Christmas in Grapevine, Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is so large
that Manhattan Island would fit inside its 17,207-acres and it has its own
postal zip code. Many of the thousands of people who pass through daily have
long layovers and DFW offers the affordable Grapevine Visitors Shuttle service
that stops at locations of interest throughout the area. Year round Grapevine,
Texas is a great destination for a brief layover or extended stay but the Christmas
holidays are truly spectacular, so much so that in 2009 the city was designated
the official Christmas Capital of Texas.
www.grapevinetexasusa.com
In 1843 Sam Houston met with representatives of ten
Indian nations at Tah-Wah-Karro Creek. The resulting peace treaty allowed
settlers into the Grape Vine Prairie and in 1844 the city of Grapevine was founded
and named after the wild Mustang grapes that grew in the area. The city’s
history is interpreted throughout the city with markers, museums and historic
structures. In 1996 The Walking To Texas Fountain was dedicated in Liberty Park
to honor the native tribes, who are listed, and the pioneers who lived on the
land.
Grapevine deftly weaves all the elements together to
present a pageantry of 1400 events over a 40-plus day period. Celebratory
options are so numerous that I suggest that the first stop must be the Grapevine
Information Visitor Center. The center houses several galleries and provides
information, facilities and a WIFI charging station. The holiday exhibit,
“Merry Christmas Charlie Brown”, consists of classic novelties, 50 original
“Peanuts” comic strips and a video of “The Making of a Charlie Brown Christmas”,
the 1965 animated television special.
No visitor should miss the unique Glockenspiel in the
Cotton Belt Hotel Clock Tower. Glockenspiels are known throughout Europe for
displaying both the time and an allegorical tale, usually religious or
historic. Grapevine’s glockenspiel is a slice of the West, with potential 9-ft.
tall train robbers Nat Barrett and Willy Majors, emerging 4 times daily.
Main Street is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and plaques indicate the sites and history of various events
and edifices. There are more than 80 specialty shops and restaurants along the
street so a meander and frequent stops are called for.
Tolbert’s Restaurant and Chili Parlor is justifiably
famous their Donkey Tales, 2 cheese-stuffed beef hot dogs encased in tortillas,
and Tolbert’s Texas Red chili with onions, cheese, and a serrano pepper. www.tolbertsrestaurant.com
Dino’s Steak & Claw House was once the location of First
National Bank of Grapevine. Today the restaurant offers fine dining in a
graceful setting accompanied by live music. Everything here is outstanding.
www.dinossteakandclaw.net
The Palace Theater was constructed in 1939 as a movie venue.
In 2001 it underwent a $5-million restoration and is now a performance venue
and home to the Grapevine Opry. The holiday schedule includes classic Christmas
movies and performances.
VETRO Glassblowing Studio & Gallery is a
state-of-the-art studio that creates works in one of the country’s few air-conditioned
studios. Visitors can take the extreme or traditional ornament class resulting
in a glass ornament they can takeaway, until December 29th.
www.vetroartglass.com
Every old-fashioned holiday must have trees, decorations
and lights and Grapevine has it all. The city lit their 3-story tree, at the
Main Street gazebo, on November 20th and it, along with decorations,
displays and the annual Parade of Lights, the largest lighted Christmas Parade
in North Texas, spirit you along your way. A little further afield, at Twin Coves Marina,
the floating Twinkle Light Boat Parade is held in early December. Illuminated
boats circle the lake.
The North Pole Express on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad
is always a hit. Decorated Victorian-style railcars leave from the 1888 Cotton Belt Railroad Depot and
venture all the way to Santa’s workshop. Elves ride along and there is much
singing and laughter on the journey as you walk through the Xmas tree forest. Adults
may opt for the Christmas Jazz Wine Train. A reservation for either experience
is required.
Texas Star Dinner Theater’s nod to the season is an
interactive mystery dinner theater experience, “Dismay in a Manger”.
Three-course meals are prepared by a chef and served prior to the show. www.texasstardinnertheater.com
Great Wolf Lodge, the only indoor waterpark in North
Texas, has activities year round and Christmas provides an opportunity for even
more special activities. Periodic snow falls in the lobby, lights twinkle and
gingerbread houses abound, even a life-sized one. Snowland Suites that include a decorated tree, cookies and milk and other
amenities are available by reservation. www.greatwolf.com/Grapevine_TX
In April of 2004 Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention
Center on Lake Grapevine opened. This 4.5-acre destination hotel is a connected
series of glass-encased atriums that feature accommodations, retail,
restaurants, entertainment and a Relache Spa. Outdoor activities include hiking
and jogging trails, water sports and the Cowboys Golf Club.
Gaylord’s seasonal offerings include 2-million lights,
decorated trees, Christmas dioramas, snow tubing and “ICE!”. “ICE” is a
walk-thru attraction showcasing the skills of 40 carvers from Harbin, China.
“Twas the Night Before Christmas” is depicted in 2-million pounds of ice over
14,000-ft. at 9-degrees. There are five two-story ice slides. The final tableau
is a larger than life Nativity scene in clear ice. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dalgt-gaylord-texan-resort-and-convention-center
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