It’s finally that time of the year again when events celebrating the coldest season of the year are in abundance. There’s also an increased emphasis on spending time with friends and family members—gatherings that often center around good food. It’s also a time for gift-giving to let those around you know you care.
It can be helpful to hear from others what their favorite places are to shop for gifts, gather with loved ones over food and drinks, or to spend time soaking up the sights and sounds of the holiday season. So, we’ve prepared this Ultimate Guide to Holiday Fun in Houston – 2022 Edition to share some of our favorite places you may want to consider when planning how to wrap up this year!
Houston Eateries To Gather at With Friends and Family This Holiday Season
Our city is large and diverse, which means that you can find almost every type of cuisine imaginable here. Some of our favorite restaurants to get good eats in Houston include:
Aga’s Restaurant & Catering: If a warm, vibrantly colored, and flavorful curry or perhaps a grilled goat chop sounds yummy to you, then you may want to try the Indian and Pakistani fare at Aga’s Restaurant & Catering this holiday season. Maybe even make an exception and have their rose or pistachio ice cream post-meal to cool down your palate if you’ve upped the spice of your meal a bit too much. This Zabiha Halal eatery offers large, private dining rooms if you’re interested in hosting a holiday party on their premises.
Nobie’s: If you like the idea of a constantly evolving menu featuring inspired cuisine served at the peak of freshness, then Nobie’s won’t disappoint. All its menu items are locally sourced from only the finest Gulf Coast purveyors. They’re well-known for their pies, cakes, and wine list.
Rainbow Lodge: Nothing says Texas like a menu filled with steaks, seafood, fresh, locally-sourced veggies, and a little wild game thrown in there. What makes Rainbow Lodge even more quintessentially Texan is that these flavorful favorites are served up in an exquisite log cabin that’s been around for more than a century. This multi-award-winning Houston Heights eatery serves Sunday brunch, lunch, and dinner and has an extensive drink menu that can be enjoyed in one of its main dining areas or private party rooms. Plus, they have a busy schedule of events that appeal to varied interests.
Candente: If you’re in the mood for Tex-Mex cuisine, then a visit to the Campanile building in the Montrose area of Houston may be warranted. Candente serves up all your favorite Texas and Mexican comfort foods like chopped brisket, house-made guacamole and queso, beans and rice, enchiladas, and more in sizeable portions from its vibrantly adorned dining room and bar area. It also has an extensive domestic and imported beer menu and offers a variety of margaritas and other mixed drink options. They can accommodate groups and regularly have a busy event calendar as well.
Eugene’s: If you’re looking for Cajun, Gulf Coast eats, then you may want to venture into River Oaks to visit Eugene’s. They offer much-loved dishes like gumbo, Poblano shrimp, and their much-loved Debris Sandwich. They also serve fresh-caught oysters, crab, shrimp, and fish, the latter two of which can be served roasted, blackened, baked, or grilled. They also have seasonal items such as crawfish, sandwiches, pasta dishes, signature cocktails, and an extensive dessert menu to choose from, whether you visit with your special someone or host a larger party there.
Blue Nile: Feel like you traveled to East Africa when you step inside the softly lit and traditionally-adorned Blue Nile Authentic Ethiopian Restaurant in the Upper Kirby district in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston. Sip down famed Ethiopian coffee as you nosh on injera (an Ethiopian flatbread) along with well-spiced vegetarian, lamb, beef, poultry, or fish sauces and accompaniments, all made for sharing.
It’s not uncommon for individuals to want to go window shopping when they set out to grab a meal, so we’ll give you some ideas of some retailers in Houston you might not have visited before that you may want to check out this holiday season.
Houston Retailers Offering Unique Holiday Gifts
Scrolling through pages of items online just isn’t the same as touching, feeling, smelling, and seeing them on store shelves. Some Houston retailers that sell unique goods and items to help you check off a few people on your holiday gift-buying list include:
Big Blue Whale: Whether you’re looking for a gift for a child (or child at heart), Big Blue Whale, which has two location, one in Houston Heights and another in Kingwood, is sure to have something for your special someone that will keep them entertained for hours on end. Walking through this store’s aisles often makes it feel like you’ve turned back time, given all the vintage toys on its shelves. They also have modern handmade or rare toys, so you’ll undoubtedly find something, no matter your recipient’s interests.
Manready Mercantile: It can be really challenging finding gifts for the special guy in your life—especially if they’re a rough and tough, outdoorsy Texan man. Luckily, you don’t have to look too far to find a little something sure to please them this holiday season. Manready Mercantile, located in Houston Heights, sells high-quality vintage and contemporary goods ranging from men’s clothing and accessories to housewares, such as hand-poured candles and crystal whiskey decanters, in the two-story retail outlet.
