Holiday Events

ICE Skating at Discovery Green in Downtown

by JillBJarvis.com Sponsored Post Leave a Comment

ICE skating is at Discovery Green through January 31, 2021! The rink is outdoors and open every night.

This year there is only online ticket buying and Discovery Green is enforcing capacity limitations. Also, masks are required. Get details HERE!

ICE Skating at Discovery Green Hours of Operation:

Monday – Friday: 5-10 pm (Fridays open until 11pm)
Saturday & HISD School Holidays (Dec. 21-31; Jan. 1-3; Jan. 18): 11 am-11 pm
Sunday: 11 am – 8 pm
Christmas & New Year’s Eve: 11 am-7 pm
Christmas & New Year’s Day: 1-7 pm

Ice Skating at Discovery Green Tickets:

Must be purchased online
$15 admission, skate rental included
Cheap Skate Mondays: $8, skate rental included (Mondays, Jan 4, 11 & 25)

ICE at Discovery Green Weather Delays:

Because the ICE is outdoors, in Houston, it can close due to weather. (This usually happens if it gets too hot or if it rains.)
Call 713.434.RINK (7465) for updates and check discoverygreen.com for closures and other delays.

Wheelchairs on the ICE:

Non-motorized wheelchairs are allowed on the ICE.
The wheelchair user must be accompanied by a responsible adult (but only one ticket must be purchased).

Parking:

All parking in Downtown Houston is paid parking. That said, metered street parking becomes free after 6:00pm and on Sundays. If you park on the street, be sure to check the signs before leaving your car.

There is also a parking garage under the park. The entrance is by the George R. Brown Convention Center. The rates change some but it can be expensive.

You can also find a lot of paid lots surrounding Discovery Green.

More Houston Holiday Activities:

After ICE skating at Discovery Green, walk through the park to look at the lights. Also, walk over to the George R. Brown to enjoy the fountain and the decorated trees in the windows.

For more holiday events around Houston, including lights, shows and events, go HERE!

Sugar Land Holiday Lights is Magical!

by JillBJarvis.com Sponsored Post Leave a Comment

Sugar Land Holiday Lights is open and it’s magical!

Constellation Field has more than 3 million lights and many themed displays. At Sugar Land Lights, you can also get your picture taken with Santa, shop with some local vendors, play lawn games, visit the carnival, play at the playground and more.

Sugar Land Holiday Lights is open through the new year and has different events and themes each night. Check the calendar for movie nights, parades and more.

Our Visit to Sugar Land Holiday Lights:

We went on movie night and watched Elf on the giant outdoor screen and toured the lights… but our very favorite parts were the cake pops, the playground and the light maze!

We missed Santa, but my four year old let me know he wasn’t the real one anyway. (If you want to verify for yourself, he’s behind a plexiglass snow globe for safety.)

The stadium is large and we were never too close to other families while were there. Masks are required and our temperature was taken at the gate.

We only had about an hour to spend at the lights… which is plenty of time to walk through… but it would have been fun to enjoy the venue for longer. It’s magical to play on the playground, make s’mores and watch a movie with the lights twinkling all around you.

Also, if you go to the Sugar Land Lights, be sure to stop by Posh Pastries. The cupcakes, breads and cookies were delicious… and reasonably priced considering we were at a stadium light show. (The cake pop was $2… which I appreciated since I buy in bulk.)

Go HERE to learn more about the Sugar Land Holiday Lights. Or go HERE, to see what else is happening in Sugar Land. And go HERE to find more Houston holiday lights, shows and festivals!

Sugar Land Holiday Lights:

Address: Constellation Field, 1 Stadium Dr, Sugar Land, TX 77498

Find more Houston holiday lights, festivals and shows, HERE!

University of St Thomas Christmas Lights

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

This year, go see the University of St Thomas Christmas Lights! The Christmas Nights of Hope and Joy are December 1, 2020 through January 6, 2021.

Nightly, the Houston community can drive through the campus and experience the magical Christmas lights along Yoakum Boulevard. Enjoy the lights for free.

The University of St Thomas Christmas Lights includes long rows of lit up oak trees (with lights all the way to the top) and wooden cutouts of your favorite characters.

