light it up!

The best and brightest Christmas light displays around Houston in 2019

While many of us groan at the early Christmas music and pumpkin-spice-everything, holiday lights are a universally welcome sight. In that spirit, here is a rundown of the spots that will be keeping things lit right up to the New Year, as well as the neighborhoods that will be going full-tilt with the light displays. These dazzling displays are sure to lift your Yuletide spirits.

Commercial displays

Christmas Village at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Starting on December 12, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's fifth annual event will bring holiday cheer with thousands of lights, carolers, animated projections, a hand-crafted model train and festive activities — including cotton snowball tosses and a faux-snow slope — for all ages. Runs through December 30. 5:30 pm.

Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens
Moody Gardens is on its 18th year with the largest holiday lighting event on the Gulf Coast. While visiting Moody Gardens, visitors can also take a ride on the Arctic Slide, go ice-skating, visit with Santa, go on a train ride, grab hot cocoa, and more. Runs through January 12. 6 pm.

Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston
Space Center Houston is getting in on the light-show game. This all-new, technologically advanced experience will transform and illuminate the center with space-themed installations via LED lights, 3-D projections, and interactive displays. Runs through January 5. 6 pm.

Magical Winter Lights at Gulf Greyhound Park
This LaMarque-based, multicultural festival will feature over 6 million lights, upgraded installations, interactive displays, and eight themed lantern sections, as well as entertainment by Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, carnival rides, games, and food. Runs through January 5. 5 pm.

Sugar Land Holiday Nights at Constellation Field Stadium
This sparkling wonderland (presented by Imperial Sugar) features more than 2.5 million lights and numerous themed displays. Participants can also get some holiday shopping done with a variety of vendors, enjoy great food, and meet Santa. Runs through January 5. 6 pm.

Zoo Lights at Houston Zoo
TXU Energy presents this experience, where guests can stroll through a 100-foot-long Infinity Tunnel of Light, experience the 4-D Enchanted Forest, catch a giant Ice Dragon come to life, see “snow” in Texas, take a picture with Santa, and more. Runs through January 12. 5:30 pm.

Neighborhoods

Christmas Ranch in Cleveland
Since 1995, the Christmas Ranch (which was formerly located in Huntsville) has been lighting things up with their cheery, Christmas-y display. And don't forget that Santa Claus will be popping up on Saturdays and Christmas Day. Donations are appreciated and will be distributed by St. Mary’s Catholic Church to help the needy.

Pecan Grove
When it comes to Christmas lights, few Houston neighborhoods go in harder than Pecan Grove. People come from all around the check out the lights. And next week, they'll start their annual Christmas Lighting Contest, where winners will receive a $50 gift card to dine at the Pecan Grove Country Club.

Prestonwood District
You and the fam can take a journey off Highway 249 north of Willowbrook Mall, where this neighborhood will have its usual Nite of Lites festivities. Homeowners participate in a friendly competition for a variety of individual and block recognition categories, which are awarded by a committee of guest judges.

River Oaks
The Christmas lights in River Oaks are still going strong, even though — according to a Facebook post — some Scrooges and Grinches out there would like to shut it down. Regardless, the holiday spirit is strong over on these parts. You can even get free pics with St. Nick at the "Santa House," every Friday and Saturday.

Scott Terrace
As far as we can remember, this neighborhood — located on Scott and Yellowstone — has been a beautifully lit, winter wonderland during the holiday season. From the arches that usually line the streets to the occasional automobile that is covered in bulbs in someone's driveway, this spot always keeps things nice and incandescent.

Woodland Heights
The neighborhood gets things rolling with its Lights in the Heights spectacular next week. On Thursday, December 12, the LITH committee hands out awards for a range of decorating categories, followed by a "Friday Night Lights" event the following day. Then, on Saturday, December 14, you can take in the sights while listening to Christmas music, jazz bands, and more.

Zoo Lights at Houston Zoo.

Photo courtesy of Houston Zoo

Zoo Lights at Houston Zoo.

holidays

Genie Is Out of The Bottle

Texas cannabis industry fires back at Dan Patrick's push to ban THC

The THC limit in medical cannabis products is also increasing.

Photo courtesy of TOCC

A ban on THC would not be popular.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is launching a quixotic quest to ban legal THC: According to a release, Patrick is pushing legislation that would ban all forms of consumable Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from being sold in Texas.

He's promoting Senate Bill 3, which would be carried by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, and would ban all forms of THC.

Patrick is unhappy with House Bill 1325, introduced by Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde, to bolster agriculture in Texas. It was passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019.

Part of that bill allowed for the commercialization of hemp, which included un-removable non-intoxicating trace amounts of Delta 9 THC.

“Dangerously, retailers exploited the agriculture law to sell life-threatening, unregulated forms of THC to the public and made them easily accessible," Patrick says in his release. "These stores not only sold to adults, but they targeted Texas children and exposed them to dangerous levels of THC."

"Since 2023, thousands of stores selling hazardous THC products have popped up in communities across the state, and many sell products, including beverages, that have three to four times the THC content which might be found in marijuana purchased from a drug dealer," he says.

It seems like the genie is out of the bottle: According to the Baker Institute, hemp in Texas is booming: From 2020 to 2023, sales of hemp-derived cannabinoids increased by 1283 percent, reaching a value of $2.78 billion last year.

And efforts to reel it back in are basically doomed, they say.

"While prohibition may seem like the simplest response, it is almost certain to fail — both in eliminating widespread access to hemp-derived cannabinoids and in protecting the public," they say.

"As of April 2024, Texas had over 7,000 registered hemp dispensaries," they note. "More than 50,000 Texans are estimated to be employed through the hemp sector. A state ban would ruin this industry, but it would not reduce consumer demand for hemp-derived cannabinoids. Instead, consumers would turn to the illicit hemp market that would inevitably form in the wake of state prohibition. Products sold today in state-registered shops would still be available through underground supply networks that would reap billions in tax-free profits."

They say that "a broad ban, even a poorly enforced one, would harm consumers more than the state’s current system."

Meanwhile voters are supporting marijuana decriminalization efforts such as the one recently approved by the city of Dallas, as well as Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos.

Catina Voellinger, Executive Director of Ground Game Texas, a Texas group that has been advocating for decriminalization of marijuana, says in a statement that the legislation would turn back the clock to a more repressive time.

“Instead of banning THC, lawmakers should focus on legalizing marijuana statewide, which would allow for cannabis to be safely regulated, and would prevent countless residents from being harmed by unnecessary arrests and prosecutions for possessing something that is already legal in 24 states," Voellinger says. "We’ve seen repeatedly that this is what Texans want – our marijuana decriminalization ballot initiatives in Dallas, Lockhart, and Bastrop won overwhelmingly this November.”

Daryoush Austin Zamhariri, Executive Director of Texas Cannabis Collective, a group working to change cannabis laws, calls Patrick's endorsement of legislation that would ban all consumable THC products in Texas "tremendously out of step with the overwhelming majority of Texans."

"Poll after poll has shown the citizens of Texas support legalizing cannabis and ending the failed policy of cannabis prohibition," Zamhariri says. "These attitudes have manifested in several campaigns to progressively decriminalize marijuana possession in cities across the state with bipartisan super majority votes through local ballot initiatives. We oppose SB 3 and look forward to working with our coalition partners at the 89th Legislature to bring common sense cannabis reform to the entirety of Texas.”

marijuana politics dan patrick

light it up!

The best and brightest Christmas light displays around Houston in 2019

Zoo Lights at Houston Zoo.

Genie Is Out of The Bottle

Texas cannabis industry fires back at Dan Patrick's push to ban THC

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