Uptown's Holiday Season No Longer Has An Opening Night On Post Oak, So How Does It Start Now?
Each November, Post Oak Boulevard puts up the same display. It's 300 holiday trees, each 20 feet tall, set along two miles from the West Loop to Richmond Avenue. Each tree carries 250 LED light units that can produce more than 16 million color combinations. The boulevard also gets pedestrian lighting, stainless steel rings and more than 1,000 stars. The display is still there. The festival that used to switch it on is not.
So the season now starts somewhere else. Uptown's only scheduled holiday opening night this year is indoors, at the ice rink in The Galleria, on Friday, Nov. 13. If your family still saves Thanksgiving night for a trip to Post Oak, the calendar has moved.
On Oct. 23, 2023, the Uptown Houston District posted its holiday season page. It still promoted the 300 trees and 1,000 stars, then added one line in italics: the Uptown Holiday Lighting event "will no longer occur." The district told visitors to enjoy the boulevard lights through the season instead.
That November, the Houston Chronicle reported that the 300 trees and their synchronized music would still run, just without an event to turn them on. In a statement to ABC13, the district said it would be "promoting the Uptown area as a holiday destination throughout the season." The station later reviewed the district's emails. Bob Ethington, Uptown Houston's director of research and development, told ABC13 that "Retail, hotel, residential is doing wonderful, but the office (space) has been affected nationally and in Houston and we had to make adjustments."
ABC13 reported again in November 2024 that the festival was canceled for a second year. It also reported that the event typically cost $200,000 to $250,000 a year. The festival's budget went away. The two miles of lights kept running.
The switch-on is now a small affair. KHOU reported that the Post Oak lights came on Sunday, Nov. 2, timed to the end of Daylight Saving Time. Two young sisters pressed the button, and the display stayed lit through the New Year. By late November, the Houston Chronicle included Post Oak Boulevard in its roundup of Houston light displays, pointing to the street-pole decorations and hundreds of LED trees.
For 2026, Visit Houston lists the Uptown 2026 Holiday Season for November and December. It describes the same display as before: 300 trees, 1,000 stars and LED units across the two miles from the West Loop to Richmond Avenue.
Without a closed street and a fireworks finale, the boulevard is something you take in as you go, on any evening from November into the New Year. A slow drive from the West Loop down to Richmond takes in the whole two miles. No single night is the one to catch.
The Galleria now has the one scheduled ceremony. Its Holiday Tree Lighting is set for Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. at Ice at The Galleria. The program runs 45 minutes and lights the mall's 55-foot tree, which carries 450,000 lights and 5,000 ornaments.
The Galleria lists this lineup:
PaperCity's event listing also names Space City Sound and community partner Houston Pets Alive, and it gives the program as 6 to 6:45 p.m.
Compared with the old festival, this one is shorter, indoors and centered on the ice. The 2022 Post Oak festival ran from a 4 p.m. market to a 7 p.m. light show and fireworks on Thanksgiving evening. This year's ceremony fits in under an hour on a Friday evening, two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Holiday prep has been shaping the rink calendar since the start of the month. That matters if you skate at the rink regularly or have a child in lessons there.
| Date | What changes at Ice at The Galleria |
|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 2 through Thu., Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. | Rink closed for holiday tree installation |
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Reopens to the public at 3 p.m.; Learn to Skate classes at 5:30 p.m. |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | No public session; Learn to Skate classes canceled for tree lighting practice |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Building closed for the tree lighting |
| Sat. and Sun., Nov. 14 and 15 | Learn to Skate classes continue as scheduled |
Ice at The Galleria's public session page says the Nov. 12 class has to be made up by the Dec. 7, 2026 semester. Skaters lose both Thursday, Nov. 12, and Friday, Nov. 13, to the tree lighting.
The Galleria's Santa Photos also begin on Nov. 13 and run through Dec. 24. Simon posts daily hours on the event page. For families who want a quieter visit, the Galleria has a sensory-friendly Special Visit with Caring Santa for children with special needs and their families. It's on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., and reservations are required.
So most of what's scheduled for Uptown's holidays this year hangs off the Galleria. The tree lighting and the first day of Santa photos land on the same Friday. The Post Oak trees run in the background for the whole season. Uptown's holiday weeks used to open with one big night on the boulevard. This year they open in the mall and play out on the boulevard over the weeks that follow.
Uptown Park's events stay on their usual routine. Its event calendar, posted Oct. 20, lists recurring events through Dec. 5. These include live music and the Jam & Toast Brunch at The Rustic, trunk shows at Elizabeth Anthony, and happy hours at Postino and Urbe. Any of them can turn an evening drive down Post Oak into a full night out without needing a holiday event to plan around.
A simple plan for the season looks like this:
Uptown's holiday calendar moves around from year to year, and so does the rest of the neighborhood. If you'd like a local's take on the season, or on what the area looks like beyond December, Nicole Brende is glad to help. Let's connect. You can schedule a consultation or request a custom market analysis.
Nicole's dedication to her clients is evident in every aspect of her work, from her exceptional communication skills to her unparalleled marketing expertise. With her unwavering commitment to providing tailored solutions to her clients' real estate needs, Nicole has established herself as one of the most sought-after agents in Houston.
