Giant Gingerbread Village
City Place will present a gingerbread-themed photo op with a path lined with gumdrops, lollipops and candy canes—and guarded by two giant gingerbread men—leading to a raised clearing with cookie trees, a 16-foot-high gingerbread house and a 12-foot windmill. There will also be five new holiday art installations this year.
- Dec. 15-Jan. 8
- Free (admission)
- City Place Park, 1250 Lake Plaza Drive, Spring
- www.cityplacenow.com
Sip a delicious beverage and stroll along lightly decorated trails at the Houston Arboretum. Soak in the festive cheer at special holiday-themed sip stops. The evening walk includes three glasses of wine or Saint Arnold beer, light bites, and a limited-edition etched wine glass to take home. Attendees must be 21 or older.
- Dec. 15, 5:30-7 p.m.
- $50 (members), $55 (nonmembers)
- 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston
- www.houstonarboretum.org
Valley Ranch Town Center will host its annual holiday event with ice skating, shopping, bumper cars, train rides and Santa Claus. Most attractions require a wristband.
- Dec. 15-24, hours vary by day
- Free (admission), $5-$15 (wristband)
- 22296 Market Place Drive, Ste. 100, New Caney
- www.emcholiday.com
City Place will host a photography workshop to teach aspiring photographers how to capture Christmas lights to create family portraits. All camera types are suitable for the workshop. The workshop is open for anyone age 16 and up; however, spots are limited, and registration can be completed online.
- Dec. 16, 10 a.m.-noon
- Free (admission)
- City Place Plaza, 1250 Lake Plaza Drive, Spring
- www.cityplacenow.com
Fans of Dr. Seuss' story of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" can dress up as a resident of Whoville to attend a holiday-centric festival at the Enchanted Gardens this December. Features include photo opportunities, gourmet cookies from the Sugar Berry Cookie Shoppe, face painting and live music from The Skittles Band. Visitors who donate new bath towels, diapers or baby wipes will be entered into a raffle for prizes.
- Dec. 16, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Free
- 6420 FM 359, Richmond
- www.enchantedgardensrichmond.com/event/grinchfest
The city of Montgomery will host its third annual snow party with a snow hill to sled down and play on, as well as food and drink vendors.
- Dec. 16, 1-4 p.m.
- Free (admission)
- 777 Clepper St., Montgomery
- www.visitmontgomerytexas.com
Runners are encouraged to dress festive and sport their most spirited holiday gear. The course will start at Dick’s House of Sport and will go around the entire perimeter of Baybrook Mall.
- Dec. 16, 7 a.m.
- Tickets begin at $40
- 18650 Gulf Freeway, Friendswood
- www.meetup.com
Foundry Church is hosting an oratorio, a performance that unveils the life of Christ with a blend of choral and orchestral arrangement composed in 1741. The event will start with an audience sing-along.
- Dec. 16, 7-8:30 p.m.
- $30 (general admission), $25 (seniors; active and retired military), $15 (students over 12 years old)
- Foundry Church, 8350 Jones Road, Houston
- www.houstonchoralsociety.org