With the arrival of December comes an excitement and eagerness to celebrate the holiday season! Over the next several weeks several historic sites across the state are offering festive, family-friendly events!

Part of the Texas Nationalist Movement’s mission is to support the cultural independence of Texas, so y’all get out there to these holiday events and enjoy some Texas cheer from days gone by.

Holiday Open House at the Magoffin Home State Historic Site  |  El Paso, TX – December 3

Do you love the holidays? Are you looking for a way to immerse your senses in the experiences of the season?  You are invited to the Magoffin Home State Historic Site on Saturday December 3, 2022, from noon to 4 p.m., where your eyes will be treated to decorations from two eras; your ears will be tickled by the keys of a box grand piano produced and shipped to El Paso in 1881; your nose and mouth will delight in sweet treats; and you will create rice crispy treat adobe homes, string popcorn and cranberries into garland, and color black and white photos from the past. Admission is free. Refreshments (cookies and hot cocoa) will be served.

A Very Rayburn Holiday Open House  |  Bonham, TX – December 8

Feeling festive? The Friends of Sam Rayburn and the First Congregational Methodist Church invite you to celebrate the holiday season at the Sam Rayburn House and Sam Rayburn Library Museum. Both historic sites will be open from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Thursday, December 8th for a holiday open house for the whole family! The Sam Rayburn Library Museum will feature a special display of model trains by the Tri-County Model Railroaders, while the Sam Rayburn House will be decked out in all its Christmas finery for self-guided holiday tours of the first floor. You can even make a donkey to take home with our “A Very Stinky Holiday” craft, featuring the Sam Rayburn House’s donkey, Stinky!

Trail of Lights  |  La Grange, TX – December 9 (Repeats weekly until Sun Dec 18 2022)

Join Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill this holiday season as the grounds transform for their annual holiday lights event. Walk along the historic trail to themed displays such as Candy Lane, Holiday in the Dog Park, O Tannenbaum, and more. Step back in time as you visit the Kreische House—decorated in the traditional 19th century German style—and learn about Christmas of the Victorian era from costumed interpreters. Guests will also enjoy live entertainment, holiday refreshments, family crafts and activities, visits with Santa, and more!

Christmas at San Felipe de Austin: “A Constant Scene of Rejoicing”  |  San Felipe, TX – December 10

Christmas was much different for settlers in Mexican Texas than what most of us experience in our modern lives. Celebrate the season at San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site, where the day’s activities will be geared towards Texas history-lovers and families alike:

• Two short presentations on religion and reflections on the Christmas season in Mexican Texas
• Readings of “Legend of the Poinsettia” and poinsettia papercraft activities for kids
• Refreshments at the outdoor kitchen in the Villa de Austin exhibit

Holiday on the Home Front | Denison, TX – December 13 thru December 23

The Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site invites you to learn more about the history of the holiday season through Holiday on the Home Front. Take part in arts and crafts, including paper plate wreaths, mini-stocking decorations, and more. Visitors can also view three trees decked in 1890s, 1940s, and 1950s decorations; grab some recipes to try at home; and learn more about the holidays at the Eisenhower Birthplace.

Dickens-on-the-Brazos  |  Washington, TX – December 17

Ring in the holidays at the Birthplace of Texas! Join festive citizens from the Town of Washington as they celebrate the season with popular readings and songs from the 19th Century. Learn about common Christmas traditions that would have taken place in towns like Washington and listen to stories of Christmases gone by in the Brazos Valley. Enjoy a taste of the season by sampling some homemade wassail to warm you up!

Victorian Christmas Fair  |  Fort McKavett, TX – December 17

Ring in the holidays with the soldiers, officers, ladies, and friends of Fort McKavett! This year the fort will showcase the Christmas season with the Frontier Army as you witness what life was like at army outposts across the west.