Every December, more than 400,000 revelers flock to Zilker Park, in Austin, to admire some two million lights during the Trail of Lights holiday festival. Folks online always make the same wry observation: The real Trail of Lights—so the joke goes—is the long line of taillights from all the cars idling in the event’s infamous traffic jams. (We suggest taking the shuttle bus for a more relaxing experience.) For those willing to brave the crowds, Texas boasts lots of big, splashy holiday events—not just the Trail of Lights, but also San Antonio’s floating parade along the River Walk, Sugar Land’s Holiday Lights, and Grapevine’s forty-day Christmas extravaganza, whose more than 1,400 (yes, you read that right) events and attractions include a drone show and a scuba diving Santa.
These spectacles are impressive, to be sure, but they’re not for everyone, which is why we’ve rounded up our favorite small-town Christmas festivals below. In addition to easier logistics and lighter traffic, smaller events also offer one-of-a-kind experiences (Marble Falls’s bumper cars on ice alone are reason enough for a road trip). From a polar-themed train ride to an ice sculpture–carving demonstration, these merry small-town festivities provide great ways to spread the holiday cheer while exploring new parts of the Lone Star State.
Texas State Railroad Polar Express (Palestine)
Now–December 28
Every winter, Texas State Railroad brings to life the popular children’s book turned motion picture The Polar Express in Palestine. After guests board the train, they’re served cookies and hot chocolate by chefs who recite the classic book. Once the train reaches the North Pole, Santa and his elves arrive to hand out special gifts—silver sleigh bells that only Santa believers can hear. The return trip back to town is a spirited Christmas carol sing-along. The train makes two to five journeys a day, including Christmas Eve, and rates vary based on the type of coach. Families are encouraged to wear their most festive pajamas for the hour-long round trip ride.
Spend the weekend in Palestine to have pancakes with Mrs. Claus at the Home Grill Steak House or visit the Grinch’s Lair and meet the Grinch, from the classic Dr. Seuss story, who’s been locked up at the Texas Jailhouse. For even more Dr. Seuss, snag a ticket to A Seussified Christmas Carol, a whimsical and rhyming take on the famous holiday tale, at the Texas Theatre. Finally, no visit to Palestine is complete without sampling the buttermilk or pecan pie from the famed Oxbow Bakery or strolling the Saturday farmers market for tasty treats and last-minute gifts.
Salado Christmas Stroll
December 6–8 and 13–15
In the 1800s, Salado was a stagecoach stop between Austin and Waco on the Chisholm Trail. With more than forty historic sites, the town of 2,500 is a must-visit during the holidays for history enthusiasts who want to pair sightseeing with gift hunting during the sixty-fourth annual Salado Christmas Stroll. The six-day event, held over two consecutive weekends, officially begins Thursday, December 5, with a Christmas parade starting at the intersection of Royal and Main and traveling north to the Salado Civic Center.
Those hunting for the perfect gift should visit the Saturday Christmas Market at Barrow Brewing Company (December 7 and 14) or enjoy late-night shopping on a mile of Main Street. For more yuletide joy, take a horse-drawn carriage ride, visit the outdoor live nativity at First Baptist Church, catch a performance of A Christmas Carol at Tablerock’s Goodnight Amphitheater, or take a glass ornament–making class at Salado Glassworks.
Jefferson Candlelight Tour of Homes
December 5–7 and 12–14
Once the commercial capital of northeast Texas, in the mid-1800s, the small town of Jefferson is now filled with an array of historic homes from a bygone era. Most of these dwellings have names proudly displayed on elegant yard signs. During the first two weeks of December, several open their doors as part of Jefferson’s Candlelight Tour of Homes. This year there are four homes on display, ranging from the 1880s-era, Queen Anne Victorian–style Benefield House to the more modern, green-hued, 1970s-era A Touch of Grace. The remaining two, both built in 1919, are La Masure, a unique example of Southern Creole architecture with hand-thrown terra-cotta tile floors and towering glass French doors, and the Tarry House, which is thought to be the oldest brick American Craftsman–style home in East Texas.
Stay the night and stroll through the Enchanted Forest, a display of 115 decorated and lighted Christmas trees at Lions Park. Local businesses, organizations, and families come together annually to decorate the trees. In December, the Excelsior House Hotel will host four candlelight dinners and a three-day Christmas Candlelight Market starting December 12.
