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26 of the Best Christmas Towns in Texas

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This is a list of all the best Christmas towns in Texas.

Texas is home to several great cities that offer year-round fun, but a Texas Christmas is truly unforgettable. If you’re looking for some of the best places to spend Christmas in Texas, we’ve got you covered. Here is a list of places to go for Christmas in Texas to have the best Texas Christmas ever!

Table of Contents

Best Christmas Towns in Texas

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Frisco, TX

Please note that our trip to Frisco, TX to experience all the Christmas-y goodness was sponsored by Visit Frisco but all opinions are our own!

No city does Christmas in Texas quite like Frisco, TX! From their Christmas in the Square event to the Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza, they do it up big.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Frisco Christmas in the Square
Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Frisco Christmas in the Square

Experience the largest choreographed lights and music display in North Texas at Christmas in the Square. You can also go ice skating, meet Santa himself, purchase a Christmas tree from the local boy scout troops, ride in a horse carriage, and so much more! [Be sure to catch their Merry Main Street event with even more fun like a holiday market with local vendors and food trucks!]

Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza
Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza

If you go to Frisco, and don’t see anything related to the Dallas Cowboys did you even go? Whether you love football and root for America’s team or not, the Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza isn’t to be missed! Rowdy the mascot, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the Dallas Cowboys Flag team, and fun elves with unrivaled dad bods all celebrate at the Frisco Star in front of a larger than life Cowboys Blue Christmas tree. There are even fireworks! [Tip: Get there early for a great spot. Or better yet – stay at the Omni Frisco Hotel for a birdseye view of the entire event!]

Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza

At the Star and want to meet Santa up close? Check out Santa at the Star to visit Santa in his Cowboys Cottage! Professional photographers are on hand to capture your family’s moment with the big man himself. [Be sure to make an appointment for guaranteed availability – Santa’s very popular this time of year!]

Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Frozen in Frisco
Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Frozen in Frisco
Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Frozen in Frisco
Best Christmas Towns in Texas - Frozen in Frisco

Unlimited hot chocolate, outdoor ice tubing, and Texan snowball fights are on the agenda at Radiance! Frozen in Frisco! Park your car and ride in style in the Holly Jolly Trolley while marveling at 3 million decorative lights set to music full of the holliday spirit [the display dedicated to veteran’s who are unable to spend the holidays with their family because they are serving and protecting our country may or may not have caused a few tears on the trolley]. There’s also a giant ferris wheel, a holiday carousel, bumper cars, and of course, Santa himself.

Loving what you see from Frisco? Check out this full list of things to do in Frisco with kids?

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Grapevine, TX

Known as the Christmas Capital of Texas, Grapevine is one of the top places to go for Christmas in Texas.  The city offers plenty of fun things to enjoy during your Texas Christmas. Millions of lights decorate Historic Grapevine during their 1400 Christmas events in 40 days. But that’s not the only thing that makes them one of the best places to spend Christmas in Texas.

texas christmas - grapevine
Photo courtesy of Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau

You can take kids on an imaginary trip to the North Pole on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express. Or, enjoy classic Christmas movies at Historic Palace Theatre and shop on Historic Main Street. Grapevine is also home to the Gaylord Texan hotel, where they host an annual Lone Star Christmas. Families can enjoy a number of fun family activities here including ice skating, snow tubing, and our favorite Gaylord Texan ICE! exhibit.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Canyon Lake, TX

North Pole Village is an annual community Christmas event in Canyon Lake, TX.  Not only is it one of the best places to go for Christmas in Texas, but attending is also for a good cause.  The event is a fundraiser for the Community Resource and Recreation Center and Food Pantry of Canyon Lake.

Children can have their photos taken with Santa or write a letter to Santa at the post office. Visit the bakery and decorate Christmas cookies, or get your face painted at the elves’ house. It is a true Texas Christmas with a petting barn and hayride.  You’ll also love singing Christmas carols at the church.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Palestine, TX

Your kids will love being a part of a familiar Christmas story come to life on Texas State Railroad’s Polar Express in Palestine, TX. Children will experience a unique adventure as they ride to the North Pole surrounded by music from The Polar Express motion picture soundtrack and enjoy delicious hot chocolate and cookies aboard the train. Once you arrive at the North Pole, you’ll be greeted by Santa and his elves, and Santa gives passengers a silver sleigh bell, the first gift of Christmas.

