BIG D HOLIDAY JUBILEES

DALLAS’S GIFT FOR CELEBRATING WITH STYLE ABOUNDS IN FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

NorthPark’s iconic Santa and sleigh

By Holly Haber

The Dallas Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden fields a wildly popular pumpkin fest each fall followed by spectacular Christmas displays.

This year’s Autumn at the Arboretum, which runs through Oct. 31, features 100,000plus gourds arrayed in a “Fall Fairy Tale” theme that brings to life such classics as “Cinderella” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

With 50,000 marigolds, chrysanthemums, dahlias, and more abloom, the garden and pumpkin village present ideal tableaus for photographing children and other loved ones amid a bounty of vibrant hues.

Then, Holiday at the Arboretum debuts Nov. 10 with a panoply of lit trees, monumental decorations, and activities day and night throughout the garden’s 66 acres.

The centerpiece is a German-inspired Christmas Village that boasts a hand-carved rotating pyramid like the ones that grace main squares annually throughout Germany.

Sip hot chocolate or mulled wine and sit in the gloaming accompanied by a waterfall serenade, and bring the kids to visit Santa.

A signature of the arboretum’s holiday festivities are the dozen 25-foot-high illuminated gazebos that represent each verse of “The 12 Days of Christmas” with twirling figures. The gazebos are arranged on a paved pathway that winds through the gardens.

Inside the property’s historic DeGolyer House, “The Artistry of of Faith & Culture” displays an array of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa decorations.

Most days and evenings feature live music, and a 50-foot tree projects colorful illuminated patterns set to holiday tunes.

The garden’s fall and holiday celebrations both feature afternoon tea service.

See dallasarboretum.com for the schedule, including Santa appearances.

NorthPark Center

Renowned for museum-quality art and innovative landscaping, NorthPark Center is more than a shopping destination.

The upscale mall serves in many ways as a community center, and that is particularly true in the weeks after Thanksgiving, when artful decorations, events, and performances attract thousands. A scene from the Trains at NorthPark

The arboretum’s Pumpkin Village

Scrooge regales visitors at NorthPark

The 12-Day Clockn at NorthPark

Nowhere else will you find a wooden musical clock tower that animates each day of the “12 Days of Christmas” with charming figures and bas-reliefs.

The unusual handcrafted clock was conceived during the oil shortage of the 1970s, when NorthPark management thoughtfully sought decorations that didn’t use much electricity. It’s situated in front of Dillard’s.

Other beloved adornments are the Santa, sleigh, and reindeer made of pecans and candies that soar over Neiman Marcus court.

Equally unique are free interactive puppet shows with Scrooge, who teases kids and adults several times daily from a secondstory window perch in a hobbit-size house. Scrooge’s digs are in a common area between Macy’s and Dillard’s, so they’re easy to find.

New this year is the “Tale of the Yeti’s Christmas Spaghetti,” a free puppet show about a North Pole storm that threatens to cancel Christmas. It’s situated between Dillard’s and Macy’s.

Kids of all ages adore the “Trains at NorthPark,” an extensive diorama of

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MOBILE TRUCK ON DEC. 3 AND 4.

national landmarks and iconic Dallas sights interwoven with 1,300 feet of miniature track and some 600 railcars.

Serving as the biggest fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, the ticketed display debuted in 1987 and has grown into the state’s most elaborate toy train exhibit. It opens Nov. 12 in a storefront on the second level between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. Get tickets at thetrainsatnorthpark.com.

Another charitable tradition with visual punch is “Gingertown Dallas,” a tiny gingerbread village crafted by design, engineering, and construction firms to benefit Children’s Craniofacial Association. You’ll find it starting on Dec. 7 outside Nordstrom.

You can make an impoverished child’s holiday dreams come true at the Salvation Army Angel Tree in the corridor between Macy’s and Dillard’s. Pick a card by Dec. 3 and drop the unwrapped gifts at the Salvation Army Mobile Truck on Dec. 3 and 4.

In addition, the SPCA of Texas offers dogs and cats available for adoption, and NorthPark stages a variety of free music and dance performances by local troupes, including the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Visit northparkcenter.com for details.

SnowDay Dallas at Galleria Dallas

Fun photography at Santaland

Galleria Dallas’s Instagramfriendly SnowDay light maze

Galleria Dallas’s tree anchors the ice rink

Boasting the nation’s highest indoor Christmas tree at 95 feet, Galleria Dallas is a popular destination for holiday shopping as well as seasonal merriment.

The tree, topped by a 10-foot LED star and laden with lights and ornaments, commands center stage in the ice rink under the mall’s dramatic glass dome.

It’s quite a sight from any of the center’s three levels and the rink itself, which hosts public skating sessions plus several shows featuring Missile Toes, the Santa whose skates shoot sparks.

The tree is fully decorated by Nov. 10, and festivities kick off Nov. 18 with the opening of SnowDay Dallas and Santaland on level one near Banana Republic.

SnowDay Dallas is back with nearly a dozen new Instagram-friendly vignettes inspired by the season.

Kids of all ages pose for portraits with Santa in Santaland, which offers special appointments for pets, Spanish speakers, and children with special needs.

Be smart and buy timed tickets for both venues in advance at galleriadallas.com/holiday.

Catch Missile Toes performing on ice with Olympic figure skaters Mariah Bell, Ashley Cain, and Tim LeDucin during free tree lighting celebrations at noon and 6 p.m. on Nov. 25 — Black Friday — and Nov. 26.

In addition, ticketed Grand Holiday Ice Shows at 9 a.m. on Dec. 4 and 11 will benefit local charities.

Galleria Dallas celebrates the first night of Chanukah on Dec. 18 with a menorah lighting, remarks by a representative from the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, a choral performance, and traditional sufganiyah jelly donuts.

Additional activities are a Salvation Army Angel Tree, which begins Nov. 4, pet adoptions from Operation Kindness Nov. 25 through Dec. 24, and dozens of performances by area arts groups.

See the schedule at galleriadallas.com/holiday.

Ice, Tea, & Lights

The Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center on Grapevine Lake goes all out for the holidays, creating a winter wonderland replete with a massive ice sculpture exhibit meticulously chiseled by Chinese artisans, an acrobatic circus, 2

million lights, snow tubing, a skating rink, lavish interior decorations, and even more.

The property is best known for its impressive Ice! sculptures and slides, which returns Nov. 11 after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. This season, “The Polar Express” story is rendered entirely in colored and clear ice arranged over 17,000 chilly square feet.

In addition, Merry & Light at the Gaylord is a nightly walking tour through 400,000 lights in an enchanted forest with falling snow.

Another light spectacular is Enchant at Fair Park. Billed as the “world’s largest holiday-themed light event,” the 10-acre display fields a light maze with 4 million lights as well as a 100-foot tree, an ice rink, live entertainment, interactive games, Santa appearances, and a villagestyle marketplace of crafts, gifts, nibbles, cocktails, and, of course, hot chocolate.

Enchant is sponsored by Hallmark Channel, which sets up photo opps and a wine tasting.

It opens on Black Friday in Dallas as well as Washington, D.C., St. Petersburg, Fla., and Las Vegas, Nev. Get tickets at enchantchristmas.com.

One of Dallas’s most refined customs is holiday high tea at the historic Adolphus Hotel, which marks its 110th anniversary with a gala on Oct. 29.

Served in the glamorous French Room from Nov. 2 through Jan. 8, the threecourse service presents tea, finger sandwiches and other savory bites, scones with jam and clotted cream, pastries, and a glass of champagne for $75. Visit adolphus.com for reservations.

Other hotels that typically offer holiday teas include the Crescent Court and the Ritz-Carlton.

The most charming way to see residential decorations is a horse-drawn carriage ride past the mansions of Highland Park. If there’s a nip in the air, heavy blankets keep passengers warm and snug. To book, visit highlandparkcarriagetours.com.

However you spend your holidays, take the time to enjoy them . High tea at the Adolphus Hotel

Ice! at the Gaylord renders “The Polar Express” Ice! at the Gaylord renders “The Polar Express” Acrobats perform at the Gaylord

The French Room hosts high tea

Snow tubing at the Gaylord