They say everything is bigger in Texas, which is certainly true when it comes to the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens in Galveston.

 

Billed as the largest holiday destination in the Southwest, a trip to Moody Gardens is a tradition for many Bay Area families, including those that make their homes with us in Coastal Point.

 

The seasonal event is a mile-long trail featuring more than one million lights and many lighted scenes, but there is more to the festivities than a spectacular light display.

 

Through Jan. 12, families can experience eight amazing attractions. By far the most popular is Ice Land: Christmas Around the World where a skilled team of ice carvers use 2 million pounds of ice to create a festive journey around the world. An ice slide on top of the Eiffel Tower offers a panorama of cool representations of Australia, Holland, Rio,  Santa Claus and more. Adults can relax with seasonal cocktail inside the Shivers Ice Bar.

 

Other activities include the area’s only outdoor ice skating rink, a concession areas with holiday movies, hot chocolate and festive food, holiday buffets, live entertainment and more.

 

The fun never stops. Moody Gardens is even open Christmas Day from noon to 10 p.m. Operating hours depend on the day. Tickets for just the Festival of Lights range from $8.95-$18.95 but a variety of combo packages are available.