Dallas Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade

One of our favorite traditions each season is to attend the Dallas Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade!  Marching through downtown Dallas this Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 10 am, the parade is a fun family event that everyone should see at least once.

This parade is big y'all!  It will remind you of the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade with seven giant inflatable balloons, eight marching bands, and tons of celebrities that both you & your kids will love.  It lasts over an hour and there are 3 performance plazas.

Kids of every age will be amazed at this parade.  It's fun to watch the balloons start to spin as the handlers run in circles and try desperately to not get tangled.  Expect some major chills bumps as your little ones scream in delight as they see their favorite cartoon character - Bob the Builder riding in the 'dozer was HUGE for my then-3 year old! The parade ends with Santa "coming to town" - the kids go nuts over that one!

As the giant marching bands go by, playing your favorite Christmas tunes, you can't help but sing along.  Our favorite is the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboy Band - they always bring a smile to your face! You leave the parade in such a great mood - the crowds don't seem to bother you a bit - we all need that kind of cheer this time of year.

The parade is a wonderful way to start the season off right and make some fun memories.  We always pack a breakfast of mini donuts and hot cocoa (no one says it has to be healthy!), take lots of blankets and arrive early.  It is best to buy a ticket in the bleachers for a guaranteed seat, but there are plenty of places to sit on the street, as long as you arrive early.  There are typically clowns and street performers before the parade, so don't worry about getting there too early.

The Dallas Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade is presented by Pizza Hut to raise money for the Child LIfe department at Children's. The Child Life department provides age-appropraite therapies to help children cope with their hospital stays. The parade is a great way to show your family how to give back while enjoying themselves in such a fun way.

As of this morning, tickets are still available for bleacher seats.  Hopefully these 5 reasons are enough to get you to the parade. Start a new family tradition and create some memories! See you there!

Christmas Capitol of Texas ~ Grapevine, TX

One of my favorite cities here in North Texas turns into a Christmas fairytale each season. Hosting over 1400 Christmas events in 40 days, Grapevine turns into the Christmas Capitol of Texas. Starting back on November 8 and lasting until December 31st, there are so many fun events taking place!

Just look at some of the fun they have planned this season:

Ride the Rails on the North Pole Express® – Take a ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad with your family aboard the North Pole Express!  This classic Grapevine event has been entertaining families for years.  We have gone at least 3 times in the last 5 years. This one hour event includes a ride on a historic train, pre-boarding holiday fun, Santa, journey through the Christmas tree maze, ornament making, caroling and more. Don’t forget to wear your special Christmas pajamas! Tickets are $18 per person and are on sale now. Children 2 and under can sit on an adult’s lap, but must have a complimentary ticket to board. The North Pole Express runs November 23, 24, 25 and 30 and December 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23. Grapevine Vintage Railroad, 705 S. Main St. Grapevine, TX

Chill Out at ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ “Merry Madagascar” during Lone Star Christmas at the Gaylord Texan Resort – The ICE! winter holiday attraction returns with an all-new, hilarious theme: ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ “Merry Madagascar." From November 8 to January 1, see all your favorite characters including Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria carved from more than two million pounds of ice. You’ll be delighted as these colorful creations set the perfect holiday mood. And while at the Gaylord Texan Resort, don’t miss Kung Fu Panda Awesome Snow Tubing. Open daily November 8 to January 1, experience an extreme eight-lane tubing hill that’s covered in real snow. Watch your children smile and sparkle at Lone Star Christmas at the Gaylord Texan Resort. This winter wonderland includes 1.5 million holiday lights, a 52-foot rotating Christmas tree, a life-sized Gingerbread House, 12,000 ornaments and Santa Claus. Christmas hotel packages are available. Visit www.gaylordtexan.com for ticket prices and times.

Happy Howl-idays at Great Wolf Lodge – Take a visit to the North Woods in Grapevine at the Great Wolf Lodge’s Snowland! And don’t miss visits from Santa, North Pole University for Elves in Cub Club, holiday carol sing-alongs, the life-size Gingerbread House, Santa's workshop, writing depot, wrapping depot, toy creation station, Polar Wolf Walk, Great Clock Tower holiday snow show, nightly story time, Rowdy the Reindeer and a Polar Bear Race inside the 84-degree indoor water park. December 1 – 25.

Christmas parades on land and water – Bring the entire family to the Parade of Lights in Historic Downtown Grapevine December 6 at 7 p.m. The largest lighted Christmas parade in North Texas, this Grapevine tradition features more than 100 lighted floats and marching bands. Look for Santa Claus on the last float! Free. And if you’re looking for a different sort of Christmas parade to float your boat, make your way to Lake Grapevine. The Twinkle Light Boat Parade is one of the most unique Christmas parades you will ever see. See watercrafts decorated in all of the finest sparkling lights to celebrate the season. This floating festival begins at Twin Coves Marina and picks up entries at each marina, Scott’s Landing and Silver Lake. The parade is visible from the shores of Lake Grapevine. December 1, 6-9 p.m. Free.

Sparkling Nights and Twinkling Lights – Twinkling lights abound at the Light Show Spectacular in the heart of Historic Downtown Grapevine. This brilliantly-colored show runs continuously from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. nightly starting November 20. Sing along with the city’s Christmas tree, enjoy the lights and see the joy on the faces of everyone in the family as you watch this show at the Town Square Gazebo. Free.

Musicals, Movies and Magical Moments at the Palace Theatre – From country to classic Christmas, Grapevine is the place to be for all your holiday entertainment. Set in the beautiful setting of the restored Palace Theatre in Historic Downtown Grapevine, you’ll delight at all of the spectacular Christmas music and movie offerings.

• Texas Tenors –December 13, 14, 16, 20, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.


• An Elvis Kind of Christmas with Kraig Parker –December 2 at 4 p.m.


• Classic Christmas Movies – See such classic Christmas movies for $5 - Die Hard, Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas/How the Grinch Stole Christmas
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• Grapevine Opry – Several Christmas shows