h-town All aglow

Houston's most spectacular winter light shows and events electrify for the holidays

These welcome, cooler temps beckon weather-weary Houstonians outdoors with a host of holiday light displays all over the city. These showcases are a fun — and family-friendly — way to get into the winter groove…and maybe even get some Clark Griswold inspo for home lighting projects.

Look for classics like Zoo Lights, which immerses visitors in a dazzling spectacle on zoo grounds, and relative newcomers like City Lights Holiday Magic 2023, a follow-up to the wildly popular downtown event highlighting 11 themed settings.

Moody Gardens delivers the largest holiday lighting event on the Gulf Coast.

Photo courtesy of Marriott Marquis Downtown

Texas Winter Lights at the Marquis' rooftop.

Consider this a handy checklist as Houston gets lights it up for the holiday season; we’ll update this list as more events open this season.

Lighting up now

Head downtown to "Houston's Living Room" as The Four Seasons presents its annual tree lighting on Friday, November 17. The grand affair in the Four Seasons' elegant lobby includes a hot chocolate station, TUTS Choir performance, eggnog and Champagne, and the lighting of the hotel’s stunning Christmas trees.

Four Seasons Houston holiday lighting Four Seasons Houston throws an elegant holiday lighting affair each year.Photo via Four Seasons Houston

Also downtown, City Lights Holiday Magic 2023 runs November 17 to December 31 with 11 different themed villages across dozens of city blocks, allowing guests to create their own experiences.

Check out the 30 illuminated Christmas trees in the George R. Brown Convention Center. Visit the Land of Sweets in the Hilton Americas Houston. Head over to Main Street for Santa's Village. See Market Square Park transformed into Mistletoe Square. And walk through 100,000 twinkling lights in the Theatre District. Download a pass to see and check off all the attractions. Christmas music on Fridays at Trebly Park's Twinkle Town makes for another holiday treat. Most activities are free.

Winter Wonderland Houston downtown 2022 This City Lights Holiday Magic Winter Wonderland feature is an IG fave. Photo courtesy of Central Houston

Even more downtown fun comes with the return of Texas Winter Lights at the Marriott Marquis Houston's Altitude Rooftop & Pool with more than 1,500+ glittering lights, dozens of Instagram-worthy displays, and experiences to surprise and delight all the senses. The hotel's iconic Texas-shaped lazy river comes alive with floating orbs, colorful archways overhead, and a nearby grove of trees adorned in bright white lights. Free to hotel guests; tickets start at $25 for non-hotel guests.

A cherished Houston favorite, Zoo Lights, is now running at the Houston Zoo through January 7, 2024. Explore the zoo after dark, with lighted trails taking visitors through an Enchanted Forest, stopping for selfies at a color-changing tree and taking part in other festive activities. Pro-tip: Wander quietly and peek at some of the slumbering beasts, like a majestic, snoozing tiger. There are timed entry slots every evening, with prices starting at $27.95.

Or, wander through more nature at Radiant Nature at the Houston Botanic Garden, a winding trail of more than 50 Chinese lantern displays. On view from November 17 to February 25, 2024, they showcase the beauty of nature and celebrate the tradition of the Lunar New Year. The cost is $28.50 per person with timed entry every evening.

Peek into 'Zodiac' at Radiant Nature at Houston Botanic Garden.Photo via Houston Botanic Garden

Sugar Land's Constellation Field is transformed into a winter wonderland in the 10th Annual Sugar Land Holiday Lights presented by Houston Methodist through January 1, with over 3.5 million lights. There are movie nights, photo opportunities with Santa, giveaways, theme nights and more. Tickets start at $12.

Further south, Galaxy Lights, Space Center Houston's annual spectacular is an immersive experience with space-themed light installations. The new Deep Space Backyard is a journey through the solar system. A crystal fireworks display showcases the colors of the galaxies, one of only two such displays in the world. Tickets start at $19.95. Through January 1, 2024.

Galaxy Lights Space Center Houston Blast off with Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston. Photo courtesy of Space Center Houston

After Galaxy Lights, head to Galveston for Moody Gardens' Holiday in the Gardens, a multi-activity extravaganza with something for everyone.

Take an enchanting train ride at Moody Gardens Holiday in the Gardens.Photo via Moody Gardens

There's the Ice Land and Festival of Lights, with a stroll along a mile-long trail of twinkling lights that transform the space into a fairy land. A train ride though the lights is a must-try island holiday experience.

The 3rd Annual Energy Corridor Tree Lighting, held at the Hyatt Regency West Houston on November 30 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., this is a chance to hear holiday holiday music, wonder at the dazzling 50-foot Christmas tree and shop for unique gifts at the Candy Cane Lane Holiday Market. The event is free to attend.

Magical Winer Lights at Katy Mills is a winter wonderland for all ages, with thousands of lanterns creating worlds of all shapes and sizes. The display is on view from November 17 through January 7, and tickets are $25, with discounted admissions for seniors. There's also a separate carnival ticket, available for $25.