The city hosts other Christmas celebrations as well. From the Grinch’s Lair in Anderson County Jail to breakfast with Mrs. Claus, Palestine is one of the best cities for a Texas Christmas.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Galveston, TX

As the self-proclaimed “Winter Wonder Island” of Texas, Galveston hosts more than 50 days of holiday events and Texas Christmas activities.  From Dickens on the Strand to the holiday lighting ceremony at Hotel Galvez, the city really goes all out to be one of the best Christmas towns in Texas. 

Photo courtesy of Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX is a Texas Christmas destination of its own.  Their annual Festival of Lights features over 100 Christmas light displays and is the largest holiday lighting festival along the Gulf. The one-mile trail also offers a unique cultural experience with Chinese lanterns displayed in honor of the Chinese Lantern Festival. You can also enjoy the outdoor skating rink.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, TX is packed with tons of Christmas events and traditions, making it one of the best places to spend Christmas in Texas.  Their beautiful River Walk becomes a spectacular Christmas destination during the holiday season. With over 100,000 lights draping the bald cypress trees along the river, you’ll be amazed at the stunning sight of lights reflecting off the water.

San Antonio is also home to Six Flag Fiesta Texas, which puts on its annual Holiday in the Park. In addition to incredible light displays, you can enjoy the Texas Christmas traditions of roasting chestnuts and smores and visit Santa in Santa’s Workshop.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: College Station, TX

If you’re looking for one of the smaller places to go for Christmas in Texas, College Station is a great choice.  It is home to the spectacular Santa’s Wonderland. In addition to a massive Christmas light display, you’ll be able to see a giant Texas flag made of lights. Kids will love the petting zoo and pony rides and of course, meeting a unique Texas Santa, complete with black boots and a huge Texas cowboy hat. There’s also a Texas-sized Gingerbread Village made from 500lbs of gingerbread dough, 2000lbs of icing, and 400lbs of candy. New for 2020 is real outdoor ice skating with Illuminations Ice Arena. 

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Fredericksburg, TX

Fredericksburg is another one of the best Christmas towns in Texas. There’s so much to do in Fredericksburg during the Christmas season. The city is decked out in holiday lights and there are tons of shopping opportunities downtown. There is also a 26-foot tall German Christmas Pyramid and a Community Christmas Tree on the Marktplatz. 

If you’d like to go ice skating during your Texas Christmas, head to Eisbahn outdoor ice skating. Don’t forget to sample wine from the 48 participating Hill Country wineries represented at Texas Hill Country Wineries’ annual Christmas Wine Affair. Take a tour of Fredericksburg’s many historic, country, and contemporary homes beautifully decorated for the Christmas holiday, or enjoy a radio performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the Fredericksburg Theater Company.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Amarillo, TX

Amarillo is home to Bishop Hills, a beautiful neighborhood that features a spectacular Christmas light display worthy of a Texas Christmas every year. The residents of this neighborhood have been decorating their homes as a community Christmas tradition for over 50 years. Additionally, you can enjoy Christmas in the Gardens, the striking lights display of Amarillo Botanical Gardens. Amarillo also puts on annual holiday races where you can enjoy hot chocolate, food, Christmas carols, and door prizes.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Dallas, TX

The Dallas Zoo is home to the annual Dallas Zoo Lights. Complete with wild animal light sculptures and over a million colorful holiday lights, your family can enjoy walking through the park or watching one of the nightly musical performances. Kids will love making ornaments, participating in a scavenger hunt, or riding the carousel or mini-train. And the experience isn’t complete without a visit to Santa.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth is the home of Texas Motor Speedway, which comes alive for the holiday season with over 2 million LED lights. Enjoy outdoor ice skating at Fort Worth’s Panther Island Ice skating rink. You can also enjoy a fun holiday shopping experience, complete with a photo with Santa, at Sundance Square. Or see a holiday show at Bass Performance Hall.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Odessa, TX

Starbright Village at McKinney Park is an annual Texas Christmas light tradition in Odessa and is known as the largest display of lights in the Permian Basin. You’ll be amazed by over 270,000 lights and holiday displays. Visitors can drive or walk through, and you’ll enjoy festive holiday music to complete the experience.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: El Paso, TX

El Paso features many annual holiday traditions. The annual A Christmas Fair features hundreds of merchants for great holiday shopping.  Winterfest in downtown El Paso features holiday lights, food, shopping, and an outdoor ice skating rink. If you want a unique El Paso Christmas tradition, you have to try one of the locally-owned restaurants that serve tamales. Those are only a few of the many Christmas traditions you can enjoy in El Paso.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Granbury, TX

Visit Granbury – A Candlelight Tour through the Historic Granbury Square to see some of Granbury’s oldest homes beautifully decorated for the holidays. Or enjoy a unique outdoor interactive family event at Granbury Living Christmas Cards, a tour through stunning Christmas displays that remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. 

