SHOP 'TILL YOU DROP

Joyous Garden Oaks outdoor holiday market invites shoppers to mingle with artisan vendors

The holiday vibe will be strong at Stomping Grounds in Garden Oaks this weekend as their annual holiday event, "Mingle All the Way" Holiday Market, takes over the three-acre property. The Mingle market will feature a curated group of local artisan vendors, festive food, and delicious drinks to celebrate the happiest time of the year.

This pop-up event will take over Stomping Grounds on Saturday, December 2 from 10 am to 4 pm to give shoppers a chance to get their holiday shopping done while taking in some yuletide spirit.

The entire day of festive fun will feature more than 30 vendors, including Stomping Grounds' very own Her & Reese Boutique and Becca Cakes, and showcase a mix of home décor, fashion, floral, baby and kids, and more.

Get ahead on your holiday shopping list while supporting local makers and small businesses in Houston at the annual "Mingle All the Way" Holiday Market. Photo courtesy of Mingle

There will be plenty of photo opportunities, including mini photo sessions with a professional photographer onsite. Kids can participate in the fun during a visit with Santa Claus, Christmas crafts, and Stomping Grounds. The 8,000-square-foot green space will also be open for frolicking fun.

Although "Mingle All the Way" Holiday Market is popping up at Stomping Grounds this weekend, the vibrant 26,000-square-foot shopping center regularly hosts events, including fitness classes, live music, happy hours, and family-friendly events.

An excellent place for a date or family night out, visitors can also find a great mix of restaurants and retailers, including Rooster & Rice, Fat Cat Creamery, The Pho Fix, Sonoma Wine & Cheese, Tulum Wellness Spa, Paint Nail Bar, Threadfare, Kid Create Studio and more.

Nestled in the heart of Garden Oaks, Stomping Grounds offers a blend of culinary, retail, and community experiences. Photo courtesy of Stomping Grounds

'Mingle All the Way' Holiday Market; Saturday, December 2; 10 am to 4 pm; 1207 W. 34th St.

Photo courtesy of Mingle

‘Tis the season for shopping! Mingle is heading to Stomping Grounds for its annual ‘Mingle All the Way’ Holiday Market on Saturday, December 2nd from 10 AM – 4 PM.

park news

Houston swings onto top 10 list of best Texas park systems

Courtesy of Houston First Corporation

Buffalo Bayou Park is one of Houston's most popular parks.

More bragging rights for Houston as a desirable place to live: The city has the No. 8 best park system in Texas this year, a new report says.

The Trust for Public Land's 2025 ParkScore report annually rates park systems in 100 of the largest American cities based on accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Taking the top spot nationwide is Washington, D.C., for another consecutive year. Rounding out the top five cities with the best park systems are Irvine, California (No. 2); Minneapolis, Minnesota (No. 3); Cincinnati, Ohio (No. 4); and St. Paul, Minnesota (No. 5).

Houston ranked 66th nationally for 2025 in a two-spot improvement after earning No. 68 last year.

The city has an impressive amount of land dedicated to parks, totaling 43,139 acres, or about 12.2 percent of the total city area. The city invests $127 per resident on its acclaimed park system, compared to the national median $133 per resident.

According to Trust for Public Land's website, Houston has more than 700 parks for locals and visitors to enjoy.

“Parks bring people together and deliver enormous physical and mental health benefits for visitors,” said Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser, the president and CEO of Trust for Public Land. “At a time when so much in our nation seems fractured or polarized, parks may be the last ideology-free zones, where everyone can come together, form meaningful relationships, and enjoy a few hours of peace and relaxation."

The city still has room for improvement when it comes to accessibility, according to the report. About 63 percent of all Houston residents live within a half mile of a park. Nationally, 76 percent of Americans in the 100 most populous cities live within a 10-minute walk of a park on average.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth cities dominated Parkscore's list of the best park systems in Texas for 2025. Plano, a Dallas suburb, ranked No. 1 statewide and 17th nationally this year, followed by Dallas in second place and 34th nationally. Landing in the third and fourth spots statewide are Frisco (No. 37 nationally) and Arlington (No. 46).

Austin rounded out the statewide top five and ranked 54th nationally, and San Antonio ranked behind Austin for No. 57 nationwide.

Here's how other Texas parks ranked nationally in 2025:

No. 65 – El Paso
No. 67 – Garland
No. 72 – Fort Worth
No. 76 – Laredo
No. 77 – Corpus Christi
No. 94 – Lubbock
No. 99 – Irving

parks parkscore report bests lists san antonio