The holiday season is finally almost here and with it comes some exciting ways to spend that time here in Galveston. Take your family on a memorable excursion to Galveston that will be cherished for years to come. You will find that Galveston brings out the holiday vibes while keeping the temperatures nice and comfortable. One of the best ways to spend your time here in Galveston during the holidays is by checking out the local Christmas lights and displays. Many local events feature all kinds of light along with the local neighborhoods. Take a look at the best spots where you can check out displays and Christmas lights in Galveston TX:
Festival of Lights
Each year, Moody Gardens puts on their much anticipated holiday event, the Holiday in the Gardens. This event is a month and a half long celebration that starts just before Thanksgiving and runs through the new year. You will be able to see all kinds of incredible holiday themed attractions that are transformed for the season.
One of the many attractions taking place this winter at Holiday in the Gardens is the Festival of Lights. This holiday event has become a staple for locals in the community to check out each year. The Festival of Lights returns once again to light up your holiday season. It is a one-mile journey that will take you through displays of holiday fun for a beautiful experience. Over two million Christmas lights are used for the Festival of Lights, making it one of the biggest holiday attractions in the entire Southwest. Holiday music is played in the background and synced up with the many Christmas lights and lighted scenes.
During your experience, you will be able to enjoy Star the Dancing Tree along with a concessions area that features hot chocolate, festival food, and the fireside S’mores experience. You will find there to be plenty of photo opportunities to snap a pic along the way. Visitors will need to purchase a Holiday Pass to allow entry into the Festival of Lights trail. The pass also entails guests into other winter areas such as Ice Land: Pole to Pole, trips down the artic slide, opportunities for little children to ride the kiddie train through the Festival of Lights, and the infamous aquarium and jungle pyramids. Don’t miss out on the Festival of Lights taking place November 23rd through January 1st here at Moody Gardens.
Downtown Galveston Tree Lighting
Each holiday season officially begins when the local Christmas Tree is lit up for the season. Galveston features our own tree lighting with the Downtown Galveston Tree Lighting that takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year. You will be able to watch members of the local fire and police departments escort Santa Claus himself over to Saengerfest Park for the ceremony. Galveston’s mayor will also be there to provide a helping hand for this absolutely free event. Marvel at the giant tree and its abundance of Christmas lights on display here for the holiday season. While you are in the area make sure to explore Galveston Art Center’s ArtWalk nearby. This local event takes place every 8 weeks and times up with the local tree lighting ceremony. Enjoy the walk where you will find local businesses decked out in Christmas lights for the season. You will find incredible local artwork on display making it an enjoyable experience for everyone in the family.
Miracle Pop UP Bar at DTO
The adults in the group will want to enjoy an evening without the kids while experiencing holiday lights. Head on over to Daiquiri Time Out in Downtown Galveston for their Miracle pop up bar. This is a holiday themed pop up bar that features creative holiday cocktails made by hand. The setting includes unique holiday décor along with tons of Christmas lights on display. You will find that Miracle is able to make everyone a Christmas fan, even the Grinches in your family.
Galveston Holiday Lighting Celebration at Grand Galvez
Another great holiday tree lighting ceremony to experience can be found over on the front lawn of the Grand Galvez. This ceremony takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving for an evening full of festivities. Starting at 6:00 PM you will find Santa Claus to help out along with the Galveston Ballet and Galveston Symphony Brass Ensemble. The 35 foot tall Christmas tree will light up with hundreds of incredible lights. Don’t miss out on this free event that is open to the public!
More Holiday Fun in Galveston
As you can see, we do not skip out on the fun for the holidays here in Galveston. Make sure to reserve one of our vacation rentals in the area to experience Galveston the best way possible.
We all crave a beachside getaway when we can take one. Here in Texas you will find that Galveston will be your top beach getaway filled with exciting activities and attractions for all. Finding something for both the kids and children to enjoy is very easy here. Simply head over to Moody Gardens, the local amusement park for a little bit of everything. Moody Gardens has been a staple with the local community offering wonderful activities and lively events throughout the year. Take a look at what you can expect when you spend the day exploring the Moody Gardens:
The Three Pyramids
Finding the Moody Gardens here in Galveston is extremely easy; simply head over to the three pyramids that stand tall near the coast. The Moody Gardens is a beautiful amusement park that features several connecting areas inside each of the three pyramids. Visitors are able to purchase passes for the individual areas of the park, but you will save the most when you purchase a value pass that will get you into all areas of the park that day!
The first pyramid is the Aquarium Pyramid that is a sprawling aquarium complete with huge habitats for aquatic creatures. The Aquarium Pyramid is one of the largest aquariums in the Southwest and features 1.5 million gallons of water. The incredible critters that you can see up close include penguins, jellyfish, sharks, seals, tropical fish, and much more. A variety of conservation messages can be found around the aquarium to educate how important it is to protect our oceans. You can even get behind the scenes with animal encounters that include the Penguin Encounters and River Otter Encounters. Or visit the Coral Reef Lab to learn about this fragile species in a behind the scenes lab experience.
The Rainforest Pyramid takes you above the water for a full treetop canopy experience. Over 1,700 exotic animals and plants are protected here in the habitat for you to see in expansive exhibits. The animals include river otters, komodo dragons, ocelots, tamarins, Saki monkeys, and a variety of birds that fly all over the enclosed space. The habitat is designed after each of the rainforests found in Africa, Asia, and the Americas will a different experience found inside each one. You will be able to get up close to many of the different exhibits and see how these lovely animals interact with each other. You may even catch the sloths sleeping in the trees as they have free roam over all the exhibits!
The final pyramid is the Discovery Museum that brings science to life in sprawling exhibits. The Moody Gardens will be opening up Body Worlds RX: Prescriptions for Healthy Living her soon that demonstrate how our healthy bodies operate. This exhibit will offer a unique perspective on preventative healthcare while having you learn all about the human body. In addition to the Discovery Museum you will also find the 3D and 4D movie theatres that offer a truly unique perspective on film. The state of the art projects will immerse you into an experience like no other. The 3D movie selection includes Fungi: The Way of Life and Cephalopods: Aliens of the Deep, both truly enriching and educational films. The 4D movie selection includes Octopus: Blue Planet II that adds additional experiences to the film.
Seasonal Attractions
You will find that the Moody Gardens also features incredible seasonal attractions that rotate throughout the year. Summer will be here before you know it so make sure to explore the Palm Beach attraction that is open during on weekends during the month of May and every day starting on June 1st. This outdoor water park features Galveston’s only white sand beach along with a variety of attractions including the lazy river, wave pool, tower slides, splashpad, and Aquarium Adventure Playground. The Shoreline Café will offer all the food and beverages including adult beverages you could want as you relax underneath the sun. Visitors will also find the ropes course and zip line area available when weather permits here at Moody Gardens. Take the to treetops as you fly at high speeds down a zip line course. The ropes course is perfect for the explorer in the family who always seems to be climbing up on things. Finally, the Moody Gardens also offers an onsite spa and golf area too. Enjoy a spa day as the boys schedule a tee time on the green Moody Gardens really does have something for everyone!
More Fun Waiting for You in Galveston
Moody Gardens is just one of the many attractions you will find here in the area. Make the most of your stay by reserving one of our vacation rentals to enjoy a full array of amenities and great views. Galveston is waiting for you!