The best Christmas attractions around Texarkana.

It’s TIME! It really is the most wonderful time of the year and it’s not just because its’ finally cooler outside. I love the Christmas season and there are so may fun events and attractions in Texarkana and across the ArkLaTex! I wanted to get as much as I could find all in one place to make it easy to plan your most amazing holiday yet. If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for the free ArkLaTex Adventure Club Winter Bingo. Here are all of the best Christmas attractions around Texarkana and within a two hour drive! Happy holidays!

Best Christmas attractions around Texarkana.

The holidays are here and Texarkana has some wonderful holiday events, attractions, and things to do. Here are all of the best Christmas attractions around Texarkana. If there is anything that I missed, please let me know. Email me at nichole@arklatexadventures.com. Let’s go!

State Line Christmas Tree.

Have you ever seen a Christmas Tree in two states at once? Well, now you can! This large Christmas Tree will be set up by the State Line post office and courthouse, just behind the iconic sign. Look for it towards the end of November.

Downtown Christmas Photo Ops.

A few downtown spots that should be on your list for the holidays, in addition to the State Line Christmas tree. The 1894 Gallery always does a great job decorating outside the building and has great places for photos. You can also check out the window at Hart’s on Broad and around Crossties. Alley Cats Coffee makes a fun photo op too. Be sure to add the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Artwall to your list to. It’s fun to walk by and see all of the holiday art made by local students.

Texarkana Holiday Events.

Texarkana has some wonderful Christmas events and they start at the beginning of November! Here is a list of the events that I could find happening in Texarkana for the holidays.

• Festival of Trees – November 6-9 – Bingo bonus stamp event.
• Mistletoe Market by Junior League Texarkana – November 22 – 24.
• Main Street Texarkana Christmas Stroll – December 6-7
• Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council Christmas Arts Market – December 6 – 7 – Bingo bonus stamp event.

Texarkana Christmas Parade.

This is probably the biggest Christmas event of the year in Texarkana! In 2024 the Christmas parade will be on Monday, December 2nd at 7 PM. The parade starting point is at East Broad St. and Walnut St. The parade will travels west to Texas Blvd before turning north to W 4th St. It will turn right again and travel back to the east and end at Walnut St. Santa will close out the parade as the last float. For more information or to sign up for a float, visit the Main Street Texarkana website.

Texarkana Symphony Orchestra – Holiday Events.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I love the winter holidays and I love the cooler weather. There are tons of great events, attractions, and Christmas themed things to do in Texarkana and the ArkLaTex. The Texarkana Symphony Orchestra will have two shows during the holiday season, both of which are a chance to earn a bonus stamp for the ArkLaTex Adventure Club Winter Bingo. The first is the presentation of Star Wars: A New Hope on November 23. The movie will be shown on a screen above while the orchestra plays the movie score. If you haven’t been to one of these type of shows yet, you must! It is so neat! The second is the Christmas at the Perot by TSO happening on December 15th. Information and tickets available here.

Christmas on Main – Perot Theater.

This is one of our most favorite events of the year! In 2024, this event will be on December 21st from 10 AM to 7 PM. There will be movies shown inside the stunning Perot Theater! A large screen will be placed up on the stage. Out front there will be a skating rink, carriage rides, photo ops, a Santa apperance, food trucks, vendors and more. There will also be some special events including a Frozen themed tea party before the movie! More information on the Facebook event at Christmas on Main at the Perot Theater. A tip: one of our favorite things to do is to go back at night to see the theater all lit up and the soap bubble “snow” falling out front.

Season of Lights.

This is one of the only drive through light displays around Texarkana! Season of lights opens November 23rd and will be open nightly at 6 PM until December 28th. In addition to the light display they have an event building you can stop at to grab some hot chocolate and snacks, photo ops, visit with characters, and more. Learn more on their Facebook page.

Elf’n Good Times Bar and Grill.

Texarkana has it’s own Christmas bar now! Thanks to the Texarkana, Arkansas Holiday Inn Convention Center! It’s inside the restaurant in the hotel and convention center. The restaurant has been transformed into an explosion of Christmas magic. It’s open on Thursdays from 5 to 11 PM, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 PM to 1 AM. The pop up is family friendly from 5 PM to 9 PM and after 9 PM a whole new (two page) menu of festive holiday drinks opens up! Check it out every weekend until New Year’s Eve!

Ashdown, Arkansas Courthouse.

The Little River County Courthouse in Ashdown, Arkansas is always beautiful. The entire courthouse is covered with thousands of white lights. It’s worth a trip over when the sun goes down to see this beautiful display. The lights will be lit in a ceremony on November 26th at 6 PM. Find it at: 351 N 2nd Ashdown, AR.

Little Country Greenhouse.

