10 December 21 - 27, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Kinder Wonderland The best Christmas events in Dallas for kids. BY KENDALL MORGAN W hat’s on our Christmas wish list? Kids who are excited and happy about every single sec- ond of the season until Santa comes down that chimney. We’ve sorted out what to do with those mean teens over the holidays, and where to get blinded by the best Christmas lights in Dallas, but how about keeping the little ones enter- tained through Dec. 25 (and beyond)? Meet- ing the man in red is non-negotiable, but there are plenty of other happenings to keep the kiddos in the spirit of the season until the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. Here are the best Christmas events for kids in Dallas: Christmas at the Anatole Through Dec. 30, 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway If a celebratory staycation is on the agenda, the Hilton Anatole has got you and yours — big time. This expansive hotel’s new North Pole Adventure takes guests on a “trip” via 20 unique holiday rooms, including an Elf Academy, Cookie Factory, Reindeer Stables, and (of course) Santa’s Workshop. Tickets start at $49 for grown-ups and $39 for kids, benefiting Operation Bliss, a local non- profit providing complimentary hotel stays to children celebrating their medical dis- charge. If you want something a little more relaxed, Santa will also be on hand at the hotel’s upscale SER Steak + Spirits for a special breakfast each Saturday and Sunday morning from 9 to 11:30 through Dec. 24. And if you want to splash it out, book a get- away in one of the Anatole’s Santa-themed suites, including four tickets to the Adven- ture and a $50 dining credit. All that, and someone else cleans up afterward. A Christmas miracle! Holiday at NorthPark Through Dec. 24, 8687 N. Central Expressway It’s a not-so-well-kept Dallas secret: North- Park Santa is the REAL Santa. He’s so popu- lar that pre-booked visits and photo ops have already sold out for 2023, but you can still show up for a first-come, first-serve visit with Mr. Claus. Check in at Santa’s Cottage on Level One in Macy’s Court, and they’ll text you when a spot becomes available. It’ll cost you $25, but all proceeds benefit Chil- dren’s Health. In the meantime? Check out the shopping center’s Scrooge Puppet The- ater and The Tale of the Yeti’s Christmas Spaghetti, see the famous NorthPark trains, or spy that iconic candy and pecan Santa- and-reindeer installation. Santaland Through Dec. 24, The Galleria, 13350 Dallas Parkway, No. 1020 Sure, the super-cute Snowday in the Galleria is a fun photo op for elves of all ages, but we must insist on a stop-off at Santaland for those who still believe. Created by the vi- sionary team of Scot and Kristi Redman, Ben Haschke, and the Bayer Brothers, Santaland makes the wait to meet the big guy as plea- surable as the moment the littles finally land on that lap. Any parents who have cooled their heels for hours in a holiday line will ap- preciate the fun “train ride” experience zip- ping past Dallas and the Southwest to the North Pole. It’s a visual and sonic trick that entertains the wee ones until they stroll through a snowy forest to Santa’s workshop. Painless AND entertaining? Sign us up! Take your family ice skating at the Galleria’s big rink afterward for extra cheer. Holigrays at the Echo Lounge Dec. 23, 1323 N. Stemmons Freeway If the Polyphonic Spree’s annual holiday shows are a little too intense for your wee ones, why not take them to see We Them Grays at the Echo Lounge instead? Consist- ing of siblings Kierra, KJ and Kwinton Gray, this Dallas-based band will surely put a soul- ful spin on some Christmas (and Disney) classics during their holiday show. Doors open at 7, and the fun kicks off at 8 p.m. Bra- noofunk will open the show. ICE! Featuring How the Grinch Stole Christmas Through Dec. 31, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine It’s not unusual to dine on a patio in your shirt sleeves during a Texas December, which is why the Gaylord’s annual ICE! event is often the only way to cross a white Christmas off your wish list. Each year, the hotel unveils an experience that lets visitors suit up in plasticky blue coats to explore two million pounds of ice sculptures themed like Christmas classics. There’s also snow tub- ing, a snowball build-and-blast and ginger- bread decorating, among other holiday activities. When you’re done, take a stroll through downtown Grapevine. It IS the Christmas capital of Texas, after all. Lightscape at Fort Worth Botanic Gardens Through Jan. 1, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth With shining stars, gumdrops, rainbows and tunnels of sparkle, Lightscape at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is an enchanting way to let the kiddos run off all that candy-fueled holiday energy. This ticketed event ($11– $15) is separate from the regular Garden ex- perience, with a mile-long path ambling by an adorable Christmas village. There’ll be fire pits, hot cocoa stations, a fire garden and all the Mariah you can stand. Oh, and wine and beer for Mom and Dad. A Junkyard Christmas Through Jan. 2, 2700 Sylvan Ave. When life gives you trash, turn it into trea- sure. That’s what Junk Guys founder Ri- cardo Hernandez did when he launched A Junkyard Haunted House in Oak Cliff. The four-year-old event has been so successful he decided to put a jolly spin on it for 2023. Using everything from ornate antique doors from Dubai to tennis court fans, Hernandez created an Insta-worthy pop-up of found objects and junk. Donation boxes and used fridges — even a military Hummer — are re- purposed into celebratory scenes, including Candy Cane Lane and a magical forest. Drawing a crowd of Oak Cliff locals every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m., the experience is adorable and afford- able — adult tickets are $20, kids ages 3–10 pay $10 and kids under 3 get in free. “We’re trying to keep it really simple and make it re- ally cheap, too,” Hernandez says. “We’re not trying to gouge anybody; we are the Cliff, so I try to price everything two to $5 — that’s it!” Visitors can nosh on cake balls, write a letter to Santa or toast marshmallows by the fire before they take a free ride on a holiday train that goes around and around the lot. Most important is an audience with the Grinch (Hernandez’s brother David), who is clearly a method actor and the MVP of this particular holiday hoedown. Holiday at the Arboretum Through Jan. 5, 8525 Garland Road Let’s face it — Christmas decorations aren’t what they used to be. Unless you’re at the Dallas Arboretum, of course. With its retro figurines of leaping lords, dancing ladies and piping pipers housed in gazebos, this Dallas institution’s take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a kitschmas delight, day or night. And if you can’t make it to Europe this year, the traditional German-style Christ- mas Village in the center of the gardens is the next best thing. Kids and grown-ups can go on a scavenger hunt through the faux shops to find hidden animals, picking up treats like bookmarks, candy — and even ba- con bits (in the butcher shop, natch) along the way. The Cocoa Lounge Through Jan. 7, 1321 Commerce St. If your child is a pint-size gourmand, why not treat them to a trip to the French Room Bar’s Cocoa Lounge at the Adolphus Hotel? For the third year, you can sample hot cocoa and adult beverages (a holiday necessity, IOHO) from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. daily, no ressies required. Or opt for the Cocoa Tea Tier, a pared-down selection of savory and sweet treats for adventurous little palates. If Grandma and Grandpa are in town, take the tribe upstairs to the Adolphus Ski Lodge on the rooftop with a glittering (faux, for sure) snowscape, tableside s’mores and a cozy yurt for the crew. Courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum The Dallas Arboretum fulfills our Christmas wishes every year. ▼ Culture
