FAMILY FUN
H-Town Sneaker Summit
Event serves as a meeting point for sneaker enthusiasts to buy, sell, trade, display and discuss rare and stylish footwear. When: 3-8 p.m. Sunday Where: NRG Center, One NRG Park
Details: $20-$150; nrgpark.com Funfetti Fridays
Outdoor roller skating with music and colored lights at Discovery Green.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday Where: 1500 McKinney Details: $4-$11; discoverygreen.com
HOLIDAY EVENTS
Downtown Lasers & Lights
A magical display of lights and other holiday-themed attractions in Saengerfest Park and beyond. Highlights at Saengerfest Park include a 30-feet-tall Christmas tree and a giant snow globe for visitors to enjoy on weekends. The four-hour holiday laser shows are synchronized to music and will be projected on the American National Insurance Company Building.
When: 6-10 p.m. Friday, through
Dec. 21
Where: Historic Downtown Galveston
Details: bit.ly/laser_lights_galveston Tomball German Christmas Market & Festival
A holiday market and festival celebrating German heritage, with live music, street performers, ethnic foods and family fun. When: 6-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Old Town Tomball, 201 S. Elm, Tomball Details: tomballgermanfest.org Krampus:
A Haunted Christmas
Hosted by the 13th Floor Haunted House, the interactive Christmas-themed haunt will also include milk, cookies and other
holiday snacks.
When: 7-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: 7075 FM 1960 W. Details: $24-$44.99; krampus hauntedchristmas.com/houston Very Merry Pops Holiday favorites concert featuring the Houston Symphony. When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Details: $34-$145; houstonsymphony.org
Jingle Bell Run — The Woodlands
Costumed, jingle-bell wearing runners help raise funds to support research for a cure and better treatments for arthritis. When: 7 a.m. Saturday Where: Rob Fleming Aquatic Center, 6535 Creekside Forest, The Woodlands
Details: events.arthritis.org
Christmas in the Park
Attendees will explore the customs and decorations from 1830s to the 1930s and visit Santa’s temporary workshop at the 1930s George Ranch Home & Cattle Complex.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Where: George Ranch Historical Park, 10215 FM 762, Richmond Details: georgeranch.org
Holiday Dance Showcase
A holiday dance showcase at Sugar Land Town Square by local dance companies. When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday Where: 15958 City Walk, Sugar Land
Details: sugarlandtownsquare.com
Stearman Santa
Guests can snap photos with Santa and the Stearman and take part in making candy airplanes, ornaments, and coloring pages.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Lone Star Flight Museum, 11551 Aerospace Details: lonestarflight.org/ stearman-santa-back
Christmas on the Boulevard
The free event begins with a live Nativity, followed by a Christmas concert featuring St. John the Divine Chorale and Youth Choristers, ROCO Musicians, The Three Sopranos and a festive jazz reception.
When: 4-7 p.m. Saturday Where: The Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Details: sjd.org/christmas -on-the-boulevard
Christmas Boat Lane Parade
Parade features more than 100 brightly decorated boats that will traverse the Clear Lake channel from the South Shore Harbour Marina and the Nassau Bay Lagoon to Galveston Bay. When: 6 p.m. Saturday Where: Multiple venues Details: clearlakearea.com/ events/annual-events /christmas-boat-parade
Carols on the Green
Members of the HGO Chorus return to Discovery Green for the second annual holiday songfest led by Ben Manis and featuring HGO Studio artists Leia Lensig and Kyle Naig. They are joined by over 70 voices from the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Sanctuary Choir and AFA Girls Chorus for a concert of holiday music from various traditions.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday Where: 1500 McKinney Details: discoverygreen.com
A Christmas Story Art Market
Holiday market with local vendors, art station for kids, Santa, contests and pet portraits. When: Noon Sunday
Where: Karbach Brewing Co., 2032 Karbach
Details: facebook.com/events /645748255928952
Hanukkah with the JCC
The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center will bring a special Hanukkah celebration to the Children’s Museum of Houston. Participants will decorate wooden dreidels, make edible dreidels and learn the rules of the dreidel game and practice playing it.
