by Nicole Bradford
The holiday season in Pearland gets underway on Friday with the Hometown Christmas Festival in Independence Park from 6 to 9 pm.
Parking will be at Pearland High School, 3775 S. Main St., with accessible parking at the Liberty Drive entrance to the park.
Free to the public, the festival includes live entertainment, inflatables, and a program that includes the mayor, Santa Claus, and community leaders. A winter wonderland of snow will be sponsored by H-E-B, and a Magical Drone Show presented by the University of Houston Clear Lake begins at 8:30 pm.
Hometown Parade
The 42nd annual lighted parade begins at 6 pm. Saturday, proceeding down FM 518 from Old Alvin Road to Pearland Parkway. Portions of Old Alvin Road and Pearland Parkway will close for the parade, and the staging area on Old Alvin Road will close at noon.
Free and open to the public, the lighted evening parade includes floats, marching drill teams, classic cars, and more and is coordinated by the city Parks and Recreation Department.
Tour de Lites
Pearland’s annual family bike ride, the Tour de Lites, is scheduled for Saturday, December 14, beginning at Independence Park.
Registration fees will benefit the Forever Parks Foundation. The leisurely bike ride for all ages travels through the lights of the Green Tee subdivision. Those who prefer may also choose the hayride option, but space is limited, and advance registration is encouraged.
Helmets for all cyclists are mandatory for this ride. Check-in begins at 4:30 pm on the day of the ride, and the best-decorated bike contest is 5:30 pm. After awards and announcements, the first leg of the ride begins at 6 pm. It proceeds to Villages at Mary’s Creek neighborhood, returning to the park at about 6:45 pm before the next leg departs for the Green Tee subdivision, returning at about 8 pm.
Single rider registration is $15, with $5 for each additional family member. Advance registration is encouraged and available at foreverparksfoundation.org.
Festival of Lights
The Pearland Town Center, 11200 Broadway St., just west of Highway 288, opens its 2024 Festival of Lights display on December 13.
Families are invited to stroll and take nightly photos of the lighted displays from 6 to 10 pm through December 24.
More information, including Santa visiting hours, is online at pearlandtowncenter.com.
Christmas Train
The Alvin Christmas Train at Victory Camp offers lighted train rides for all ages, a decorated walking trail, and vendors.
Hours are 6 to 10 pm weekends and 6 to 9 pm on weekdays on Dec. 5-7, Dec. 12-14 and Dec. 16-23.
Victory Camp is located at 1407 Victory Lane in Alvin. Online tickets for the 15-minute rides are available for $12 at thechristmastrain.com, and a limited number of tickets will be available on-site for $14 each. Children 2 and under ride free. For more information, call 281-388-2267.
