Texas traditions are bigger than ever this holiday season with lighted festivals and plush “Texas snow” welcoming your perfect sun-kissed winter getaway.
We’ve heard it time and time again – everything’s bigger in Texas – so, when the enthusiastic southern state meets the vastly celebrated holiday season, it’s bound to be epic. Here, we look at how some stale holiday customs and traditions are being taken to a whole new level across the Lone Star State.
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar [Austin, TX]
December 14–24, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily
Cliché Custom It Replaces
Last-minute holiday shopping at the mall.
Make a long weekend out of the kind of shopping experience you can only find in Austin. Here, instead of trite soundtracks playing on repeat and irritating long lines, you’ll shop to live music performed by Grammy-winning musicians and be considering some truly impressive art and eclectic finds. The wares at this two-week-long event filling Austin’s Palmer Event Center skew toward the handmade and one-of-a-kind: from dollar knick-knacks and locally sourced leather purses to hand-blown glass and art of all shapes and sizes. There are 160 artists on-site, plus 30 bands, two full bars, and an estimated 40,000 attendees – this is the way to turn a holiday must-do into a shopping experience to remember.
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Holiday Lights River Walk [San Antonio, TX]
Cliché Custom It Replaces
Attending your yearly neighborhood tree lighting.
Each year along the San Antonio river, millions of lights turn aglow on Black Friday and remain lit from dusk until dawn for the entirety of December. Countless illuminations are draped overhead on bridges, bare cypress trees, and dozens of restaurants and boutiques along the way. A series of boat shows headline the event and perform throughout the month, bringing thousands of people together along the river’s edge, including the popular Ford Holiday Boat Caroling tour, the Fiesta de las Luminarias, and the Holiday Artisan Show. But perhaps the best way to appreciate the scene is getting on the river yourself with a water taxi, putting your head back, and taking in the two miles of holiday wonder around and above you. When staying at Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, admire the river lights from the candle-lit windows above at brand-new Dorrego’s, serving up San Antonio’s only Argentina-inspired cuisine.
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Santa’s Wonderland [College Station, TX]
November 10–January 7, 6 p.m.–11 p.m. daily
Cliché Custom It Replaces
Binge-watching your favorite Christmas classics.
This Christmas-crazed amusement park has been giving the North Pole a serious run for its money for the last 20 years. Following a welcome from their very own “Texas Santa” upon entering (clad in big black boots and a wide-brimmed cowboy hat), the options are quite limitless. Fly down the toboggan chute, coast down the tallest mountain slide in Texas, or hop on the gripping mechanical bull, all set to holiday themes. Considered the biggest Christmas attraction in all of Texas, the experience also includes a Christmas Village with souvenirs galore, classic holiday movies played at the outdoor movie theater, and plush, imitation “Texas Snow” falling from the millions of Christmas lights above. Lastly, while the park is certainly geared toward a child’s whimsy, adults aren’t left out in the cold with live music, restaurants, cozy campfires, and even an on-site winery.
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Dickens on the Strand [Galveston, TX]
Cliché Custom It Replaces
Attending your local theater’s rendition of “A Christmas Carol.”
Take a day trip from Houston to Galveston an hour south to be transported to another time – a time you’ve seen plenty before but never experienced. During Galveston’s annual Dickens on the Strand festival (Dec. 1–3 in 2017), the streets are entirely transformed into nineteenth-century Victorian London with aged holiday events so realistic you may forget what year it really is. Stroll down the cobblestone streets and stumble upon bands playing the bagpipes, merry carolers, and dancing musicians. Unwind in the atmosphere where affability is expected and the holidays are cherished in a way Scrooge would approve of.
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Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE | Hotel Alessandra
Santa’s Ranch [San Antonio, TX]
November 3–December 31, 6 p.m.–10 p.m. daily
Cliché Custom It Replaces
Driving through your town’s notably decorated neighborhood.
Thirty minutes outside of San Antonio, Santa’s Ranch is truly a spin on that idea of driving around town to check out the best holiday decorations – you never leave your car on this one-mile ride, but this place takes holiday decorations to another level. Think: one million lights and 100 displays of elves, reindeer, sleighs, and even pickup trucks wrapped in green and red. Finish off the trip with a stop at the popular Bakery Lorraine for some fresh sugar cookies and rich hot cocoa with whipped cream.
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Tamales at Pearl [San Antonio, TX]
Cliché Custom It Replaces
That traditional holiday meal you’ve had enough of.
In the Lone Star State, it is said that it wouldn’t be Christmas without the tamales. So, in typical Texas fashion, there is a party to follow the tradition. Every year on the first of Saturday of December, the spirited masses get together at the 22-acre campus of the former Pearl Brewery for the daylong festival dedicated to the tamale itself. San Antonio’s favorite chefs and restaurants join in with over 40 tamale makers for the city-wide tamalada!, serving up everything from traditional San Antonio styles to bold Mexican variations. Live Mexican bands, craft making, authentic jewelry shopping, and a kids’ center round out the experience.
