Holiday Magic

7 things you can only do in Galveston this holiday season

Step back in time to Victorian-era London, explore a spectacular rainforest made of ice, and celebrate the holidays at the "official opera house of Texas." This is just a taste of all the things you can do over the holidays in Galveston.

From November through January, Galveston is transformed from a vibrant beachside getaway into the "winter wonder island" of Texas. With more than 50 days of special holiday events, the island is filled with the kind of festive fun that you won’t find anywhere else.

Want to see everything else that is happening this holiday season? Click here.

Travel back in time
Dickens on the Strand: December 1-3
Don your finest frock coat or hoop skirt and join the festivities at the 44th Annual Dickens on the Strand, when downtown Galveston is transformed into the Victorian-era London of Charles Dickens. Take in the Strand Historic District’s gorgeous architecture as you listen to roaming carolers, bagpipers, and musicians. Relish nonstop entertainment on the six stages, delicious food and drink, whimsical parades, and unique shopping for Victorian-inspired clothing, crafts, and holiday decorations. Don't miss any of the fun and family-friendly events, like the Holiday Handbell Concert (December 1) and the crowd-pleasing Victorian Bed Races (December 3).

Chill out in a rainforest of ice
Ice Land at Moody Gardens: November 11-January 7
Admire larger-than-life statues of birds, butterflies, monkeys, and more as you explore Ice Land at Moody Gardens, a wintry wonderland carved from two million pounds of ice. Crafted by a team of 25 master ice carvers from Harbin, China, this year’s version of Ice Land features a rainforest theme inspired by Moody Gardens' own Rainforest Pyramid. Along with admiring all the intricate sculptures of plants and animals, you can soar down the 36-foot-tall Giant Ruins Ice Slide and stop for a drink at Shivers Ice Bar. Covering 28,000 square feet and kept at a chilly nine degrees, Ice Land is one of the coolest attractions on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Stroll a trail illuminated by one million lights
Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens: November 11-January 7
There’s nothing that better represents the festive nature of the holidays than vibrant Christmas lights brightening the dark of night. In true Texas style, where everything has to be bigger, Moody Gardens delivers the largest holiday lighting event on the Gulf Coast. Now in its 16th year, Festival of Lights features a one-mile-long trail with more than 100 sound-enhanced animated light displays and one million lights. In addition to taking in all the lights, show off your balance on the outdoor ice-skating rink or get some thrills snow tubing down the Arctic Ice Slide. Fun for the whole family, you won’t find anything else like the Festival of Lights here in the Lone Star State.

Savor craft beer from Texas and beyond
Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival: November 24-26
If the thought of a hoppy IPA or a creamy stout gets your mouth watering, fill your pint glass at the Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival. A playground for craft beer fans, the festival showcases dozens of brewers from Texas and across the country. Be one of the first to try new-release and specialty brews made just for the festival, and pair your beer of choice with food from such restaurants as Yard House and local favorite BLVD. Seafood. With so many different brews to taste, it’s no wonder Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival was named one of the best beer festivals in the country by USA Today and Thrillist.

Run with thousands of Santas
Santa Hustle Half Marathon and 5K: December 16-17
We all know it’s exciting to meet one Santa Claus, but to see thousands at once? If that doesn’t warm your cockles, nothing will. Welcome to one of the most unique running events in Texas, the Santa Hustle Half Marathon and 5K. Wear your special Dri-FIT shirt made to look like St. Nick’s trademark coat, don your candy cane socks and Santa hat, and jog along to holiday music while you’re tempted with cookies and candy. Cross that finish line and you’ll get the best prize of all: a special finisher’s medal that will surely impress the real Santa when he pays you a visit.

Catch a holiday-themed show at The Grand 1894 Opera House
November 12-January 13
What do Willie Nelson, STOMP, and A Christmas Carol have in common? They're all part of the holiday lineup at The Grand 1894 Opera House. This magnificent and historic venue, known as the "official opera house of Texas," boasts a full stocking's worth of holiday shows beyond those mentioned above. Watch Santa and his merry helpers treat you to all the festive cheer you can handle in Christmas Wonderland Holiday Spectacular and catch performances of timeless classics like A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker. For some live music, get your tickets for The Texas Tenors or country music icons Jerry Jeff Walker and Lyle Lovett.

