🎄 There are so many free things you can do with your kids around Austin for the holidays! I’ve got a huge guide to all the FREE fun. Comment the word FREE below and I’ll send you my Free holiday Events For Kids in Austin Guide!
🎄 FREE HOLIDAY FUN FOR KIDS AROUND AUSTIN 🎅🏻
🌈 Winter Wanderland at @austinmotel
🎅🏻 Photos with Santa at @hillcountrygalleria on select days (check their website)
🌟 @visitmarblefalls Walkway of Lights & Santa photos (only an hour drive from Austin!)
🌟 @37thstreetlights (opens this Friday!)
🎄 Zilker Holiday Tree
🌟 @atxlights is free on select nights (check calendar)
🎅🏻 Photos with Santa at Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock and Cabela’s in Buda
☕️ @mozartscoffee Holiday Lights Display GA tickets
4️⃣ AUSTIN HIKES WITH PLAYGROUNDS
🌳 Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
📍 12138 N Lamar Blvd, Austin
🥾 We do a short loop that takes about an hour. Be warned that this is an off-leash dog park and there will be dogs running up to your kids. Hikers also share the trails with mountain bikers who will be very annoyed if you block their path, so make sure your kids know to quickly step to the side to let them pass! There’s also usually water at this hike.
🌳 Mountain View Park/Spicewood Valley Trail
📍 9000 Middlebie Dr, Austin
🥾 We usually park at Mountain View Park and play before crossing the street at Callanish Park Dr to the Spicewood Valley Trailhead. If you get confused and can’t find it, scroll way down on my feed (I have a detailed reel showing exactly where the trailhead is). This is an out-and-back trail for us. We usually head down to the water (go right on the trail once you get down the stairs) and head back the same way.
🌳 Balcones District Park
📍 12017 Amherst Dr, Austin
🥾 Park by the playground. The trailhead is just past there and loops around to the street/parking lot area. It’s a bit longer of a hike than the first two. There can be lots of water during wetter months but will also be completely dry at times.
🌳 Great Hills Trail
📍 10704 Floral Park Dr, Austin (this is where we park and start the trail)
🥾 The trail leads to a playground. This is the farthest one of these 4 hikes if you start at the trailhead listed here and make it to the playground. There will sometimes be water here if there’s been a lot of rain.
⛄️ Best family-friendly holiday craft at @plantparty.co ☃️ Snow Globe Terrarium!
💲only $10!
📍 979 Springdale Rd Suite #114, Austin
📅 Saturdays and Sundays in December
💻 Reserve your spot here: https://plantparty.co
🪴 This is also the perfect local shop to buy all the plant lovers in your life a gift! I love supporting local mom-owned businesses! 🙌
This adorable workshop is best for families that want to do a small decorative craft for the holidays and spend some time together!
Elements Included in Class:
Kids:
•4” w Glass Fishbowl or 4” w Cylinder
•Choice of 50+ Color Sands at our Sand Bar
•Choice of a Holiday Figurine ☃️ and
•A single Faux Tree 🌲
•Make your own Instant Snow!
Kids will love the interactive of adding water to create instant snow to add to their arrangement.
Plant Party will help kids assemble their glasswares with
•a Mix of Colored Sands
•Insta-Snow
•a Faux Christmas/Winter Pine Tree 🌲
•and a Choice of Holiday Figurines like Faux Berries, Wrapped Miniature Presents 🎁 Miniature Snowmen, Pine Cones, Miniature Jingle Bells or Miniature Ornaments.
#sponsored 🛍️ ROUND ROCK PREMIUM OUTLETS 🎁
I love shopping at the @roundrockpo because I was able to get something for each one of my family members here!
👕I got matching flannels for my husband and son at J Crew that were 70% off the sale price! That made them only $14 per shirt!
👦🏼For my youngest who is obsessed with Crocs, I got him some of those fuzzy lined Crocs to wear this winter. Crocs has BOGO 25% off on most pairs.
👟My middle son is starting basketball again soon, so I got him some new Nikes, plus a cool headband and sweatshirt. Nike has 30% off most items and even on top of clearance prices!
🧼We love giving the boys’ piano teacher new hand soaps from Bath & Body Works (she has lessons inside her home so she goes through a ton of hand soap when her students use her bathroom).