Kind Collective: If handmade, sustainable products sourced from across the world are more your speed, then the Kind Collective, located in Houston Heights, won’t disappoint. Its carefully curated product selections include home goods such as rugs and bowls, journals and other paper products, women’s apparel, bath and body products, jewelry, and so much more. This retailer also regularly offers pop-up events and workshops to appeal to a wider audience.
Fundamentally Toys: If you’re seeking toys for a special child in your life that will be educational or encourage imaginative play, then Fundamentally Toys, located in the Rice Village district in Houston, is probably somewhere you need to visit. They have a selection of high-quality toys that appeal to varied interests, and their team can save you some time by wrapping your gifts for free this holiday season!
Magpies Gifts: If you’re looking to do your holiday shopping at a place where you could quite possibly find something for everyone on your list, then Magpies Gifts may be that place. The locally-run shop, which has one location in Bellaire and another in Sugar Land, carries an expansive product range, including clothing, jewelry, accessories, and other personal goods with wide appeal to babies, children, women, and men. They also sell housewares, Texas-themed gifts, and ones for special holidays, like Hannukah and Christmas. One little tidbit that makes this retailer unique is that they monogram items purchased in-store, meaning you can not only locate a unique gift at their shop, but you can personalize it too.
Maybe shopping isn’t your thing, but experiences are. They can also create memories that last a lifetime. Next, we’ll highlight some events happening this holiday season in Houston that you may want to add to your calendar.
Houston Events Sure To Make Your Holiday Season Merry and Bright
No matter what you like about the holiday season, whether it’s the lights, sounds, tastes, or feels, there’s something for everyone. The upcoming events happening here in Houston cover a wide range of interests.
A Motown Christmas: If you’re someone who wishes we could turn back time and bring back the era when you would turn on the radio and hear the best Motown tunes, then it’s possible, if only for one night when you attend A Motown Christmas at The Ensemble Theatre. This live music event takes place from Nov. 18 through Dec. 24 and features some of the greatest hits by favorite Motown artists like The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and others. It also includes a sprinkling of traditional Christmas songs, which should easily get you in the holiday spirit. Ticket prices range from $30 to $60.
Magical Winter Lights: If seeing what one can come up with using a mixture of lanterns, lights, and a little bit of creativity (strike that…more like a lot of creativity) is something that sounds fun, then head on over to Baytown to see Magical Winter Lights. It runs from Nov. 18 through Jan. 7 at the Houston Raceway and features millions of lights across multiple exhibits, including under-the-sea, a castle, and other imaginary lands. There are also carnival rides and a circus happening on the premises. Tickets can be purchased in advance for as low as $10 per person.
Green Mountain Energy Ice Skating at Discovery Green: Enjoy ice skating in the open air beneath the glowing lights in downtown Houston from Nov. 11 through Jan. 29. Take part in daytime skates on the weekends and holidays, or late afternoon and evening ones all other times. Ice skate rentals are available at the Green Mountain Energy Ice Skating at Discovery Green venue. Advanced ticket purchases are highly recommended and begin at $8. Discounts are available for Bank of America customers, military, first responders, and event sponsors.
A Charlie Brown Christmas 5K: What’s more fun than waking up early on a chilly December morning and going for a 5-kilometer run (or walk) with others to exercise and warm up? Join fellow kids and adults at Addicks Park & Ride on Katy Freeway in Houston at 6 a.m. on Dec. 3 for this memorable race. Advanced online registration for the Charlie Brown Christmas 5K is required. Entry fees are $39.95 on up and include a shirt, hand-painted finisher medal, and more!
Tomball German Festival Christmas Market: This annual event, which is sponsored by the Tomball/Telgte Sister City Organization, takes place downtown from Dec. 9 through Dec. 11. The Tomball German Festival Christmas Market is modeled off of a standard open-air holiday market in Germany and features traditional food, beer, arts and crafts, carnival games, a petting zoo, pony rides, live music and more. Parking, shuttle rides, and admission are all free!
The list of events happening around town this holiday season is only a brief overview of places where you can catch Christmas lights, see a live nativity, hear live music, ice skate, or see a live ballet or theater production. We’re sure you’ll find something that’s right, no matter your interests!
Buckingham & Vega Law Firm Wishes You a Festive Holiday Season
We’re hopeful that our Ultimate Holiday Guide for 2022 gave you some new ideas for places to explore.
Our Buckingham & Vega Law Firm team here in Houston wishes you a healthy and fulfilling holiday season as 2022 comes to a close!