The tree lighting draws all of Southlake's holiday crowd on a single night, Saturday, Nov. 21. Everything after it runs on a looser schedule. The Holiday of Lights trail at McPherson Park opens every evening from that night into January 2027. Santa's Village at Rustin Pavilion keeps late-afternoon weekday hours through most of December. Several businesses that opened around Town Square and Park Village this fall make it easy to pair a short evening visit with dinner, coffee or a gift stop. If the kickoff is too crowded for your household, you have about six weeks of quieter evenings to choose from.
Nov. 21 is the one night everything happens at once
Home for the Holidays, Christmastime in Southlake runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 1400 E. Southlake Blvd. The tree lighting is at 6 p.m. Admission and parking are free. The evening includes Santa photos, a three-lane snow hill and a fireworks show after the lighting.
There are two stages, and each has its own lineup. The official schedule opens Rustin & Family Park with the Southlake Community Band at 4:30 p.m. After the 6 p.m. ceremony, that stage features elementary school groups every 15 minutes: Walnut Grove at 6:30, then Carroll, Johnson, Old Union, and Rockenbaugh at 7:30. Frank Edgar Cornish IV Park runs later. Artistry in Motion opens at 4:30, and after the lighting come NTPA, Covenant Christian Academy, Dragon Youth Dazzlers, Cantare Performance Choir at 7:15, and the WC Youth Ensemble at 7:45. The WC Adult Ensemble closes the night at 8:15. If your child performs at 6:30, plan your arrival around the Rustin stage. If you want to stay until the end, the Cornish stage is the one still going.
Visit Southlake lists two free garages for the night: the Town Square East Garage at 1451 Federal Way and the West Garage at 351 State Street.
Santa is also busy that evening. Southlake Town Square's Santa's Village at Rustin Pavilion opens Nov. 21 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., the same window as the city event. If you want a photo without the crowd, that matters, because the weeks that follow give you better options.
After that, the season moves to weeknights
The Holiday of Lights trail is the longest-running part of the season. The walking trail at McPherson Park, 1297 Division St., is free and runs from Nov. 21 into January 2027. It opens every day from 5 to 10 p.m. The route passes through light tunnels and lakeside views, with photo spots at a giant polar bear sculpture and glowing gift boxes. Food vendors come only on Fridays and Saturdays. If you want a quieter walk on a Tuesday, eat before you go or after you leave.
After opening night, Santa's Village switches to a weekday schedule with a few gaps.
| Dates | Hours | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 22–25 | 11:30 a.m.–6 p.m. | Daytime hours during Thanksgiving week |
| Nov. 26 | Closed | Thanksgiving Day |
| Nov. 27–28 | 10:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. | The longest days of November |
| Nov. 29 | 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Sunday hours |
| Nov. 30–Dec. 3 | Not on the schedule | No Santa visits that Monday through Thursday |
| Dec. 4, 7–8, 11, 14–16 | 3:30–7:30 p.m. | After-school and after-work hours |
| Dec. 5, 12, 19 | 10:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. | Full Saturdays |
| Dec. 6, 13 | 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Sundays |
| Dec. 9–10 | Not on the schedule | No Santa visits that Wednesday and Thursday |
| Dec. 17–18, 20–23 | 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. | The final stretch before Christmas |
| Dec. 24 | 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Christmas Eve, closes early |
On the longer days, Santa takes a milk-and-cookie break from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., or from 2 to 2:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Photo packages start at $19.99.
The 3:30-to-7:30 weekday slots overlap with the Holiday of Lights hours. On a school night, you could visit Santa at Rustin Pavilion around 5, wait for full dark, and then walk to McPherson Park. Just check the table first, because Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 and Dec. 9–10 have no Santa hours.
Where this fall's openings fit into those evenings
Several of the new businesses are a short walk from Rustin Pavilion and McPherson Park. That is why a weeknight visit can turn into a full evening.
Ascension Coffee, 100 State St., Ste. C1. The coffee shop opened in Town Square in October, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported a soft opening that week. Community Impact describes a menu of espresso, coffee flights, pour-over drinks and food. It's an easy first stop before a cold walk on the light trail.
BYLT Basics, 214 State St., Ste. B48. This apparel shop opened Oct. 8 and carries men's, women's and children's clothing plus accessories, according to Community Impact. It's a new gift stop on the square for this year's list.
Game Show Studio, 280 Commerce St., Ste. 285. This one opened Sept. 12 inside Red Door Escape Room. It runs hosted, one-hour, television-style game-show sessions at $37.95 per player, Community Impact reported. If relatives are in town over Thanksgiving week, a group booking fills an evening without anyone having to cook.
Two other openings sit away from the square, on Southlake Boulevard.
Hudson House, 1131 E. Southlake Blvd. This restaurant opened Sept. 14 in Park Village, serving burgers, sushi and raw-bar items, per Community Impact. It's a sit-down option for the weeknights when the light trail has no food vendors.
New York Butcher Shoppe, 2001 W. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 149. The shop's second location opened Sept. 18. It sells fresh-cut meats, prepared meals, seafood and wine, Community Impact reported. If you're hosting a holiday dinner, you can now pick up a roast and a bottle on the west side of town.
Three December dates to add to the calendar
The weeknight rhythm has a few fixed dates mixed in.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to noon: Holly Jolly Sip & Shop is on the Southlake Town Square calendar, and its event page says tickets go on sale this fall. Santa is at Rustin Pavilion from 10:30 a.m. that day, so both fit into one morning.
- Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m.: Sounds of the Season: Holiday Concert is billed as a Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Apex Arts League performance at White's Chapel Methodist Church, 185 S. White Chapel Blvd.
- Thursday, Dec. 24, by 4 p.m.: This is the last day for a Santa photo at Rustin Pavilion this year.
What's still on the way
A few more changes will show up during the season or soon after it.
Barry's is listed by Community Impact as opening in November at Park Village, 1081 E. Southlake Blvd., Ste. 170. Its classes combine treadmill cardio and weight training. It's a few doors from Hudson House, if you want a workout before a holiday dinner.
Ristorante Mulino, 1125 Davis Blvd., Ste. 450, received approval to enclose its 522-square-foot patio. Construction was expected to start in November and finish in late December or early January, Community Impact reported. That timeline puts the enclosed patio in place for the coldest weeks of winter.
Further out, Lupe Tortilla is aiming for a 2027 opening at 2701 E. SH 114. Construction was expected to wrap around the beginning of January, and the city council approved a covered patio, according to Community Impact.
The Holiday of Lights trail stays open into January, so you'll have plenty of evenings to try the new spots before the lights come down.
We're local too, and we'll be out on these same December evenings with our own family. If you have relatives coming in for the holidays and want suggestions for things to do around Southlake, or if one of them starts asking what it's like to live here, The Smith Team is glad to help. Contact Us and we'll share what we know.
