Charged with educating students and the public about the dangers of prejudice and hatred in society, Holocaust Museum Houston opened its doors in March of 1996. Since that time, impassioned notes, poems, artwork, and other gifts, from school children and adults alike, attest to the life-changing thoughts generated by just one visit to this unique facility.

For more information please visit hmh.org

Discover a morning of fun with story time, activities and crafts. It’s a practice for kids and parents to greet the morning with joy and embark on their daily adventures with intention and confidence. Turn the page and reach up to the sky, press your feet into the earth, and get ready for a great day!

Countdown to Christmas with 25 books read aloud in the library. Unwrap and enjoy one of our staff’s wintertime favorites every afternoon until December 24th.

www.rosenberg-library.org

Sam works the reservation line at one of New York’s hottest restaurants. While juggling scheming socialites, name‐dropping wannabes, fickle celebrities, and egomaniacal bosses, can he still manage to get home for the holidays?

For show times, dates and to purchase tickets please visit www.alleytheatre.org

Take a Christmas-themed train ride through Hermann Park to celebrate the holiday season.

Due to holiday hours, it’s recommended you check the website for extended hours.

www.hermannpark.org.

Winter gardens are colorful and structurally intriguing. Learn which plants add life to a winter garden and the proper care for these plants. Enjoy a garden tour focusing on winter flowering and fruiting plants at Mercer. Participants should bring a lunch and dress for the weather. Lunch Bunch is a free program offered at Mercer’s East Side Gardens and is recommended for participants 12 and older. Registration is required.

For more information and/or to reserve your spot please visit www.hcp4.net/parks/mercer/

Celebrate National Kaleidoscope Day by creating your own kaleidoscope to take home!

www.hcpl.net

Countdown to Christmas with 25 books read aloud in the library. Unwrap and enjoy one of our staff’s wintertime favorites every afternoon until December 24th.

www.rosenberg-library.org

Learn on how to keep your bike in working condition. The clinic covers basic repairs, preventative maintenance, and how to adjust your cables to ensure good shifting and braking every 2nd Wednesday of the month.

www.bikebarn.com

Follow the breadcrumbs into an outrageous reimagining of the tale of Hansel and Gretel as two selfish Houston parents pursue their dream to be stars of the theatre after leaving their social-media-obsessed children in the woods.

For show times, dates and to purchase tickets please visit www.stagestheatre.com

Paloma Sponsored by PNC Bank is a temporary, site-specific public art installation in two parts. Paloma, created by French creative studio Pitaya, is a series of 200 colorful aluminum “origami” birds, which will be suspended from the canopy along Discovery Green’s Brown Promenade and will be illuminated by dynamic LED lights after dusk to create the illusion of flight. Complementing Paloma is Here and Now, a sound installation by Houston-based artist and anthropologist Lina Dib, whose work explores ecological change and global migration. Dib’s choreographed sounds will dance along the Brown Promenade in conversation with Pitaya’s sculptures to create an immersive and contemplative experience beneath the park’s century-old live oaks.

For more information, please visit www.discoverygreen.com/paloma-pnc

Bring your child to Blue Willow to enjoy stories, songs and an art activity.

www.bluewillowbookshop.com

This fun day is filled with pictures with Santa, 40,000lbs of snow, amusement rides, face painting, live music, local entertainment, a holiday arts and craft market, the Chamber of Commerce parade and concludes with the lighting of a 20- foot tall decorated Christmas tree.

www.ci.friendswood.tx.us/santa-in-the-park

Countdown to Christmas with 25 books read aloud in the library. Unwrap and enjoy one of our staff’s wintertime favorites every afternoon until December 24th.

www.rosenberg-library.org

Visit with Santa and his reindeer at Christmas Village! Thousands of lights, holiday games, live music, model trains, and sleigh rides await at this winter wonderland from December 12th to the 30th.

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit https://www.mfah.org

Celebrate the spirit of the holiday season with a concert performed by The Concert Choir & Orchestra, along with special guest soloists.

www.cepc.org

Free tickets are distributed at 7 pm each night on a first-come, first-served basis.

All ages. Childcare is available only for the Thursday performance.

Nov. 16 – Dec. 23. Passengers are invited to wear their pajamas on the train, just like in the movie! On board the passenger cars are festively decorated for the holidays. The Conductor will welcome everyone aboard and punch each passenger’s train ticket. En route to the North Pole the book THE POLAR EXPRESS™ will be read and music from THE POLAR EXPRESS™ movie will be played. Passengers are served hot chocolate and cookies by dancing chefs. Upon arrival at the North Pole Santa Claus and elves are visible waving to the train as passengers watch from aboard the train. Santa Claus and elves then board the train. Elves will be in each train car and will entertain passengers and lead them in singing Christmas carols. Santa Claus will move through each train car and greet each child, giving them their own personal silver sleigh bell. All ages. $20-$115. www.texasstaterr.com

Nov. 15 – Feb. 20. Create holiday memories by travelling across Texas by model railroad in this scratch built “O” scale model. The multiple trains crisscrossing the state will visit important and unique places in the state’s geology and physiography. Destinations include oil country salt domes, prairies and wetlands of the Texas coast and state and national monuments such as Enchanted Rock, Pedernales Falls, The Balcones Escarpment and Big Bend National Park. Along the routes to these geologic wonders the trains will also pass through Galveston, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio with other surprises along the route. This exhibit (the size of a tennis court) is the largest indoor “O” scale model railroad in Texas. Tickets: Free with museum admission.

www.hmns.org

Enjoy a weekend-long festival celebrating German heritage. It’s full of live music, street performers, ethnic and festival foods, and more ensuring fun for the whole family you won’t want to miss.

Friday 6-10pm, Saturday 10am-10pm, Sunday 10am-6pm. For more information please visit www.tomballgermanfest.org

Assembled over decades, this significant private collection features paintings by the pivotal artists who sparked the major art movements of the late-19th through mid-20th century.

on Exhibit from October 20-January 12,2020.

www.mfah.org

Painting: Pablo Picasso, Woman seated in an armchair, 1941, oil on canvas. Photo courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

‘Tis The Season!

The Houston SPCA and Neiman Marcus Houston will once again host one of the city’s most cherished holiday traditions: The Holiday Windows of Life Pet Adoption event!  Be a Rescue Hero this holiday season to an adoptable pet who is in need of a loving home at the Houston Galleria from Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 23.

Story reading followed by an art or gardening activity. Located in the Family Garden in Centennial Gardens. The Family Garden is an edible, interactive garden with fruits, veggies, herbs, and more.

www.hermannpark.org

Fermentation Fridays will take place at The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science every Friday starting in March and will be open through April 2019 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests will meet microbes up close through hands-on interactives and learn why our gut is the root of all health. Through fun and exciting food demonstrations, explore the important roles microbes have on our bodies, from the food we like to eat to the kinds of medicine we take, and make your own fermented foods at The Health Museum!

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn how to ferment food through a demonstration and will get to take home the food they fermented, such as cabbage or carrots!

General admission to The Health Museum is free for children two and under; $8 for children 3 to 12 years old and seniors 65 and above; $10 for adults; and free on Thursdays for families from 2 – 7 p.m. Active and retired military personnel receive half-off admission for up to four people. General admission also provides access to the museum’s multiple exhibits. For more information about The Health Museum visit thehealthmuseum.org, or call 713-521-1515.

An old house in rural England becomes the home base for four children who wander into an incredible country through an old wardrobe and help the country return to summer. There are duels, chases and narrow escapes—and ultimately, the triumph of good over evil.

For more information on show times, dates and to purchase tickets please visit www.adplayers.org

Feel the spirit of Christmas with the most horrible children imaginable.  The Herdman kids are disrespectful and they lie. When they show up at church one Sunday and decide to participate in the annual Christmas pageant, everyone is worried.

The show runs through December 21, 2019.

www.mainstreettheater.com

Countdown to Christmas with 25 books read aloud in the library. Unwrap and enjoy one of our staff’s wintertime favorites every afternoon until December 24th.

www.rosenberg-library.org

Savor the sights and sounds of the holiday season while enjoying carolers, hot cocoa, crafts, and holiday lights! This musical event is something the entire family can enjoy.

Celebrate the spirit of the holiday season with a concert performed by The Concert Choir & Orchestra, along with special guest soloists.

www.cepc.org

Free tickets are distributed at 7 pm each night on a first-come, first-served basis.

All ages. Childcare is available only for the Thursday performance.

Bring the whole family to BalletForte’s 24th annual Nutcracker ballet! Follow Clara and the Nutcracker as they battle the Rat King and journey to the Kingdom of Sweets. Make it your holiday tradition!

To purchase tickets visit www.balletforte.org

Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Road

7:30pm Friday; 2pm & 7:30pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday

All ages. Tickets start at $12. Free parking.

“Anneliese Van Dagna as Clara in the Nutcracker” Photo courtesy of Ballet Forte

McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden presents the 13th Annual Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour—a free, nationwide concert series featuring music from artists who are shaping the sound of contemporary gospel. Get ready for a memorable evening with Kirk Franklin, Donald Lawrence, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard, Sir the Baptist, Tye Tribbett, DJ Standout, and host, Lonnie Hunter.

As in previous years, the Tour will celebrate McDonald’s continued devotion to Ronald McDonald House Charities. In each city, the Tour raises money to support local families served by the Charity. Since 2013, Tour attendees have donated more than $1.1MM to aid in keeping families together while their children are ill. New this year, Houstonians can donate to support RMHC by donating online in advance here: http://rmhc.org/icgthouston.

FREE tickets will be available at the following participating Houston McDonald’s restaurants while quantities last. No purchase is necessary.
9126 Cullen Boulevard
8010 S. Gessner
1619 S. Loop West
13880 S. Post Oak Road
3643 S. Main Street | Stafford, TX
255 Greens Road
392 N. Sam Houston Parkway East
6707 W. Sam Houston Parkway South
8520 Bissonnet
9805 S. Main Street

PARKING: For this event, the gates to the parking garages open promptly at 6:00pm. For safety reasons and to avoid having your vehicle towed, please do not arrive or line up at the gates before 6pm, or park in any areas not identified as Lakewood Church parking. Parking in Lakewood Church designated locations is FREE.

A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas is a family-friendly re-telling of Charles Dickens’ classic story, which follows Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey with the three ghostly spirits who visit him on Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol instills a powerful message about redemption and the spirit of the holiday season.

Don’t miss the Deck the Trees Celebration, which will transform the Alley Theatre lobby into a winter wonderland of trees, festively decorated by Houston’s leading designers and sponsored by generous businesses and individuals.

Age recommendation: 6 and up. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket.

Performance Times:

Friday, Nov 15 at 7:30pm

Saturday, Nov 16 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, Nov 17 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Friday, Nov 22 at 7:30pm

Saturday, Nov 23 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, Nov 24 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Tuesday, Nov 26 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Friday, Nov 29 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Saturday, Nov 30 at 2:30p & 7:30pm

Sunday, Dec 1 at 2:30pm

Thursday, Dec 5 at 7:30pm

Friday, Dec 6 at 7:30pm

Saturday, Dec 7 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, Dec 8 at 2:30pm

Thursday, Dec 12 at 7:30pm

Friday, Dec 13 at 7:30pm

Saturday, Dec 14 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, Dec 15 at 2:30pm

Thursday, Dec 19 at 7:30pm

Friday, Dec 20 at 7:30pm

Saturday, Dec 21 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, Dec 22 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Tuesday, Dec 24 at 2:30pm

Thursday, Dec 26 at 7:30pm

Friday, Dec 27 at 7:30pm

Saturday, Dec 28 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm

Sunday, Dec 29 at 2:30pm

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a host of festive favorites, including the Houston Symphony commission Glad Tidings, a musical and narrative telling of the Christmas story packed with classic carols like What Child is This?, Silent Night and Joy to the World.

For more information on show times, dates and to purchase tickets please visit www.houstonsymphony.org

An old man by the name of Kris Kringle gets a job working as the beloved Santa Claus. Word gets out he truly believes he is Santa, the joy of Christmas fantasy.
Please visit www.adplayers.org for a complete list of showtimes and days.

Shows run from November 29 to December 22.

Snowflakes. Sword fights. Dancing dolls. And a Christmas tree that reaches the sky. Stanton Welch’s opulent new production promises everything you love about The Nutcracker, brighter and more splendid than ever. In this, the most traditional tale, Clara and Drosselmeyer travel together to the Land of the Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy is reunited with her prince – and where the magic happens. With grand sets and stunning costumes, The Nutcracker, features the entire company of dancers playing hundreds of fun and exciting new roles.