This charming garden center and greenhouse always goes all out for Christmas. Little Country Greenhouse has a wonderful selection of real Christmas trees, holiday decor, indoor plants, and outdoor plants for all seasons. Our favorite is how the greenhouses are transformed to feel like a winter wonderland! There are lots of photo ops and Santa himself makes appearances on the weekends. Be sure to wander over to the butterfly cottage for a themed “walk on the wild side.” We love strolling all the paths because the holiday decorations are everywhere! Be sure to follow their Facebook page for Santa appearance dates and other special events. Find it at: 1442 Daniels Chapel Rd New Boston, Tx.

Best Christmas attractions around Texarkana: Arkansas.

There are tons of great Christmas attractions around Texarkana on the Arkansas side that are just a short drive away. Check out some of the great places on the Arkansas Tourism Holiday Trail of Lights website.

Historic Washington Candlelight Christmas.

The Christmas and Candlelight tour at Historic Washington State Park is as magical as it gets for the holiday season. There are tours of the historic park starting in the afternoon, and they go well into the evening. After it gets dark, the pathways are lit with luminaries and there is music and caroling! Be sure to plan on dinner at Williams Tavern while you’re there. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for children. A tip: be sure to stop by the blacksmiths shop. The 2024 date has not been announced yet. Find the park at: 103 Franklin St Washington, AR.

Harris Family Christmas Lights.

This absolutely amazing holiday lights display is put on at a residential location, at one home, in Doddridge, Arkansas. You can read more about these lights in the Texarkana Magazine article from a few years ago. Find it at: 20 Miller County 189, Doddridge, AR 71834

Garvan Gardens Christmas Lights.

Garvan Gardens is an incredible place to visit year round but their Christmas lights are absolutely iconic. The lights will start on November 23rd and run through December 31st. They are closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The holiday lights experience is open nightly from 4 PM to 9 PM during that month. Bring your walking shoes because you’ll be covering lots of ground as you wander around and under the dazzling display of (thousands) of lights! Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 to 12, 3 and under are free. Get your tickets to Garvan Gardens holiday lights. Find the gardens at: Garvan Gardens St Hot Springs, AR.

GloWild at the Little Rock Zoo.

Have you seen the amazing GloWild experience at the Little Rock zoo?! The zoo is filled with amazing animal and wildlife themed lanterns that light up at night. It’s a unique and beautiful holiday attraction to add to your list. The fun experience runs on select nights from November 7th to January 5th, 2024. Get ticket information and pricing. Find the zoo at: 1 Zoo Dr Little Rock, AR.

Piccolo Zoppe Winter Circus.

The circus will perform in North Little Rock from November 22nd to December 8th. They will then perform in Hot Springs from December 8th to 15th, before moving to Greenbriar December 20th to January 4th. Learn more and get tickets here.

Holiday Lights Extravaganza – Museum of Natural Resources.

The holiday lights trail at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources is ON! There was some worry that it may not happen this year due to staffing and financial woes, but it’s worked out and the lights will be on. Find them at: 4087 Smackover Hwy Smackover, AR.

Murphy Arts District Trail of Lights.

The Murphy Arts District in El Dorado, Arkansas will be providing a Trail of Lights experience. The walk through holiday light display begins on November 23rd to December 28th. It will be open on Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 to 8 PM. They have a mini train too! Follow their Facebook page for more information. Find it at: 101 E Locust St El Dorado, AR.

Best Christmas attractions around Texarkana: Louisiana.

Just to the south of Texarkana, is Shreveport and several great light displays! Lucky for the ArkLaTex, Louisiana isn’t too far away. There are several stops on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights that aren’t too far away. Check out the full list here. Keep reading to see some of the best Christmas attractions around Texarkana that are in Louisiana!

Rockets Over the Red.

For 2024 this fun event will happen on November 30th from 4 to 8 PM. There will be activities on both sides of the Red River in downtown Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana. 2024 will feature a drone light show! There will also be food trucks, face painting, music and more. The tree lighting ceremony takes place at 6 PM and the fireworks will go off at 7:15 PM. For more information visit their website.

Sno-Port at Sci-Port.

We love this museum in Shreveport, Louisiana. Sci-Port is a science museum that offers year round fun with some great special events. In the winter holiday season it transforms into “Sno-Port” a winter themed experience! It’s included in general admission and they have some fun winter theme STEM learning experiences and other transformations to the science museum. Sno-Port opens at Sci-Port on November 28th. For more information visit their website and follow them on Facebook. Find it at: 820 Clyde Fant Pkwy Shreveport, LA.

Believe! At the Shreveport Aquarium.

