Add This to Your “Nice” List: Christmas is Bigger in Grapevine, Texas
Words by Angela Caraway-Carlton
Photos courtesy of Grapevine CVB, Coury Hospitality
It’s just after dark in early December, and Grapevine’s Historic Main Street District is aglow in enough twinkling lights to rival any Hallmark Christmas movie. The Glockenspiel Clock Tower, the street’s grande dame, is radiant in red and green, while shops housed in century-old brick buildings are dressed in pretty wreaths and garlands. Somehow, the entire half-mile stretch captures classic Christmas charm, without a hint of kitsch. Bundled-up crowds are huddled behind street barricades, their excitement building for the annual Parade of Lights, one of the largest Christmas parades in Texas. Soon, the street comes alive with marching bands playing merry tunes, elves twirling batons, and elaborate floats featuring everything from a moving train carrying kids to falling snow. When Santa arrives with great fanfare, cheers ripple through the crowd. The sparks of joy are so contagious, you’d have to be a modern-day Grinch not to join in the revelry.
Just a few hours earlier, I’d landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, a 10-minute drive from the historic district of Grapevine, Texas. The small town near Dallas has earned the title of the “Christmas Capital of Texas,” thanks to its more than 1,400 holiday events over 40 days, and visitors can be immersed in the over-the-top holiday wonderland within minutes of stepping off the plane. As someone who’s obsessed with Christmas, I was there for the weekend to soak up a flurry of jolly activities. What struck me most during my time in Grapevine was that everyone, from businesses to residents, goes all in to make this the most magical time of year.
One of the town’s most beloved experiences is riding on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad in an original 1920s railcar dripping in bygone-era glamour and floor-to-ceiling windows. Tip: Tickets often sell out within hours of launching online in the fall. Choose from a “Polar Express”-style journey—I couldn’t help but giddily sing along with the dancing elves—or an adults-only train ride that showcases the area’s wine. Vino is big in this small town, where an urban wine trail on Main Street stars tasting rooms, like Landon Winery and Winestein’s Tasting Room, that impressed me with their sophisticated pours of Texan wines.
One evening, I settled into a ruby-red seat at the Palace Theatre, an Art Deco-style theater built in the 1940s, to swoon over a Dean Martin-inspired crooner belting out nostalgic Christmas songs like “White Christmas.” The venue regularly shows Christmas movies and features tribute performances during the season. Later that night, I followed a festive crowd to Harvest Hall in Hotel Vin, a gorgeous boutique hotel with roaring fireplaces and chic holiday decor, to indulge in holiday cheer at their pop-up Holly Jolly Bar. If I’m honest, I also enjoyed knocking back a pickleback shot at AJ’s On Main with the owner, A.J., a longtime tradition in Grapevine.
The sparks of joy are so contagious, you’d have to be a modern-day Grinch not to join in the revelry.
While activities abound along Main Street, from photo moments with Santa to a Texas-sized ice rink with a 60-foot live tree rivaling New York’s Rockefeller Center, make time to pop into the 80 or more locally owned restaurants, shops, and art galleries. One chilly afternoon, I ducked into Dr. Sue’s Chocolate, which is owned by a Grapevine physician with a penchant for dark chocolate, for a cup of her velvety hot chocolate. Then, I tucked away on the second floor of the independent bookstore, Talking Animals Books, to savor a quiet moment away from the holiday rush and snag a recent bestseller for a bargain. And because calories don’t count at Christmastime, I also made my way to JudyPie, where the owner, Judy, relies on her grandmother’s recipes to deliver the perfect flaky crust. As I dug into a trio of pie slices, including the hyped pecan pie and strawberry rhubarb, a couple at a nearby table admitted they’d driven an hour for a sampling of pies for their holiday hosting duties.
While I did pick out a Christmas keepsake at Good Things For All Seasons, a store that reinvents itself for all four seasons, I also created a custom ornament at Vetro Glassblowing Studio. After choosing my glass colors, the team helped me shape and blow the molten glass into a ball of Christmas bliss. The ornament will forever hang on my tree as a shimmering reminder of Grapevine’s magic.
The holiday festivities in Grapevine, Texas, begin Nov. 24, 2025. Visit grapevinetexasusa.com to learn more.
