101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in Austin - 2023
The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many require reserving ahead of time, so click through to make arrangements. And, of course, please be aware that these days events are being canceled last-minute, so ALWAYS check before heading out.
If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Mindy Mangan at mindy@kidsoutandabout.com. Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!
If you don't already receive our free weekly e-newsletter for Austin, sign up today to make sure you're in the know about free stuff, festivals, classes, camps, vacation ideas, and all the best events near you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas below for holiday family fun in 2023!
Santa Sightings
Nov 4- Dec 24, 2023 | Santa's Wonderland- Bass Pro Shops |
Nov 9- Dec 24, 2023 | Photos with Santa- Barton Creek Square |
Nov 10-Dec 24, 2023 | Photos with Santa- Lakeline Mall |
Nov 17- Dec 24, 2023 | Photos with Santa- The Domain |
Nov 17, 2023 | Downtown Lighting & Santa's Arrival- New Braunfels |
Nov 18- Dec 24, 2023 | Santa at Killeen Mall |
Nov 24-26, 2023 | Angels & Mistletoe Holiday Market- San Marcos |
Nov 25- Dec 31, 2023 | Christmas at The Farm Santa and Live Reindeer- Sweet Eats Fruit Farm |
Nov 25- Dec 17, 2023 | North Pole Flyer ™ |
Nov 25, 2023 | Downtown Tree Lighting- Hutto |
Dec 1, 2023 | Tree Lighting & Santa's Workshop- Cedar Park |
Dec 1-3, 2023 | Budafest |
Dec 2, 2023 | Home for the Holidays- The Arboretum |
Dec 2, 2023 | Home for the Holidays & Hot Cocoa Stroll- Elgin |
Dec 1, 2023 | Light the Night Christmas Parade- Fredericksburg |
Dec 1-2, 2023 | Christmas Stroll- Georgetown |
Dec 2, 2023 | Christmas on Mercer Street |
Dec 2, 2023 | Old Town Christmas Festival- Leander |
Dec 2- 24, 2023 | Breakfast with Santa- Santa's Jingle House |
Dec 3, 2023 | Christmas at The Caswell House: Milk & Cookies with Santa |
Dec 9, 2023 | Breakfast with Santa- Bethany United Methodist Church |
Dec 9, 2023 | Liberty Hill Christmas Festival |
Dec 9, 2023 | Holiday Under the Stars- Killeen |
Dec 9, 2023 | Christmas On The Square- Burnet |
Dec 15, 2023 | Santa is Coming- Playland Skate Center |
Old Time Christmas
Nov 18, 2023 | 64th Historic Home Tour and Holiday Market |
Nov 25, 2023 | Deck the Halls- Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park |
Dec 1-2, 2023 | A Dickens Christmas in Lockhart |
Dec 3, 2023 | Heritage House Christmas Open House- Pflugerville |
Dec 2, 2023 | Kinderfest- Pioneer Museum |
Dec 9, 2023 | Christmas at Old Fort Croghan |
Light Displays
Nov 9, 2023- Jan 6, 2024 | Mozart's Annual Christmas Light Show |
Nov 3- Dec 31, 2023 | Santa's Ranch- New Braunfels |
Nov 21, 2023- Jan 7, 2024 | Fredericksburg's Christmas Nights of Lights |
Nov 23, 2023 | Maywald Christmas Lights |
Nov 24, 2023- Jan 6, 2024 | Luminations- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center |
Nov 24- Dec 30, 2023 | Peppermint Parkway- Circuit of The Americas |
Nov 24, 2023- Jan 8, 2024 | Lights Spectacular- Johnson City |
Nov 24, 2023- Jan 1, 2024 | Georgetown Square |
Nov 25, 2023- Jan 1, 2024 | Burnet Trail of Lights |
Nov 25, 2023- Jan 2, 2024 | Bastrop River of Lights |
Nov 28, 2023- Jan 1, 2024 | Zilker Holiday Tree |
Dec 1-2, 2023 | Light Up the Lake- Round Rock |
Dec 1, 2023- Jan 1, 2024 | Trail of Lights in Lakeway |
Dec 2-26, 2023 | Trail of Lights- The EmilyAnn |
Dec 6-16, 2023 | Annual Trail of Lights- Historic Stagecoach Park in Buda |
Dec 8-23, 2022 | Austin Trail of Lights |
Dec 16, 2023 | Light Up Landa |
Living Nativities
Dec 1-2, 2023 | Bethlehem Village- Georgetown |
