ICE! featuring Santa Claus is comin’ to Gaylord Texan in Grapevine

For those still reeling from triple-digit heat, Gaylord Texan Resort is offering a cool venue to look forward to this holiday season complete with Santa Claus.

“In this heat, we are already making plans for our 13th annual Lone Star Christmas event, taking place Nov. 10th-Jan. 1,” Gaylord spokeswoman Martha Neibling said.

Its annual Lone Star Christmas extravaganza will feature a 2 million pound hand-carved ICE! attraction themed after the holiday classic Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.

A highlight will be a new Glacier Glide ice skating rink.

The 125-acre resort will transform into a winter wonderland, decorating with twinkling lights and 15,000 festive ornaments, a 54-foot-tall Christmas tree, 25-foot-tall nutcrackers, snow tubing, two-story tall ice slides, an enchanting parade of toys, gingerbread decorating and sitting in Santa’s sleigh.

Other fun features include Rudolph’s Holly Jolly character breakfast, the Elf on the Shelf holiday scavenger hunt, a holiday Build a Bear workshop, 150 lit trees, miniature train sets, 2,300 decorated wreath and 5,600 feet of garland.

Gaylord’s North Pole will be home to Santa and his elves and ice carvings showcasing real master artisans from China.

A crowd favorite is returning: the majesty of a full Nativity in crystal clear ice.

“Forty master artisans travel across the world from Harbin, China, to make the ice and carve it over the course of one month into the magical, life-size display,” Neibling said.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 11:03 AM with the headline "ICE! featuring Santa Claus is comin’ to Gaylord Texan in Grapevine."