This small city became the Christmas capital of Texas. Here’s why.
Grapevine, Texas, draws over two million visitors to 1,400 Christmas events each year. Here’s what makes this town just north of Dallas a festive draw at the holidays.
When it comes to Christmas, Grapevine, Texas, is the little city that could. With a population of just 51,000 and an area of about 35 square miles, Grapevine hovers in Dallas’ shadow—or it would, if it weren’t so dang cute.
Dubbed the Christmas Capital of Texas by the Texas State Senate in 2009, Grapevine has only become more popular since. Its population explodes during the holidays, when more than two million visitors attend the 1,400+ events that span 40 days between November and December.
It may be the Hallmark Christmas feeling the town evokes, or it may be the fact that wine flows freely in a town that is aptly named and sits squarely on the Urban Wine Trail. Whatever it is, Texans don’t just talk about it—they buy up train tickets and book hotel rooms months in advance, they carve out a weekend in their already busy calendars for Grapevine Time, and they pack for a road trip that will bring home fantastic holiday memories.
So what does this iconic Christmas town have to offer? Well, plenty, and all of it is appropriate for kids, adults, grandparents, friend groups, and even couples looking for a little holiday romance. Here’s everything you should do in the Christmas Capital of Texas.
Make Christmas crafts and ornaments.
Instead of buying Dad another polo shirt, get creative at one of Grapevine’s many holiday craft classes. While you’ll see your fair share of popsicle stick reindeer, many crafts lean heavily into high-level.
Case in point, the artisans at Vetro Glassblowing Studio will teach you how to turn molten glass into a one-of-a-kind, custom ornament. Or sign up for one of the recurring Classic Christmas Cartoons & Craft events, which are held every week at the Lancaster Theater and cover every kind of craft imaginable.
Sing along at Grapevine’s Christmas concerts.
Sure, you can get your Christmas carol fix on the radio or your favorite playlist, but recorded music can’t hold a microphone to the live alternative.
Grapevine’s Palace Arts Center plays host to regular concerts of every genre, including spot-on Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé tributes, and original artists like the Texas Tenors and country crooner Holly Tucker.
Get a healthy dose of Christmas movies.
Throughout Grapevine’s 40-day celebration, you’ll have the opportunity to keep the spirit alive well into the evening. Take the kids to a double feature of “Frosty the Snowman” and “Charlie Brown Christmas,” laugh along with the audience at “Elf” and “Home Alone,” or keep it classic with “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
After a big day in Grapevine, there’s nothing more relaxing than a family-friendly holiday movie, and the Historic Palace Theater is the perfect venue for it.
Toast the holidays on Grapevine’s Urban Wine Trail.
The Urban Wine Trail winds its way through this neck of the woods, and it brings with it nine wineries and vineyards that celebrate the grape—and the holidays. Messina Hof’s tasting room on Main Street makes it especially convenient, and the well-known winegrowers serve 40 different wines from this location.
Also on Main Street, you’ll find Landon Winery and Farina’s Winery & Café, and a little off the beaten path, you can visit Cross Timbers and Bingham Family vineyards.
Bring on the lights!
Much like Chevy Chase in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” Grapevine loves its lights, and the more the better. Everything is adorned in a holiday glow, making for beautiful nighttime photos and even better memories.
A highlight is the Merry & Bright Christmas Drone Show, a nod to modern technology and an opportunity to see Christmas through the artistry of 400 drones.
Enjoy Grapevine’s winter wonderland.
Locals and visitors alike have a few favorites among Grapevine’s festivities, and ice skating is high on that list. The Peace Plaza Ice Rink is Texas’ version of Rockefeller Center—complete with a 60-foot live Christmas tree—and it does not disappoint.
Another popular outdoor attraction is Chilly Dawgs Singing Snowmen, a singing trio whose animated antics will keep kids entertained all day. And historic Grapevine itself is its own winter wonderland, albeit without the snow.
Take the jolliest of holiday photos.
Strolling down Main Street in Grapevine is like walking through a Christmas card, and it’s the perfect place to capture the glow so unique to this holiday. The Grapevine Christmas Market is the perfect place to pose, and the kids will be cheery about it. After all, when you sit on Santa’s lap, you need to be a good little boy or girl.
Other family photo ops include Santa’s North Pole Express Carousel, the lights aglow at night, and the evidence of a shopping spree, arms filled with bags and packages for Christmas morning. You can’t miss the Glockenspiel Clock Tower, adorned in red and green—the ultimate photo backdrop.
Turn back the clock on Christmas.
The holidays are a time for traditions, and Grapevine celebrates its own. It’s as if you’ve walked onto the set of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” especially at the Hometown Christmas Exhibit. Here you’ll stop and listen to carolers dressed in their finest, visit the historic Christmas tree, wander the reindeer stables, check out the holiday floral shop, and re-energize with treats from the sweets shop. Be sure to stop at each vendor for some truly original gifts.
At City Museums, you can go back in time to 1888 and visit with the Keeling family as they celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas, then take time in the Cotton Ginners’ house where the sharecropping family shares their traditions. The Schoolhouse next door features 1900s crafts and decorations, and the Sister City Friendship Hall will teach you all about Grapevine’s four sister cities and their holiday customs and traditions.
Cross Christmas shopping off your list.
In addition to all the local wares you can purchase from vendors, Grapevine has a surprisingly impressive array of shops. Well-known outlet stores like Last Call by Neiman Marcus and Off 5th by Saks Fifth Avenue give you a chance to score some great deals on high-end labels—just make your way to Grapevine Mills for outlet fun.
If you prefer a more intimate setting, you’ll find over 80 artisan studios, specialty boutiques, art galleries, and jewelry stores tucked all along Historic Main Street. The decorations might draw you in, but the stores will keep you there.
And for those who love the great outdoors, there’s no better place to find it than Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World, the largest sporting goods store in the Southwest. Known for its year-round breathtaking displays that feel more like a park than a retail establishment, Grapevine’s Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World embraces the Christmas spirit with Santa’s Wonderland, complete with games, crafts, and free photos with Santa.
Stay in Grapevine as long as you like.
For a relatively small city, Grapevine offers a wide range of accommodations, with over 20 hotels at every price point. Most of the major hotel chains are represented here (a great use of those points you’ve been saving) and offer the double whammy of convenience and affordability. Some even offer enticing discounts throughout the holidays.
Great Wolf Lodge, where you can save up to 50%, is a massive indoor waterpark resort that’s not only popular with the summer crowd. At this time each year, it transforms into a full-immersion Christmas getaway, complete with holiday activities for all ages, including private outdoor snow globes where you can decorate Christmas cookies to take home.
Or book a room at Hotel Vin, a swanky Autograph Collection hotel known for its holiday Sunday brunches. Its Winter Wonderland Bubbles provide an idyllic setting for a special romantic dinner, followed by a special pop-up in Harvest Hall or a snuggle in front of the cozy fireplace.
If you’ve gotten the idea that there’s something for everyone in this small city outside of Dallas, you understand why Grapevine has earned the distinction of Christmas Capital of the World. Now hop in your sleigh and get there!
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