Santa’s Ranch holiday lights drive-through park
Enjoy the holiday lights from the comfort of your car. Drive through nearly a mile of spectacular holiday scenes with more than one million lights and over 100 displays and animations. Santa’s Ranch is located on IH-35, one mile south of San Marcos between Posey Road and York Creek Road. The park is open 6-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 6-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday through Dec. 30. The cost is $24 per car. Visit www.santasranch.net to print a $2 coupon.
Mare-y Christmas barn tour
Texas H2Oasis, a mustang rescue organization, presents its fourth annual “Mustang Mare-y Christmas Barn Tour” from 1-5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2. The tour takes in five barns decorated for the Christmas season, following IH-35 from Kyle to Buda. Appetizers, Christmassy baked goods and soft drinks, along with live music, entertainment, demos and mini-clinics are all included. The Rocking-Horse Fandango will cap off the event for VIPP (Very Important Pony Person) ticket-holders from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Kali-Kate Event Pavilion in Buda. For more information, call (512) 585-9396.
Sights & Sounds of Christmas in San Marcos
This year’s Sights & Sounds of Christmas activities will kick off at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28, when Santa returns to Central Texas Medical Center (CTMC) via helicopter. CTMC invites area families to come enjoy this event with hot chocolate, cookies and candy canes. Free books will be handed out to tots. Santa will read The Night Before Christmas before flipping the switch to turn on the CTMC holiday lights. From there, he will board the helicopter and head to the Sights & Sounds event in downtown San Marcos, where Family Night will take place until 11 p.m. The annual Sights & Sounds celebration, which runs through Dec. 1, features a carnival, free photo opportunities with Santa, arts and crafts, a food court, pony rides, a Town of Bethlehem exhibit and live entertainment from local artists and community schools.
Dripping Springs hosts Christmas on Mercer Street
Head to Mercer Street for a Christmas arts and crafts festival with live music, children’s activities, food vendors and more. Event takes place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1. Get pictures with Santa between 10 a.m. and noon, then again from 1-2 p.m. There is also a 5K run starting at 8 a.m. The lighting of the Lions’ Club Christmas tree at the Triangle caps off the day at 6:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
