Our Favorite Festive Activities in Dallas

We are nearing the end of 2020 and it's time to have some fun. Today, we're giving you all the scoop on our favorite festive activities in Dallas. Don't worry, we've included how they've been adapted to deal with covid-19 as well.

Just because it's been a difficult year, it doesn't mean we can't end it. Well, I know we're all ready for some celebration to join us as we let you in on our favorite holiday traditions.

We find fun activities in Dallas to do every year because we love Christmas so much, as you already know, and we just can't wait to share them with you. Maybe they give you some ideas of ways that you can start new traditions with your family here in Dallas.

Dallas Arboretum. 

12 days of Christmas

The 12 days of Christmas is what the arboretum has had for many years. They have had this giant gazebo glassed in with a scene from each of the 12 days of Christmas, which is amazing all throughout the years. You get to walk on the path and go one by one, the first day, the second day, the third day, and has the music playing and an amazing scene inside.

They also sell hot chocolate so you can have your hot chocolate while you're going through day by day of the 12 days of Christmas.

Definitely very family friendly, but it is especially fun and I highly recommend it for a date night. Go get your hot chocolates, snuggle up, walk around and see the 12 days of Christmas. They have tons of trees lit up in the gardens as well, and it's just unbelievably magical. 

Christmas Village

They also have the Christmas village. When I spent Christmas in Europe it was my FAVORITE trip, and Dallas Arboretum has brought Christmas in Europe to Dallas. It looks like a little European village with little buildings that you can walk inside. There's different things in each building. One place is the post office and one is a bakery and one is a library and all sorts of different, interactive rooms. It's awesome for the kids. It's awesome if you want to pretend like you're in Europe. Last year was the first year that they did this and this year it's even bigger and better. They've built phase two this season and I can't wait.

Santa

Santa is also at the Dallas Arboretum. Last year he was inside of the Christmas village inside of one of the houses. This year, you just have to make an appointment.

The NorthPark Mall

We're going to transition from gushing over the arboretum to one of my things that I strongly associate with Christmas... the NorthPark Mall. It's just such a tradition to go shopping there. I was absolutely looking into North Park and what they are doing to kind of adapt this year and how it will still be festive.

The North Park trains

The North Park trains have been kind of a long, beloved tradition. It is an indoor activity, but they have around thirteen hundred feet of track and it's all of these trains that have been painted or sponsored by local businesses or different kids, etc and it kind of depicts a journey across America. This is absolutely one of those things that is super fun for children. It's probably less enthralling as an adult, though. You do have to reserve tickets ahead of time this year. They will be observing capacity constraints and they are going to do distancing. You'll also need to wear a mask, but that is open all season until January 3rd.

Santa Claus

Something else that North Park is super well known for during Christmas time is Santa Claus - the North Park Santa. I would go as far to say he's famous. Of course, Santa Claus is famous in general, but the North Park Santa is famous in his own way.

Things are going to be a little bit different to be safe for covid and Santa is going to do some virtual visits. So you can register and schedule a visit with Santa online!

Pricing depends on how close we are to Christmas and how long of a visit you would like. The cherry on top is that 100% of the proceeds from a virtual visit with a North Park Santa benefit Children's Medical Center of Dallas, which if you know us, you know that we're huge fans of.

Christmas Lights

The next one's going to seem obvious, but I would argue that Dallas has some of the best Christmas lights in the country. So if you have not gone out and seen Dallas Christmas lights, we're going to give you the hot spots where you should go and what you should see. Every year, right around Thanksgiving, Highland Park especially starts to put up all their lights. I highly recommend stopping by Highland Park Village. It's always beautifully lit. Grab a little Starbucks, hot chocolate, a peppermint latte, make it festive, add it to your date night. So grabbing a hot beverage and just walking or driving to see the lights is one of my favorite dates of the year.

But there are a few streets that we want to highlight for you. So if you're making a little map, highlight these ones: Beverly Drive is a huge favorite, Lakeside Drive and then also Armstrong Avenue, all incredible every single year. I don't get tired of them year after year. 

Horse Drawn Carriages

They also have a couple of companies around Highland Park that do horse drawn carriages to go see the lights. The horses drive you all throughout Highland Park and they know all the great spots to spend your hour or two on the carriage. Talk about magical.

Over in Lake Highlands, there's also some light attractions. There's a really cool street called Timber Hollow circle. If you look on the map and the houses on this little cul de sac have come together and created their own little twelve days of Christmas. Each house is one of the twelve days of Christmas. So if the first house is a partridge in a pear tree, they have a big cutout in their lawn with light shining up on it of the partridge in a pear tree and etc, etc, etc at each house.

Whether you go to Timber Hollow Circle or go down those streets in Highland Park, get some hot chocolate to bring into your car and turn on the Christmas music on as you enjoy the lights.

Downtown Neiman Marcus

We have got to give a shout out to Dallas Downtown Neiman Marcus. It is always spectacular in the Christmas season. They do unbelievable Christmas windows every year. If you haven't gone and walked around and seen those, add that to your list. Those are really fun to see. This is an activity near and dear to our heart because our specific Remax office in Dallas traditionally goes every year to partake in the amazing buffet at the Zodiac room. If you haven't ever been there, it's the most unbelievable buffet of your life.

It's one of those buffets where you literally don't eat the day before or that morning at all so you can save room to eat as much as you possibly can at the buffet. It's awesome. However, obviously there are no open buffets in 2020, so the tradition continues with a little bit of a tweak. So this year they have a fixed menu. It's going to be three courses. They're going to start at mid-December, it'll be socially distanced, but they'll kind of serve some of the traditional most popular dishes. They also do an afternoon tea, which I feel like we're going to have to try.

I would imagine, with how popular it is (and especially in 2020) if you want a chance at the Zodiac room this year, call ahead and make a reservation.

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We wanted to give you some fun ideas in the business this season on how to just stop and enjoy with your family or your loved ones and take in the festive fun that's happening despite the hard that we've had this year. We really hope you enjoyed today's episode. This is our favorite time of year if you didn't notice. We are thrilled to get to share this stuff with y'all. We hope all of you get out to safely enjoy the season.

If you need any additional at home activities, visit wherewelivepodcast.com for some FREE gingerbread house coloring pages. It's just our small thank you for supporting our podcast!

Merry Christmas!

Brianna + Keelie