Holidays in Dallas – November 2011

We are headed into my favorite time of year…the holidays. It seems like each year there are more and more things to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that celebrate the holiday spirit.

Holiday Events in the Dallas Area

There are so many wonderful holiday events that start in November 2011.   These are listed in the order of their start date.   Many of them extend through the holiday season, but I would suggest hitting them early if you want to avoid the crowds.

Lone Star Christmas

The Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine hosts a Lone Star Christmas starting on November 11 through January 1, 2012.   The highlight is their “ICE” winter holiday attraction.   This year ICE returns with a Shrek theme.   Shrek will be the host of an entirely ICE extravaganza including colorful sculptures and interactive experiences carved from over two million pounds of ice.   The hotel will be decked out in holiday attire which is a spectacle in itself!

Christmas in the Square Frisco

The ever-growing celebration is even bigger this year!   Christmas in the Square has a huge choreographed holiday light show, Santa Claus, holiday-themed outdoor movies, carriage rides, model trains, real snow and tons of other family activities.   It starts on November 11 and extends through January 7, 2012.

Chile Pepperama

On November 13 from 11-6, the Old Town Shopping Center at Lovers Lane and Greenville will celebrate all things PEPPER.   There will be tons of fiery treats, but also some chilly ones.   I think the Pumpkin Ice Cream Crank Off sounds pretty good. There will be good booth shopping as well as live music on the Pepper Stage.

The Trains at Northpark

This holiday classic returns November 21 and goes through January 3, 2012.   It benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas and delights children and adults alike all holiday season.   The trains at Northpark is celebrating its 11th year.   Over 40 vintage engines chug along 2500 feet of track.   Over the river and through the woods…

Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway

The Gift of Lights is a new holiday DFW tradition!   Located in the acreage of Texas Motor Speedway is a light extravaganza that you and your family can drive through.   It is a 1.7 mile path of light.   This exhibit starts on November 23 and goes through January 1.   Entrance is $15 per car M-Th and $20 per car over the weekend.   The Gift of Lights raises money for some very worthy DFW-based causes like Goodwill and the Tarrant Area Food Bank.

Turkey Trot

The Turkey Trot is the largest Thanksgiving event in the nation!   It is a great way to burn Thanksgiving meal calories while benefiting a great cause.   The race around White Rock Lake has grown to be a Thanksgiving morning tradition for both locals and visitors.   The race begins at 9 am.

Highland Park Village Tree Lighting Ceremony

This favorite ev****@hp*******.com” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Highland Park destination will be lighting their tree on the 24th in a celebration from 2-6 pm.

Holiday at the Dallas Arboretum

The Arboretum in Dallas gardens will be artfully decorated along with the picturesque DeGolyer Mansion.   One of the prettiest places in Dallas will be even prettier! This event starts on November 25 and will continue through December 24.   It is the perfect place to take the entire family.

Dallas Holiday Wish Celebration

From November 25 through December 24 is the Dallas Holiday Wish Celebration at Dallas City Hall Plaza.   It features Disney characters, two stages of entertainment, a tree lighting ceremony and Santa Claus!   It is a free public event.

MetroPCS Fair Park Holiday

On Saturday, November 26 from 11 am to 7:30 pm a free {open to the public} event will be held at Fair Park.   It will feature crafts at Santa’s Workshop, free or reduced admission to Fair Park’s participating museums, shopping at the Holiday Gift Market, dancing water shows at the fountain, the official City of Dallas tree-lighting ceremony, plus a firework finale.   Parking is $10. We realize that I have just scratched the surface of holiday events in DFW that start in November.   If you know of one I missed, please leave it in the comments below and I will be updating the list regularly.   In a few weeks I will be publishing the December holiday events so watch for that! Enjoy the Dallas holiday!