I know, I know. BUTTERCUP! It’s one #Holiday at a time in my home. if were still talking about #Holiday’s it should be Halloween but first Fall not Christmas. This is why were sharing another post in our Interactive Christmas Gift Guide and this time there is no, activity to complete or tickets to earn.
Just a way to celebrate Christmas when you live on one income like my family and there is a thousand events you would like to do with your family you begin planning early. So you have the finances to do the things you want to do.
And around here, we really do like to enjoy one holiday at a time. But there is a difference between celebrating Christmas early and planning for Christmas early. If you have a family, you know exactly what I mean.
The holidays can get expensive quickly. If your children are in school there are parties and activities to pay for, family gatherings, Christmas shopping, food, decorations, travel and all those little extras that seem to pop up between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For my family we have my brother ‘s Birthday October 15th, My AUnt Sue’s is the 11th of October, mine is November 4th, my mother-in-laws is Nov. 11th and Charlie’s Birthday is Decemember 16th which adds even more expenses.
So when I see Christmas events announcing their dates and ticket information early, I want to put them on my calendar and start figuring out what we might actually want to do. That is what this post is about.
We are putting some of the big DFW Christmas events for 2026 on your radar now so you have time to look at your calendar, check your budget and decide what might work for your family.
And please remember that Christmas event information can change. Some events are free, some require admission, and some popular experiences require advance reservations. Always check directly with the event before making your plans.
Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie is one even you know my family has attended the past if you’ve been around TheMommiesReviews.com (GreatfulMoments.com) for very long, you already know it is a big deal in our family.
David, Charlie and I look forward to Prairie Lights every year. We have been fortunate enough to attend during the advance or preview period, and it has become one of those Christmas traditions that just feels like Christmas to us.
And yes, Charlie has his favorite. The Hot Cheetos corny dog. I have my favorites too. I love the rides, and I absolutely love all of the selfie stations. Some are inside and some are outside.
I always seem to find another picture I want to take. We also enjoy walking around and checking out the vendors. But mostly, I love that this is something the three of us look forward to doing together.
For 2026, Prairie Lights is scheduled to run November 26 through December 31, opening nightly at 6 p.m. at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie.
It is a roughly two-mile drive-through Christmas light experience featuring more than five million lights, animated displays and themed areas. Halfway through the drive, families can stop at Holiday Village for a walk-through forest, carnival rides, holiday treats, shopping, vendors and photos with Santa.
This is a family-friendly Christmas experience rather than an event aimed at one particular age group, so there is something here for little ones, older children, teenagers and adults.
Tickets are purchased through the official Prairie Lights website. Because prices, ticket options and availability can change, be sure to check the official ticket information before you go.
And if you want to see us there? Well, Buttercup… you might want to look for the family taking pictures at the selfie stations. Because I bet your bottom dollar that would be us.
Christmas Capital of Texas — Grapevine: For my family if your talking about Christmas in DFW, you really cannot leave Grapevine out of the conversation.
Grapevine is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas, and the city says its holiday season includes more than 1,400 events over 40 days. Including a Parade that I was blessed to attend with Suzzane but it isn’t something David or Charlie have experienced and its time to change that
That means this isn’t just one event that you attend on one particular night. Grapevine turns the entire community into a Christmas destination. And that is exactly why I think it belongs on your planning radar.
One of the events families will want to watch is Santa’s North Pole Express. My family hasn’t done this but Charlie and I did ride the Thomas The Train once and now I would like to do this with David and Charlie.
The 2026 North Pole Express excursions begin November 27 and depart from the Cotton Belt Railroad Historic District at 705 S. Main Street in Grapevine. There are multiple departure times throughout the season.
The North Pole Express is a family experience for children and adults, and tickets for the 2026 season are scheduled to go on sale October 1 at 10 a.m. Central Time.
Tickets are sold online through Grapevine’s official Christmas Capital of Texas ticketing system. The current ticket information lists benches rather than individual seats, with each bench seating two people.
And don’t forget that the North Pole Express is only one part of Christmas in Grapevine. There are ice skating opportunities, Christmas shows, special train experiences, shopping, decorations, parades and other holiday activities throughout the season.
Some are ticketed and some activities around Grapevine may be free. That is why I want this information on your radar before Christmas gets here. If you know your family wants to ride the train, mark October 1 on your calendar so you aren’t trying to figure it out at the last minute.
Christmas at Gaylord Texan– Another event that families around North Texas may want to put on their Christmas planning list is Christmas at Gaylord Texan in Grapevine.
We’ve actually experienced Christmas at Gaylord Texan multiple times through the blog, and those visits are some of the Christmas memories I treasure.
There is something pretty amazing about walking into that enormous resort and suddenly finding yourself surrounded by Christmas. My favorite time we went was when we was able to see Rudolph but one day I would like to go back when they do the Peanuts event.
I want to always be honest with you and over the years, we were invited to experience these events as part of the blog. Eventually, though, the invitations stopped coming once COVID happened.
Like so many things in the blogging world, statistics and numbers can determine who gets invited to media events, and our numbers simply weren’t where they needed to be because the world shut down for a while.
And you know what? That’s okay. Would I love to go back? Absolutely. Lord willing, one day I’ll have the money to take David and Charlie and experience it again.
And maybe, Lord willing, GreatfulMoments.com will grow enough that they’ll pick us up again and invite us back. And if neither of those things happens, that’s okay too.
