Embark on a holiday adventure in San Marcos! Discover all the top festive events with our guide. Whether you're rediscovering your city or visiting for the first time, our guide showcases the best of San Marcos's holidays.
One of the most enchanting experiences you can explore is the Zilker Trail of Lights, where dazzling light displays illuminate the picturesque landscape. Featuring local artisans and an array of unique gifts, the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar provides a perfect opportunity for holiday shopping. And definitely don't forget the Peppermint Parkway, which transforms the streets into a whimsical wonderland filled with seasonal cheer. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around San Marcos
- Zilker Trail of Lights (Austin)
- Armadillo Christmas Bazaar (Austin)
- Peppermint Parkway (Austin)
- A Christmas Affair (Austin)
- Sights & Sounds of Christmas
- Santa's Wonderland (College Station)
- A Christmas Carol (Austin)
- North Pole Flyer (Bertram)
- Pearl Holiday Night Market (San Antonio)
- Light the Night Christmas Parade (Fredericksburg)
See these and even more events listed below!
San Marcos Holiday Light Displays
Zilker Trail of Lights
What to Expect:
Community-wide celebration with extensive holiday lighting and displays.
Description:
The Austin Trail of Lights is a 60-year-old holiday tradition in Zilker Park, featuring over 2 million lights, 90 lighted holiday trees, and more than 70 other displays and tunnels.
Where: Austin | More Info: Zilker Trail of Lights
Luminations
What to Expect:
Interactive light installations in a natural outdoor setting.
Description:
Luminations at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center features all-new light installations spanning the Central Gardens, allowing guests to explore Fortlandia at night. Food and drink options are available for purchase, creating a festive atmosphere with thousands of glowing luminarias.
Where: Austin | More Info: Luminations
Peppermint Parkway
What to Expect:
Immersive holiday displays with millions of lights and interactive experiences.
Description:
Peppermint Parkway is a drive-thru holiday spectacle featuring over six million lights, dancing characters, and a festive holiday plaza with rides, treats, and activities.
Where: Austin | More Info: Peppermint Parkway
Light the Night Christmas Parade
What to Expect:
Illuminated holiday parade with reserved seating and festive activities.
Description:
The Light the Night Christmas Parade in Fredericksburg, Texas, features a beautifully illuminated holiday night parade rolling down Main Street from Washington to Edison Streets. The event includes free seating along the route, reserved bleacher seating available for purchase, and activities like photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Marktplatz.
Where: Fredericksburg | More Info: Light the Night Christmas Parade
Santa's Wonderland
What to Expect:
Dazzling light displays and festive activities.
Description:
Santa's Wonderland in College Station, Texas, offers a grand outdoor Christmas celebration featuring millions of dazzling lights, REAL Texas snow and ice, and a multitude of cheerful attractions. Enjoy delightful Shoppes, specialty Texas-sized food and drinks, train rides, bull rides, photo ops, and more. The event includes a hayride through millions of dazzling lights, Marshall Frostbite's Snow Playground, meeting Texas Santa, snow tubing, and nightly live entertainment.
Where: College Station | More Info: Santa's Wonderland
San Marcos Holiday Markets and Shopping
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
What to Expect:
Immersive holiday shopping and live music experience.
Description:
The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is a vibrant fine art and music festival featuring over 200 local and national artists showcasing unique creations and live music performances.
Where: Austin | More Info: Armadillo Christmas Bazaar
A Christmas Affair
What to Expect:
Empowering women through community fundraising.
Description:
A Christmas Affair is a 49th annual holiday market featuring over 200 vendors from across the country, benefiting The Junior League of Austin's signature programs and nonprofit community partners. The event attracts more than 25,000 patrons each year and offers various activities including children's events, raffles, auctions, and Santa photos.
Where: Austin | More Info: A Christmas Affair
Home for the Holidays Market of Midland
What to Expect:
Unique gifts from local artists and small businesses.
Description:
The Home for the Holidays Market of Midland is a three-day event featuring over 100 merchants selling unique and one-of-a-kind gifts. Attendees can enjoy face-to-face interactions with local artists and small businesses, creating a memorable shopping experience.
Where: Midland | More Info: Home for the Holidays Market of Midland
Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Humble
What to Expect:
Unique gifts from local artists in a festive atmosphere.
Description:
The Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Humble features over 100 merchants offering unique and one-of-a-kind gifts, creating a vibrant shopping experience with face-to-face interactions between customers and local artists.
Where: Humble | More Info: Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Humble
Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Katy
What to Expect:
Supporting local small businesses with a wide variety of unique gifts.
Description:
Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Katy is a premier shopping event featuring over 130 local vendors offering unique, handmade, and seasonal gifts. The market provides a variety of choices in a festive atmosphere, supporting local small businesses.
Where: Katy | More Info: Home for the Holidays Gift Market of Katy
Pearl Holiday Night Market
What to Expect:
Local vendors and live music create a lively shopping atmosphere.
Description:
The Pearl Holiday Night Market features over 60 local vendors offering festive goodies, live music, and a Santa Express Mailbox for children to drop off their wish lists.
Where: San Antonio | More Info: Pearl Holiday Night Market
San Marcos Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Tuba Christmas
What to Expect:
Large-scale ensemble performance of holiday classics by low brass instruments.
Description:
Tuba Christmas is a festive holiday event featuring hundreds of tuba and euphonium players performing traditional Christmas carols in a joyful celebration of music and community.
Where: Austin | More Info: Tuba Christmas
A Christmas Carol
What to Expect:
Musical adaptation of Dickens' classic tale with a diverse score.
Description:
ZACH Theatre's adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a musical journey through rhythm and time, infusing the traditional Victorian story with a score spanning all genres and eras. This family-friendly production features the loving Cratchit family and three soulful ghosts as they take Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey to rediscover his heart and love for human kindness.
Where: Austin | More Info: A Christmas Carol
Ballet Brazos' The Nutcracker
What to Expect:
World-class ballet performance with guest artists and elaborate sets and costumes.
Description:
Ballet Brazos' The Nutcracker features preeminent ballet dancers from the New York City Ballet, along with local and professional performers, in a traditional holiday event that includes live music, photo opportunities, and a Nutcracker Market.
Where: College Station | More Info: Ballet Brazos' The Nutcracker
The Christmas Journey at Bethany Lutheran Church
What to Expect:
Live characters and animals in a drive-through Christmas story presentation.
Description:
The Christmas Journey at Bethany Lutheran Church is a 10-minute drive-through presentation featuring seven scenes depicting the Christmas story with special lighting, music, and live characters.
Where: Fredericksburg | More Info: The Christmas Journey at Bethany Lutheran Church
San Marcos Other Holiday Activities
Sights & Sounds of Christmas
What to Expect:
Family-friendly carnival with petting zoo and live nativity.
Description:
Sights & Sounds of Christmas is a family-friendly festival featuring carnival rides, a petting zoo, live entertainment, and a Town of Bethlehem re-enactment. Enjoy delicious food, meet Santa, and explore community performances.
Where: San Marcos | More Info: Sights & Sounds of Christmas
North Pole Flyer
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday activities on a real train.
Description:
The North Pole Flyer is a 2-hour train ride featuring a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, all-you-can-drink hot cocoa, live balloon twisters, on-board caroling, and a locally baked holiday cookie. Each car is decorated for the season, and passengers enjoy a live reading of the North Pole Flyer book, our railroad’s own Christmas story.
Where: Bertram | More Info: North Pole Flyer
Christmas in the Park Weekend & Jingle Bell Fun Run
What to Expect:
Holiday festivities with hayrides and Santa photos.
Description:
Join us for a holiday celebration at Christmas in the Park Weekend, featuring old-fashioned hayrides, cookies, hot cocoa, local performances, and photos with Santa. The Jingle Bell Fun Run is a festive event that includes holiday festivities and activities.
Where: College Station | More Info: Christmas in the Park Weekend & Jingle Bell Fun Run
Festive Fun in Nearby Cities!
Discover Holiday events in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check out these nearby locations for more festive fun!
- Kyle (8 miles)
- New Braunfels (17 miles)
- Canyon Lake (19 miles)
- Seguin (22 miles)
- Cibolo (28 miles)
- Austin (29 miles)
- Schertz (30 miles)
- Converse (34 miles)
- Pflugerville (43 miles)
- Cedar Park (44 miles)