It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Believe it or not, it’s already December. Between the holiday shopping, decorating, eating, and more eating, there awaits a splendid assortment of magical things to do in the city this holiday season.
Read on to discover 31 fantastic festive things to do in Dallas this December!
1. Experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Make this holiday season extra magical with a visit to Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest experience in Little Elm. Embark on a captivating adventure along a mysterious forest path brimming with enchantment and awe, where delightful surprises await at every turn.
Prepare your wand for spellcasting, encounter Hippogriffs and Nifflers, and relish breathtaking moments inspired by the magical worlds of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Following the exhilaration, a charming village awaits, inviting you with hearty meals and a crackling fire.
2. Party in the World of Barbie
Experience the World of Barbie in Dallas at Stonebriar Centre! Immerse yourself in this engaging exhibit that allows you to bring your life-size Barbie® fantasies to life.
Explore the Barbie® Dreamhouse, Sound Studio, and Science Lab, among other exciting attractions. Enjoy entertaining Barbie® content at the Movie Theater and delve into the World of Barbie Doll Gallery to discover how Barbie® dolls have been a source of inspiration for generations of girls, encouraging them to dream big.
3. Enjoy a Concert by Candlelight
Experience the enchanting Candlelight concerts in Dallas, where the brilliance of hundreds of candles combines with breathtaking musical tributes to both contemporary and classical musicians. Your evenings in the city are set to be warmed by live musicians performing beautiful classical renditions of the world’s most recognizable and influential artists.
Immerse yourself in the intimate atmosphere as the music of Beyoncé, Pink Floyd, Hans Zimmer, Bad Bunny, and more comes to life, surrounded by the flickering glow of candles. Prepare to be dazzled by these captivating performances.
- Candlelight: Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & More
- Candlelight: Holiday Special featuring ‘The Nutcracker’ and More
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Coldplay
- Candlelight: A Jazzy Holiday ft. Ella Fitgerald, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and More
- Candlelight: Holiday Carols on Strings
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
- Candlelight: Holiday Pop Classics & Modern Favorites
4. Pay homage to tallest indoor Christmas tree in the country
The monolith tree, which is decked out with roughly 10,000 colored ornaments and nearly half a million lights requires the work of 50 employees at Galleria who come together and spend days building the five-ton steel frame before installing more than 1,700 branches and decorating the enormous evergreen.
5. Check out the internationally-acclaimed “Lightscape” experience at Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Having enjoyed sellout runs in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, the internationally-acclaimed Lightscape experience is making its debut in Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
Running through to January, Lightscape offers guests a one-mile-long path featuring over 1 million twinkling lights to the 120-acre botanic garden this yuletide season.
The custom-designed after-hours walking trail leads guests through a series of “spectacular artistic installations that come to life after dark with color, imagination, and sound.”
6. Revel in Christmas cheer at the Arboretum
One of the picks of the bunch can be found at the esteemed Dallas Arboretum. One of the top botanical gardens in the world and one of the city’s top attractions, the 66-acre arboretum transforms each year for its popular “Holiday at the Arboretum” event.
7. Dine in the Dark
Ever wondered what it would be like to eat in complete darkness? Experts say that as much as 80% of individuals rely predominately on sight when eating. When this is eliminated, the theory is that senses such as taste and smell are elevated, resulting in a heightened dining experiences.
8. Be a Real Grinch
This year, residents of Dallas have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a genuine winter wonderland with the resort’s spectacular Ice: How The Grinch Stole Christmas experience, which is now accessible to the public!
Crafted with precision from an impressive two million pounds of ice, Ice: How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a captivating 17,000-square-feet wonderland that offers visitors a unique experience of the timeless Dr. Seuss tale.
9. Enjoy Dallas’ Spectacular Zoo Lights Experience
The 106-acre zoological Park is once again hosting its beloved mile-long walk-thru experience inviting guests to wander beneath millions of twinkling lights between dazzling 3D lighted sculptures and installations.
