Sparkle and Shine

Channel holiday enchantment during the return of Houston’s City Lights

Magic abounds throughout City Lights.

Photo courtesy of City Lights

The season of holiday enchantment is here, especially in Downtown Houston. Once again, the city is morphing into the most magical destination with 12 uniquely themed villages that bring endless whimsy, dazzling Christmas trees, the joy of ice skating, the delight of countless lights illuminating the scene, and so much more.

It’s all part of City Lights Downtown Holiday Magic, presented by Shell Energy, with mostly free(!) experiences for visitors and residents alike to savor through December 31, 2024 (with some activations continuing into the New Year).

To kick it all off, don’t miss the party on The Plaza at Avenida Houston on Friday, November 22, from 5:30-8:30 pm, featuring a live band, strolling entertainment, holiday crafts, a hot chocolate bar, and more.

Discovery Green ice rink Lace up and skate under the stars at Discovery Green.Photo courtesy of City Lights

What's new in 2024 at City Lights

Peppermint Plaza (Avenida Plaza): Avenida Plaza transforms into Peppermint Plaza with 16 gorgeously festooned Christmas trees displayed in the Grand Holiday Window at the George R. Brown Convention Center. See the trees any day of the week, but swing by on Saturday nights for free musical performances on the Main Stage.

Tinsel Town (Market Square Park): Pup parents, this one’s for you. Fido can get in the festive spirit too with free holiday events in the square, including hot chocolate and "puppychinos" every Friday and Saturday along with pet photos with Santa. Even if you don’t have a furry friend, come on out for the Silent Night discos, Movies Under the Stars, and so much more.

Snow Glow on the Bayou (Allen’s Landing): This spectacular fusion of tech and nature features eye-catching projections of art and light that illuminate a 100-foot water screen over Buffalo Bayou. But the scene-stealing magic doesn’t stop there. Go with the glow during an up-close, holiday-themed boat tour along the Bayou. Boat tours begin on November 22 and continue through December 29.

City Lights Holiday Bus: This year, you can climb aboard a festive, holiday-decorated, double-decker trolley and explore all that downtown has to offer. For a nominal fee, hop on and off at stops including Trebly Park, Lynn Wyatt Square, Avenida Houston/Discovery Green, Market Square Park, and POST HTX. The bus runs Fridays and Saturdays from November 22-December 13, 7-10 pm. A special holiday route commences on December 20-21 and December 27-28, featuring an extra stop at Allen’s Landing for Snow Glow on the Bayou.

Check out these 2024 Holiday Villages

Winter Wonderlawn (POST HTX): It may be Texas, but POST Houston has created the ultimate winter wonderland — even without the snow. Skylawn, the property’s five-acre rooftop garden, is decked out in beautifully illuminated lights and décor. With hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, it’s truly a sight to behold, especially with Houston’s impressive skyline in the background. At the center of it all is a 25-foot Christmas tree surrounded by multiple holiday-themed activations. A nominal fee applies for access to the POST’s rooftop during the holiday season.

Texas Winer Lights Marriot Marquis Reminder to find some relaxation during the holidays.Photo courtesy of Marriott Marquis

Texas Winter Lights (Marriott Marquis): The Marriott Marquis has decked its rooftop with more than 100,000 lights this year — complete with a nightly snowfall. Float along the 80-degree, Texas-shaped lazy river while getting in on illuminated yard games (life-size Checkers, anyone?), festive cocktails, delicious bites, and virtual rides on Santa’s sleigh. Or come by for one of the themed nights like Monday Night Football, Silent Disco, Game Night, and more. Family movie nights are on Tuesdays and date-night movies are Thursdays. Admission is complimentary for hotel guests, with a nominal admission fee for others.

ICE @ Discovery Green (Discovery Green): Skate your way into plenty of holiday cheer with this annual tradition that continues at Discovery Green. The open-air ice-skating rink gets even more festive with quirky and cool, themed skate nights, and even Sundays with Santa. While there, don’t miss the new ATLAS art installation by the internationally recognized artist Jen Lewin. Also new: Bumper Cars on Ice, which launches right after the holidays from January 6-19, 2025.

Deck the Trees (Alley Theatre): With 19 unique and dazzlingly decorated Christmas trees on display, it’s easy to get in the holiday spirit at Alley Theatre. The only bah-humbugs allowed are in the theater’s performances of Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol.

Land of Sweets (Hilton Americas): Get set for the ultimate sugar rush in the lobby of the Hilton Americas. Along with the legendary life-size chocolate display, this year themed “The Night Before Christmas,” experience 80,000 sparkling lights and 14-foot Champagne trees surrounded by more than 10,000 mini lights. You can also schedule Breakfast with Santa on Saturdays and Sundays in December.