Because I believe there is a time and a season for everything. If it isn’t God’s will for us to go back, then it isn’t God’s will. That doesn’t take away the wonderful memories we already made.
For 2026, Christmas at Gaylord Texan is scheduled for November 13, 2026, through January 3, 2027. The signature attraction is ICE! featuring Harry Potter, with scenes from the Harry Potter films carved from approximately two million pounds of ice.
I know David would love seeing this in person because just like my step-daughter Leslie and her husband Toby David is a huge #HarryPotter fan. As for Charlie and I not, so much but when you love someone you go to events you don’t really like.
Grab your friends and families and come walk through the exhibit, see the enormous ice sculptures and experience two-story ice slides. There are also other holiday experiences, including gingerbread decorating, visits with Mrs. Claus, snow activities, scavenger hunts and Christmas entertainment.
The overall Christmas experience is designed with families in mind, although individual activities can have their own age, height or participation requirements.
Tickets and packages are available through the official Christmas at Gaylord Texan website. Check there for current dates, hours, ticket prices and individual activity information before making your plans.
And if you are looking at this one and thinking, Glenda, that sounds expensive, remember what we said at the beginning of this post. You don’t have to do everything.
Sometimes Christmas memories come from the big-ticket attraction. Sometimes they come from driving around looking at lights with a cup of hot chocolate.
Sometimes they come from something completely free. The goal isn’t to spend the most money. The goal is to find something that fits your family. Which is why we choose one expensive event each Season and the rest are free if possible.
Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine If your family would rather turn Christmas lights and holiday activities into a whole getaway, Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine is another one to keep on your radar.
AGAIN , this isn’t something my family has had the opportunity to experience but I wish we had been able to when Charlie was littler. It would have been fun to bring him and his friends with my niece and nephew.
I wanted to let you know Great Wolf Lodge’s Snowland celebration brings Christmas into the resort with decorations, holiday activities, crafts, entertainment and visits with Santa during the holiday season.
And because Great Wolf Lodge is already built around family entertainment, this can be a good option for families with children of different ages. Great Wolf Lodge describes its activities as being designed for kids of all ages, although individual activities can have their own requirements.
The 2026 Snowland season is expected to run through the holiday season and into January, with the Grapevine resort beginning its celebration in November.
This is one where I would especially recommend checking the official Great Wolf Lodge information before booking because the schedule for individual activities, lodging packages and day passes can vary.
The nice thing about a place like this is that you can make it as big or as small as your family needs. It could be a full Christmas getaway. It could be a day visit. Or it could simply be something you put on the calendar now and decide later whether it fits your budget.
Christmas at the Dallas Arboretum– The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, is another place I think families should keep on their Christmas radar.
My family was blessed with tickets a while back to come and attend there Fall event to showcase on my site but we’ve never been at Christmas and I would like to go one day.
The Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Road in Dallas, and during the holiday season you can experience Christmas decorations, the Christmas Village, holiday entertainment and other seasonal activities.
The garden’s regular hours are generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., although holiday events can have their own evening schedules and special hours.
The Pauline and Austin Neuhoff Family Christmas Village is one of the holiday attractions, and the Arboretum also schedules evening entertainment on select nights. There are also opportunities for children to visit with Santa on select dates.
Admission is required for the Arboretum, with different admission pricing for adults and children, and parking is separate. Because individual holiday events may have different dates, times or requirements, I would check the official Dallas Arboretum website before making your plans.
This is another one where you don’t necessarily have to think of Christmas as one giant expensive outing. Maybe you go during the day. Maybe you plan an evening around the holiday entertainment. Maybe you make it part of a bigger Dallas family day. It is all about finding what works for your family.
And There Are More to Come
These are just a few of the Christmas events I wanted to get on your radar early. As more 2026 dates are announced, we’ll keep adding them to GreatfulMoments.com because I know how quickly the Christmas calendar fills up.
And this is where I want to remind you why we are talking about Christmas while we are still getting ready for Halloween. We aren’t rushing Christmas. We are planning ahead.
If you know your family wants to do Prairie Lights, put those dates on the calendar. If the North Pole Express sounds like something your children would love, pay attention to the ticket-sale date.
If Gaylord Texan is on your wish list, start looking at the costs now. If Great Wolf Lodge sounds like a Christmas getaway your family would enjoy, you have time to watch for packages.
If the Dallas Arboretum is something you’ve always wanted to experience, start thinking about when it might fit into your December schedule. But remember to some of the events last until January giving you extra time to go.
And don’t forget to look for the free things, too. Sometimes the best Christmas memories don’t cost a dime. A neighborhood light display like Diamond Loch in Haltom City and Interlochen in Arlington.
A drive around town with Christmas music playing. Hot chocolate in the car. A walk through a decorated downtown. A Christmas movie at home. A family game after dinner. Those things count.
We are going to enjoy fall. Then we are going to enjoy Halloween. We are going to take our time. But we’re also going to keep an eye on Christmas because families deserve the chance to plan ahead, especially when money is involved.
And if you see an event you want to attend, don’t wait until December to find out that tickets went on sale in October. That’s what this Christmas radar is for.
We’ll keep watching. We’ll keep adding. And Lord willing, we’ll make some more Christmas memories along the way. If we get stuck we will ask SANTA for help.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