10. Gift a loved one a Candlelight Concert
Can’t decide? Or struggling to think of a present for somebody? Gift somebody an exclusive concert illuminated with thousands of candles with a Candlelight gift card.
Choose from concerts featuring jazz, rock, pop, classical music, and even movie soundtracks in spectacular venues around Dallas.
Candlelight gift cards are really easy to use and valid for any Candlelight event making it a unique and exciting gift for friends or family!
Get your Candlelight gift card valid for any Candlelight concert in Dallas or any other city in the U.S. here.
11. Travel back in time with A Very Sinatra Christmas Special at The Artisan in Dallas
This December, The Artisan in Dallas is hosting “A Very Sinatra Christmas Special” to get you in the holiday spirit. Paying homage to the legend himself, these cozy concerts include a catalog of tunes that Sinatra loved to sing during the holiday season, plus a full bar and light bites available for purchase! Grab tickets here to save your spot.
12. Take a spin in this bowling alley hidden inside an old movie theater
Recently opened, Bowlski’s Lakewood Theater is a live concert venue, candy counter, pool lounge, arcade, bar, and bowling alley. When it came to renovating the historical venue, Bowlski’s owners salvaged what they could of their predecessor.
13. Get your AMC Yellow Ticket
Fever is offering an amazing opportunity! Explore the showtimes and listings at our featured AMC movie theaters, grab your Fever ticket, and enjoy yourself! Whether it’s a gloomy afternoon or a memorable date night, AMC Theatres® has your access to top-notch comedies, action films, and everything in between—all just a click away.
14.Level up at this boozy arcade
Some of us weren’t around in the ’80s, but that doesn’t stop us from the feeling of vivid nostalgia we have for new wave hits, technicolored-patterned jumpers, and all the zaniness the decade had to offer. This season, Dallasites can blast back to the ’80s at the new FlashBack RetroPub in Bishops Arts District!
15. Bask in the glow of a thousand lights at this mesmerizing sky lantern festival
A mesmerizing festival of light is about to debut in the DFW area that will see thousands of sky lanterns simultaneously rise skyward.
Taking place on Saturday, December 17th, The Lights Fest will bring its magical experience to Ennis for a special one-night-only event having dazzled spectators in several US cities
16. Watch one of the Klyde Warren Park’s come alive for nightly light & music shows
For those who have yet to see it, Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park is now home to a majestic new fountain made up of three 15-foot-stainless-steel treelike sculptures that can shoot water up to 100 feet into the air. Opened in September it is dubbed the world’s tallest interactive water fountain and features a 5,000-square-foot splash pad that can accommodate hundreds of children at a time.
The fountain’s design was inspired by the surrounding beloved green space, “with three 15-foot stainless-steel “trees,” 14 “rosebud” bubblers, and 106 small nozzles that create giant “leaves” when they are working in unison” according to the Klyde Warren Park website.
17. Go chasing waterfalls
More majestic water spectacles can be found all around Texas thanks to Mother Nature herself.
There’s no understating the natural beauty of the Lone Star State and venturing out to the state’s most gorgeous waterfalls and hiking trails can offer respite from the city clamor during the busy shopping season.
18. Escape the hustle & bustle to these gorgeous woodland cabins
Another wonderful way to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city is out in a Getaway cabin. With a bustling entertainment scene and a wealth of subcultures and interesting neighborhoods, many of us can be guilty of becoming all too comfortable passing week on week in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and forgetting to take a break from the urban monotony.
Getaway House is a chain of tiny cabin hideaways helping people in big, bustling cities like Chicago, LA, NYC, and Dallas, disconnect from their busy city lives with restorative stays in the middle of nature.
Nestled in Larue, just 1.5 hours outside Dallas, 40 tiny cabins offer immersive floor-to-ceiling windows and minimalistic yet comfortable designs to let the stress of routine slip away and focus on being in a flourishing natural environment.