Jingle Town (Lynn Wyatt Square): This green space in the heart of Houston’s downtown Theater District becomes a destination for holiday fun with all the photo opps. Choose from life-size photo frames to interactive musical Christmas trees to a Santa’s reindeer installation, all produced by LeMonde Studios. Plus, don’t miss live music every Saturday.

Sugar Plum Plaza (Fish Plaza, Wortham Theater): Also setting a magical scene is this beautiful plaza. This year’s whimsical setting includes life-size gift boxes scattered across the plaza along with a Santa’s Sleigh display — also produced by LeMonde Studios.

Twinkle Town (Trebly Park): Starting November 22, the park becomes home to Texas’ largest mistletoe ball. Just like in Tinsel Town at Market Square Park, you can bring the pup for free hot cocoa and puppychinos, plus pics with Santa Paws. Definitely put December 12 on your calendar for the Ugly Sweater Holiday Jam. Wear your ugliest holiday sweater, grab food and drinks from Tout Suite, and enjoy an evening of dueling pianos.

City Hall-iday Lights Houston The city is officially illuminated on December 7 at City Hall.Photo courtesy of City Lights

City Hall-iday Lights (City Hall): Another must-attend to jumpstart the holiday magic is the Reliant Lights Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular – 105 years at City Hall. On December 7 from 6-8 pm, Mayor John Whitmire and Reliant will officially illuminate the city landmark to the tune of live music, fireworks, photos with Santa, and the annual lighting of the holiday tree.

Make your own magic and chart your holiday course at City Lights here.

breakfast with santa christmas carol downtown houston holidays light displays mistletoe ball peppermint plaza promoted sugar plum plaza texas winter lights

Movie Review

Tom Cruise goes all out in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

Photo courtesy of

Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, and Hayley Atwell in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

Over the course of 30 years and eight films, the Mission: Impossible series has proven to be the most reliable of any action movie franchise. Not all of them are equally good, but with Tom Cruise in the lead as Ethan Hunt, they can be counted on for at least a couple of mind-blowing stunt sequences per film, enough to keep fans clamoring for more.

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning has the feel of being the last film in the series, and not just because the 62-year-old Cruise is getting up there in age. Following up closely on the events of 2023’s Dead Reckoning Part One (Part Two changed to The Final Reckoning for unknown reasons), the film has Hunt trying to stop an A.I. villain known as The Entity from taking over the world’s collective stash of nuclear weapons.

To do so, Hunt and his cobbled-together team — Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and Paris (Pom Klementieff) — must hopscotch around the world, tracking villain Gabriel (Esai Morales) and trying to figure out a way to get The Entity’s source code, which is located on a sunken Russian submarine. Oh, and they also have to evade capture by a disgruntled U.S. government, led by now-President Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett).

Written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie and co-written by Erik Jendresen, the film might just be the most convoluted one in the series so far. The filmmakers layer on tons of exposition, with lots of flashbacks to previous events in the series to explicate the events of the present, as well as providing unexpected connections to previous films. The plan for stopping The Entity and the references to the past are so dense that the first half of the film is relatively boring.

Things pick up in the final 90 minutes of the three-hour film, mostly because that’s when the majority of the action takes place. More than other entries in the series, the film considers the geopolitical implications of Hunt’s actions, and he has to negotiate with a variety of high-powered people to do what he deems best. While his efforts are somewhat preposterous, even by the standards of the series, they lead to a bunch of fun sequences that provide levity among the world-changing drama.

Ultimately, what makes the film succeed are its action scenes. Cruise has done stunts on planes/helicopters before in the series, but what he does during a biplane sequence toward the end of the film is almost beyond belief. Yes, he’s attached to the plane with harnesses that are digitally erased, but he’s still doing it hundreds of feet in the air at great bodily risk considering. While the series has always featured spectacular stunt sequences, this one deserves to be near the top of the list.

The flashbacks to scenes from throughout the series underscore just how much Cruise has changed in the past 30 years, but also emphasize how amazing it is that he’s still willing to sacrifice his body as much as does to make these films. No other actor goes as far as he does to entertain the masses, and the events of the story even give him opportunities to show off his dramatic acting skills.

The supporting cast is more packed than usual, and all of them enhance the film. In addition to Hunt’s team, the President has a group of advisers that includes actors like Henry Czerny, Holt McCallany, Nick Offerman, and Janet McTeer. Other recognizable faces like Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso), Trammell Tillman (Severance), and Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) show up for impactful roles.

Whether or not this is the last film in the current incarnation of the series, The Final Reckoning has a lot to offer longtime fans, with action set pieces that remains some of the best Hollywood has to offer. The story may be completely baffling, but with Cruise and other appealing actors leading the way, there’s more than enough great entertainment to go around.

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Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning opens in theaters on May 23.

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Movie Review

Tom Cruise goes all out in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning