Tag: Holiday family activities

Family fun at Old West Christmas Light Fest

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The Old West Christmas Light Fest is now open until December 30. Photo: Old West Christmas Light Fest, used with permission.

Old West Christmas Light Fest brings the holidays to life with drive-thru light displays and an Old West town filled with lights, music, food and fun and now it is at all-new location, Enchanted Springs Ranch, 242 Hwy 46 W in Boerne. Guests can enjoy dazzling lights, visit Santa, snap holiday photos and play games and other family friendly activities as Christmas Light Fest celebrates five years of bringing holiday magic to San Antonio and the Hill Country. (Old West Christmas Light Fest, 2018)

The 2018 event is open from 6p.m. to 10p.m., Thursday through Sunday evening until Sunday, December 16 and EVERY night December 20 to December 29 including Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

Spread throughout a 40-building Old West town brought to life with the magic of holiday lights, activities include drive-thru light displays, walk-around lights and experiences in a recreated Old West town, featuring a walk-through light tunnel, family games, a light maze for kids, a scavenger hunt, a mechanical bull ride, trampoline bungee jumping, cookie decorating, holiday movies, face painting, ornament decorating and more. There is live music every Saturday night and Santa is at his favorite ranch to hear holiday wishes through Christmas Eve. Photos with Santa are free.

Tickets are available online and are $15 per adult and $10 per child ages four and older. Children under four are free. Tickets at the gate are $17 per adult and $12 per child (tax included). A Family 5-Pack is available online only for $49. Members of the military—active duty, guard, reserves and all retired service members—as well as first responders and their families receive a $5 discount throughout the holiday season. Guests who bring a nonperishable item to donate to the San Antonio Food Bank and receive $2 off their ticket. Season passes are also available for $45 per person. Onsite parking is free.

Old West Christmas Light Fest
Enchanted Springs Ranch (exit 540 off of I-10)
242 Hwy 46 W
Boerne, TX 78006

Horseshoe Bay Resort activities for December

horshoebayresort
Horsshoe Bay Resort has a variety of holiday activities scheduled for December. Photo: Horseshoe Bay Resort, used with permission. 

Horseshoe Bay Resort is at the forefront of Texas’ luxury travel destinations, named by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the ‘Top Resorts in Texas and The Southwest.’ Just a short 90-minute drive from San Antonio, it features a variety of lakeside activities, kid-friendly amenities and dining outlets with spectacular views of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, Horseshoe Bay Resort is the perfect place to cozy up for the holiday season and enjoy seasonal programming like a complimentary shuttle to the Marble Falls Walkway of Lights, Winter Wonderland, New Year’s Eve activities and more. (Horseshoe Bay Resort, 2018)

December events:
Charlie Brown Christmas Dinner
Friday, December 14 – Dinner begins at 7p.m.; the show begins at 8p.m.
Don’t miss a fabulous performance of a Christmas classic by the Austin Chamber Music Center. Celebrate the season with the original Charlie Brown music of Vince Guaraldi featuring pianist Michelle Schumann, bassist Utah Hamrick, drummer David Sierra and special guests plus the chance to meet Snoopy in the lobby. Reservations required.

Horseshoe Bay Resort Winter Wonderland
Saturday, December 15 from 4p.m. to 10p.m.
Take a stroll through Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Winter Wonderland. The Winter Market will feature a uniquely curated shopping selection, including Kendra Scott, Raven + Lily, Haley LeBeuf, Colores Collective and Mustard Seed Jewelry. Guests will also enjoy a Laser Light Show, the Acapella Group Vocalibre of Texas State University, photos with Santa, letters to Santa, arts and crafts, food and beverage stations, horse-drawn carriage rides and more. Guests may view pricing and updates on the resort event calendar.