19. Glamp in the stars
New resident Texan, Elon Musk, promises that humans will land on Mars by 2026. If you can’t wait that long, you can spend a few nights at Basecamp Terlingua, an other-worldly glamping experience that integrates the future with the past, giving its visitors the impression of luxury camping in the cosmos.
20. Visit the Spa Castle
Christmas is full of magic but it can also be stressful. Add to that the worsening weather and you’ve got to take your well-being into consideration during these hostile months. Especially if you’re spending time outdoors exploring nature. Luckily Dallas is full of answers to combat both the Christmas chaos and the numbing chill that settles into your bones.
There are few places better for some rest and relaxation than Spa Castle in Carrollton. The innovative spa blends together traditional Asian and European styles to create a fun and luxurious experience all on its own featuring Himalayan salt rooms, hydrotherapy pools and much more.
21. Enjoy the Adolphus Hotel’s rooftop winter village
Dallas’ iconic Adolphus Hotel has had a Christmas makeover and it looks magical. The luxury hotel’s pool deck has been transformed into a winter village complete with snow globes, themed cottages, cozy winter cabins, Croque Monsieur winter soldiers, and festive food and drink options.
Every week Tuesday through Saturday guests can now transport themselves to a chic chalet village and revel in festive cheer.
22. Sip away in a snow globe on the Statler Rooftop
Another place you’ll find igloos and a revamped rooftop is over at the Statler Hotel.” Winterproof” at Waterproof is back at the hotel’s 19th-floor rooftop and snow globes are now available to rent on Waterproof’s website.
The annual experience returned on November 21 and the rooftop now offers a wintry oasis with decorations, frosty dining igloos, cheerful seasonal fare, and much more.
23. Dine royally up in the clouds
Savor the high life this fall at Monarch Restaurant. Perched on the 49th floor of The National, Monarch is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, giving restaurant-goers the chance to dine on their wood-fired Italian dishes with an epic view of the city.
24. Sip bubbly in Eden
Adorned with colorful artwork, bespoke furniture, and lush greenery – not to mention their gorgeous garden terrace – Paradiso offers a lovely quaint setting with its Bar Eden lounge.
25-27. Sneak into a speakeasy
There’s something special about speakeasies. The secretive, vicarious forbidden feel of transporting back to the prohibition makes imbibing cocktails all the more tantalizing.
- Hope you’ve been reading this quarantine, because you’re going to need your book smarts to get into the Rare Books Bar. In order to gain entry into this Frisco speakeasy, visitors must dial the librarian and ask for a classic piece of literature.
- The only signpost at this bar takes the form of two ambiguous As on a door in a crusty alleyway behind Henry’s Majestic. For those that can get past the initial sketch factor, however, a warm-lit cove of tantalizing libations await
28. Sweeten’ up at Dallas’ best bakeries
Treating yourself in the pandemic has become something of a lifestyle rather than a once-in-a-blue-moon event. If you need a sweet pick-me-up or want to share the love, these Dallas bakeries have got all the goods.
You can find a list of Dallas’ best bakeries here.
29. Step Inside the Largest Christmas Store in Texas
Whether you’ve yet started or finished decorating for Christmas, Texas’s #1 Christmas Store, Decorator’s Warehouse in Dallas is worth a trip this festive season.
30. Get Jolly at Dallas’s Most Festive Bars
For those unfamiliar, Miracle is a festive Christmas transformation that completely takes over local bars during the holiday season.
Adorned with an abundance of lights visible from space, offering warm and cold seasonal drinks, and boasting unmatched holiday decorations capable of warming even the Grinch’s heart threefold, Miracle is a must-visit for anyone who embraces the spirit of elf culture.
31. Enjoy a Tex-Mex Xmas
You can never have enough holiday lights, just as you can never have too many fajitas. Infuse a Tex-Mex twist into your Christmas celebrations by heading to Campo Verde in Arlington for the most joyously festive fajita experience you’ll encounter all year.