With the holiday season just four months away, it’s never too soon to start thinking about what your holiday plans are this year. In fact, some of you may have already started planning your family holiday festivities. In the past, you may have attended annual holiday events like Houston Zoo Lights, the Nutcracker Market and the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens, but this year you will have the opportunity to try something new – the 2015 Magical Winter Lights lantern festival and holiday celebration is coming to Houston! The festival will be held at the Sam Houston Race Park from November 20, 2015 to January 10, 2016. Sound interesting? Here are five reasons why you should take the whole family.
1. A Brand New Family Experience
Magical Winter Lights will be a festival Houston has never experienced before. Last year, a new ice attraction opened and was well received by Houstonians. Similarly, Magical Winter Lights will be a brand new, unique and interactive festival for the whole family to enjoy. With larger-than-life lanterns, a carnival, an authentic European Christmas Market, food and performances, your entire family will leave Magical Winter Lights with smiles on their faces, and a warm feeling in their hearts.
2. A Visual Feast
Imagine walking into a world of over 100 lantern sets that reach up to 150-feet high and replicate well-known landmarks from around the world. Imagine showing your kids a life-size recreation of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and the wonderment that will fill their eyes when they see the majestic beast from centuries ago. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the visual feast you’ll encounter when you walk through Magical Winter Lights. With seven lantern sections that take up over 470,000 square feet of space, your eyes will wander in amazement through each themed section and all it has to offer.
3. A World of Adventure
Beyond the visual feast you’ll experience at Magical Winter Lights, the festival will also feature interactive lantern sets. Kids will be able to pose with their favorite Disney characters, interact with life-like dinosaurs, ride in a horse drawn carriage in front of the Eiffel Tower lantern set and watch live performances at the lantern performance stage in the Asia section. And of course, your children’s favorite, Santa Claus, will be ready to take keepsake photos with them at the European section. With so many Kodak moments available, you’ll be sure to have a great picture (or probably more) to include on your next holiday greeting card!
4. Never a Dull Moment
Magical Winter Lights’ lantern sets, along with other attractions at the festival, are perfect for people of all ages to enjoy. While moms finish up some last minute holiday shopping at the authentic European Christmas Market, dads can spend some time at the business expo. Fun attractions are plentiful for the kiddos. They can walk over to the carnival and partake in rides and games. To finish the night, everyone in the family can grab some food from the international food area, and head to the performance stage for authentic Chinese acrobatic performances.
5. Different Pieces of the World, Right in Your Backyard
Featuring seven fascinating lantern sections including Europe, America, Asia, Oceania and Africa, Magical Winter Lights will allow Houstonians to experience the holidays from around the world as they stroll through the illuminating pathways of the festival. As we celebrate the cultural diversity of Houston, Magical Winter Lights will bring those who moved to Houston from other parts of the world a memorable piece of their motherland.
