Gulf Coast Holidays

Escape to League City for a hometown holiday season full of magic

The holiday season is the perfect time to plan a little getaway, and it's even better when that vacay includes enchanting events for everyone in the family.

League City offers up a season of magic and memories with events kicking off in November and running through the end of the year. From the sweetest sleepover weekend with The Nutcracker ballet’s Sugar Plum Fairy to scrumptious breakfasts with Santa, merry markets, big parades, and the Hallmark-worthy event of the year, Holiday In the Park, there are countless ways to celebrate.

Check out all the delightful ways to fill your calendar this season in League City:

The North Pole comes to South Shore Harbour Resort
The wonderment starts with the six-foot-tall gingerbread house in the lobby (through December 24) and continues with breakfast with Santa on Saturdays for the first three weekends in December. Join jolly Old St. Nick for a themed breakfast buffet and snap a photo with the Big Guy himself.

For the adults, South Shore is hosting holiday themed Sunday brunches featuring live music and $3 mimosas (sorry, no Santa at this one). For reservations to either brunch, call 281-334-3078.

Another sweet meal is the popular Breakfast and Tea with the Sugar Plum Fairy, from Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre's production of The Nutcracker. It's the most magical day for ages 2 to 92, happening November 18 from 2-4 pm (the breakfast is already sold out, with limited seats remaining for the tea).

Shop at the Nutcracker Boutique, see a preview of The Nutcracker ballet, and have your photo taken with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

The night before, November 17, don your prettiest nightgown and have dinner with Clara and her friends from the ballet. To make your hotel and dinner reservations, call 281-334-1000, and mention "Sugar Plum" to get a special rate on your stay.

The Nutcracker ballet itself runs December 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17 at Bayou Theatre at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Head here for tickets.

Fresh air festivities

Attend the ultimate Shop Small Saturday experience at Nutcracker in the Park, held at League Park on November 25 from 8 am-7 pm.

Enjoy a full day of shopping from local vendors, family-friendly activities, ballet lessons with real Nutcracker ballerinas, and more, all in the heart of League City's gorgeous Historic District.

After a day of shopping at Nutcracker in the Park, enjoy hot chocolate, live music, and get a free League City commemorative ornament to usher in the start of the holiday season at the city's official Christmas tree lighting from 5-7 pm.

From December 1-3, celebrate the 26th year of Holiday in the Park with Magic on Main Street, a weekend of festive family fun in beautiful League Park.

Enjoy a children’s parade, the Grand Night Parade (the largest holiday parade in Galveston County), live music, shopping, food vendors, entertainment, and more during this annual League City tradition.

The next weekend, December 9-10, immerse yourself in the historic charm of the Old League City Christmas and celebrate the holidays with traditional activities like WALKabouts, Porch Parties, Airing of the Quilts, District Strolls with Vintage Vehicles, and historic demonstrations at the League City Historical Society Museum. It happens 10 am-3 pm both days.

A beloved tradition for more than 60 years, the lighted Christmas Boat Parade travels from Clear Lake to Galveston Bay. Boaters go all out to compete for prizes, so you can expect an extravagant show on December 9 beginning at 6 pm. Read more about how this tradition came to be here.

Enjoy a yummy breakfast with Santa, fun activities, crafts, and picture opps at Hometown Heroes Park on December 10 from 8:30-10:30 am. Register everyone attending here, with kids 2 and under free.

Fa la la in the library

Celebrate the season with stories and photos with Santa, festive children’s crafts, cookies and wassail, and more at the Helen Hall Library's open house on November 30 from 5-7:30 pm.

On December 16 from 2-4 pm, enter the world of Harry Potter at the library's Yule Ball, where you can dance among a winter wonderland, join a Potterworld costume contest, and enjoy candy, snacks, drinks, and butterbeer from the famous Honeydukes. Of course, there will also be crafts, trivia, house-sorting, and wands.This event is held at the Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center.

Ring in 2024

Welcome the New Year at South Shore Harbour Resort's NYE celebration, A Night in Paris. It all comes with live music and entertainment, a delicious four-course dinner, door prizes, dancing, a balloon drop, Champagne toast, and more. Discounted room rates are available fro December 31. To reserve a table, call 281-532-7120 or email nmatthews@sshr.com.

South Shore Harbour Resort gingerbread house

Photo courtesy of South Shore Harbour Resort

Visit the six-foot-tall gingerbread house at South Shore Harbour Resort.

vacation holidays families dance breakfast parks parades promoted

only the best in HOU

Houston's IAH soars as 4th best airport for holiday travel in 2024

George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Facebook

Houstonians are in safe hands at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Houston's punctual and award-winning George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) has just been rated the fourth best airport in the country for the upcoming holiday travel season, so says a new report by travel experts Locals Insider.

The study examined the percentage of on-time departure flights at 50 of the biggest airports in America to discover the 10 best and worst airports for traveling during the holidays. Departure statistics and reasons for delays were analyzed from November 17, 2023 to January 3, 2024.

According to the report's findings, IAH had an on-time departure rate of 85.8 percent during the 2023 holiday period. That means out of the 13,921 total scheduled flights departing from the airport, only 1,976 flights were delayed. That's a pretty good track record.

IAH has been working hard to deliver the best travel experiences for its passengers, including opening its new Terminal D, investing in much-needed bathroom upgrades, showing off its award-winning art and entertainment program, and providing top notch dining experiences.

Though IAH appeared on Locals Insider's top 10 best list, Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) descended onto the travel guide's 10 worst U.S. airports for holiday travel this year.

Appearing at No. 8, HOU isn't the worst offender on the list, but its holiday season delay and cancellation rate in 2023 was 22 percent.

"Although Houston’s William P Hobby experiences fewer departing flights compared to other airports on our top 10 list, it’s still prone to disruptions," the report's author wrote. "Overall, more than one in five (22 percent) of departing flights are either delayed or canceled during the holidays."

The study's data found 1,178 holiday flights at HOU were cancelled in 2023, and only 19 were delayed.

Ranking as the No. 1 best airport for holiday travel is Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., which had an 88.6 percent on-time departure rate.

For Houstonians that will be traveling this holiday season, Locals Insider recommended five best-practice tips for a smooth travel experience: Book an early morning flight as those are less prone to delays (additionally, book a direct flight), apply for TSA PreCheck to avoid long screening processes, and budget more time to arrive early to the airport.

The report also suggests packing light and shipping gifts to their intended destination ahead of time.

"Even the TSA recommends shipping your wrapped gifts rather than packing them in your luggage or carry-on," the report said.

The top 10 best U.S. airports for holiday travel in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Washington Dulles International
No. 2 – Minneapolis-St. Paul International
No. 3 – Salt Lake City International
No. 4 – George Bush Intercontinental
No. 5 – Ronald Reagan Washington National
No. 6 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
No. 7 – Newark Liberty International
No. 8 – Detroit Metro Wayne County
No. 9 – Chicago O'Hare International
No. 10 – Charlotte Douglas International

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics defines the Thanksgiving travel period from November 17-28, and the winter holiday travel period from December 14 through January 3, 2024. The study included data from both holiday travel periods, sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Airline Service Quality Performance System (ASQP).