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Where to celebrate New Year's Eve and Kwanzaa and take one last look at holiday lights in North Texas

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Here it is, hot off the presses -- WEEK SEVEN of the Holiday Guide!

In our final installment, we'll highlight some of the fabulous light displays in our area. I always like to point out that the week after Christmas is a great time to take in holiday light experiences. The crowds have thinned out and instead of feeling compelled to rush, you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the displays.

Also, in this edition -- where to find New Year’s Eve and Kwanzaa celebrations!

As a reminder, you can find a complete list of events on our Special Holiday Listings page.

LIGHT DISPLAYS

Enchant Dallas
Where: Fair Park – 1121 First Ave., Dallas
When: Thru January 1
Cost: $0-$35

Enchant returns to Fair Park with another interactive light-maze adventure. “The Mischievous Elf,” maze is created from over four million sparkling lights and leads you on a hunt for 9 toys lost from Santa’s bag. The event also includes live entertainment, a village marketplace, food trucks and visits with Santa. For an additional fee you can also add ice skating. Heads up! The location of Enchant has moved from where it was last year. Instead of being near the Esplanade, it's now on the back side of the park near the coliseum.

Christmas in the Square - Frisco
Where: Frisco Square – 8856 Coleman Blvd, Frisco
When: Thru January 4
Cost: $0-$20

Frisco's Christmas in the Square boasts the largest choreographed holiday lights and music show in North Texas. The display brings over 665,000 visitors a year to Frisco Square, but wait until after Christmas when the crowds have thinned and you just might have the 175,000 lights all to yourself. For an additional fee, you can also enjoy ice skating, carriage rides, visits with Santa and story time with Elsa, Anna and Olaf.

Prairie Lights – Farmers Branch
Where: Lynn Creek Park – 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy, Farmers Branch
When: Thru December 31
Cost: $50 per car

If large light displays are your passion, you won't want to miss Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie. The drive-thru experience features 4 million twinkling lights set along the shores of Joe Pool Lake at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie. Drive straight through, or stop at the Holiday Village and take a stroll through the walk-thru forest. Enjoy holiday shopping, concessions and be sure to grab a picture with Santa.

Vitruvian Lights - Addison
Where: Vitruvian Park – 3875 Ponte Ave., Dallas When: Thru January 1
Cost: Free

If driving's not your thing and you prefer to go walkin' through your winter wonderland, check out Vitruvian Lights in Addison. You can run, skip, or stroll through a beautiful 12-acre park that's lit up with 1.5 million lights wrapped around more than 555 trees. The lights remain on every evening through January 1 and best of all, it's free.

Lightscape – Fort Worth
Where: Fort Worth Botanic Garden – 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth
When: Thru January 8
Cost: $18-$28

Walk along a one-mile-long path with suspended strands, tunnels of light, treetop sculptures and colorful artistic installations. To get you in the holiday mood, you can toast marshmallows over a fire and drink hot chocolate at stations along the trail.

NEW YEAR’S EVE

New Year’s Eve with the DSO
Where: Meyerson Symphony Center – 525 Commerce Street, Fort Worth
When: Saturday, December 31, 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $40-$180

Spend an elegant evening welcoming 2023 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The annual tribute to the Viennese tradition returns to the Meyerson Symphony Center with a program that includes lively waltzes from Strauss.

New Year’s Eve Royal Masquerade Ball at the Statler
Where: The Statler Hotel – 1914 Commerce St., Dallas
When: Saturday, December 31, 10 p.m.
Cost: $150-5000

Put on your mask and join other kings and queens at the Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas for a New Year's Eve Royal Masquerade Ball. The celebration includes a 3-course dinner, an open bar, a full casino, dance music and, of course, free champagne.

New Year’s Eve with Sqeezebox Bandits at The Post
Where: The Post at River East – 2925 Race St, Fort Worth
When: Saturday, December 31, 9 p.m.
Cost: $20-$125

If being fancy isn’t your thing but having a good time is, head over to The Post at River East in Fort Worth. They’ll be ringing in the New Year with Squeezebox Bandits. The Fort Worth-based group describes their sound as Honkytonk country with a Tex-Mex flavor.

Reunion Tower Over the Top NYE 2023
Where: Streets near Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas
When: Saturday, December 31, 11:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

What would New Year’s be without fireworks? Catch a 360-degree, Texas-sized display at Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. Organizers remind us that there is no viewing of the fireworks AT Reunion Tower, but you can see the show from just about anywhere nearby in Downtown Dallas. The display begins promptly at 11:59 p.m. and will be simulcast on KLUV (98.7 FM).

UPDATED: December 28, 2022

New Year's Eve in Sundance Square
Where: Sundance Square Plaza - 420 Main St., Fort Worth
When: Saturday, December 31, 6 p.m.
Cost: Free, VIP Access $75

This New Year's Eve, fireworks will light up the sky in downtown Fort Worth for the first time since 2020. Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. with street performers, live music and food trucks. The big fireworks show starts at midnight.

KWANZAA

Kwanzaa Celebration in DeSoto
Where: DeSoto Civic Center – 211 E. Pleasant Run Rd., DeSoto
When: Wednesday, December 28, 7 p.m.
Cost: Free

Head for the DeSoto Civic Center on Wednesday for the annual Kwanzaa Celebration. Enjoy food, entertainment, vendors, and learn about the 7 Kwanzaa principles. The event is free, but a donation of 2 canned goods to the DeSoto Food Pantry is requested.

Kwanzaa Fort Worth
Where: The Dock Bookshop – 6637 Meadowbrook Dr. Fort Worth
When: Monday, December 26 - Saturday, December 31
Cost: Free

The Dock Bookstore in Fort Worth is celebrating Kwanzaa with a variety of in-store events Monday thru Saturday including a family night and a candle-lighting ceremony.

Got a tip? Email Therese Powell at tpowell@kera.org. 

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