For show times, dates and to purchase tickets please visit www.houstonballet.org

The term “Christmas Tree” means something very different in the Oil and Gas
Industry. Come find out what it is while learning about polymer chains. Create a model of a simple carbon chain, using red and green construction paper—fit for your very own holiday tree!

www.oceanstaroec.com

Nov. 16 – Dec. 23. Passengers are invited to wear their pajamas on the train, just like in the movie! On board the passenger cars are festively decorated for the holidays. The Conductor will welcome everyone aboard and punch each passenger’s train ticket. En route to the North Pole the book THE POLAR EXPRESS™ will be read and music from THE POLAR EXPRESS™ movie will be played. Passengers are served hot chocolate and cookies by dancing chefs. Upon arrival at the North Pole Santa Claus and elves are visible waving to the train as passengers watch from aboard the train. Santa Claus and elves then board the train. Elves will be in each train car and will entertain passengers and lead them in singing Christmas carols. Santa Claus will move through each train car and greet each child, giving them their own personal silver sleigh bell. All ages. $20-$115. www.texasstaterr.com

Enjoy a weekend-long festival celebrating German heritage. It’s full of live music, street performers, ethnic and festival foods, and more ensuring fun for the whole family you won’t want to miss.

Friday 6-10pm, Saturday 10am-10pm, Sunday 10am-6pm. For more information please visit www.tomballgermanfest.org

Gather family and friends to explore two million pounds have been transformed into polar bears, penguins, whales, and reindeer! Glide down the giant glacier slide and enjoy a festive refreshments from November 16, 2019 to January 12, 2020.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.moodygardens.com

Bring family and friends to enjoy petting zoos, carriage rides, Santa and more on weekends throughout the holiday season.

www.oldtownspringshopping.com

Spend your Saturdays at the Pleasure Pier and watch holiday movies, enjoy kids’ activities, thrill rides and more every Saturday in December.

www.galveston.com

Find fresh seasonal vegetables and organic products from local farms every Saturday.

www.grogansmill.org

Learn what 20 years of groundbreaking scientific research has revealed. About this mysterious wonder and World Heritage site, dating back 5,000+ years.

www.hmns.org

Join The Annie Café & Bar for its inaugural Breakfast & Photos with Santa on Saturday, December 14^th from 9am-2pm. Don’t miss this festive opportunity to enjoy pictures with Santa, a delicious prix-fixe menu, hot chocolate and cider bars, specialty cocktails and more. Stay tuned for full menus!

 The cost is $45 for children and $65 for adults, but excludes tax and gratuity.*

*Reservations are required. Please call the restaurant or visit us on OpenTable. Guests pay at the end of the meal. A 48-hour cancellation notice is required. If a reservation is canceled less than 48-hours in advance, a cancellation fee of $25 per person will apply.

For more information, please visit www.theanniehouston.com/happenings/holiday-happenings-at-the-annie-2019-11-18 or Facebook event.

Enjoy the magic at Gaylord’s winter wonderland with 2 million lights, a 54- foot-tall Christmas tree, family events of snow tubing, gingerbread decorating corner and build-a-bear workshop from November 15, 2019 to January 5, 2020.

Christmasatgaylordtexan.com

A market pops up on the promenade and is the perfect place to get one of a kind Christmas gifts and Santa should be around for some photo opps. with the kids!

www.heightsmercantile.com

An old house in rural England becomes the home base for four children who wander into an incredible country through an old wardrobe and help the country return to summer. There are duels, chases and narrow escapes—and ultimately, the triumph of good over evil.

For more information on show times, dates and to purchase tickets please visit www.adplayers.org

Celebrate the holiday season with music, food, a holiday market, winter plant sale, and a Christmas tree display. Attractions includes face painting, a visit from Santa, and holiday-themed crafts, while supplies last.

www.hcp4.net

Ensemble Theatre presents an energizing and delightful program jam-packed with all your favorite holiday hits across the decades with “Rhythm & Wreaths: A Holiday Extravaganza!” We guarantee to have you tapping your toes and bopping your crown as we travel through the rhythms of the holidays. Filled with music dance and holiday cheer. Hold onto your seats because we’re taking you up up and away!
Performance location: Mangum-Howell Community Center in Doss Park, 2500 Frick Rd., Houston 77038.
Tickets: FREE
This is a child friendly performance. All ages are welcome.

