What are your plans this holiday season for getting out of the house? The Galleria Dallas offers an incredible amount of family fun all in one spot. This past weekend Colby and I took the girls for a bit of holiday cheer and togetherness.
Holidays at Galleria Dallas
The moment we entered the mall, we were greeted by the 90′ Christmas Tree that stands in the center of the ice rink. It towers over the ice below and almost touches the top of the 4-story building. In fact, it is the largest indoor tree in the country. The 10′ LED star on top is a first of its kind and weighs 100 pounds. There are over 450,000 twinkling LED lights and 10,000 colored ball ornaments adorning the tree’s 1,700 branches. 50 of Santa’s helpers work almost 48 hours to get the tree up and standing using 640 nuts, bolts and washers to hold it together. And more skaters ice skate around this tree than around the one in Rockefeller Center in New York during the holidays.
Speaking of the ice rink, have you ever been ice skating? I have not been since I was 7 and my girls had never been. We had quite an interesting time giving it our best shot though! In fact, my (almost) 10 year old seemed to be born to skate. She had no problems at all. From the moment she set foot on the ice she was off and skating. The rest of us took a bit longer to get acquainted with the ice. In fact, we ended up skating for over 2 hours because we had such an incredible time.
Luckily the girls had already experienced a full day that began with pictures with Santa Claus. Our youngest had never been to see Santa and the other girls had not been in about 6 years. Needless to say, this was new for them and they were excited about the opportunity. For good reason too after seeing the Santa Claus in his Village. Walking the winding trail leading up to the jolly bearded-man, they were able to see various toy shop activities taking place. Plus, they enjoyed a delicious chocolate chip cookie and cup of milk along the way. Once it was their turn to talk to Santa, they (amazingly) posed for a picture and then told him the top things on their list. (No small orders with my girls just so you know)!
As we took a short pause at the play place upstairs, we had the chance to meet Slappy and his friend. Together they entertained the kids outside the play area for about 20 minutes. The girls laughed at their antics and jokes and really seemed to enjoy the show they put on for them. Luckily, they offer a couple of showtimes through the holidays so we can go back and see them again at 1pm and 3pm on the dates below:
- November 29th and 30th
- December 7th, 14th and 21st
The Galleria Dallas offers all of this and more during the holidays, including:
- Salvation Army Angel Tree: 11/8 – 12/8 (Last day to drop off presents is 12/9)
- Chanukah Menorah: 11/27 at 5pm (Celebration) and 11/27 – 12/5 at 5pm (Lighting)
- Macy’s Grand Tree Lighting Celebration: 11/29 at noon; Every Saturday, 11/30, Dec. 7, 14 and 21 at 6pm
- Illumination Celebration: 11/29 – 12/24 daily at noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm (no 8pm shows on Sundays)
- Dallas Cityscape: 12/14 – 1/5 ; $5 for adults and children ages 2 and up
- Operation Kindness Holiday Pet Adoption: 11/29 – 12/24; Monday – Friday: 10am – 7pm, Sunday: noon – 6pm
- Showtime Saturdays: Saturdays at 11:30am
- *Santa Cares: Children with special needs and their families are invited to a private photo session with Santa in an environment set up to support the sensory, physical and other developmental needs of kids with all abilities. Sunday, December 8 at 9am – 11am*
What are your holiday plans for family fun?
If you are in the Dallas area, stop by the Galleria Dallas and enjoy some of the holiday shows and activities! Learn more by liking Galleria Dallas on Facebook.