When: 5-8 p.m. Thursday Where: Children’s Museum of Houston, 1500 Binz
Details: $12; cmhouston.org
‘El Milagro del Recuerdo’
Set during Christmas, the opera lovingly explores the themes of traditions and familial bonds while its characters deal with life-changing decisions and dream of something more. Sung in Spanish with projected English translation. Presented by Houston Grand Opera.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, through Dec. 22
Where: Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas Details: $30-$107; houstongrandopera.org/milagro
Ice Land: Christmas Around the World
Master ice carvers have created an international wonderland at Moody Gardens. There’s also an arctic slide and ice skating rink. When: Through Jan. 12
Where: Moody Gardens, One Hope Blvd., Galveston Details: 409-744-4673; moodygardens.com
Festival of Lights
A mile-long trail with more than 1 million lights and 100 lighted scenes, a skating rink, live entertainment and concessions. When: Through Jan. 12
Where: Moody Gardens, One Hope Blvd., Galveston
Details: $18.95; moodygardens.com
Magical Winter Lights
A 20-acre lantern festival with themed sections, nightly acrobatic performances, carnival rides and an interactive dinosaur area.
When: Through Jan. 5
Where: 1000 FM 2004, La Marque
Details: $13-$22; magicalwinterlights.com
Space Center Galaxy Lights
Guests will experience LED lights, 3D projections and interactive displays lighting up the museum and some of the rarest space artifacts in the world. When: Through Jan. 5
Where: Space Center Houston, 1601 NASA Parkway
Details: $19.95; spacecenter.org
Zoo Lights
The attraction at the Houston Zoo features more than 2 million sparkling lights, a 100-foot-long Infinity Tunnel, 4D Enchanted Forest, Winter Wonderland and a giant Ice Dragon.
When: Through Jan. 12
Where: Houston Zoo, 6200 Hermann Park Drive
Details: houstonzoo.org/ events/zoo-lights
Sugar Land Holiday Lights
The sparkling wonderland features more than 3 million lights, a carnival, numerous themed displays, vendors and food. When: Through Jan. 5
Where: Constellation Field, 1 Stadium Drive
Details: $12-$15; sugarlandskeeters.com
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The Herdman kids are disrespectful. When they show up at church one Sunday and decide to participate in the annual Christmas pageant, everyone is worried. But when the Herdmans collide with the pageant, the true spirit of Christmas is revealed. Presented by Main Street Theater for Youth.
When: Through Dec. 21
Where: MATCH, 3400 Main Details: $16-$26; mainstreettheater.com
Miracle on 34th Street
A.D. Players present a stage version of the classic film. At Christmastime in 1947 New York, an old man named Kris Kringle turns up at the famed Macy’s department store and gets a job as Santa Claus. When word gets out he thinks he’s the real Kris Kringle, he’s institutionalized and a lawyer and a young girl must prove he is who he thinks he is. When: Through Dec. 29
Where: The George Theater, 5420 Westheimer
Details: $30-$80; ci.ovationtix.com/35111
A Christmas Carol:
A Ghost Story of Christmas
The family-friendly retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic story follows Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey with the three ghostly spirits who visit him on Christmas Eve. Presented by Alley Theatre.
When: Through Dec. 29 Where: Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Details: $39-$184; alleytheatre.org
Santa’s Rock ’n’ Lights
The drive-through light show features almost a mile of nearly 1,000 programmable elements and over 100,000 animated lights dancing to Christmas music rather than just the oldfashioned still displays.
When: Through Dec. 31 Where: The Pasadena Convention Center and Municipal Fairgrounds, 7902 Fairmont, Pasadena
Details: facebook.com/events/ 526604187897308
Meridiana Musical Lights
The new community south of Pearland is launching a drivethrough holiday light spectacular. Families can set their radios to 87.9 FM and slowly drive the 2-mile round trip parkway for the optimal synchronized light experience.
When: Through Dec. 31
Where: Take the Meridiana Parkway exit from Texas 288 in either direction. Heading south on Texas 288, take the Meridiana Parkway exit 3.5 miles south of Texas 6 and turn left onto the overpass into Meridiana. Those heading north on Texas 288 can take the Meridiana Parkway exit and turn right into the community.
Details: meridianatexas.com