It’s the Christmas season, ya’ll.

I am so excited! This is the first year I have decided to go all out for the Christmas season since living in Dallas. I want to visit all the pop-ups, events, and Christmas festivities that I can. It’s time to get out of the house, hang with friends, and dive into the Christmas spirit.

Honestly, there are so many things to do and not enough time. I have shared just a few things that I will be doing this.

1. Leela’s Wine Bar

Location: 1914 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX 75206

I went to Leela’s Wine Bar last year during Christmas time and it was amazing. Leela’s is a wine bar located in the Greenville area serving up wine on tap, specialty cocktails, and tapas (aka light food).

During the Christmas season, Leela’s is decked out with Christmas decorations and plays all the Christmas tunes. Their holiday cocktails are spectacular to sit around and hang with your girls. I really appreciate the thought they put into naming the drinks. I am going to be honest I have already looked through the drink menu and I am contemplating between the Santa Spritz, Orna-Mint, and Tipsy Cider.

There may be a substantial wait time because the wine bar is an intimate space. I recommend getting there early before the crowd or be prepared to wait. If you have to wait, do it. It’s worth it. You can use that time to explore the area. There are so many other restaurants near Leela’s that you may want to add to your must-try list.

The average cocktail is around $14. That can get pricey if you plan to get multiple drinks. I really want to do as many Christmas activities as possible so I am going to stick to one drink. It is not going to be any less fun. I am going to get my cute picture and enjoy my time with my friends.

Update: I went to Leela’s Wine Bar during happy hour which is Monday – Friday from 4-6 pm. I def recommend going if you can. They offer half-off drinks on select holiday cocktails. Also, it’s not as busy as it normally is on the weekend. This year we only had to wait about 20 mins to get indoor sitting. While we waited for indoor sitting, we sat outside where they had heat lamps to keep us warm.

2. Snowday

Location: 13350 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, TX

Snowday is an immersive holiday photo experience located in the Galleria mall. You can definitely do it for the ‘gram here which is why I want to go. If you like taking pictures this is definitely the place to get your fun holiday pictures.

I am excited to go here with one of my friends and dress up for the Christmas theme.

For my outfit, I am definitely wearing my Santa earrings I got from Francesca’s last year and a red lip.

This is a pricier activity for the purpose of taking pictures but I really think it will be fun. When I went to the selfie musuem in Ft. Worth, I really enjoyed the experience. The photo scenes are already curated with props. All you have to do is worry about getting the pose right. The cost for a ticket is $27 if you go during the week before 6pm and if you go after 6pm during the week or on the weekend the ticket cost is $34. DOUBLE CHECK PRICING ON THEIR WEBSITE.

3. Dallas Arboretum

Location: 8525 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218

The Dallas Arboretum is one of the most recommended places to go when you visit Dallas for the first time. However, I have never been since leaving here for two years. I plan to change that now by going to The Holiday at Arboretum. The Arboretum is a botanical garden that will be transformed into Santa’s workshop featuring 50-foot tall Dazzling Musical Tree with 42,000-holiday lights, gazebos designed to represent the 12 Days of Christmas.

I am most excited to see the Christmas lights and take photos if the lighting permits. They have daytime admission and nighttime admission (depending on the type of experience you want). I definitely think this makes a cute date night.

The ticket for daytime entry from Nov. 10 – Dec. 31 is $17. The ticket for night time entry from Nov. 14 – Dec 30 from 6pm – 9pm is $13. I am leaning towards visiting at nightime because I want to see the holiday lights and it is cheaper so I can get further with my money.

4. Miracle at Royal 38 Pop-Up

Location: 2301 N Akard St Suite 210, Dallas, TX 75201

Royal 38 is a restaurant located in downtown Dallas that is hosting a holiday pop-up bar to get everyone in the city into the holiday spirit. They have the Christmas lights and garland to decorate the building and the holiday drinks to get us in the spirit. They are featuring 10-holiday drinks. I am really interested in trying the Christmaspolitan and Elfing Around. They also have a food menu that I also interested in sampling.

Their hours are Monday – Thursday 4p-12a, Fri 4p-2a, Sat 11a-2a, Sun 11a-12a. I am not a huge drinker so I only plan to try one drink but the food is what is going to get me.

5. Tipsy Elf

Location: 308 N. Bishop Avenue Dallas, TX 75208

Tipsy Elf is a holiday pop-up bar located in the heart of Bishop Arts District. I saw this pop-up bar last year and I really wanted to go. This year it is coming back bigger and better with a covered patio area extending to the Mermaid Bar attached to Paradiosa. With this expansion, we got access to two bars putting their own spin on holiday cocktails. Also, Tipsy Elf will be hosting some cool events like cookie decorating, karaoke, etc.

The hours for Tipsy Elf are Sunday 3pm – 9pm, Monday/Tuesday – Closed, Wednesday/Thursday 5pm – 12am, and Friday/Saturday – 5pm – 2am. The prices of drinks, like we already know, are pricy. The avergae cocktail cost $15. The drink that I want from Tipsy Elf is Reindeers Hawaiian Stop and I want to try Mrs. Clause Spicy Holidaze from The Mermaid Bar.

While in Bishop Arts District, you should take a picture with this mural near Eno’s. Hopefully, you get the reference.

I hope I have given you a good idea of things to do this holiday season. I wish you a Merry Christmas. Take time to attend some amazing events and share time with loved ones.