Boerne’s Weekends of Christmas Fun
Now–December 22
One of the most festive Hill Country towns is the German town of Boerne, 31 miles northwest of San Antonio. Its thirty-seventh annual Weihnachts Parade, the city’s only nighttime parade, will take place on December 7 at 6 p.m. Since the 2024 theme is ugly Christmas sweaters, bundle up in your tackiest knitted attire and bring a chair or blanket to secure your viewing spot early. Restaurants and shops will be open late along the Hill Country Mile, a one-mile stretch of Main Street. Purchase a ticket for the Stocking Stroll, a Boerne shopping tradition in which visitors fill up their “stockings” (holiday gift bags) with special gifts from more than twenty participating businesses.
Highlights from A Toast to Olde Town Boerne (December 13–15) include wassail tasting, a caroling contest, an ice-carving show by artist Burr Rasmussen, roaming carolers, and live music across multiple venues. Visitors can stroll the streets with mulled wine or a brew from Free Roam Brewing Company.
Kinder Fest, the final weekend of holiday merriment, is designed specifically for kids, starting with a (now sold-out) cookie crawl. For $25 on Friday and Saturday, little ones can collect a delicious Christmas cookie at each of more than a dozen stores. Stave off a sugar coma by joining the Santa Scavenger Hunt at local stores or taking part in STEM activities held by the Science Mill in front of the Iron Hummingbird and Real Fashion. Keep an eye out for Father Christmas, who will be at the Christmas Shoppe all weekend. Need an eleventh-hour gift? Head over to the Cowboy Christmas Market in Main Plaza.
Texas Cowboys’ Christmas Ball (Anson)
December 12–14
Put on your dancing shoes and drive to Anson, a small hamlet north of Abilene, for a historic tradition—the ninetieth annual Texas Cowboys’ Christmas Ball, at Pioneer Hall. The venue is designated as a historic site and the dance as a historic event by the Texas Historical Commission. The inaugural 1885 event was a wedding party and was revived in 1934, becoming a dance held annually without interruption, aside from the 2020 COVID pandemic. Pioneer Hall was completed in 1940 as a permanent venue featuring a wooden dance floor and viewing bleachers. The goal of the event is to preserve the old cowboy dances performed at the inaugural party, including the Virginia reel, the schottische, the waltz, the heel-and-toe polka, and the Paul Jones. No modern dances are allowed, according to the 1937 bylaws of the Texas Cowboys’ Christmas Ball Association, the nonprofit organization that runs the ball.
Grammy nominee Michael Martin Murphey is back for his thirty-first appearance on opening night this year. Billy Mata & the Texas Tradition hit the stage on Saturday, while Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys perform on Sunday. The original event rules and strict dress code still apply, according to Texas Cowboys’ Christmas Ball Association historian John Milsap Compere, whose grandfather attended the original dance. “Ladies must wear dresses on the dance floor,” he says. “Gentlemen must check in hats, spurs, and guns at the door. No alcohol, smoking, spitting, cussing, fighting, shooting, or riding horses is allowed in the hall.” He notes that the dress code for the family-friendly event applies only to dancers, not to viewers in the bleachers. A one-night adult ticket is $25 online and $30 at the door. Multi-night tickets are also available online.
Marble Falls Winter Ice Rink
Now–January 4
Nestled on the banks of the Colorado River, the Hill Country town of Marble Falls, fifty miles northwest of Austin, may seem like a summer-only destination, but it’s the perfect place to spread the holiday cheer. Lace up your skates for a spin around the outdoor winter ice rink, where every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is a snow day, courtesy of a snow machine. Arrive in the afternoon for ice skating and stick around in the evening for ice bumper cars. The first weekend of December is the peak of the festivities. Visit on Friday, December 6, for the annual Light Up Christmas Parade and watch colorful, twinkly floats, marching bands, and Santa striding down Main Street. Spend the night and wake up early for the annual Breakfast with Santa event on Saturday, December 7, for a hearty meal and family activities. Afterward, head to Sculpture in the Square to watch artists carve ice sculptures, listen to live music, and browse a pop-up art exhibit.
Visit during the daytime to peruse the shops in the Downtown District, and grab dinner and a tasty brew from Double Horn Brewing Company or Bear King Brewing Company. After dark, take a stroll through the thirty-fourth annual Walkway of Lights, a paved, ADA-accessible pathway weaving through large holiday sculptures and a lighted tunnel that doubles as a popular photo spot. Stop by Friday and Saturday evenings from 6–10 p.m. to catch Santa in his workshop.