The Believe Lights the Night event at the Shreveport Aquarium is one of our most beloved holiday traditions. We’ve gone every year that they have had this event and it’s just magical! The entire aquarium is transformed into a winter wonderland, with the aquariums staff dressed in costume and portraying characters! On the weekends you can meet an arctic mermaid and maybe even spot Santa and Mrs. Claus. Be sure to add this event to your list. Check out a video of the attraction here. Learn more and buy tickets on their website. Be sure to follow their Facebook page too. Find it at: 601 Clyde Fant Pkwy Shreveport, LA.

Christmas in Roseland.

Did you know that there is a massive rose garden in Shreveport? The American Rose Center in Shreveport hosts an incredible holiday light display each year called Christmas in Roseland. The displays are spread throughout the grounds and it’s walkable! This year is the 50th anniversary and they are offering a special for $50 which includes a four pack of admission tickets, two train tickets, a picture with Santa and 2 smore’s packets. This display is dazzling and it’s one of the best Christmas attractions around Texarkana! A tip: it’s possible to visit Christmas in Roseland and Believe at the Shreveport Aquarium all in one night. The Christmas in Roseland will be open on weekends beginning November 23rd. There are fireworks on Saturday nights. Get tickets here. Find it at: 8877 Jefferson Paige Rd Shreveport, LA.

Minden Nutcrackers.

The northern Louisiana city of Minden is on the Louisiana holiday trail of lights. It’s known for it’s life size, German style nutcrackers that get put up all over town. They are quite captivating and it’s a fun place to explore for the winter holidays. On December 13 there will be a free hayride tour of downtown Minden and the holiday lights. The Christmas in Minden festival is December 13 and 14th.

Spirit of De Soto World Record Christmas Tree.

Did you know that there is a world record Christmas tree in Stonewall, Louisiana? The Spirit of Desoto tree premiered in 2023 and it holds the Guiness World Record as the tallest lit Christmas tree in the world. The structure is lit with over 10,000 LED lights! The tree is at the Desoto Parish Sheriff Department. This year the tree will be officially lit in a ceremony on November 22nd and will stay lit until January 5th. Find it at: 2571 Hwy 171 Stonewall, LA.

While you’re in the area, be sure to also check out the Logansport Festival of Lights and the Logansport Christmas Festival.

Lumiere Christmas.

There is a brand new Christmas experience in Louisiana for 2024. Lumiere Christmas is located in Stonewall, Louisiana, just south of Shreveport. Check out a video of the experience here! This Christmas experience has a 1/2 mile trail of lights that is filled with some of the most unique lights we’ve ever seen! There is also a synthetic snow tubing hill, a massive LED Christmas tree, a light maze, holiday market, food trucks and more! It’s open nightly through the end of December. Find it at: 1225 Lumiere Dr Stonewall, LA.

Dark Woods Christmas in Natchitoches.

This adventure park near Natchitochs, Louisiana transforms from a scary, haunted attraction to a Christmas wonderland for the holiday season! There are over 300,000 sparkly lights, photo ops, Christmas music, photos with Santa and other characters, as well as sweet Christmas treats. It opens for the season on the last weekend in November. Learn more on their website here. Follow their Facebook page for updates as well. Find it at: 4343 University Pkwy Natchitoches, LA.

Downtown Natchitoches Christmas.

The city of Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement from the Louisiana Purchase. It’s a charming city that’s also home to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame museum. In the wintertime, the downtown turns into an absolutely delightful Christmas wonderland! Natchitoches Christmas begins on November 23rd and goes until January 6th 2025. There are lights along the river and ton of fun events. There are several wonderful hotels downtown, I recommend the Church Street Inn or the Chateau Saint Denis, both of which are within walking distance of shopping and dining. Be sure to follow the Facebook page for updates.

Best Christmas attractions around Texarkana: Texas.

Not to be outdone by Arkansas or Louisiana, the East Texas area has TONS of amazing Christmas experiences and holiday lights to enjoy. keep reading to see some of the best Christmas attractions around Texarkana, on the Texas side.

Atlanta Christmas in the Park.

This is a really unique and fun event that happens at Atlanta State Park, south of Texarkana in Atlanta, Texas. On December 13th and 14th from dark until close (9 PM). The park and the campers at the campsites will have lights and decorations to enjoy as you drive through the park. Admission is a donation of canned food. Follow the State Park Facebook page for more information. Here is information for holiday events across all Texas parks. Find it at: 927 State Park Rd 42 Atlanta, TX.

Texas Historic Railroad – Polar Express Train.

We LOVE The Polar Express at our house. We watch it every year and even read it every Christmas Eve, just like I did when I was growing up. A ride on the Polar Express is a great way to bring a little extra magic in your holiday! Our Polar Express ride was on the Durango Silverton Historic Train in Colorado. But, did you know that there is one in East Texas? The Texas State Historic Railroad offers an immersive Polar Express train ride from November 15th to December 28th. It will sell out so get your tickets in advance! More information and tickets on their website. Be sure to follow their Facebook page for updates too. The train ride departs from the Palastine, TX train depot. Find it at: 789 Park Rd 70, Palestine, TX.

