The Best Christmas Holiday Activities in Frisco and at Home

by | Dec 1, 2020 | Christmas, Frisco, Life at The Corvalla, Local Activities

Holiday Festivities: 5 Frisco Events + 5 Ways to Celebrate at Home

Counting down the final weeks of 2020, we can feel thankful that “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” during one of the most challenging times in our recent history. As we trim the tree and make the pies, celebrations serve as a lifeline and as a reward for emerging from 2020 more resilient than when we started.

With many safety measures like masks and social distancing standards still in place, Frisco continues to offer residents plenty of opportunities for holiday cheer. Check out some North Texas traditions (new and old) below. And if staying at home is more your pace, make your December merry and bright at home at The Corvalla.

Please check any event or venue for coronavirus safety policies, social distancing requirements, or closures and cancelations. 

5 Frisco Holiday Events

Holiday Lights Abound – Experience the twinkling magic from the safety and convenience of your car.

  • New this season is Radiance! A Holiday Light Spectacular through Jan. 3. You can find three separate locations: Frisco’s Dr. Pepper Ballpark, Decatur, and Weatherford. 
  • Don’t miss the drive-through lights at The Legacy on Nov. 22 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. For the rest of November and December, you can delight in the drive-through Gingerbread Village with life-sized gingerbread and sugar cookie characters, trees, candy canes and more.
  • Want the classic experience of neighborhood lights and music? Thanks to Collin County for compiling a list of the area’s best neighborhood light displays. 
  • Venture about 45 minutes to the Texas Motor Speedway for a drive through the Gift of Lights from Nov. 26-Jan. 3.
  • Just 20 minutes away is the Magic of Lights drive-through event in Little Elm Park. The 1.25-mile jaunt is open Nov. 20-Jan. 2.

Christmas in the Square – The Frisco Square transforms into an enchanting display during the holidays, featuring a free daily light and music show from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Step into the wonderland boasting 80,000 lights, 200 dancing snowflakes, and a 3,000-foot color-changing canopy, with lights and music choreographed by Frisco’s own Jeff Trykoski (Illumimax, LLC). Find out all you need to know here. Don’t forget the outdoor ice rink, Christmas tree lot and Toys for Troops charity drive.

Merry Main Street – On Dec. 5 from 4 p.m.-8 p.m., gather the family for the official tree lighting in Simpson Plaza, carriage rides, Santa visits, holiday music, and more. The annual Merry Main Street, presented by Texas Health Hospital Frisco, includes a Kids Holiday Store where you can reserve a spot for kids to shop for their parents with some assistance from Santa’s helpers. Also on Dec. 5, you can participate virtually or in person in the Frosty 5k.

Holiday Sports & The Arts  – While this year’s celebrations look different, the show still goes on for many local holiday favorites less than an hour’s drive from Frisco. Hurry and get your tickets soon as the limited-seating events are quickly selling out.

  • The Dallas Symphony Orchestra offers several performances, including:
  • The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Home for the Holidays Nov. 27-29.
  • The Ballet North Texas will present an abbreviated version of the classic, The Nutcracker Short and Sweet, on Dec. 10-11.
  • Football fans, limited tickets for the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl for Dec. 19 are on sale now.

Shopping, Photo Ops, and More

  • Flea Style’s Market at The Star – Head to the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters for the pop-up outdoor market featuring 40+ professionally styled booths of fashion, jewelry, home décor and other unique lifestyle goods vendors. The event is just in time for holiday shopping on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Support Local Businesses  – The Frisco Fresh Market offers weekend shoppers the chance to shop local for those on your Christmas list; discover plenty of vendors to enhance your holiday meals with local flavors and goods like wreaths and candles. Don’t miss your chance for a photo op with the human-sized snow globe on Dec. 6 from 12 p.m.-3 p.m.; cash admission is required.
  • Holiday Furry Love – Don’t forget Pet Pictures with Santa on Dec. 5 at Lazy Paw Animal Hospital; it’s open to all animals and their owners, but please call for an appointment.

 

For weekly updates of upcoming holiday events, check out Lifestyle Frisco’s This Week feature on the blog.

 

5 Ways to Celebrate at Home

With parties, pageants, and concerts at a minimum this year, your schedule will allow for more memory-making at home over the holidays. If there ever was a time to escape anxiety and rediscover hope by keeping (or starting) traditions, this is the year! Studies show that practicing the familiar is good for the mind and the soul. Holidays at The Corvalla are a festive time of cheer and goodwill – so deck out your condo with your best seasonal decor, settle in, and avoid the crowds.

Deck the Halls – Turn up the holiday music and trim your way to a Holly Jolly Christmas. If it’s a real tree you fancy, you can find numerous live Christmas tree vendors or farms nearby, like this one in Frisco Square. To enhance the sight and sounds of holiday decorating, don’t forget to add in the scent of a holiday candle, wassail on the stovetop, or your favorite cookies baking. Buy your family a unique ornament to commemorate an equally memorable year.

Watch Holiday Movies – The debates get heated over Christmas dinner when it comes to … the best holiday movie. Hopefully, an emptier calendar will give you time to catch your favorites, like The Grinch or Elf, and revisit the old classics including It’s a Wonderful Life and White Christmas. Check out Good Housekeeping’s list of the best 75 Christmas movies and see how many you can watch this December. Slip on your matching Christmas jammies and settle in.

Savor the Feast – The flavors of Christmas bring warmth and joy to your taste buds. Whether you’re cooking all of the traditional dishes at home or you choose to order in, food and drink is a vital ingredient in celebrating. Delish offers their 60 best Christmas recipes, including pull-apart cheesy Christmas tree bread, sweet potato bites and Christmosas. Discover some fresh ideas for Christmas cocktails and mocktails for your at-home celebration.

Embrace Virtual or At-Home Events

  • In nearby McKinney, you can tour the town’s five oldest residences (exteriors), then take a virtual tour of the interiors on-site in the chapel. The 47th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes is Dec. 5-6.
  • Catch Around the Tree, a Visible Christmas Virtual Tour on Nov. 30, featuring family-friendly Christmas music from Visible Music College.
  • This year’s gingerbread decorating extravaganza, Cookies and Castles, is a drive-through event on Dec. 12 from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Scottish Rite for Children – Frisco Campus. Pick up your supplies and get cookie-creative at home. Please register in advance. Proceeds will benefit Scottish Rite for Children as well as the Tri Delta Foundation.
  • Want to get creative while making family memories? Take a painting class with your family at Painting with a Twist in Frisco. They offer both in-person and virtual painting classes with supplies available for pick up.

Enjoy Creative Gift Giving – After a difficult economic year for many small businesses, take time to shop locally. Many Frisco boutiques and small businesses are offering online shopping, safe pick up, and gift cards – don’t forget local restaurants, too! Find unique Frisco gift ideas here. If you do venture out for a little shopping, enjoy socially distanced local vendor events like the Flea Style’s Market at The Star (Dec. 5), the Frisco Fresh Market Christmas Shopping each weekend, and Christmas in the Square.

Bonus: Giving Back – This year has hit many families particularly hard economically. The Frisco Fire and Police Departments are accepting new, unwrapped toys through Dec. 7 for local children via Frisco Family Services. Find out more. The Collin County Toys for Tots is also accepting donations. Check local shopping centers for their charity drives as well.

 

2020 may seem like the perfect year to be The Grinch, but practicing traditions in a new way can lead to a season of gratitude and joy right in the (Saint) nick of time. Hang the tinsel, light the fireplace, and grab a glass to toast to the New Year. Make your first Christmas at The Corvalla full of Frisco traditions and at-home favorites.