Along the UST Light Path there is a sign with a radio station frequency for Christmas music to play in your car. It was not working while we were there, but outside they had Christmas music playing on the speakers.

University of St. Thomas Christmas Lights Church

After you drive through the St Thomas Christmas Lights (and maybe park to walk down the beautiful street), drive by Present Company on your way out of Montrose. It’s currently lit up Griswold style.

While in the area, you could also take a lap near Poe Elementary School. North and South Boulevard are full of beautifully lit up houses.

To find even more Houston area holiday lights, go HERE!

(Also, a fun fact… while you are driving through the St Thomas Lights, you will go right by the childhood home of Howard Hughes.)

St. Thomas Christmas Lights:

Address: Branard St & Yoakum Blvd, Houston, TX 77006

Find more Houston area holiday lights HERE!

Friendswood Christmas Trail & Fairy Trail

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Go, go, go to the Friendswood Christmas Trail! Stevenson Park has transformed for the holidays… and families can enjoy the FREE Lighted Christmas Trail and the FREE Christmas Fairy Trail!

Friendswood Christmas Trail:

The Friendswood Christmas Trail includes different themes of lights every evening, 5:30pm-11:00pm, through New Year’s Day. On Saturday nights, the park also features holiday music and food vendors. Learn more HERE.

The Friendswood Christmas Trail replaces Santa in the Park for this year. The public can social distance AND enjoy the holiday light displays.

And to add to this, Santa has dropped off his mailbox and is accepting letters! Children can write their own letter and drop it off at Santa’s mailbox by the 20′ Christmas tree in Stevenson Park. They will be accepting letters thru December 11, 2020. (Make sure to put your return address, so Santa can write you back!)

Christmas Fairy Trail:

The Fairy Trail has been dressed up the holidays. The Christmas Fairy Trail is a daytime hunt for Christmas related fairies. Find the new Christmas fairies hidden along the new lighted Christmas trail. Fairy maps are available online and at the Fairy door and bulletin board in Stevenson Park.

The Christmas Fairy Trail is an updated to the popular Fairy Trail… which is available all year long. Know that there are two fairy trails right now, so look for two maps. There is a Christmas map that points to Christmas fairies that are like 3D stickers around the park. There is the regular map that points to the little fairy houses that kids can open. These little houses have been decorated for Christmas too!

Watch the video below for a preview of the Christmas Trail at Stevenson Park… and go HERE to learn more!

Rudolph’s Lightshow Coupon Code

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Rudolph’s Lightshow is a drive-thru light show, with a million holiday lights set to music. It is new this year in Hockley… and I have a Rudolph’s Lightshow Coupon Code!

The light show is up 290, just past the little Bucc-ees. See the video HERE!

The lightshow is open now through the holidays. Use the Rudolph’s Lightshow Coupon Code, BKSC, to save 10%.

So how is the show? It’s fun! In past years, Magical Winter Lights has been my favorite light show around Houston… but with the pandemic, they were unable to open. Rudolph’s Lightshow is not quite as fancy as the huge lantern festival… but it is perfect for 2020. There are lots of lights, lots of music… and no people! Everyone stays in their car and away from crowds.

Get your tickets to Rudolph’s Lightshow, HERE!

Christmas Trains! Trains Over Texas at Houston Museum Of Natural Science

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Go see the Christmas trains!

Trains Over Texas is open again at Houston Museum of Natural Science!

You can “Travel Across Texas” by model railroad. The O-scale model trains visit oil country salt domes, prairies and wetlands of the Texas coast and state and national monuments. They also pass through Galveston, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio!

The best part might just be the secret kid train under the table! Kids can crawl under and watch Thomas the Tank Engineer chug around the secret track.

Get all the details HERE! The Christmas trains are free with museum admission or museum membership.

Find all the Houston area holiday lights, shows and events HERE.

Lazy River Lights at Marriott Marquis Houston!

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Float through the lazy river lights at the Marriott Marquis Houston in Downtown Houston!

New this year is a walk-through or float-under light experience available on the 60,000 square-foot Parkview Terrace.

