If you’re in need of Christmas cheer this year, there’s no better place than Grapevine Texas. Grapevine is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas and there are so many unique things to do, especially during the holidays!
There are pages and pages of events on the calendar on Grapevine’s website. This year, COVID-19 has caused many changes to the events, but there are still plenty of things that you can do safely while getting into the Christmas spirit.
Christmas at the Gaylord Texan
First, there are a ton of things to do at the Gaylord Texan. During most years, the Gaylord has an event called ICE in which you put on these big puffy blue coats and walk through an exhibit full of giant ice sculptures that fit the theme for the year. But this year ICE was cancelled for safety reasons, and a new event was put in its place.
This year, the main attraction was I Love Christmas Movies. The event is themed around five Christmas movies: Elf, A Christmas Story, Polar Express, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
During the tour, you walk through scenes recreated from each movie. Each movie has around 3 scenes each. Scenes include walking through Santa’s toy workshop from Elf, seeing the leg lamp light up from a Christmas Story, and lighting up the house from Christmas Vacation.
You can even smell the hot chocolate as you walk through the train car from the Polar Express! The walk through tour lasts around 20-25 minutes with time to take photos at all of the spots.
The tour ends in a gift shop with all kinds of Christmas decorations and gifts. You can even purchase a souvenir photo with backdrop scenes from all the movies. But the fun doesn’t really have to stop there.
The Gaylord Texan also offers indoor snow tubing down real hills covered in snow, and a chance to make your own snowman. There’s also an ice skating rink, a Build a Bear workshop, and a carousel. All of those activities are located in the Christmas Market.
There is also an outdoor light display which requires tickets. The atrium area of the Gaylord Texan is fully decorated for the holidays. They have a mini village with trains running through them and a giant LED Christmas tree just for starters.
There is a gingerbread decorating corner and a Christmas craft studio for the kids as well. And if you choose to book a room and stay overnight, they also have an Elf on the Shelf Character breakfast.
How They're Staying Safe
All guests inside the hotel are required to wear face coverings, especially throughout the attraction. Guests are led through the attraction by guides. Each guide takes two groups at a time and each consists of just the people in each party.
There are markers on the floor to allow everyone to stand 6 feet apart. Everyone attending must have reservations and you can book your time slot online. Check in is contactless as everyone must either have their tickets on their phones or printed out and ready to scan.
North Pole Express
Grapevine Texas is also home to the North Pole Express Train Ride sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge and T-Mobile. Tickets include a souvenir ticket, a silver bell for each child, a Memory Mug with instructions on how to make Chocolate Snow Milk, and a keepsake photo with Santa.
On the way to the North Pole, elves give a Christmas performance. After the train stops at the North Pole Forest, you can walk around and take photos at different spots throughout the forest. You can also make a stop at the North Pole General Store to pick up additional souvenirs.
How They're Practicing Safety
All seats are reserved via ticket and are assigned ahead of time. Seats are extremely limited this year due to COVID-19 and every party will be spaced out. Face coverings are required at all times. All names and phone numbers will be taken at the time of boarding in case contact tracing is needed. All seats will be fully sanitized between each excursion.
Wine Trains
If the North Pole train isn’t your thing, they also have Wine Trains for the adults. However, currently they are sold out for the season due to the need to restrict occupancy due to COVID-19.
Main Street
The Christmas activities don’t stop there though. There are parades and performances throughout December. On the weekends, there are Christmas markets near the center of town.
All the stores in Grapevine decorate for the holidays. There are a ton of photo ops with giant ornaments and sleighs. At night, there’s a light show with LED Christmas trees and a mini walk through light park. There’s even a Pioneer Cabin that you can glimpse inside of. And of course that’s decorated for the holidays too!
You can do all of your holiday shopping during the day and enjoy the lights at night. Both the Texas General Store and the Market on Main have some of the most unique gifts you can find. The Rocket Fizz Candy store has an incredible selection of candy.
And if you want even more Christmas, you can visit the Good Things For All Seasons shop on Main Street and find almost any Christmas ornament you can think of. But the most amazing part of the store is actually in the back where they have Christmas villages set up. The platforms that the villages are on are handmade and one of them even has a tiny river that runs through it!
Along with being the Christmas capital, Grapevine is also known for its wine. Along Main Street you’ll find several wineries where you can take home bottles of your favorites. These wineries also offer tastings throughout the year. Due to COVID-19, indoor capacity is limited and food must be purchases in addition to the sale of wine. These restrictions could change so it’s always a good idea to call them ahead of time.
Also, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from on Main Street if you get hungry during your shopping trip. If you’re looking for something fancy, Dino’s Steakhouse is a really great choice for a date night. But if you’re looking for something a little more casual, Napoli’s Italian and the Main Street Bistro are really great choices too.
If you’re looking for something fun this holiday season, all you need to do is head to Grapevine, TX. After spending just five minutes there, you’ll realize why they call it the Christmas Capital of Texas!
Want even more Christmas Cheer? Here’s a list of all the fun games you can play during your Christmas Zoom Party!