👫Carters has the cutest kids’ clothing and we always bought the boys matching holiday pj’s here when they were younger.
👛I loved stopping by Claire’s to shop for my nieces! I have 3 boys, so I rarely get to shop here, but they had a killer deal- buy 3, get 3 free!
🎅🏻Don’t forget to register online for Santa photos! Santa will be in the food court Nov 30-Dec 24 from 2-5:15pm. Book here: [https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/round-rock/stores/santa-photo-experience]
😇 And make sure to grab a tag off the Angel Giving Tree while you’re at the food court and give a gift to those less fortunate this year!
#holidaysatsimon #founditatsimon
🎄Georgetown Christmas Stroll 5-9pm on 12/1 & 10am-8pm on 12/2
🎄 @TheDriskill Tree Lighting 5pm on 12/1
⛺️ Fortlandia at @wildflowercenter
🌟 @visitbastroptx River of Lights
🌟 @lightsspectacularjctx
🌟 San Marcos Sights & Sounds of Christmas on 12/1 & 12/2 from 5:30-11pm
⛸️Ice Rodeo @fsaustin
🌟 @mozartscoffee Holiday Lights Display
🎅🏻 @santasranch
🌟Light Up The Lake in @RoundRocktexas 6-9:30pm on 12/1 & 12/2
🎄Cedar Park Tree Lighting 6:30-8:30pm on 12/1 and free photos with Santa on 12/2
🌟 @cityofLakeway Trail of Lights
⛸️Bee Cave On Ice at @hillcountrygalleria
🌟Luminations at @WildflowerCenter
🚗 @PeppermintParkway
🌟Main Street Bethlehem FREE 6-9pm. 300 E Washington St., Burnet all weekend long
🎄Budafest 6-9pm on 12/1, 12-9pm on 12/2, & 12-5pm on 12/3 at 880 Main St, Buda
🌟@visitmarblefalls Walkway of Lights
🎅🏻Breakfast With Santa @SweetEatsFruitFarm 10am on 12/2 & 12/3
🔨 Free Kids DIY Workshop at Home Depot 9am-noon on 12/2
🎄 Jingle Bell Jamboree 3-5pm on 12/2 @theDOMAINAUSTIN
🛍️Holiday Sip & Shop at @letterpressplay on 12/2 from 10am-6pm and 12/3 from 11am-6pm
🏠 @Thinkeryatx Gingerbread Workshop on 12/2 & 12/3
🎅🏻Santa On The Trail 9am-noon on 12/2 @thetrailconservancy
📚Saturday Storytime at @parkerandscott on 12/2 at 11am
🎅🏻Brushy Creek Holiday in the Park noon-3pm on 12/2 at Cat Hollow Park
🎄 @Downtownaustin Holiday Stroll and Capitol Tree Lighting FREE! 5-9pm on 12/2
🎄 @Fairmontatx Tree Lighting 5-8pm on 12/2
🌟 @pflugerville_tx Pfestival of Lights & Christmas Parade 3-7:30pm on 12/2
🎄Old Town Christmas Festival @cityofleander on 12/2
🎅🏻 Christmas on Mercer in Dripping Springs 10am-5pm on 12/2 at 511 Mercer St
🎻 @atxChamberMusic Center live Charlie Brown music of Vince Guaraldi on 12/2 @Paramountaustin
🩰 @BalletAustin The Nutcracker is on 12/2-23 at @LongCenter
⭐️ Free First Sunday at the @bullockmuseum on 12/3 10am-5pm
🎅🏻Photos with Santa at @littlefieldsatx at 3pm on 12/3
🛍️ @shopminimarkets 10am-4pm on 12/3
🎅🏻Photos with Santa at @madrone.coffee 9am-noon on 12/3
🧸Teddy Bear Brunch at @fsaustin on 12/3 Reservations: (512) 478-4500. $50-90
🎨 Sunday Makebreak at all Michael’s stores- make a craft for free! 2-4pm on 12/3
🎅🏻 ELF SCAVENGER HUNT at Santa’s Jingle House
📍 8 Chisholm Trail Rd, Round Rock
🎟️ $12 for a one hour elf hunt plus cookies, cocoa, and a raffle prize. Get tickets here: https://www.santasjinglehouse.com/elf-scavenger-hunt.html
🔍 Search for all 60 elves in 3 different difficulty levels. Pink are easy, red are medium, green are hard (really hard!) The best part about this hunt is that the pinks are easy enough for toddlers to find but the greens are hard for even teens and adults to find! It’s truly fun for all ages and something my kids and I look forward to every year!
