Christmas is in full swing in towns all across Texas

It’s that time of year again — glittering lights twinkle in towns big and small, Santa is starting to make his merry rounds, and visions of freshly baked gingerbread and steamy cups of hot cocoa are already dancing in our heads.

It may not look like a winter wonderland here in the Lone Star State, but that doesn’t mean Texans aren’t getting wrapped up in the merriment. From now until New Year’s, Texas delivers a sleigh’s worth of festivities sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

Dallas

In the city to the east of Tarrant County, you can’t escape the spirit of the season at Holiday at the Arboretum, which runs through Jan. 8 and features the return of the magnificent “12 Days of Christmas” outdoor exhibit to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. A dozen 25-foot Victorian gazebos displayed in the 66-acre garden are filled with the charming costumed characters, whimsical animals and winter scenes made famous by the beloved Christmas carol. This year the garden reopens for evening hours for the “12 Days at Night” exhibit, on display every weekend through Dec. 30 and featuring 500,000 lights throughout the garden.

Also on display: a new Claus Collection Santa exhibit in the DeGolyer House, featuring Santa figures on loan from Junior League of Dallas members. More at dallasarboretum.org.

Bastrop

Head to historic downtown Bastrop for its Lost Pines Christmas through Dec. 23, where you’ll find everything from an old-fashioned Main Street Christmas to events like the nightly River of Lights trail featuring 120 lighted displays fringing the scenic Colorado the Lost Pines Christmas Wine Swirl (Friday), where you can sip, shop and swirl your way through Bastrop’s premier wine-tasting event; or Winter Wonderland (Friday and Saturday), which brims with hayrides, ice skating, carriage rides, s’mores and fun with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Find out more at lostpineschristmas.com.

Buda

Buda’s annual Trail of Lights brightens the night with twinkling lights and displays from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and Dec. 15-18 in Historic Stagecoach Park. More at www.ci.buda.tx.us/397/Trail-of-Lights.

College Station

Santa’s Wonderland is a Texas-sized Christmas experience bursting with fun, food and festivities. Take a hayride or horse-drawn carriage ride through the sparkling trail of lights, experience a white Christmas as snow machines create a nightly fall, take a ride on the children’s train, or brave Santa’s mechanical bull now through Jan. 1. More at santas-wonderland.com.

Fredericksburg

There’s no escaping the magic of the holidays in Fredericksburg, where German traditions meet Christmas festivities. Marvel at Marktplatz’s winter wonderland, featuring a 26-foot wooden Christmas Pyramid hand-crafted in Germany and a German-themed 30-foot-tall Christmas tree, then swirl around the Eisbahn Outdoor Ice Skating Rink, open through Jan. 1.

Continue the tradition started by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson by taking part in the 47th Annual LBJ Tree Lighting featuring carolers, a live nativity and Santa at the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site on Dec. 18. More at visitfredericksburgtx.com/holiday.

Galveston

Galveston lives up to its name as the “Winter Wonder Island” with more than 50 days of holiday magic from November through January — here are a few, but you can find more at galveston.com/holidaymagic.

Ice Land: Ice Sculptures, a Caribbean Christmas (through Jan. 8) brings a touch of the balmy Caribbean to the icy Moody Gardens exhibit featuring more than 2 million pounds of ice sculpted by 30 internationally acclaimed professionals. Zoom down a towering oil-rig ice slide and encounter majestic sculptures of tropical fish, rays, turtles and sharks. New this year is Shivers Ice Bar, a fully functioning ice bar serving frosty beverages. Admission is $26.95, $21.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children. More at moodygardens.com/iceland.

The 15th annual Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens (through Jan. 8) lights up Galveston with more than a million twinklers and 100 animated light and sound displays in addition to live entertainment and an outdoor skating rink. Open 6-10 p.m. nightly; admission is $10.95, which includes use of the rink. (Rent ice skates for $7 or bring your own.) More at moodygardens.com/festivaloflights.

Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark’s Holiday Splash (through Dec. 31) transforms the park into a festive aquatic retreat where visitors can watch Santa surf, float through a giant snow globe and admire the Bahn Borealis light show animated to popular Christmas tunes. General admission is $29.99, $24.99 for children ages 3-11 and seniors 55 and older. More at schlitterbahn.com/galveston/planning/events/holiday-splash.

Thousands of Santas will be jingling through the streets of downtown Galveston for the Santa Hustle Galveston 5K and Half Marathon on Dec. 18, which benefits the Galveston County Food Bank. More at santahustle.com/galveston.

Gruene

Hang your hat in Gruene during the holidays to pose with Cowboy Kringle, the town’s own brand of Santa. Run off holiday calories at the 24th Annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk (Saturday). Gruene has decked its hall for Christmas and offers plenty of holiday-themed shows, including Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison’s popular show (Dec. 16) and New Year’s Eve with Kevin Fowler. Find more Gruene holiday happenings at gruenetexas.com/holidays.php.

Hill Country

Take a self-guided drive along the Hill Country Christmas Lighting Trail and you’ll discover that this region shines its brightest during the holidays, when tiny towns are set aglow with sparkling lights and dazzling town squares from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Participating towns include Boerne, Burnet, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Llano, Wimberley, Marble Falls and New Braunfels — be sure to spend some time in each one to discover a merry spread of holiday festivities; www.texastripper.com/festivals/hill-country-lighting.html.

Marble Falls/Lake LBJ

The Walkway of Lights is a free self-guided wander along Lake Marble Falls, which wows visitors with more than 2 million lights and 400 beautiful sculptures from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly through Jan. 1. More at walkwayoflightstx.com.

Natural Bridge Caverns

Christmas at the Caverns (Saturday-Sunday and Dec. 17-23) transforms this geographically significant Texas attraction into a magical wonderland lit with thousands of lights and holiday-themed fun, including Caroling in the Caverns, a Christmas Village, a Country Christmas Hayride and an AMAZEn’ Reindeer Roundup. More at naturalbridgecaverns.com.

New Braunfels

On your way into town, make a stop at the ever-popular Santa’s Ranch, a festive drive-thru featuring more than a million dazzling lights, holiday displays, homemade hot cocoa and kettle corn, through Jan. 2. Learn to snowboard without mountains at Texas Ski Ranch Snow Park, the newest addition to the 70-acre action sports complex. Find more holiday happenings at innewbraunfels.com/local/holidays-in-new-braunfels.

San Antonio

San Antonio delivers loads of holiday cheer. Ford Holiday Boat Caroling takes place nightly (through Dec. 18) as five boats carrying groups of carolers float down the river. Stroll along the banks of the San Antonio River Walk in the glow of thousands of luminaries, traditional Mexican Christmas lanterns, during Ford Fiesta de las Luminarias (first three weekends in December).

Let older kids get holiday thrills at theme parks including Six Flags Fiesta Texas or SeaWorld San Antonio, or take little ones to the DoSeum’s Winter Wonderland (through Dec. 23), which transforms San Antonio’s children’s museum into a holiday haven complete with a snow-day playscape and wintry workshops. Find more holiday happenings at visitsanantonio.com.

This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Christmas is in full swing in towns all across Texas."