New shows, attractions among holiday events in Galveston
From train rides to the North Pole on the authentic Polar Express to new laser light shows downtown, a 2-million-pound Ice Land and a world-renowned Victorian festival, Galveston offers no shortage of holiday fun with 50-plus days of holiday attractions and events.
The Polar Express Train Ride at the Galveston Railroad Museum offers an opportunity for kids (and adults) to experience, first hand, the magic of the classic children’s tale. The ride will be open on weekends and select dates through Dec. 29. www.galvestonrrmuseum.org/polar-express.
Ice Land at Moody Gardens: On Nov. 16, Moody Gardens opens its 28,000-squarefoot Ice Land attraction (made from 2 million pounds of ice) with an all-new “Christmas Around the World” theme as well as its annual Festival of Lights. www.moodygardens.com/holiday_season/.
Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens:
Also opening Nov. 16 is the 18th annual edition of this festival, where visitors can enjoy one of the largest holiday lighting events on the Gulf Coast. At 5 p.m., Santa will parachute in and at 6 p.m., he will flip the switch that turns on the mile-long Festival of Lights trail, showcasing more than 100 soundenhanced animated light displays. www.moodygardens. com/holiday_season/.
Downtown Lasers & Lights: Nov. 22 through Dec. 31, Galveston’s historic downtown district will host Downtown Lasers & Lights featuring new laser shows, a magical display of lights and other holiday-themed attractions in Saengerfest Park – and beyond. New this year, four-hour holiday laser shows synchronized to music will be projected on the American National Insurance Company Building from 6-10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 22.
Galveston Holiday Lighting Celebration at Hotel Galvez: The annual celebration will kick off at 6 p.m., Nov. 29, to celebrate the start of the Christmas season. This free event will feature live performers, including the Galveston Ballet, visits with Santa and the lighting of the city’s official 35-foot Christmas tree. www.hotelgalvez.com.
Historic East End Holiday Homes Tour:
The 30th annual tour will be held from 5:309:30 p.m. Dec. 6, featuring five private homes that will open their doors to the public for one night. Each home will be decked out in festive decor. www.eastendhistoricaldistrict.org.
Dickens on The Strand: From Dec. 6-8, the iron-front buildings found in Galveston’s historic downtown district will make the ideal backdrop for the 46th annual Dickens on The Strand. This holiday street festival transforms the area, particularly Strand Street, into the Victorian London of Charles Dickens complete with costumed characters, street performers and vendors, parades, holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired crafts, and more. Each year, descendants of Charles Dickens travel from London to be a part of the festivities, and all attendees are encouraged to join in the fun by dressing in period costumes. www.dickensonthestrand.org.
Victorian Holiday Tours at Moody Mansion: During the holidays, guests can tour this home, completed in 1895, while it is dressed up for the season with festive trimmings and elaborately adorned Christmas trees throughout its 20-plus rooms. www.moodymansion.org.
Holiday Shows at The Grand 1894 Opera House: Here you can catch shows like Merry Christmas from the Doo Wop Project,
Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, The 5 Browns Holiday, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
and more. www.thegrand.com.
The Santa Hustle: If you’ve never seen 5,000 Santas racing along the beach, you’ll have your chance Dec. 15 when Galveston hosts a wacky holiday race: the Santa Hustle 5K, half marathon and Kids Dash. This unique race event will be a “jolly good time” as participants receive a lightweight performance Santa hoodie, Santa hat and beard to wear while running. https://santahustle.com/galveston.
Cirque Joyeux Dinner and Show: You can experience “Christmas Around the World” at the Cirque Joyeux Dinner & Show coming to the Moody Gardens Hotel Dec. 20-30. This one-hour Christmas spectacular features a performance from a cast of international circus and a variety of talents plus a sumptuous holiday dinner. https://moodychristmasshow.com.
For more information on holiday events in Galveston, visit www.galveston.com/holidaymagic.