FREE Santa Photos & Other Free Holiday Events

There’s a song that calls this holiday season the most wonderful time of the year. When you’re watching every penny, or even if you’re not, this also tends to be the most expensive time of the year. It’s not just gifts. It’s all those “little” extras that add up, like the ornament and cookie exchanges, the cost of a Christmas tree, replacement lights for the artificial tree and, of course, the  photos with Santa. If your budget could use a little free holiday, you have come to the right place.

Free Photos With Santa

It is generally free to sit on the lap of any mall Santa, but they get you with the photos, which often start at $20 and keep getting higher. There are at least two totally free Santas in the DFW area.

Bass Pro Shops give you a free 4x6 photo with Santa, plus free games, crafts and more.

North Park Center does not give you a free photo but allows you to take photos with your own camera. Other locations may let you do that, as well, but they don’t advertise it. You’ll have to ask.

Holiday Lights

Kaleidoscope of Dreams Light Show at the Village at Fairview  - come see one of the largest holiday light shows in North Texas with 250,000 sparking LED lights. Shows run every 30 minutes between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Macy’s fountain entrance.

Village at Allen Interactive Tree Show - features more than 100,000 LED lights dancing to music. Runs daily from 10 a.m to 10 p.m.

Frisco's Christmas in the Square runs from the day after Thanksgiving through early Jan, featuring choreographed holiday lights and music, as well as special activities on select dates in Dec.

Carriage Rides

Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm offers free holiday carriage rides through the streets every Friday night from Nov 26 - Dec 18.

Entertainment

Santa's Village in Richardson is fun for the whole family! Join Santa and all his pals as they celebrate the season with crafts and good cheer! Come visit your Credit Union family at Polar Bear Credit Union.

Slappy’s Holiday Circus at the Dallas Galleria- experience a classic European Circus with puppets, magic, clowns, contortionists and jugglers in a fast-paced show fun for the entire family. Presented by Slappy’s Puppet Playhouse on Saturday, Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Location: Level 1 near Saks Fifth Avenue.

Macy’s Grand Tree Lighting Celebration - The Macy's Grand Tree Lighting Celebration at Galleria Dallas features Missile Toes, Galleria's ice-skating, back-flipping, pyrotechnic Santa Claus, live performances from Olympic and National Champions and local children performing to introduce the lighting of the country’s tallest indoor tree. Saturdays, December 1, 8, 15 and 22 at 5 p.m.

Celebrate Chanukah with our custom-designed Menorah. Following the first lighting on December 8, enjoy entertainment, refreshments and goodies for the kids. As with tradition, another candle is lit each subsequent night of Chanukah. Dallas Galleria, Level 1, near the guest reception center at 5 p.m.

What are some other free activities you have planned for the holiday season? Please leave a comment here or on our Facebook page so all of us can benefit from your information.

Comments

[Bargain Shopper]

Thank you for this great information. I ran across a few free events myself just today. Hope they help.

1. Farmers Branch Christmas Tour of lights.
http://www.farmersbranch.info/discover/newsroom/2012/12/03/christmas-tour-lights-continues-through-december

2. Plano Ice Palace at Willowbend Mall (has something to do with the Ice Age movie coming out on DVD)
http://www.shopwillowbend.com/holidays

3. Make a free video of Santa talking to your child. I do this every year. It's awesome.
http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home?utm_campaign=laun1en&utm_medium=email&utm_source=zend&utm_content=creav3