He’s a mean one, that Mr. Grinch, and he’s the star of this season’s “Ice!” exhibit at the Gaylord Texan. See him and other characters from Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas carved in ice now through Jan. 1. It’s enough to make your heart grow three sizes. Other heartwarming destinations around Dallas-Fort Worth include Addison’s free walkable Vitruvian Lights exhibit and the Dallas Arboretum’s “12 Days of Christmas” gazebos and European market-inspired Christmas Village.
Here’s where to find a display to make you feel merry and bright.
Check individual websites for safety policies, schedule changes and other updates, and visit Go See DFW for more holiday highlights.
FREE - The trees, fences and bridge in Irving’s Centennial Park will dazzle with 60,000 lights, including a lit walkway to keep the path visible after dark. Other nearby displays include lights at Whistlestop Plaza and the clock tower, at Heritage Park and along Main Street.
Dec. 3-26, nightly from dusk (about 6) to 10 at Centennial Park, 444 W. Second St., Irving. Free admission. cityofirving.org/1327/holidays-at-heritage.
FREE - More than 180,000 lights blink to 10 holiday songs in downtown Frisco. Visitors can drive through and tune their radios to 107.3 FM for the soundtrack. For those who’d like to walk through the display, music will play on speakers throughout the square. This year’s display includes a color-changing canopy and thousands of feet of roof-edge lighting. The event also features the Skate the Square outdoor ice rink ($20 per person, including skate rental, Nov. 18-Jan. 8), carriage rides ($15 per person), Santa visits ($15-$30) and light tunnel visits ($6 per person).
Nov. 18-Jan. 6, nightly from 6 to 10 at Frisco Square, Main Street and Coleman Boulevard, Frisco. Free admission; some attractions require a fee. friscosquare.com/cits-overview.
FREE - The special events plaza at this Richardson shopping center has half a million lights, an 18-foot-tall Christmas tree, strands of lights draped between buildings and moving lights in the living trees. Special events include Dec. 9’s Merry Market with Etsy-style vendors and crafts for kids.
Nov. 10-Jan. 5 at CityLine Plaza, 1150 State St., Richardson. Free admission. citylinedfw.com/events/cityline-lights-2023.
THE COLONY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
FREE - Illuminated trees and buildings and a light show set to music on 99.9 FM are presented nightly outside the Central Fire Station.
Dec. 2-Jan. 7, Sundays through Thursdays from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 10:50 p.m. at the Central Fire Station, 4900 Blair Oaks Drive, The Colony. Free admission. thecolonytx.gov/834/christmas-spectacular.
Walk through the zoo’s display of more than 2 million lights, including 60 larger-than-life animal-shaped lanterns and new lights in the “Destination: Dinosaurs” exhibit. There will also be a light show programmed to holiday music, visits to Santa’s Village in the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo with free photos with Santa, nightly musical performances in the Grove, photo ops, an illuminated art show, crafts, animal keeper chats and rides on the carousel and mini-train. Special events include Sensory Friendly Night on Nov. 27 ($15-$19) and Dallas Zoo After Dark, an adults-only night, on Nov. 30 ($34 for those 21 and older).
Nov. 17-Jan. 2 from 5:30 to 10 on select nights at the Dallas Zoo, 650 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway, Dallas. $19-$22 for ages 12-64, $15-$18 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older, free for children 2 and under. Parking is $12. dallaszoo.com/zoolights.
FREE - Towering in the middle of a skating rink at Galleria Dallas stands what is described as America’s tallest indoor Christmas tree, sparkling with 200,000 new programmable LED lights and more than 15,000 new ornaments and topped with a new 10-foot LED star. Starting Nov. 24, the tree’s daily Illumination Celebration light shows will be set to music (at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.). There will be two Grand Tree Lighting events this year. On Nov. 24 and 25 at noon, see an ice skating show performed around the tree featuring Olympic skaters and Missile Toes, the ice-skating Santa, and a fireworks finale. Family festivities are scheduled throughout the season, including Slappy’s Playhouse Holiday Circus, Storytime With Mrs. Claus, performances by more than 70 local groups and a menorah-lighting ceremony on the first night of Hanukkah, Dec. 7. Santaland and Snowday also return this year.
The tree is up through Jan. 7 at Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Parkway. See the website for a schedule. Free. galleriadallas.com/holiday.
Texas Motor Speedway turns into a winter wonderland for this annual drive-through attraction, which stretches 2 miles and features millions of LED lights. The show is not programmed to music, and Santa’s Village will not be open this year.
Nov. 23-Jan. 7, starting daily at 6 p.m. and closing at 9 or 10 p.m. depending on the day, at Texas Motor Speedway, 3545 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth. $35 per car or truck, $60 for larger vehicles. giftoflightstexas.com.
