Looking for a winter wonderland in Texas? You just need to know where to find it.
A magical, frosty little North Pole exists in Grapevine.
At the center of the celebration is the Gaylord Texan Resort, just six minutes from the DFW Airport. Think of a big indoor town done up country and western style that features lights, music, and decorations in the hotel’s four-plus acres of indoor gardens. And this time of year, it’s jazzed up with all the sugarplum drops you can take.
The 50-foot rotating Christmas tree, constantly running train sets, a life-sized gingerbread house, 1.5 million holiday lights, and special display ICE! last through New Year’s.
ICE! is a hard-carved ice exhibit and a sight to been seen. Travelers come from all around to check out more than 40 carving artisans from China begin chipping away in the early fall – at 5,000 blocks of ice – creating a themed walk-through exhibit with life-sized ice sculptures. But beware: the temperatures hover around 9-degrees (which most Texans are not used to). But each visitor gets a large parka to wear as they walk through.
And you don’t have to be a guest at the hotel to visit this exhibit.
But that’s not all the holiday fun in Grapevine, this quaint little town is perfect for a day of strolling along. Grapevine is a smaller, less crowded version of Fredericksburg, Texas. The shops are decorated for Christmas, and range from unique hand-crafted goods and dazzling high end items.
There are other holiday festivities in Grapevine including the Carol of Lights, the Twinkle Light Boat Parade, and the historic Palace Theatre’s Home for the Holidays. Read more all these events here.
If you’re staying overnight, make your reservations early and plan to make family memories that will last a lifetime.