Every night, from 5:00pm to 10:00pm the hotel’s iconic Texas-shaped lazy river will be surrounded by one-mile of sparkling lights, providing an interactive light experience 110-feet above street level, complete with stunning views of downtown Houston skyline, overlooking Discovery Green Park.

Lazy River Lights Open to the Public:

General Admission tickets are available for the public Monday through Thursday for $15 for adults and $5 for kids. There is NO extra charge to swim. Also, if you are a guest at the hotel, the events are complimentary and open every night of the week.

Monday through Thursday, you do NOT need to stay in the hotel to attend the event. So, if you’ve always wanted to see the Texas-shaped lazy river, now is your chance!

Also, the pool is heated to 80 degrees. So even if it’s cool outside, you can still brave the water.

Lazy River Lights Movie Nights:

In addition, for Christmas week, outdoor holiday movies have been added to the schedule:

Monday, Dec 21st – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Tuesday, Dec 22nd – The Santa Clause
Wednesday, Dec 23rd – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Thursday, Dec 24th – The Polar Express

Each movie will have two showings at 6:00pm and 7:40pm. Come for one or stay for both!

Our Trips to Texas Winter Lights:

We went for the first time this week and had a great time. I have wanted to see the lazy river for years… and this event was the perfect opportunity.

Even though it was chilly outside, the kids floated through the (heated) lazy river, looked at the lights, played giant chess, watch “Christmas Vacation”, drank hot chocolate and made s’mores over the fire.

The downtown skyline is gorgeous at night. Also, from the rooftop, we had a great view of the lights at Discovery Green.

Learn more about the lights, HERE! And go HERE to see all the Houston area lights, shows and festivals for this year!

Christmas Festivals, Shows, Lights & Family Fun… Things to Do in Houston for the Holidays 2020, with Kids!

by Jill Jarvis 4 Comments

Happy Holidays, Houston!

Here are all the Houston holiday festivals, lights and shows for November 1, 2020 through January 5, 2021.

As events change and pop up, we’ll update the list… and since this year is weird and things can change quickly, be sure to click the links and check before you head out to each venue!

If you want this list emailed to you each week, sign up for the free newsletter HERE. And if you know of more events, let us know!

Quick Links:

Houston Holiday Lights:

Rudolph’s Lightshow – November 1, 2020 – January 3, 2021 – 19623 Bauer Road, Hockley, TX (See our 2020 post HERE)
The Light Park – November 5, 2020-December 31, 2020 – Splashtown
Virtual Holiday Lights Countdown – November 13, 2020 – Memorial City Online (with lights up all season!)
Santa’s Wonderland – November 13, 2020-December 30, 2020 – College Station
Galaxy Lights – November 14, 2020 – January 3, 2021 – Space Center Houston
Zoo Lights – November 14, 2020 – January 10, 2021 – Houston Zoo
Texas Winter Lights – November 20, 2020–January 3, 2021 – Marriott Marquis (Open to the public on weekdays)
Sugar Land Holiday Lights – November 20, 2020 – January 3, 2021 – Constellation Field (See our 2020 review HERE!)
Festival of Lights – November 21, 2020 – January 2, 2021 – Moody Gardens
Trail of Lights – November 27, 2020 – December 27, 2020 – Dewberry Farm (See our 2019 post HERE)
Friendswood Christmas Trail & Fairy Trail – November 27, 2020 – January 1, 2021 – Stevenson Park (See our 2020 post HERE)
Christmas Nights of Hope and Joy – December 1, 2020 – January 6, 2021 – University of St. Thomas (Yoakum Blvd)
Magical Winter Lights – Cancelled for 2020

Houston Holiday Shows & Concerts:

Most shows have been cancelled or re-imaged this year. As shows/concerts pop up, I’ll add them.