The Dallas Arboretum’s highlight of the season is the “12 Days of Christmas” holiday exhibit, which features a dozen elaborate outdoor vignettes depicting scenes from the classic Christmas carol of the same name. Attend during daylight hours or go after dark, when the gardens will be illuminated by 1 million lights. Holiday at the Arboretum also includes the Dazzling Musical Tree, a 50-foot-tall tree playing holiday tunes and featuring more than 42,000 lights, and the Christmas Village with its 23-foot-tall wooden Christmas pyramid. Special programming throughout the season includes Santa visits on select dates, two vendor markets and the DeGolyer House exhibit “Christmas Classics,” featuring Santas, angels, Nativities and a new collection of about 600 nutcrackers.
Through Jan. 5 at the Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus select days from 6 to 10 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Daytime admission: $20 for adults, $16 for seniors 65 and up, $12 for children 2-12, free for children younger than 2. Entrance to the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is $3 extra. $15 for parking or $11 if bought online in advance. Nighttime admission: $15-$35 for adults, $15-$18 for seniors 65 and up, $13-$15 for children 2-12, free for children younger than 2. Parking is included with nighttime admission. dallasarboretum.org.
THE LIGHT PARK
This drive-through holiday light display has returned to a parking lot at the Hurricane Harbor water park in Arlington and added a second location at Riders Field in Frisco. Both locations are open daily through Jan. 1 and feature millions of lights synced to Christmas music.
Through Jan. 1, nightly starting at 5:30 and closing at 10 or 11 depending on the day at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, 1800 E. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, and Riders Field, 7300 Rough Riders Trail, Frisco. $29-$49 per personal vehicle (no buses, limos or trailers allowed). Fast passes and season passes available. thelightpark.com.
This outdoor display at Plano’s Heritage Farmstead Museum will include more than a million lights along a quarter-mile trail with a 20-foot-tall Christmas tree and animated displays. Paid amenities will include visits with Santa ($10) and concessions such as hot cocoa and make-your-own s’mores.
Nov. 24-Dec. 30, Fridays and Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 5 to 9 p.m. at Heritage Farmstead Museum, 1900 W. 15th St., Plano. Also open Dec. 14, 21 and 28 from 6 to 10 p.m. Closed Christmas Eve. $12-$15 for adults, $5-$10 for seniors 65 and older, $7-$10 for children 3-12, free for children 2 and younger. heritagefarmstead.org.
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden will again host the internationally touring light display, which has been redesigned for this season. Lightscape will feature new light-based art installations, sounds and activities along a 1.2-mile walking trail. The display will include tunnels of lights to walk through, sculptures and scenes in the gardens along the pathway. The new Christmas Village will include photos with Santa on certain nights, music, fire pits and concessions such as s’mores and hot cocoa.
Nov. 17-Jan. 1 on select days from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth. Last admission at 8:30 p.m. Closing an hour early Dec. 24 and 31. $23-$30 for adults, $15-$20 for ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and under. On-site parking is $20 in advance; off-site parking is $15 at the event. Anytime passes are $50 and include on-site parking. fwbg.org/lightscape.
The Gaylord Texan’s annual holiday celebration includes 2 million lights decorating its atriums, a 54-foot Christmas tree with a light show set to holiday music, a large skating rink with real ice, an eight-lane snow tubing hill and a Christmas carousel. The event’s centerpiece, the “Ice!” exhibit of sculptures hand-carved from about 2 million pounds of ice, features scenes based on Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, plus festive holiday scenes and six two-story ice slides. Lone Star Christmas also includes photos with Santa, holiday dining, Cirque: Spirit of Christmas shows and gingerbread decorating.
Nov. 10-Jan. 1 at the Gaylord Texan, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine. Viewing the atrium decorations is free; prices for other activities vary. Some tickets are timed, and some prices vary by date. “Ice!” tickets start at $28.99 for ages 12 and older, $19.99 for ages 4-11. Free for children 3 and younger. Parking is $25-$40, $45 for valet. christmasatgaylordtexan.com.
FREE The shopping center’s antique Candy Santa and his reindeer made from pecans are already flying high. Reservations for live Santa Claus visits will open Nov. 19 at noon for appointments from Nov. 24 through Dec. 24. Other holiday hallmarks will also return Nov. 24, including Scrooge Puppet Theatre, the Twelve Days of Christmas Clock and puppet show The Tale of the Yeti’s Christmas Spaghetti. Other upcoming events include performances by dozens of local arts groups, the Gingertown Dallas display of gingerbread houses and the Movies with a Mission series at AMC NorthPark 15. The paid exhibit “The Trains at NorthPark” is open Nov. 11 through Jan. 5.
NorthPark Center is at 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas. Free admission; some activities require a fee. northparkcenter.com/holiday.
