The turkey has been eaten, the autumn leaves have fallen, and the fall is finally in the rearview mirror. While stores around the world are already blaring holiday music and pushing once-a-year sales, it can be a jarring transition into the Christmas spirit. One way to fully embrace the holiday season is by kicking it off with Waco Wonderland! This three-day celebration in Heritage Square in downtown Waco is the perfect way to kick off Christmas. If you’ve never been, here are a few reasons why you should check it out!
About Waco Wonderland
311 Austin Ave, Waco, TX 76701
2023 is the 11th Annual Waco Wonderland Festival and the perfect way to embrace the start of the Christmas season. This free event is an excellent opportunity to gather with other Waco locals (and visitors!) to watch a parade or celebrate the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree. This family-friendly event will surely help your family make meaningful holiday memories full of Christmas joy and spirit.
All The Wonderland Fun
Waco Wonderland is a fabulous free event that will get even the grouchiest Grinch into the Christmas spirit. Attendees can enjoy special events like a celebratory fireworks show and a tree-lighting ceremony. A grand downtown holiday parade with festive floats and attractions is perfect for ushering in the Christmas season.
The Mistletoe Market is held all three days of Waco Wonderland and features a variety of local merchants. You’ll be able to find artwork, jewelry, clothing, and, of course, plenty of handmade gifts and treats. There are also booths and food trucks from some of Waco’s best food and drink merchants waiting to warm you up and fuel you for a night of festivities.
While Waco Wonderland is a free event for families to enjoy, you can always purchase a ride wristband for a small fee for unlimited rides. Enjoy views of downtown Waco and Waco Wonderland from the top of a Ferris wheel, or enjoy zooming down a snow tube hill made of real ice and snow (there’s one that’s just the right size for kids, too!) Little ones will love a ride aboard a trackless train, and everyone will have fun meeting camels, donkeys, and other critters at the free petting zoo. Whichever day you attend, there will definitely be something fun to explore!
Specialty
What would the Christmas season be without Santa?! Waco Wonderland offers several opportunities for kids and families to interact with Santa himself in anticipation of Christmas Eve. The Santa House is a hand-crafted wooden cottage nestled into Heritage Square where you can meet the man in red and even have your picture taken with him for free!
Kids can also drop off letters to Santa in the North Pole Express mailbox located right outside the Santa House. If you want, you can download a free letter template from the Waco Wonderland website or create your own! Your little ones will surely love delivering their letter to Santa, knowing he’s just inside his house waiting to read it!
Waco Wonderland
Waco Wonderland is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and embrace the magic of Christmas. Whether meeting Santa, enjoying the parade, or indulging in a holiday treat, you and your family will love making memories at Waco Wonderland.
If you need another way to make some family memories, then we should chat. I’m a Waco photographer, and I love working with families to create gorgeous portraits. So they can hang onto this time for years to come. As a mom myself, I know how quickly time flies by. So I want to help you slow it down a bit! If you’ve been considering booking some portraits for your family, I’d love to help! Contact me today to start the conversation!