⛸️ Bee Cave On Ice at @hillcountrygalleria
💻 Reserve your time slot online!
🎟️ $15 for one hour plus skates ($10 Tuesdays)
📍 Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd, Bee Cave
🚗 park near the Barnes & Noble
⛸️ there are a few skate aids available on first come basis. These are in high demand! If you think you’ll need one, go at a less crowded time.
⛸️ private lessons available to book!
📅 open Monday-Thursday 2-8pm, Friday noon-10pm, Saturdays 10am-10pm, Sundays 10am-8pm (holiday hours vary)
Runs thru January 15!
🎅🏻 photos with Santa will be select days (check hillcountrygalleria.com/events) FREE PHOTOS (take your own), no reservations required. Next to the big tree!
#hcgpartner #ad
The holiday merrymaking and frosty fun commences this November at Four Seasons Hotel Austin with the highly anticipated return of the Hotel’s immersive experience, Ice Rodeo.
Beginning November 18, 2023, through January 7, 2024, guests and locals can saddle up for the festive season as the Hotel is transformed into a winter wonderland with Texas-sized delights for all ages.
Ice Skating and Festive Food Trucks
The shining bulb on this Hotel’s holiday tree is the 3,360 square foot (312 square metre) outdoor ice-skating rink. Skaters can glide beneath the Texas sky on the shores of Lady Bird Lake on a rink – built atop the Hotel pool – composed of real ice that is cooled by state-of-the-art chillers.
After skating, guests can warm up with hot toddies and holiday market-style eats from adjacent food trucks at The Point. This outdoor lounge – adorned with festive décor and cozy seating – is the perfect refuge to relish in the holiday cheer and roast s’mores on communal fire pits.
The rink is open daily with varying hours throughout the holiday season. The full schedule can be found online. Tickets can be purchased on the Ice Rodeo website and include a one-hour skating session and access to the Ice Rodeo festivities.
Rink Side Cabins
Those looking for an air of intimacy can rent rinkside cabins – fit for up to 6 guests – to delight in the icy experience from the lodge-chic retreats decked with a variety of luxurious amenities. Available daily, the cabins provide a uniquely festive atmosphere for holiday get-togethers with friends, family, or a romantic evening for two. Cabins start at USD 350 per two-hour rental, with special food and drink add-ons available including Champagne, specialty cocktails, shareable small plates, and tableside s’mores.
Holiday Décor
It is easy to marvel in the magic as holiday delights are on full display across the entire property. After an arrival beneath a blanket of thousands of twinkling lights and then gallivanting through a 120-foot (37 metre) tunnel of lighted stars, guest can spot elaborate Texas-themed art installations that have been cleverly tucked across property for the perfect photo-op. Of course, no visit is complete without a twirl beside the 30-foot (9 metre) Christmas Tree located on the back lawn.
Gingerbread Display
The décor turns delicious as guests head indoors for a peek at the Hotel’s famous gingerbread Lobby display created by Executive Pastry Chef Amanda Pallagi-Naim and team. Displays of years past have included replicas of the city and a life-sized Airstream trailer. This year, the team is dancing to the beat of the season (and city) with an impressive suspended installation of festive scenes representing classic holiday songs built inside oversized ornaments. Those looking to partake in the sweetness can sponsor an ornament to have their name added to the display. All proceeds will benefit Dell Children’s Medical Center.
“The Deck” Pop-Up Lounge
For an aerial view of the festivities, sugarplum sippers can step into the Hotel’s holiday pop-up lounge, “The Deck” located on the outdoor balcony of the Hotel Bar, Live Oak. Open daily from 1:00 pm to 12:00 midnight, the lounge will feature a lavish specialty menu of martinis, oysters, and more. Guests can truly “deck the halls” in this festive space adorned with winter-chic designs and cozy furnishings, while overlooking the Austin winter landscape. Seating is first come, first served and open to the public.
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