Virtual & Free: A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas – November 15 – December 29, 2019 – Alley Theatre Online (See our 2019 review HERE!)
Houston Symphony: A Baroque Christmas – December 4, 5, 6, 2020 – Jones Hall Online or In-person
Houston Symphony: Very Merry POPS – December 11-20, 2020 – Jones Hall Online or In-person

Houston Holiday Festivals & Family Fun:

Texas Renaissance Festival – Weekends, through November 29, 2020 – Todd Mission, Texas
- The world’s largest Renaissance Festival has themes that change each weekend.
- Ticket deals can usually be found on coupon websites. Kids are free on Sundays.
Virtual: Frostival – November 12, 2020 – Discovery Green – 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
- This annual event is virtual this year!
Polar Express Train Ride – November 13, 2020 – December 27, 2020 – 789 Park Road 70, Palestine, Texas 75801
- Ride on the Polar Express! Find the best pricing in November and early December… and book all tickets before they sell out!
Santa’s Wonderland – November 13, 2020-December 30, 2020 – 18898 Hwy 6 South, College Station, 77845
- Biggest Christmas attraction in the state of Texas! Several ticket options are available.
ICE at Discovery Green – November 13, 2020, to January 30, 2021 – Discovery Green – 1500 McKinney, Houston, Texas 77010
- All ages are invited to skate at Discovery Green. There is usually a small toddler rink for the littlest ones to practice.
Home for the Holidays – November 14, 2020 – December 25, 2020 – Old Town Spring
- Every weekend from November 14, 2020 to Christmas. (But you could see the decorations/lights any day.)
- The hometown holiday festival features a spectacular display of twinkling holiday lights, entertainment, family-friendly activities and photos with Santa every weekend!
- A “Texas-style winter wonderland” featuring hassle-free holiday shopping along with unique gift ideas, hand-made and locally sourced products and more.
Zoo Lights – November 14, 2020 – January 10, 2021 – Houston Zoo – 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030
- Tour the Zoo after dark! The Zoo closes at 5:00pm and reopens at 5:30pm for this event.
- Check their website for “light” nights because the tickets are cheaper and the zoo is less busy.
Trains Over Texas – November 20, 2020 – January 3, 2021– Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Create holiday memories by travelling across Texas by model railroad in this scratch built “O” scale model. (See our 2020 post HERE.)
Texas Winter Lights – November 20, 2020–January 3, 2021 – Marriott Marquis
- Open to the public on weekdays. Float for walk through the lights!
- Movies nights included with admission. All movies will have two showings at 6pm + 7:40pm.
  - Monday, Dec 21st – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
  - Tuesday, Dec 22nd – The Santa Clause
  - Wednesday, Dec 23rd – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  - Thursday, Dec 24th – The Polar Express
Holiday in the Gardens – November 21, 2020 – January 2, 2021 – Moody Gardens – 1 Hope Boulevard Galveston, Texas 77554
- Festival of Lights · Holiday 3D Films · Rudolph 4D · Arctic Slide · Train Rides · Star: the Dancing Tree of Light
Christmas Train – November 27, 2020 – December 23, 2020 – 1407 Victory Lane, Alvin, Texas 775711
- Old-fashioned train ride through our winter wonderland of lights and religious scenery. Over 300,000 lights sparkle along the 3/4 mile track.
Christmas in the Country – November 27, 2020 – December 27, 2020 – Dewberry Farm – Morrison Road and, FM 362, Brookshire, TX 77423
- Dewberry Farm is transformed into a whimsical Christmas Village, with twinkling lights, garland, ribbons and tinsel.