Step inside a giant snow globe
Downtown Lanterns & Lights: November 25-January 2
A brand-new event for this year, Downtown Lanterns & Lights brings all the magic of the holidays to Saengerfest Park. Stroll among the illuminated Christmas trees and artisan pieces and wander inside the giant snow globe for a one-of-a-kind photo. The snow globe will only be available November 25-26 and December 9, 16, and 23, so keep that in mind as you’re looking for that perfect holiday photo-op.

These events aren’t the only ways to enjoy yourself in Galveston this holiday season. Browse for unique gifts in the Historic Downtown District’s boutiques, tour the island’s magnificent Victorian homes bedecked in festive decorations, and treat yourself to delicious dining at local restaurants. Give yourself the best Christmas gift of all by spending your holidays in Galveston.

Galveston becomes a "winter wonder island" during the holidays.

Photo courtesy of Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

Galveston becomes a "winter wonder island" during the holidays.

vacation holidays promoted

Your Expert Guide

Oak Cliff: The underestimated historic and culturally rich 'hood

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Kay Wood

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Bishop Arts is a huge attraction, but Realtor Kay Wood wants people to know that Oak Cliff is a lot more than just Bishop Arts.

"Oak Cliff has a really rich and complex history," the Briggs Freeman agent says. "I think it's one of the most underestimated neighborhoods in Dallas."

Wood has lived in Oak Cliff with her high school sweetheart-husband since 2008, but she's been helping people buy and sell homes there for the past 15 years, currently with her business partner Brian Davis.

"The neighborhoods here are close to everything but still relatively affordable compared to other areas of DFW," she says. "I love all the historic homes with their architectural interest and variety, the strong sense of community engagement, and how there's so much to explore. Whether you're looking for the best new restaurant, the most authentic taco, film festivals, the zoo, the best public high school in Texas, parks, nature preserves — I could go on all day!"

Wood offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in "the Cliff." Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The list is long: Nova ("you have to get the hummus," Wood says), Encina (pro tip: don't skip the blue cornbread), Cibo Divino for pizza and wine on the patio, coffee from Peaberry ("my husband swears their Vietnamese coffee is the best in town"), oysters at Boulevardier, the Perfect Picnic at Eno's Pizza Tavern, tio's elotes next to El Si Hay, the pistachio ice cream at Joy Macarons, and the spicy lobster ramen at Ten Ramen.

Wood advises picking up a great bottle of wine from Neighborhood Cellars and some steaks from Cooper's Meat Market. And, of course, there are tons of taco options in the neighborhood: "We can't get enough of Maskaras, Trompo, and Taco y Vino," she says.

Where to play
Marvel at the best skyline views in town while playing a round at Stevens Park Golf Course, take a walk through Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, bike along the Trinity River, or play disc golf at Founders Park.

The Kessler Theater is "such a great and intimate venue" for concerts, while the Texas Theater adds a touch of history to movie-watching. Escape to The Wild Detectives for books, music, and poetry, or head to the Dallas Zoo for a wild day out — "our whole family loves to feed the giraffes," Wood says.

What to see
Oak Cliff is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial at Kiest Park and the La Reunion Monument at Stevens Park Golf Course that honors some of Dallas' earliest settlers.

On Jefferson Boulevard, you can pop into the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for regular art shows, and "my daughters love to walk down the street and look at all the quinceañera dresses in the shop windows," she says.

Where to live
A few years ago, Wood helped her buyers purchase 626 Rainbow Dr., a rare, two-acre midcentury modern estate that's wrapped on three sides by a babbling creek.

"When you're there, it's really hard to believe you're less than four miles from downtown Dallas," she says. The buyers hired local architect Eddie Maestri to update some aspects of the house while carefully preserving its midcentury style. There was an original barn that had been previously converted to a studio, but the buyers reinvented it as a guest house and added a pool and outdoor kitchen.

"It's hard to say what a 'typical' Oak Cliff house would be, because we have some of the very best examples of almost every architectural style in town," Wood says.

"In Winnetka Heights, you'll find Craftsman architecture (four squares, bungalows, Sears catalog, etc). Kessler Park has Tudors and Colonials and Texas eclectics from notable local architects like Charles Dilbeck and David R Williams. Stevens Park has all of these, as well as Spanish Revival and Dutch colonials. Wynnewood, North Kiestwood, and Wynnewood Hills have some of the best midcentury moderns in Dallas, as well as wonderful ranches. East Kessler has cutting-edge contemporaries that take advantage of the rare-to-DFW hilly terrain. You could teach a pretty comprehensive architectural history of Dallas without ever leaving Oak Cliff."

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Kay Wood lives, works, and plays in Oak Cliff. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kwood@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-908-5442.