Best Holiday Activities For The Family
Live reindeer, Christmas lights and gingerbread houses, oh my!
The next few months are jam packed with tons of holiday activities. If you are looking for fun family-friendly holiday events, below are my picks for the best around Austin!
Horse Carriage Rides – Dress warm and enjoy a holiday stroll through downtown and around the Capital building. Great for all ages, the kiddos will marvel at the horses. Pick up outside the Driskill hotel, stop inside first and check out their gorgeous tree in the lobby. Reservations are recommended.
Trail of Lights – Austin’s largest holiday tradition continues with its 54th year. Over 2 million lights, food, music and Santa visits, this is an exciting activity for the entire family. Admission is free on many weeknights or purchase a Zip Fast Pass which gets you early access into the park. Tickets are currently available!
The Nutcracker at the Long Center – Celebrate a holiday tradition by taking the family to see Ballet Austin’s rendition of the Nutcracker. A fun and inspiring activity for those with young dancers in the family. Tickets are currently available!
Winter Wonderland at Circuit of Americas – Back for the second year in a row, the Winter Wonderland provides lights, train rides, a petting zoo and even camel rides. This year they’ve added an immerse cultural illumination feature which they are calling the Chinese Lantern Festival. Tickets are currently available!
Mozart’s Christmas Lights Show – Enjoy 1 million lights on their outdoor deck overlooking the lake. Grab some hot chocolate and sweets to snack on with the kids while listening to your favorite holiday tunes. No reservations or assigned seating. Just show up and appreciate the holiday spirit!
Ice Skating on the Plaza at Whole Foods – Located at the Flagship store in downtown, this outdoor skating rink has become a tradition for many Austinites. For $10 per person including the ice skate rental, this holiday activity will soon become a tradition for your family as well.
Gingerbread workshops at the Thinkery – Each gingerbread kit includes all necessary supplies to create a masterpiece, including fresh gingerbread! Build one house together as a family or order individual kits so each member can create a gingerbread masterpiece of their own. Once finished, explore the Thinkery while your gingerbread house dries. Tickets for workshops currently available!
Meet a Live Reindeer at Sweet Eats Fruit Farm – Come visit Santa and his reindeer on the farm! Santa is available for photos and the live reindeer will be in their pen nearby. Other farm activities include a jump pad, petting zoo, obstacle courses, corn hole and much more! Advanced ticket purchase is not needed, admission can be paid for at the entrance.
A Magical Cirque Christmas at ACL Live – Magic acts, outrageous circus acts, and your favorite Christmas carols this show will not disappoint. The kids will be in awe of the incredible acts, talents and costumes. Tickets are currently available!
Teddy Bear Teas at the Four Seasons – All ages are invited to join in a tea service with caroling and a fireside reading of ‘Twas a Night Before Christmas from Santa himself. Admission is free but children are asked to bring a new, unwrapped teddy bear which will be donated to Dell Children’s Hospital. Don’t forget to check out their Gingerbread Village while visiting. The village is one hundred percent edible and will leave you drooling. Both events are free!
Twisted Christmas – Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park, one of the top Halloween attractions in the country with four haunts on 20-acres of dense forest in Bastrop, a stone’s throw from Austin, announces their latest endeavor in family fun with Twisted Christmas open December 1st – 23rd.
Happy holidays to you & your family!
