With the holidays around the corner, that means time off work and school to spend with family and friends. In between resting at home watching holiday movies and baking, 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 delicious dining. Whether you are a Plano-native or are visiting from afar, here are 6 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 first-ever Lights on the Farm holiday event. Lights on the Farm takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through December 26, 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 such as hot cocoa 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.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Tours begin every evening the display is open beginning at 6:00 p.m. Guests are allowed entry into the property every 20 minutes and the last guests will be admitted at 9 p.m. The Farmstead will close at 10:00 p.m. on event evenings. Make plans to attend this truly amazing first-year event in Plano!
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. Check out these tips for enjoying the lights. Every year the Deerfield Holiday Lights brings on the ultimate holiday cheer!
3. Check Out “the one in plano” at The FRIENDS™ Experience
The FRIENDS™ Experience pop-up is in Plano at The Shops at Willow Bend now through January 17th. Explore 12 rooms of set recreations, Joey and Chandler’s apartment, Monica and Rachel’s kitchen, and Central Perk. You’ll even get to poke Ugly Naked Guy. Immerse yourself in the world of FRIENDS™ like never before with interactive set recreations, like Monica and Rachel’s kitchen, original props and costumes, photo ops, a retail store and Central Perk. Now that’s what I call kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic! Tickets start at $32.50 plus taxes and fees.
Peak ticket times are from 5pm onwards on weekdays, all-day on Saturdays, and before 5pm on Sundays. Off-Peak ticket times are weekdays before 5pm and Sundays from 5pm onwards. Children 3 and younger don’t need a ticket when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the FRIENDS™ fanatic in your life? They have the most unique and custom collection of FRIENDS™ merch anywhere.
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 18-30 (closed December 24-26). Tickets range from $29.95-$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. There are also two new attractions that debuted in Texas: Silly Selfies and Kaleidoscope.
General admission tickets are $26.99, 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 2021 Holiday Event Guide.