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Pecos, TX

Pecos is a small town with a rich family tradition. Take part in the annual Holiday Open House Christmas Bazaar, which features a variety of local vendors selling jewelry and home decor. Kids will love “Pancakes with Santa,” which is hosted by the local Lions Club.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Wimberley, TX

A yearly tradition in Wimberley is the Holiday Trail of Lights at the Emily Ann Theatre. Featuring six acres of trails, families will love walking through the glittering holiday light displays. There’s also a Ye Olde Yule Log burning nightly, weather permitting.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: New Braunfels, TX

New Braunfels gives visitors a small-town Texas Christmas feel and features many fun holiday traditions. Christmas at the Caverns is a unique Christmas caroling experience in the awe-inspiring underground of the Natural Bridge Caverns. Wassailfest is held every year downtown and features Christmas lights, seasonal shopping, and, of course, a variety of delicious hot wassails.  If you’re looking for one of the best Christmas towns in Texas, New Braunfels is it. 

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Marshall, TX

Marshall’s Wonderland of Lights is one of the largest light festivals in the country and the largest Christmas festival in Texas. The event includes many holiday traditions, such as a carousel and train rides for the kids, ice skating and horse-drawn carriages, and Santa’s Village. There’s also an annual Wassail Walk and Outdoor Christmas Market.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Grand Prairie, TX

Visitors of Grand Prairie can take a fun holiday drive-through Prairie Lights. This annual holiday light park event features four million Christmas lights and stunning holiday displays. Families can park and enjoy the Indoor Holiday Show and a Holiday Magic Lighted Walk-Through Forest as well. 

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Jefferson, TX

Jefferson’s Candlelight Tour of Homes is what makes it one of the best Christmas towns in Texas.  The annual Christmas tradition boasts the warmth of an old-fashioned Christmas. See some of the most spectacular homes in historic Jefferson by the soft glow of candlelight. Complete with sparkling holiday decorations, what makes this Christmas experience unique are the tour guides dressed in old-fashioned clothing, giving guests information about the history of each home.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Cleburne, TX

Cleburne turns into a Texas Christmas town with Whistle Stop Christmas every year. Featuring millions of holiday lights, this event features several holiday activities for the whole family. Cleburne’s live theater groups put on holiday plays, and there’s a Candlewalk Tour of Homes through some of Cleburne’s most beautiful houses, decorated for the holiday season.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Johnson City, TX

Johnson City’s Lights Spectacular is an annual Christmas tradition, known as “the twinkliest town in the hill country.” See the Blanco County Courthouse decked out in holiday lights. There’s nightly holiday entertainment and local merchants selling food and holiday items. Visitors will also enjoy the Blanco Country Living Nativity Christmas Pageant put on by the Methodist Church.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Austin, TX

Your Texas Christmas comes alive in Austin with a host of fun activities for the whole family. The Austin Trail of Lights at Zilker Park features over two million lights and 40 holiday displays. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is decorated in Christmas lights and features holiday music and aerial dance performances.

At Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, you can enjoy a tasty cup of hot chocolate and watch a stunningly choreographed lights display. If that’s not enough, you can see a holiday performance of POP! A Rockin’ Holiday Concert at the ZACH Theatre or “The Nutcracker” with Ballet Austin at the Long Center. With plenty more to do, during the holidays, you can’t go wrong with your Texas Christmas in Austin.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Tyler, TX

Santa Land is Tyler’s Christmas drive-through park featuring millions of lights that can be seen for miles. The Tunnel of Lights is a 25,000 flashing lights display that ends with 12-foot-tall toy soldiers saluting you. Themed areas of the park feature Christmas music, a Snack Shack, and a Gift Shop for purchasing holiday hot cocoa and getting a picture with Santa.

Best Christmas Towns in Texas: Hidalgo, TX

Hidalgo’s Festival of Lights can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car or on a Holiday Train. Featuring a narrated guided tour against the backdrop of holiday music, you’ll see 3 miles of over 500 light displays with over 5 million Christmas lights. You can also enjoy a unique Christmas carnival experience at City Hall Plaza with carnival rides and food. Visit Santa’s House to get a family picture with St. Nick.

Have you visited any of these best Christmas towns in texas?  Where are your favorite places to go for Christmas in Texas?

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