeat stories to be told on her locally-focused blog, SowingSeedsTX.com.
Thanks for reading!
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What a wonderful trip. Thank you so much for sharing videos and photos.