Dec 1-3 and 8-10, 2023 | Main Street Bethlehem- Burnet |
Dec 7-9, 2023 | Follow the Star- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church |
Dec 17, 2023 | 54th Annual Tree Lighting- Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site |
Holiday Theatre
Nov 10-26, 2023 | Elf the Musical Jr.- The CYT Blackbox |
Nov 17- Dec 31, 2023 | A Christmas Carol- Zach Theatre |
Nov 24- Dec 30, 2023 | A Christmas Carol- The Georgetown Palace Theatre |
Dec 1, 2023 | Christmas Traditions- Designed to Dance Company |
Dec 1-17, 2023 | It’s A Wonderful Life – Live Radio Play- Bastrop Opera House |
Dec 1-2, 2023 | A Tuna Christmas- Brauntex Theatre |
Dec 2, 2023 | DbD Christmas Festival- New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center |
Dec 2-23, 2023 | The Nutcracker- Ballet Austin |
Dec 8-30, 2023 | Sorry! Wrong Chimey!- The Georgetown Palace Theatre |
Dec 9 and 16, 2023 | Una Noche Buena- Zach Theatre |
Dec 14, 2023 | Ballet Texas Presents – The Nutty Nutcracker |
Dec 14- 17, 2023 | The Nutcracker- Texas Metropolitan Ballet |
Dec 15-17, 2023 | The Nutcracker- Brauntex Theatre |
Dec 16, 2023 | Balance Dance Studios presents 'The Nutcracker' |
Dec 24, 2023 | Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland- H-E-B Center |
Holiday Concerts
Dec 2, 2023 | A Charlie Brown Christmas |
Dec 3, 2023 | Christmas Concert- Austin Saengerrunde |
Dec 5, 2023 | Handel's Messiah- Austin Symphony |
Dec 8-31, 2023 | Pop!- Zach Theatre |
Dec 9-10, 2023 | Music Celebration- New Hope |
Dec 14, 2023 | Home Alone- Austin Symphony |
Dec 22, 2023 | A Joyous Christmas- Jerry Fay Wilhelm Center for Performing Arts |
Christmas Tree Experience
Opens Nov 17, 2023 | Papa Noel Trees |
Opens Nov 19, 2023 | Brungot Farms |
Opens Nov 24, 2023 | Round Rock Sertoma Christmas Tree Sale |
Opens Nov 24, 2023 | Elgin Christmas Tree Farm |
Opens Nov 24, 2023 | Evergreen Farms |
Opens Nov 25, 2023 | Abrameit's Tree Farm |
Ice Skating
Nov 10, 2023- Jan 15, 2024 | Bee Cave on Ice |
Nov 18, 2023- Jan 7, 2024 | Ice Rodeo- Four Seasons Hotel |
Nov 18- Dec 31, 2023 | Winter Ice Skating Rink in Downtown Marble Falls |
Opens Nov 18, 2023 | Eisbahn Outdoor Ice Skating Rink |
Dec 9, 2023 | Liberty Hill Christmas Festival |
Chaparral Ice |
Hanukkah
Dec 3, 2023 | Craft Your Own Hanukkah Menorah- Westbank Library |
Dec 11, 2023 | Menorah Lighting- Downtown Pflugerville |
Dec 13, 2023 | Holidays Around the World with Elizabeth Kahura - Laura’s Library |
Shopping & Craft Fairs
Nov 11, 2023 | Holiday Bazaar Arts and Crafts Show- Round Rock |
Nov 15-19, 2023 | A Christmas Affair |
Nov 17- Dec 24, 2023 | The Blue Genie Art Bazaar |
Nov 17-19, 2023 | Weihnachtsmarkt- Sophienburg Museum and Archives |
Dec 1-3, 2023 | Vintage Market Days of Greater Austin- Holiday Event |
Dec 2, 2023 | German-Texan Annual Christmas Market |
Dec 2, 2023 | Christmas on Mercer Street |
Dec 9, 2023 | Downtown Christmas Fair- Hutto |
New Year's Eve
Dec 29, 2023 | New Years Eve Party- Foodie Kids |
Dec 31, 2023 | New Years Balloon Drop- Playland Skate Center |
Dec 31, 2023 | Noon Year's Eve Party- My Gym- Austin |
Dec 31, 2023 | New Year’s Eve Celebration- The Thinkery |
Miscellaneous
Dec 1-16, 2023 | Scream Hollow -Twisted Christmas |
Dec 2, 2023 | Rudolph Run- Old Town Leander |
Dec 2, 2023 | Jingle Bell Dash 5K- Killeen |
Dec 2-22, 2023 | Christmas at Tejas! |
Dec 3, 2023 | Austin Jingle Bell 5K |
Dec 9-22, 2023 | Gingerbread House Workshop- Foodie Kids |
Dec 9, 2023 | Breakfast with the Grinch |
Dec 16, 2023 | Sugar Plum Tea - Texas Metropolitan Ballet |
Below are items that have been posted to our calendar. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!