As the Christmas Capital of Texas®, Grapevine transforms into a Christmas wonderland each season. Grapevine’s Christmas season officially begins on 24 November with the 37th Annual Carol of Lights celebration on Historic Main Street. Across 40 days, visitors can experience more than 1,400 festive events including:

• Santa’s North Pole Express – A 45-minute train excursion with carols, festive lights and a visit from Santa Claus himself.
• ICE! at Gaylord Texan Resort – Over two million pounds of hand-carved ice sculptures bring classic holiday scenes to life.
• Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge – a Winter Wonderland with daily snow showers, dance parties and Christmas activities.
• Peace Plaza Ice Rink – A Texas-sized rink beneath a 60-foot live Christmas tree, often called the “Rockefeller Center of the Southwest.”
• Merry & Bright Drone Shows – 400 drones light up the Grapevine sky with dazzling festive displays.
• 46th Annual Parade of Lights – Held December 4, 2025 this is the largest Christmas light parade in North Texas featuring 100 lighted floats and marching bands, with Santa Claus making a grand appearance on the last float.

More details at ChristmasCapitalofTexas.com

Grapevine is home to more than 20 hotels, one million square feet of meeting space and more than 6,000 hotel rooms. With several new hotel projects underway and major renovations recently completed or in progress, Grapevine is enhancing its capacity to host high-quality, large-scale events while delivering Texas hospitality.

New Hotels:

• Hampton Inn & Home2 Suites by Hilton – A dual-brand, 201-room property with flexible outdoor spaces, breaking ground October 2025 and set to open Q1 2027.
• AC Hotel by Marriott at Silverlake – A 200-room hotel with 7,000 sq. ft. of event space near Grapevine Mills, scheduled to open in 2029.

Expansion & Renovation Highlights:

• Hotel Vin – Adding 121 rooms, spa, pool, and 5,000 sq. ft. of new meeting space by late 2026.
• Grand Hyatt DFW – Undergoing a $34M transformation including a rooftop venue overlooking the airport runway, completion by end of 2025.
• Great Wolf Lodge – Fresh renovations, new attractions and enhanced dining.

Tax-Free Shopping for International Visitors
A new TaxFree Shopping refund location is now open at Grapevine Mills, enabling international travellers to process tax refunds in just 10–15 minutes. The centre, named one of USA Today’s 10 Best Shopping Malls in America, offers more than 180 stores, alongside experiences such as Meow Wolf’s The Real Unreal and Rainforest Café.

Coming Soon: Bubble Planet
Opening Fall 2025 in Grapevine Mills, Bubble Planet will bring a whimsical, multi-sensory experience with 12 immersive rooms filled with colour, illusions and, of course, bubbles. More details at bubble-planet.com