2015 Holiday Festivals to Enjoy

From the Dallas Morning News, here’s a helpful list of great holiday festivals to enjoy over the holiday season!

Searching For Santa

The Texas Rangers, for the second year, will host scavenger-party-like tours for the younger set at Globe Life Park. Kids will receive a series of clues as they visit different locations where Santa has been spotted, including the press box, locker room, dugout and even Santa’s private elevator. The event includes cookies, hot cocoa, cookie decorating and other activities. On Dec. 19 at 9 and 11 a.m., the tours will end at a special Kids Zone, where youngsters can meet with the big guy in red for photos, receive a collectible mini-bat and participate in activities on an interactive playground.

Tours take place Tuesdays through Saturdays through Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A twilight tour on Dec. 18 begins at 6:30 p.m. Globe Life Park, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington. $15; free for children 3 and younger. texasrangers.com/santa.

Holidays at the Heard

Check out lights and holiday decorations along a half-mile Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary nature trail, have a photo taken with Father Christmas and Mother Nature, buy hot beverages and treats and hear live holiday music in the Heard outdoor amphitheater.

Dec. 18 and 19 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 Nature Place, McKinney. At the gate, tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for kids 3-12 (children 2 and under are admitted free). Guests who purchase their tickets online before the event will save $2 per ticket. heardmuseum.org.

Deck the City Hall

Ice-skate your way across Dallas City Hall Plaza at this free, family-friendly festival that will feature face-painting, holiday entertainment, inflatables, photos with Santa, train and carriage rides and even a Santa’s Letter Writing workshop. Food trucks will be on-site to meet your dining needs. The event is weather-permitting, so if it’s ugly outside, check the Dallas City Hall’s Facebook page before you go.

Dec. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. at 1500 Marilla St., Dallas. Free (except for food trucks); skate rental is free, too. 214-670-8847. dallasparks.org.

Posada Dallas

The Latino Cultural Center will present its annual Posada, a procession that re-creates Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. The procession begins at Central Square Park at Swiss Avenue and Oak Street at 4 p.m., and ends at the cultural center. At the center’s plaza, there’ll be mariachis, children’s crafts and matachines (folk dancers).

Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. at Central Square Park and the Latino Cultural Center,  2600 Live Oak St., Dallas. Free. dallasculture.org/latinocc.

Treats of Christmas

The Texas Chefs Association presents the ultimate holiday bake sale, peddling oven-fresh goodness by way of gourmet cakes, sweets, pies and cookies from local chefs and catering companies. The sale benefits the North Texas Food Bank’s Cooking Matters program, which helps families learn to prepare healthy, affordable meals.

Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at NorthPark Center, Level 1 near Macy’s and Level 2 between Nordstrom and Macy’s, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas. Browsing is free; the treats, of course, will cost you. northparkcenter.com/events.