The Hilton Anatole’s new indoor Christmas experience for families will feature Santa’s Workshop with a sleigh photo op; the North Pole Shoppes, including the Toyland Marionette Theater and Life Size Snow Globe; and Immersive Adventure, which has 20 activity rooms such as North Pole Mail Room, Elf Academy, Cookie Factory, Reindeer Stables and Candy Cane Lane.
Dec. 8-30 on select days at the Hilton Anatole, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas. $49 for adults, $39 for children 3-17, free for children younger than 3. VIP passes are $79-$159. northpoletx.com.
Four million lights twinkle along a 2-mile path at this drive-through holiday attraction, which will offer new displays in shapes of all kinds. Halfway through the drive, stop at the Holiday Village to enjoy photos with Santa, the Walk-Thru Forest, carnival rides, concessions, shopping and more. The grand finale is a redesigned tunnel of lights.
Nov. 23-Dec. 31, nightly from 6 to 10 at Lynn Creek Park, 5610 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie. Admission starts at $50 per car. Fast passes start at $149. prairielights.org.
This Christmas lights drive-through is about a mile long with 2 million lights set to holiday songs on the radio. Optional VIP amenities include fast pass, hot cocoa, popcorn and magic light glasses.
Nov. 17-Dec. 30, nightly starting at 6 and closing at 9 or 10 depending on the day, at the Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo Grounds, 2251 Mineral Wells Highway, Weatherford. $29.95-$49.95 per personal vehicle (no buses, limos or trailers allowed). radiancechristmas.com.
Families can visit Galleria Dallas’ Santa Claus in Santaland, which starts with a simulated train ride and scenic walk to Santa’s cabin, where he’ll be ready to hear wishes and pose for photos. Then visitors are transported back to the Galleria — unless they also bought tickets to Snowday, a holiday-themed display for photo-taking fun. In that case, they take a shortcut to Snowday’s collection of rooms and other spaces filled with festive photo backdrops. A handful have lights and cameras triggered by scanning a wristband, with photos then sent by email.
Santaland is open daily Nov. 17-Dec. 24, and Snowday is open daily Nov. 17-Jan. 7 at Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Parkway, on Level 1 adjacent to Banana Republic. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. See the website for a schedule. Santaland admission is $21.99 for children 12 and younger, $14.99 for ages 13-64, $9.99 for ages 65 and older. Snowday admission is $34.99 for ages 13-64, $31.99 for ages 65 and older, $19.99 for ages 4-12, free for ages 3 and younger. There is a 15% discount for combo packages and discounted admission Tuesdays through Dec. 12. snowdaydallas.com.
Located north of Fort Worth, this drive-through attraction is a mile long and includes 2 million lights synced to holiday music, a 50-foot-tall tree, a 25-foot-tall gingerbread house, a 16-foot-tall snowflake and six tunnels.
Nov. 10-Dec. 31, nightly starting at 5:30 at 12452 Willow Springs Road, Haslet. $34-$49 per vehicle depending on the day and time. sugarlanelights.com.
This model train exhibit has stopped at a new station at NorthPark Center. The new location is on the first floor in the Macy’s Court near Santa’s hangout. The new layout still includes elaborate scenes with more than 600 rail cars and 1,600 feet of track. See the trains pass cityscapes of New York and Washington, D.C., national landmarks such as the Grand Canyon and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the iconic Route 66 and the fall foliage of New England, and Dallas attractions such as Reunion Tower, NorthPark Center, and Fair Park with Big Tex, the Cotton Bowl and the Texas Star Ferris wheel.
Nov. 11-Jan. 5 on Level 1 next to Macy’s at NorthPark Center, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas. Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. Holiday hours vary; closed Nov. 23 and Dec. 25. $10 for adults, $5 for children 2-12 and seniors 65 and up, free for children younger than 2. thetrainsatnorthpark.com.
FREE Stroll through Vitruvian Park’s 12 acres to see more than 550 illuminated trees wrapped in 1.5 million sparkling LED lights. The large number of single-color trees gives this display a modern flair. The park’s trail goes by water that reflects the brightly glowing trees, creating additional pizazz. Santa Claus will turn on the lights on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m., and they’ll be on nightly through Jan. 1. Special events on Nov. 18 and 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. will feature free photos with Santa, live reindeer, Mrs. Claus, an elf balloon artist, food trucks and other vendors, and live music (the Vocal Majority choir on Nov. 18 and Jordan Kahn Orchestra on Nov. 25).
Nov. 18-Jan. 1, nightly from 5 to 11 at 3966 Vitruvian Way, Addison. Free admission. Parking is $15 cash at the Bella Lane and Ponte Avenue parking lots and Alfred J. Loos Sports Complex. vitruvianlights.com.
The Go See DFW calendar is a partnership between KERA and The Dallas Morning News.
Shannon Sutlief writes about fun things to do in Dallas-Fort Worth for The Dallas Morning News.
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