With the holidays around the corner, that means families will soon be off from work and school to spend time together and friends. In between resting at home, watching holiday movies, and baking cookies for Santa, plan a few days to explore and make memories doing new things; or plan a weekend getaway to Plano for holiday cheer, fantastic shopping, and one-of-a-kind dining. Whether you are a Plano-native or are visiting from afar, here are fun ways to help fill up your winter break.
6 Things to do over the Holiday break
1. Have a jolly time at Lights on the farm
The Heritage Farmstead Museum is bedazzled with more than one million twinkling holiday lights and is filled with animated yuletide displays as part of the venue’s annual Lights on the Farm holiday event. Lights on the Farm takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through December 30, but will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The all-outdoor event features a quarter-mile trail through the property showcasing stunning holiday light creations and animated displays crafted by First Choice Lights. Guests can also enjoy a 20-foot Christmas tree, refreshments for purchase such as hot cocoa, kettle corn, and make-your-own s’mores, and a chance for the youngest guests to visit with Santa. There is also plenty of dazzling selfie photo opportunities throughout the farm property.
Online, advance registration is encouraged. Online admission is $12 for adults and $7 for youth 12 and under. Same-day admission is available online or at the door, but is subject to availability and is $15 for adults and $10 for youth 12 and under. Tours begin every evening the display is open at 6 p.m. The last guests will be admitted at 9 p.m. The farmstead will close at 10:00 p.m. on event evenings.
2. Explore the Deerfield holiday lights
The spectacular Deerfield Holiday Lights display runs through December 30 from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m.-11 p.m. on weekends. This is no ordinary neighborhood with holiday lights! People come from all over north Texas to see the dancing Santa’s, millions of twinkling lights, and larger than life displays. Every year the Deerfield Holiday Lights brings on the ultimate holiday cheer!
3. Enjoy Kid-Friendly & Date Night Festivities at Legacy Hall
FELIZ NAVIDAD WITH LAURA LATIN
December 16
Bring your friends for dinner, drinks, and dancing to a live show by Lara Latin at Legacy Hall. Lara Latin is a high energy band that can play classic/contemporary salsa, merengue, cumbia, bachata, chacha, and Latin fusions. Get to Legacy Hall early with friends and have dinner from nearly 20 eateries. Even that picky cousin of yours will find something they enjoy.
UGLY SWEATER BAR CRAWL
December 16
Join Legacy Hall for a self-guided bar crawl through the three floors and five bars of Legacy Hall. For $50 per person, you will receive all of the following:
- 5 Specialty Drinks: These drinks will ONLY be available for this event!
- 1 Souvenir Hall-iday Glassware
- 1 General Admission ticket to our Friday night concert in the Box Garden (Showtime is 8PM)
- Access to an afterparty with DJ Yuna in Tonic Bar & Lounge
Grab your friends and slip on your most ridiculous holiday getup – sweaters, onesies, and costumes are highly encouraged! Don’t wait to buy tickets.
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
December 17
Bring your whole family and experience Legacy Hall-iday magic with the REAL Santa Claus! Bundle up in the Box Garden to see The Man In Red read Christmas tales while you enjoy tasty family-friendly breakfast options like savory egg sandwiches and fluffy waffles! Santa is bringing extra magic this year with a live reindeer! Grab a picture with Blitzen to seriously up your Christmas card game. Once your belly is full, you can send a letter to the North Pole at our Letters To Santa Station so Santa knows EXACTLY what you want to see under the tree. Mallow Box will keep you warm with toasty Christmas Tree Hot Cocoa piled high with homemade marshmallows, candy canes, chocolate sauce, and more! **This treat is hard to come by, so we HIGHLY recommend pre-ordering one at checkout.
POLAR EXPRESS MOVIE NIGHT
December 21
“Why, to the North Pole, of course! This is the Polar Express!” All aboard! You’re invited to Legacy Hall’s first Polar Express movie night! If you’re a true believer, you won’t want to miss this magical experience. Check-in and grab dinner at 6:30pm and the movie begins at 7pm. Admission is $15 per child and includes:
- [1] Golden ticket onto the Polar Express and a train ride around Legacy Hall.
- [1] Hot Chocolate from Mallow Box.
- A photo opportunity inside our GIANT snow globe.
4. Get on the ice
There’s no better time then the holiday season to bring the kids for a family skate day or for a fun date night experience. The Children’s Health StarCenter in Plano offers public skating all month long at various times depending on the day. Check out their schedule here. Admission with skate rental is $15 for ages 4+ (kiddos 3 and younger are free). Admission without skate rental is just $10.
5. Test Yourself at Go Ape treetop adventure course
The first treetop adventure course in Texas is just minutes from the Downtown Plano Arts District at Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve. This vast area of natural beauty sits on 800 acres and features more than just a canopy tour. Go Ape includes five individual sections with rope ladders and 39 exciting crossings. Go Ape has availability December 10-31 (closed December 24-25). Tickets range from $44.95-$64.95.
6. Experience the wonderful world of crayola
Plano’s most colorful attraction, the Crayola Experience at The Shops at Willow Bend, is an amazing place where visitors can explore 22 hands-on attractions in a 60,000 square foot space that Parents Magazine calls one of the “Top 10 Trips to Take Before Your Kid Turns 10.” Name and wrap your own Crayola crayon, star in a coloring page, create melted wax spin-art, and learn how crayons are made in a live factory show.
General admission tickets are $27.99, but are discounted if purchased online. Need stocking stuffers? Crayola Experience has the most amazing retail store perfect for grabbing last minute items for kids and kids at heart.
For more holiday events in Plano, read our 2022 Holiday Event Guide.