Reserve free tickets: online at www.cypresscreekface.org or call 281-440-4850.

Join us for our Open House where we invite you to come out and experience a few fun activities, and spend time with our adoptable animals. Mark your calendar and join us.
For more information please visit www.houstonspca.org

Welcome Santa as he taxis to the Lone Star Flight Museum as he prepares for Christmas Day!
Kids can meet Santa, get a holiday treat, make candy airplanes and ornaments, try their hand at flying a plane in
our flight simulators and enjoy our amazing planes and interactive exhibits. Express lines for museum members!

Saturday, December 7, 14 and 21. – Santa Visit 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Free Flight Simulators 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

MORE:               LSFM is a 501(c)(3) aviation museum and STEM learning center with a mission to preserve, educate and inspire. Led by CEO Lt. Gen. (ret) Douglas H. Owens, LSFM’s new $38 million state-of-the-art facility at Houston’s Ellington Airport opened September 16, 2017. In addition to the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, the 130,000 square foot facility will house the Museum’s renowned flying collection of historic aircraft, a $1 million, high-tech Aviation Learning Center and dynamic hands-on exhibits. LSFM’s vision is to be a world-class educational museum linking an understanding of the past with inspiration for the future. For more information visit www.lonestarflight.org.

The children’s interactive play area is open to the public every second Saturday of the month.

www.houstonfiremuseum.org

Enjoy an afternoon out with friends and family this holiday season to learn how to make a festive and timeless wreath using unusual materials.

www.crafthouston.org

This delightful event features photos with the Nutcracker dancers and tea-time fare of finger sandwiches, cookies, and of course, tea!

https://www.galveston.com/

Winter is the perfect time to move to Woodforest with two special winter events! First, enjoy a fun and snow-filled day with the family. Activities include cookies and hot cocoa, caroling, face painting, a snow globe and a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

For more information please visit www.woodforesttx.com/winterwonderland

Enjoy a live nativity with animals and concert featuring The St. John the Divine Chorale, Houston Boychoir, and River Oaks Chamber Orchestra.

www.sjd.org

St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Blvd.

The live nativity begins at 4 pm on the north lawn and the Christmas Gala concert at 5 pm.

All ages. Childcare is available for infants – 3 years old.

Countdown to Christmas with 25 books read aloud in the library. Unwrap and enjoy one of our staff’s wintertime favorites every afternoon until December 24th.

www.rosenberg-library.org

Enjoy the largest holiday lighting event on the Gulf Coast with over 100 sound -enhanced animated light displays and nightly live entertainment and much more.

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit http://www.moodygardens.com/

Every year, thousands of Houstonians head to Clear Lake for the annual holiday boat parade featuring more than 100 decorate floats. Clear Lake channel from the South Shore Harbor Marina and the Nassau Bay Lagoon to Galveston Bay.

www.clearlakearea.com

Festive cheer and Christmas spirit abound as you take in the beautifully decorated homes. Enjoy musical performers on front porches.

www.woodland-heights.org

An annual holiday favorite, “The Nutcracker” will delight audiences of all ages.  It tells the story of a young girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince, a Sugar Plum Fairy and a fierce battle against a Mouse King.

For show times and to purchase tickets please visit www.thegrand.com

Members of the Houston Grand Opera (HGO) Chorus return to Discovery Green for the second annual holiday showcase, led by conductor Benjamin Manis and featuring HGO Studio artists Leia Lensing, mezzo-soprano, and Kyle Naig, piano. The chorus will be joined by more than 70 voices from the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Chapel Choir and AFA Girls Chorus for a concert of holiday music and sing-alongs from various traditions.

www.discoverygreen.com

Celebrate the spirit of the holiday season with a concert performed by The Concert Choir & Orchestra, along with special guest soloists.

www.cepc.org

Free tickets are distributed at 7 pm each night on a first-come, first-served basis.

All ages. Childcare is available only for the Thursday performance.