The Best Holiday Events in Dallas/Fort Worth

Don your favorite Christmas attire and head to one or all of these fun holiday events in Dallas/Fort Worth. No matter what side of the metroplex you are on, there are plenty of activities to enjoy for the entire family.

North Texas has no shortage of ways to celebrate this holiday season.

With everything from drive-through light displays, outdoor ice skating to photos with Santa, there is something fun happening every night from Thanksgiving to New Years.

The Best Dallas & Fort Worth Christmas Lights

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Holiday at the Arboretum is Dallas’ favorite holiday tradition! Experience the 12 Days of Christmas November 7-December 31. The garden has decorated Victorian-style gazebos that represent the 12 Days of Christmas.

There is over 1 million lights, entertainment, shopping, food and visits with Santa Claus. Timed tickets required.

Luminova Holidays

Surrounded by millions of dazzling lights, Luminova will brighten up your holidays! Visit with jolly ol’ Saint Nick, glide on a 10,000 sqft outdoor ice-skating pond, snap great pictures with family and friends around our larger-than-life light displays, sip on hot cocoa, and enjoy yummy treats.

Event takes place November 20 – January 3 at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

The Shops at Highland Village

Enjoy free horse drawn carriage rides around The Shops, and listen to the Living Christmas Card carolers on weekends and select dates from November 28 thru December 23.

Prairie Lights

Prairie Lights is the premier holiday light park in Texas located at Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie, Texas. Prairie Lights 2020 will be a complete in car event.

You will be dazzled with 4 million lights set along 2 miles of path. Hundreds of ALL-NEW displays in shapes of all kinds line and arch over the roads.

Half way through your adventure you will have the opportunity to order treats and drinks in our new concessions drive-thru! Open each night from November 26 – December 31.

Daystar Christmas

Daystar Christmas is the annual holiday lights display at Daystar Television Network in Bedford, Texas. The event, taking place through January 3, features over 2 million lights, a life-sized Nativity, kid-friendly Christmas town, a newly added drive-through tunnel, and more.

Guests are welcome to drive through the property or get out and explore – as long as groups keep at least 6 feet (or 2 snow men) apart from other visitors. Daystar’s Scratch Café will be open to the public and serving holiday treats from 6-10pm Fridays and Saturdays from December 4-19 and every day December 21-24.

Radiance

Radiance! A Holiday Light Spectacular is more than a mile long and will take about 20 to 30 minutes to drive through the entire experience.

A special Radiance! radio station frequency will be provided for guests to enjoy iconic holiday tunes as they experience the wonder which includes 160 feet of animated RGB light tunnels.

Food and beverages and special items, including hot chocolate, cookies, unique holiday treats, LED balloons, glow stick cotton candy and more, will be available for purchase from the comfort of the car.

The event is open from November 11 – January 3 in Frisco, Weatherford and Decatur.

Dallas Zoo Lights

The Dallas Zoo’s beloved holiday tradition has been reimagined as a socially distant drive-thru.

On select nights November 20 through January 3, cruise through a newly constructed pathway – and through familiar parts of the Dallas Zoo – while marveling at more than one million lights in elaborate displays, silk-covered animal lanterns depicting all your zoo favorites, an ice palace fit for a trio of penguins, and so much more along the way.

North Pole Express

Experience the magic of Christmas aboard Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express.

Guests are presented with a Souvenir Ticket as they begin their journey aboard the beautifully decorated Grapevine Vintage Railroad.

As guests board the train, Santa’s elves greet them with a Memory Mug of Santa’s special Frosty Chocolate Snow Milk. Train runs from November 27 – December 23.

SNOWDAY

SNOWDAY is an immersive holiday photo experience for all-ages. Navigate your way through an imaginative wonderland of festive photo ops, enchanted rooms and nostalgic moments.

Spots are limited, reserve your tickets today for a wonderfully safe and socially-distanced experience from November 20 – January 3.

Vitruvian Lights

The most dazzling and spectacular time of the year is here! Vitruvian Park transforms into a magical holiday wonderland during Vitruvian Lights; Friday, November 27, 2020 – Sunday, January 3, 2021.

Beginning November 27, tree lights will be on daily from 5:00pm – 11:00pm.

Trains at NorthPark

For the past 33 years, the Trains at NorthPark benefiting Ronald McDonald House of Dallas (RMHD), has delighted generations of Dallas families as one of our city’s premier holiday traditions.

Since 1987, the Trains have raised more than $13 million for RMHD allowing us to serve more than 39,000 families. Our 2020 Exhibit will be open from November 14 – January 3!

Ho Ho Ho Holidays in the Stockyards

Enjoy a Cowboy Christmas in the Fort Worth Stockyards, with thousands of twinkling lights, a 30-foot tree, strolling carolers, socially distanced Santa photos (online reservations recommended), a rodeo ticket giveaway and more.

Texas Motor Speedway presents Gift of Lights

The event has over two miles of light displays and almost 3 million lights. This drive-through experience allows guests to stay warm and cozy in their vehicle while listening to Christmas music on KLTY.

At the end of the driving experience, visitors can visit Santa’s Village on the inside track for photos with Santa, take a ride on the Reindeer Express miniature train and more. November 23 – December 30

Light Show Spectacular

It’s no wonder that Grapevine is the Christmas capital of Texas. The popular Light Show Spectacular is a synchronized light and sound display at the Grapevine Christmas Tree.

It’s located next to the Town Square Gazebo along Main Street in historic downtown Grapevine, at the corner of Main and Dallas streets.

This free, fun-for-all-ages lights show is about 20 minutes long and runs continuously from 6-11 pm nightly through January 7.

Interlochen Holiday Lights

Arlington’s Interlochen neighborhood is on of the nations most spirited areas for Christmas lights. With over 200 homeowners decorating with extravagant lights and displays, it’s worth waiting in line to drive through the area.

This free event takes place every evening at 7 p.m. Visitors can enter at Westwood Drive and Randol Mill Road and wind their way through the neighborhood light display.

Be prepared for long lines at this holiday display.

Diamond Loch Christmas Lights Display

Visitors line up at the neighborhood entrance before sunset to be first in line to drive through the famous “Whoville” display that is synched to music.

Sundance Square Place

After dining in downtown, head to the center of Sundance Square for photos next to the towering Christmas tree. This year’s tree is decked out with over 10,000 LED lights and ornaments.

You can even get your photo with Santa without even standing in line.

Thanks to Sundance Square’s virtual line system: simply check in at Santa’s Sleigh, provide a cellphone number, and you’ll receive a text confirming your time to see Santa.

Surrounding the tree are also large displays that are the perfect setting for photos with the family.

The Shops at Clearfork

The 500,000-square-foot, open-air shopping center gets decked for the holidays, with trees gleaming with lights and a spectacular Christmas tree in The Plaza.

Check the Clearfork social media pages for all of their holiday happenings, including horse-drawn carriage rides, photos with Santa, local choir performances, a holiday tea party with ballerinas from Texas Ballet Theater, and more through the season.

Candy Cane Lane

Located at the American Airlines Center, this multi-level display is a combination of holiday lights, classic holiday lantern characters and a wonderland of surprises.

Highland Park Village

Book a carriage ride and tour the beautiful light displays and homes of Highland Park. This will soon become your favorite holiday tradition.

More holiday events

Be sure to follow my on Instagram as I share posts and stories of other holiday events around DFW. What’s your favorite holiday event? Did I miss your favorite event? Let me know in the comments!

Hello! I'm Chastity.