Holiday Lights at Constellation Field in Sugar Land features more than 3,000,000 lights, 10 themed areas, holiday shopping, and much more. One of Sugar Land's iconic holiday happenings, this showcase is completely family friendly, offering plenty to do for all ages. $15 adults, $12 children ages four to 12. Through January 1, 2023. 6 pm.

Looking ahead

Deck the Park at Memorial Park
Deck the Park brings thousands of lights along the park's half-mile promenade at the the Eastern Glades. For the first time, the event will be free to the public. Opening on Friday, December 1, the event is a family-friendly affair, featuring crafts, treats, and more. Event runs through January, 2024. Sundown.

Reliant Lights Mayor's Holiday Spectacular

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will preside over his final Reliant Lights Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular at City Hall. The 104-year-old, family-friendly tradition is free and features live music and the lighting of the holiday tree. This year’s holiday tree is 52-foot White Fir shipping in all the way from Grant’s Pass, Oregon. The towering tree will be adorned with 99,680 LED lights and some 4,000 ornaments. Saturday, December 2. 6 pm. Free.

$Reliant Lights Mayor\u2019s Holiday Spectacular$ Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will preside over his final\u00a0Reliant Lights Mayor\u2019s Holiday Spectacular. Photo courtesy of City of Houston

Sustainable Seafood Tour

Chefs Andrew Zimmern, Barton Seaver bring seafood book tour to Houston

Excerpted from the book The Blue Food Cookbook, provided courtesy of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Copyright © 2025 by Fed By Blue. Photographs by Eric Wolfinger. Reprinted by permission.

Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver at California's Hog Island Oyster Co.

Celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern is brining — sorry, bringing — his sustainable seafood cookbook to Houston this November. The Blue Food Cookbook will publish this Tuesday, October 28, and Zimmern and his co-author, chef and seafood expert Barton Seaver, will be signing copies at the new Jordan Ranch H-E-B in Katy (29711 Jordan Crossing Blvd.) on November 11 from 1-2 pm.

It may be called a cookbook, and users can certainly use it that way. But according to the book's authors, it's much more.

"What we've done is we've created, I think, a seafood Bible for the next 10 years," says Zimmern. "It's 140 recipes — a beautiful stunning cookbook that could stand on its own — but there's also 100 pages of [extra] wisdom."

Readers can flip through the book however it suits them, trawling for things to cook, information on ingredients, and some environmental explainers.

"So if people want to just use the recipes, we've done our job," Zimmern says. "And if they want to read the text that comes with those recipes, we've done our job. If they want to do both, then we've really done our job."

The recipes are all about — you guessed it — seafood. The authors have included a comprehensive guide to making creative and unique dishes including chowders, crab cakes, linguine with clams, and even an upscale salad featuring fish and chips. The whole thing is packed with mouth-watering photos by Eric Wolfinger and beautiful watercolor artwork by Yulia Shevchenko.

The 100 or so pages of "wisdom" Zimmern mentions are all about educating the reader and busting some common misconceptions. For example: the misconception that eating seafood is harmful to the environment. According to Seaver, this couldn't be further from the truth.

"Seafood provides for better outcomes across the board when it comes to animal proteins," Seaver says. "If you're looking for a sustainable [animal protein] option, it would be at the seafood counter. Plus, the American diet would be very, very well served if we were to replace red meat twice a week with seafoods rich in omega-3 fatty acids."

Both authors acknowledge that there are certainly some "bad actors" in the fishing industry, but that by and large, when it is done intentionally and sustainably, it's far better for the planet and for our health.

"You're doing more for the environment than buying a chicken or a pork chop at the supermarket," adds Zimmern. "We delve into all of this in the book, because [the mixed messages] are very confusing."

This is not the first time Zimmern has used his platform to help educate people on the benefits of seafood. This cookbook is published in connection with his PBS docuseries Hope in the Water, which explores how people are creating sustainable seafood systems to feed the planet while protecting the oceans. The cookbook, like the show, focuses on how "blue foods" (edible things from aquatic environments) can provide nutritional and economic opportunities without further damaging marine ecosystems.

"This book isn't just recipes," says Seaver, "but it's offering permission for people to look anew at seafood, and fall in love with it."

"And it's funny," Zimmern adds. "I'm being serious here. We are — I'm just going to say it — we are fun, funny guys who just happen to know a lot about fish and the environment. And like, we're cool. So all of that's injected into the book as well."

Seaver laughs and rolls his eyes.

These two certainly do bounce off of each other well, and there's no doubt that they'll bring the fun to H-E-B for the signing on November 11. For those who can't wait to get their hands on this book — which Martha Stewart herself describes as “a book that is beyond my wildest expectations" — it will be available wherever books are sold on Tuesday, October 28.

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