- Hop a wagon for a merry ride across the prairie to experience the magic of over one million lights, fantasy displays and holiday music! Enjoy 40+ attractions … including the Dewville Express Train, all included in the price of admission! (See our 2019 post HERE.)
Friendswood Christmas Trail & Fairy Trail – November 27, 2020 – January 1, 2021 – Stevenson Park 1100 S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546
- Stevenson Park has transformed for the holidays… and families can enjoy the FREE Lighted Christmas Trail and the FREE Christmas Fairy Trail!
- The Friendswood Christmas Trail includes different themes of lights every evening, 5:30pm-11:00pm, through New Year’s Day. On Saturday nights, the park also features holiday music and food vendors.
- The Fairy Trail has been dressed up the holidays. The Christmas Fairy Trail is a daytime hunt for Christmas related fairies. Find the new Christmas fairies hidden along the new lighted Christmas trail.
Hou-Ville – December 1-23, 2020 – Downtown Houston
- Hou-Ville is a brand-new immersive holiday exhibit that puts a H-Town spin on Dr. Seuss’ iconic Christmas village of “Whoville”, in Downtown Houston this holiday season!
- The new holiday experience will transform Live Nation’s 40 Below, into a real-life Houston version of “Whoville” where kids and adults are transported to a life-size whimsical Holiday City.
Home for the Holidays: Christmas Festival – December 4 & 5, 2020 – Alvin
- Pet pictures with Santa, the Christmas market to help everyone with holiday shopping, snow activities and the World’s Largest Snowman!
Dickens on the Strand – December 5&6, 2020 – Galveston – Strand National Historic Landmark District
- Victorian holiday festival!
- Six stages, strolling carolers, musicians, bagpipers, jugglers and even more entertainers. Costumed vendors peddle their wares from street stalls and rolling carts laden with holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired gifts.
Stearman Santa Fly-In – December 5-19, 2020 – Lone Star Flight Museum – 11551 Aerospace Ave, Houston, TX 77034
- Santa flies in to the Lone Star Flight Museum! After you watch him land, you can meet him, do some activities and explore the museum!
Breakfast with Santa – December 12, 2020 – Margaritaville Lake Conroe – 600 Margaritaville, Park Way, Montgomery, TX 77356
- Sailing in from the North Pole for a socially distanced breakfast, Santa Claus is coming to town!
- Be sure to bring your wish list and a smile to get your picture taken with Santa.
- Reservations are required and may be made by calling 936.448.4400, Option #3, or 936.448.3224. You do not need to be a guest at the resort.
Christmas Boat Parade – December 12, 2020 – Kemah Boardwalk – 215 Kipp Ave, Kemah, TX 77565
- Boats cruise along Galveston Bay.
Make A HOLIDAY of It! Teddy Bear Bike Ride – December 12, 2020 – Health Museum – 1515 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX 77004
- This year the annual Teddy Bear Check up will be outside.
- There will be outdoor check-up stations where young children can perform medical examinations on teddy bears, followed by a bike ride and picnic in the park.
Movie in the Lawn: The Muppet Christmas Carol – December 16, 2020 – Market Square Park – 301 Milam St, Houston, TX 77002
Surfing Santas at Surfside Beach – December 1, 2020 – Surfside Pedestrian Beach – Beach Dr & Whelk St, Surfside Beach, TX 77541
- Head to the beach for this fun with Santa! Great for all ages.
- The event is at Pedestrian Beach, at Whelk and Beach Drive.
New Year’s Noon Celebration – December 31, 2020 – Children’s Museum Facebook Live
High Noon Countdown – December 31, 2020 – The Woodlands Children’s Museum
Mayor’s Holiday Celebration – TBD – City Hall – 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002
- Tree lighting to be reimaged for 2020.
HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade – Cancelled for 2020
Tomball German Christmas Market & Festival – Cancelled for 2020

Fall Farms, Pumpkin Patches & Festivals… around Houston for 2020!

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Every year I compile a list of all the Fall Farms, Pumpkin Patches and Festivals. And, this year, it’s looking a little different!

The farms are mostly open (or will be opening soon) and offering up big outdoor spaces and farm fun (with some modifications). For the festivals, some have moved online, some have cancelled, some have changed and some just haven’t announced the latest yet.

We are posting this early, so be sure to click the links for all the details.

(Also, this post may not get updated immediately as guidelines change… so follow the latest guidelines!)

If you know of more farms, pumpkin patches or events, please let us know! And, as always, you can get updates to your inbox HERE.

Farms & Pumpkin Patches:

Check websites for prices, hours and opening days.

7 Acrewood – 4401 N. Frazier St., Conroe, TX 77303
Pumpkins, petting zoo, mini golf, pony rides and play town.

Agape Farm – 18913 Bethel Rd, Richards, TX 77873

Berryland – 2877 FM 1941 Rd., Winnie, TX. 77665
Opens every weekend in October. Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch, Hay Stack, Pumpkin Bowling, Candy Corn Hill and more.

Blessington Farm – 510 Chisolm Trail, Simonton, Texas 77476
Come enjoy the Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festivities at Blessington Farms. A great outing for the entire family with many Fall activities that include hay rides, giant slides, barrel train rides, pedal cars and hands-on animal encounters with chickens, Baby Doll sheep, goats and MANY more.

Want to feed the camels? You can at Blessington! The walk-thru aviary where you can feed a variety of birds is a favorite, as well as the addition of the Gem Mining experience and Fossil Dig. This season….come pick flowers on the farm….our flower patch is growing and is full of beautiful and colorful flowers you can pick and take home. This season we will also be hosting a Farmer’s Market with vegetables grown on our Farm. YES!!

All Farm Funland activities are included in the price of admission with the exception of flower picking, camel and bird feedings which are $3 each (enough for 2 people to enjoy) and gems for Gem Mining (prices vary). Admission is $20.00 per person (children 24 mos. and under are free) Fishing is FREE with admission (we have poles or you can bring your own pole, barbless hook and bait.) Most pumpkin varieties are $0.50/lb. LOTS and lots of PUMPKINS and TONS of fantastic photo opportunities!!

Happening September 19th – November 21st every Saturday AND Sunday (open Sundays in September and October only) from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (weather permitting) Located 20 minutes west of Katy.

Dewberry Farm – FM 362 & Morrison Rd, Brookshire, TX 77423
Opens late September. Corn Maze, Pumpkins, Train Ride, Slide Mountain, Zip Lines, Pedal Cars and so much more!

Froberg Farms – 3601 TX-6, Alvin, TX 77511
Corn Maze and Fall Festival open weekends starting late September.

Good Vibe Farm – 20702 Cypress Rosehill Rd. Tomball, TX 77377
The tree covered tour lasts 1 hour and will be filled with fainting goats, horses, chickens, donkeys, a pig and mini horses.

Oil Ranch – 23501 Macedonia Road : Hockley, TX 77447
All activities are included with admission price… milk a cow, ride a horse, climb the hay bales and so much more. Free pumpkins for kids. See our past post HERE.

Old MacDonalds Farm – 3203 FM 1960 East, Humble, TX 77338
Year round outdoor fun! See our past post HERE.

Old Time Christmas Time Farm – 7632 Spring Cypress Rd. Spring, Texas 77379
Pumpkin patch and activities, weekends in October. (Followed by Christmas tree cutting in the winter).

P-6 Farms – 9963 Poole’s Road, Montgomery, Texas 77356
Pumpkin patch and fall festival.

TGR Exotics – 22115 Sherrod Land, Spring, TX 77389
100 animals representing over 25 species.

Fall Festivals & Events:

Halloweekends – October 2-November 1, 2020 – Splashway Campgrounds in Sheridan – 5211 Main St, Sheridan, TX 77475
Pumpkin Patch and fun for the whole family. Splashway also offers a wide array of amenities all year long from kayaks, fishing, basketball, volleyball and so much more. Activities are for campers/glampers.

Zoo Boo – October 2-November 1, 2020 – Houston Zoo – 6200 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030
This year, Zoo Boo will be open every day (and not just on the weekends).

Wear your costumes and visit the Spooky Train Village, see the Friendly Dragon and hear a kid-friendly short story, ride the Wildlife Carousel (transformed into a spooktacular Scary-Go-Round).

Texas Renaissance Festival – Weekends, October 3-November 29, 2020 – Todd Mission, Texas
Ticket deals can usually be found on coupon websites. Kids are free on Sundays. The world’s largest Renaissance Festival has themes that change each weekend.

Bayou City Virtual Experience – October 5-11, 2020 – Online
Instead of the usual Bayou City Art Festival, there will be an online art auction, virtual performances, art projects for kids of all ages with nonprofit partners, creative activities with our sponsors and more.

Oktoberfest – October 10, 2020 – First Evangelical Lutheran Church Midtown – 1311 Holman St, Houston, TX 77004
The venue’s website has this on the calendar… but it could be old info!

The wristband is all-inclusive- games, prizes, a plate of food (from The Fleishwagon German food truck) and a drink (beer or root beer). New this year… carnival rides!

Wings Over Houston – October 10&11, 2020 – Ellington Airport – 510 Ellington Field, Houston, TX 77034
$45 at gate, but family packs available and discounts are online. Open admission good for Saturday or Sunday. Bring your own chair and ear protection!

East End Street Fest – October 17, 2020 – Online
A day of music and art from the comfort of your home. They will be streaming music and cultural performances direct to you!

Energy Day – October 17, 2020 – Sam Houston Park – 1000 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002
The venue’s website has this on the calendar… but it could be old info!

Energy Day is a free, family-friendly festival with nearly 70 interactive demonstrations and exhibits that teach students and their families about the various forms of energy through STEM fields, along with efficiency, conservation, and other related STEM industries.

Petite Pumpkin Patch – October 17, 18, 2020 – Nature Discovery Center – 7112 Newcastle, Bellaire, TX 77401
Pre-registration required. Plump pumpkins, family portraits, fun raffle items, and a festive pumpkin decorating contest will ensure your family can celebrate fall with typical Pumpkin Patch comforts, but without the familiar Pumpkin Patch crowds! Come hungry, stop by Hugs & Donuts (Saturday only) or the It’s a Wrap food truck (Sunday only), and you can enjoy a delicious family picnic in the park while you are here.

Howl-o-ween Dog Virtual Costume Contest – October 17 & 29, 2020 – Levy Park
The Howl-o-ween Dog Costume Contest is going virtual! All participants must pre-register and attend a mandatory, socially distanced photo session on Saturday, October 17 to complete their entry. The winners will be announced LIVE! Thursday, October 29 at 3 p.m. on KPRC 2’s Houston Life!

Voting will take place online at Levy Park’s Facebook page Monday, October 19 through Sunday, October 25.

Science Spooktacular: A Week of Halloween Fun – October 19-24, 2020 – Houston Arboretum Online
This hands-on program will incorporate both virtual and socially distant on-site offerings and is being held in lieu of the Arboretum’s popular ArBOOretum fall festival.

Live from Jones Hall: Ghosts, Ghouls & Goblins – October 31, 2020 – Houston Symphony Online
Don your costume and gather the whole family for a morning of haunted musical fun as the Houston Symphony celebrates Halloween with music from Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more! Watch from home with this special Halloween-morning livestream. Before the concert, ticketholders can get in the spooky spirit with kid-friendly, concert-themed activities, delivered right to your inbox!

Halloween in the Hangar – October 31 – Lone Star Flight Museum
Kids 12 and under in costume get FREE admission! They’ve added a safe and fun twist to trick or treating. And, every day is a good day to give blood, especially on Halloween! Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will be at LSFM.

4th of July 2020… Things To Do Around Houston, With Kids!

by Jill Jarvis Leave a Comment

Happy July 4th! This year the celebrations might look a little different… but you can still find parades, festivals and fireworks around Houston. All have been modified… some are virtual, some are socially distanced (and some have been cancelled).

Find the list below (and check for any changes by clicking the links for the latest) and tell me what to add or update!

Saturday, July 4, 2020:

Friendswood 4th of July Parades – 10:00am – Friendswood (7 Parades Happening Simultaneously)
4th of July Takes Flight – 10:00am – Lone Star Flight Museum
Freedom Over Texas -7:00pm-10:00pm – ABC13
Magnolia Fireworks Display – Dusk – Unity Park
Sugar Land Red, White and Boom – 8:00pm – Virtual
Katy Fireworks Show – 9:00pm – Katy Mills Mall
Tomball Fireworks Display – 9:30pm – Tomball “Four Corners” Area

CANCELLED THIS YEAR:

Firework Display at Raveneaux Country Club was recently cancelled.
Independence Day Concert Series in CityCentre was recently cancelled.
Bellaire 4th of July Parade was recently cancelled.
Galveston 4th of July Celebration is cancelled
The Woodlands Parade is cancelled
Missouri City Festival is cancelled
City of Webster Festival is cancelled
City Centre will have Music, but the Fireworks are Cancelled
Usually there is a Summer Symphony Nights: Star Spangled Salute at Miller Outdoor Theatre, but this year Miller is closed and the Houston Symphony will participate in the ABC13 event.