Saturday, December 21
• 10a.m. to 2p.m. Gingerbread House Decorating at the Yacht Club Ballroom: bring the little ones to decorate a gingerbread house. These pre-assembled houses are made in the pastry department and all supplies and decorations are included. Reservations are required 48 hours in advance by calling 830.596.2582.
• 6p.m. to 7p.m. – Marble Falls Walkway of Lights: watch more than two million lights transform Marble Falls Lakeside Park into a Winter Wonderland. Complimentary shuttles are available for overnight guests and club members.

Sunday, December 31
• 6p.m. to 1a.m. – Kids Club New Year’s Eve: while parents dance the night away, let Horseshoe Bay Resort take care of the kids at the Kid’s Club. New Year’s Eve Kid’s Club programming includes snacks, dinner and arts and craft activities throughout the evening. Reservations are required.
• 9:30p.m. – Ring in the New Year at Horseshoe Bay Resort: folks can enjoy dancing at the Granite Ballroom with live music by The Argyles – one of the best party bands in Texas. Admission includes party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Drink specials will be available to purchase throughout the evening.

Weekly Activities
• 11a.m. to 12p.m. – Exotic Animals featuring Birds of the Bay, where guests can take a memorable photo with the exotic birds on property; a staff member will also be on-site to share interesting bird facts and the Tortoise connection: where guests can mingle with the tortoises on-property and learn unique cool facts. Guests may also feed the tortoises a snack and take get a picture that they will never forget. Check Horseshoe Bay Resort’s website for more information.

Weekend Activities
• Thursday – Saturday; 6p.m. to 7p.m. – Marble Falls Walkway of Lights: watch more than two million lights transform Marble Falls Lakeside Park into a Winter Wonderland. Complimentary shuttles are available for overnight guests and club members.
• Friday and Saturday, 6p.m. – 7:30p.m. – S’mores by the Campfire: Enjoy complimentary S’mores on the Live Oak Lawn, surrounded by festive decor and the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Horseshoe Bay Resort
200 Hi Circle North
Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657
(877) 611-0112

Holiday fun with Christmas Light Fest

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Christmas Light Fest is open from now until December 31.  Photo: Christmas Light Fest, used with permission.

The holidays are well under way and so is the annual light show at Don Strange Ranch in Boerne. From now until December 31, visitors can enjoy Christmas Light Fest and its two million twinkling lights, hayrides and holiday fun. Opened nightly, this holiday extravaganza takes place on a picturesque ranchland and features tunnels of twinkling lights and holiday displays along a two-mile path and Santa’s Village, a rustic barn filled with holiday flavors and activities. Hours are Sundays through Thursdays from 6p.m. to 9p.m. while Friday and Saturday nights, as well as holidays, feature an extra hour, from 6p.m. to 10p.m. (Christmas Light Fest, 2017)

Santa will be visiting each weekend before Christmas, December 8-10, December 15-17 and December 21-24. Wednesday nights visitors can enjoy free cookies with Santa on December 6, 13 and 20. Decorate cookies, play games and stroll through even more lights for perfect picture opportunities and fun. Santa’s Village is the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a variety of holiday flavors including s’mores, coffee, hot chocolate, kettle corn, sausage on a stick and more while doing some shopping and helping to feed Santa’s Longhorns. After all, in Texas Santa needs more than reindeer to pull his sleigh.

There are two ways to enjoy Christmas Light Fest: drive through the festive displays in a vehicle or ranch-style, catching a hayride to tour the lights. Tickets are $27 per vehicle to tour the ranch, or $15 per person for a hayride. To ensure availability, hayrides should be purchased in advance online. Onsite parking is free. Vehicle passes and hayride tickets are available online. Private hayrides are available by reservation.

This year, there are more displays and twinkling surprises, more family fun and a walk-through light displays. Visitors can support Christmas Light Fest’s food drive for the San Antonio Food Bank by donating non-perishable food and canned goods. For every donation, Christmas Light Fest will take $2 off a vehicle pass or $4 during the week, from Sunday through Thursday.

Don Strange Ranch
103 Waring Welfare Rd
Boerne, TX 78006