A Free Holiday Advent Calendar for DFW

The holidays don’t have to be expensive to be memorable. Here’s a free activity for every day from December 1 through Christmas Eve, mixing some of the best free events around Dallas-Fort Worth with simple traditions you can do at home. Event dates are for 2026, so double-check times before you head out.

December 1 to 12

December 1 (Tuesday): Kick off the season at home. Put on holiday music and decorate the tree together.

December 2 (Wednesday): Head to the Fort Worth Stockyards for the 4 p.m. cattle drive down Exchange Avenue, then stay to stroll the Million Dollar Mile of Lights.

December 3 (Thursday): Find a spot on Grapevine’s Historic Main Street for the Parade of Lights at 7 p.m., with more than 100 lighted floats and marching bands. Come early to window-shop the decorated storefronts.

December 4 (Friday): Stay in and make homemade ornaments from paper, pinecones, or salt dough.

December 5 (Saturday): The busiest free day of the season. Pick one, or two:

• Christmas in the Stockyards, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with music, reindeer games, and a 4 p.m. parade
• Klyde Warren Park Tree Lighting in Dallas, 4 to 7 p.m.
• Downtown Grand Prairie Christmas Tree Lighting and Lighted Holiday Parade, 5 to 9 p.m.

December 6 (Sunday): Take it easy at home. Write letters to Santa, plus a few holiday cards for grandparents or friends far away.

December 7 (Monday): Watch 600 drones light up the sky at Grapevine’s Merry & Bright Drone Show, 7 p.m. on Historic Main Street.

December 8 (Tuesday): Cut out paper snowflakes and tape them to the windows.

December 9 (Wednesday): Visit the Dallas Museum of Art. General admission is always free.

December 10 (Thursday): Holiday movie night, with popcorn and blankets.

December 11 (Friday): Walk through the holiday decorations at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine. You don’t need an ice! ticket to enjoy them; you just pay for parking.

December 12 (Saturday): Bake cookies and deliver a plate to a neighbor.

December 13 to 24

December 13 (Sunday): Bundle up for a hike on the trails at River Legacy Parks in Arlington.

December 14 (Monday): Family game night with board games or a puzzle.

December 15 (Tuesday): Pile in the car with hot cocoa in travel mugs and go see the Lights at Interlochen in Arlington, where hundreds of homes decorate every year. It’s been a local tradition for 50 years and usually runs from mid-December through Christmas. Expect traffic, so go early in the evening.

December 16 (Wednesday): Read classic holiday stories together, with hot cocoa or cider.

December 17 (Thursday): Explore the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth. Admission is always free.

December 18 (Friday): Have a pajama photo shoot at home. Set up a corner by the tree and take turns being the photographer.

December 19 (Saturday): Spend an afternoon at Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, with its children’s park and food trucks.

December 20 (Sunday): Go through closets together and pick out gently used toys and coats to give away. Drop them off with Mission Arlington or The Salvation Army.

December 21 (Monday): It’s the first day of winter and the longest night of the year. Take a walk around your own neighborhood after dark to look at the lights and the stars.

December 22 (Tuesday): Leave a thank-you note and a treat for your mail carrier and delivery drivers.

December 23 (Wednesday): Sing carols around the house, or go caroling with friends.

December 24 (Thursday): Follow Santa’s trip around the world on the NORAD Santa Tracker, then off to bed.

However you spend the season, I hope it’s a happy one. For the ticketed events, the parades and the big light displays, see my roundup of holiday fun around Dallas-Fort Worth.

If you’re thinking about a move to Dallas-Fort Worth, I’m happy to help.