Piney Park Christmas Lights.

Piney Park in Marshall, Texas is a super fun attraction all year round. We love visiting at Christmas time because of the gorgeous walking trail (with decorated dinos), light tunnel, epic slides, jumping pillows and the light maze. The walking trail is completely magical with a cute snack spot half way through. My children love the light discs that you can run, jump, and skip across toward the end of the trail. I also had a great time! The slides are super fun and FAST. There are so may wonderful photo ops as well. Be sure to add this to your list! The Christmas festival begins on November 15th. Here’s a video recap from last year. For more information and admission tickets, check out their website. A tip: it can get very busy on the weekends and advance tickets are recommended. Find it at: 600 Martin Lake Rd Marshall, TX.

Thomas Falls zipline through the lights.

Thomas Falls Adventure Park offers a zipline over holiday lights! The experience opens on November 30th and reservations are required. This fun place is in Diana, Texas, about an hour south of Texarkana. Check their website for more information. Find it at: 5543 US-259, Diana, TX.

Carmela’s Magical Santa Land.

Carmela’s Magical Santa Land is an east Texas classic when it comes to the Christmas holiday season. It’s located in Longview, Texas and it must be on your list this year. The drive through and walk through holiday lights experience opens on November 8th. They have over four million lights! Find it at: 6085 Hwy 259 N Longview, TX.

Santa Land.

Nearby in Tyler, Texas is Santa Land! It was the first drive thru Christmas park in Texas. The light experience has over 24 acres to drive through and enjoy. It opens on November 8th and will be open every night, even if it’s raining, until January 4th. Follow their Facebook page for more information. Find it at: 11455 Interstate 20 West Tyler, TX.

Best Christmas attractions around Texarkana: Oklahoma.

Not to be left out, there are some fun things to do in Oklahoma as well. There are hundreds of cabins to enjoy in the Broken Bow and Hochatown area. Check out Broken Bow Travel for all things to do, see, eat, and enjoy in that area. Some of the best Christmas attractions in Oklahoma are a little bit more of a drive. However, if a cozy cabin Christmas is what you’re looking for, Broken Bow is perfect! You can also check out the brand new Choctaw Landing Casino and Resort which will be fully decked out for the holidays.

Other fun Christmas attractions in Oklahoma.

We love Oklahoma, all of it. Last year we got to enjoy some really fun Christmas and holiday experiences while working with Oklahoma City tourism, with a stop at Tulsa along the way. Here are some of the fun places we saw that are a little more of a drive from Texarkana.

Blue Whale of Catoosa.

This iconic Route 66 stop is just outside of Tulsa and I had no idea that it gets decorated for Christmas. We are a little obsessed with Route 66 and it was fun to check this stop off at the holiday time! Fun fact: the whale is “pulling” a sleigh with Santa during the holiday season. Find it at: 2600 OK-66, Catoosa, OK.

Sapulpa Christmas Chute.

We stumbled on this Christmas attraction and my life will never be the same. We will be taking a trip every year. Sapulpa, Oklahoma is located on historic Route 66 and the road goes right through their historic downtown. Its just southwest of Tulsa. Their Christmas Chute is unlike anything we’ve ever seen and it was absolutely amazing. The entire main street is blocked off and transformed into the most magical wonderland. The walkways have temporary ceilings built that have been packed full of decorations, each section with a theme and done by a different group in town. You walk under them and it’s the coolest. Check out a video here. There are also pop up shops, a Christmas market, snacks, and igloos to rent. It was amazing. You have to see it. It opens November 14th. Follow their Facebook page for updates.

OKC Zoo Lights.

There are lots of zoo light experiences and our trip the the Oklahoma City Zoo Lights was our first time seeing one! There was a portion that was drive through only and it was absolutely mesmerizing! The scale of some of the lanterns is just amazing! After we completed our loop we went to the front gate for the walk through portion which was just as fun! Oklahoma City holiday experiences will be getting their own post, but, here’s a video with a recap of all Christmas things in Oklahoma City, including a look at the zoo lights. Safari Lights begins on November 9th and runs through January 1st. Find it at: 2000 Remington Pl, Oklahoma City, OK.

Chickasha, OK Leg Lamp

You know that famous leg lamp from A Christmas Story? Well, you can go visit a giant one in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The story goes that the supposed inventor of the leg lamp that the movie based it’s lamp on, is from Chickasaw. Wild, right? They have a fun Christmas Festival of Light that begins on November 22nd. The leg lamp is actually up all year round, but it’s especially great at Christmas time.

What attraction are you most excited about this holiday season? Be sure to share your adventures with the ArkLaTex Adventure Club on Facebook!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours.