Are you looking forward to the not-so-cold temperatures in Houston this holiday season? Whether you have spent decades here or are a newbie to the Bayou City, there is so much to see and do during December.
Houston does have its fair share of unique holiday traditions, including sourcing the best tamales, standing in line for a holiday pie, watching A Christmas Carol at Alley Theater, or lacing up your ice skates at Discovery Green. The following pages are full of new immersive experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Some of these shows will only be around for a short time, so gather your friends and family to make plans for a very memorable Houston holiday experience.
Tip: Nearly every neighborhood in Houston has the spirit of the season. From drive-thru winter wonderlands to lit lazy rivers, the ways to enjoy holiday décor are plenty.
Houston Botanic Garden will sparkle this holiday season with Lightscape, a world-renowned light show featuring an array of enchanting artistic installations that will elicit wonder and joy as they dazzle the senses.
Lightscape will immerse visitors of all ages in a first-of-its-kind-for-Houston experience, with a wide array of brightly colored, festive installations by local and international artists tailored to the Garden’s distinctive landscape. Tickets available at hbg.org.
THE INFINITE, the first multi-sensory, interactive virtual reality experience, will make its U.S. debut in Houston on December 20. The VR-driven, mixed media experience is an extension of the virtual reality series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, which just took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Program. For its American premiere, THE INFINITE will include previously unseen footage from the first-ever cinematic spacewalk captured in 3D outside the International Space Station – in addition to offering visitors a self-directed experience aboard the ISS itself. Tickets available at theinfiniteexperience.world.
Cirque du Soleil chose Houston to relaunch its first touring production. Alegría, since the pandemic, and brought its Big Top back to Houston for an extended series of performances running through mid-December. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Alegría was restaged under the Big Top in a whole new light, ensuring that all its components would be as inspiring for today’s audiences as they were at the time of the original creation. Photo Credit: Marie-Andrée Lemire, Marc Montplaisir/Costumes: Dominique Lemieux/Cirque du Soleil 2019. Tickets available at cirquedusoleil.com/alegria.
