Things to Do This Holiday Season in Odessa, Texas
The holiday season is upon West Texas and there is no shortage of light displays, family-friendly activities, city-wide decorations, and live performances. Celebrate with your loved ones, local style, in Odessa this year.
Did we miss your favorite holiday tradition in Odessa? Let us know and we’ll consider it for our next post.
Here’s your 2021 guide to holiday events in Odessa, Texas.
Holiday Light Displays
Nothing says “Season’s Greetings!” like a car full of friends and family driving around enjoying Christmas lights and some hot cocoa from a thermos. Of course, plenty of West Texas residents will be decking their homes out with light displays, but if you want to be inundated with awesome displays, head to McKinney Park’s Starbright Village. Open from 6PM to 11PM nightly until January 1st, Starbright Village has walkways and options to drive-thru in your vehicle.
Hosted by Downtown Odessa, Winterfest kicks off with the Parade of Lights on December 4th, 2021 at 6:30PM. A couple of neighborhoods to check out are Emerald Forest and Shiloh Road. Both streets go all out for the holiday season and also plan on having horse-drawn carriages for extra fun!
December 2: Starbright Village Opening @ McKinney Park
December 4: Parade of Lights @ Downtown Odessa
December 14-16: Horse Drawn Carriage Rides @ Emerald Forest Neighborhood
Live Performances
Yearning to watch a traditional holiday time ballet or hear classic holiday music? No problem! Odessa College has annual concerts in December that showcase students’ musical talents. Basin Theatre Works and The Permian Playhouse present It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. If you haven’t experienced a radio play, definitely check this performance out in December! The Midland-Odessa Symphony & Chorale (MOSC) celebrate this time of year with Sounds of the Season, a symphony in conjunction with Voices of the Basin. MOSC will also perform a Holiday Recital and Lone Star Brass this month.
Award-winning ballet is showcased in West Texas as well with the Midland Festival Ballet presents: The Return of the Nutcracker which is accompanied by the MOSC. In addition to this ballet performance, Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center has several other shows leading up to the holidays: Zach Williams - I Don’t Want Christmas To End, Mariachi Christmas, and Lightwire Theater Presents A Very Electric Christmas. First Baptist Church of Odessa is presenting Sing! An Irish Christmas on December 12th.
November 30: Holiday Concert @ Odessa College
December 3: It’s A Wonderful Life @ Permian Playhouse
December 4: MOSC Presents, Sounds of the Seasons @ Wagner Noël
December 4-5: It’s A Wonderful Life @ Permian Playhouse
December 8: Zach Williams @ Wagner Noël
December 9: Mariachi Christmas @ Wagner Noël
December 9: MOSC Presents, Lone Star Brass @ Ellen Noël Art Museum
December 10-12: It’s A Wonderful Life @ Permian Playhouse
December 18-19: The Nutcracker @ Wagner Noël
December 20: A Very Electric Christmas @ Wagner Noël
Outdoor Markets and Shopping Local
The goal of visiting Christmas markets in the Permian Basin isn’t only to find unique gifts for loved ones, it’s to get out of the house with your family, visit with one another as you browse local wares, and hopefully head back home with a beautiful tree. Parks Legado Christmas Tree Market is the perfect place to find a tree, take a photo with Santa, ride Thomas the Train, and see beautiful lights. Downtown Odessa’s Winterfest Market encourages you to shop small. Ruffles and Rust Odessa Holiday Show is a great traveling market to find vintage pieces and cute gifts for your girlfriends.
November 26-28: Christmas Tree Market @ Parks Legado
December 4: Ruffles and Rust Holiday Show @ Ector County Coliseum
December 4: The Winterfest Holiday Market @ Downtown Odessa
Other Holiday Events
Throughout the month of December, there are several opportunities around Odessa to celebrate the season. SadieMack Children’s Boutique is offering a hot cocoa bar alongside photos with Santa on December 4th. How the Grinch Stole Brunch will be a fun family-friendly event produced by the local restaurant Barrel & Derrick at the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. Another fun Grinch-themed event is Painted Potter’s December 16th Grinch Family Night-where you can create your own ornament and painting of the classic children’s character.
Legacy Harley-Davidson Odessa presents a family outing on December 11th where your kiddos take photos with Santa and at noon you can ride out to the High Sky Children's Ranch to deliver toys and give the kids at the Ranch rides on motorcycles. If you’re into realty and property viewing, the Odessa Board of Realtors organizes the 27th Annual Christmas Tour of Homes that benefits a great cause: helping local students attend college.
December 4: Pictures with Santa @ SadieMack
December 5: How the Grinch Stole Brunch @ Odessa Marriott
December 5: Christmas Tour of Homes @ Odessa Board of Realtors
December 11: Pictures with Santa & High Sky Toy Run @ Legacy Harley-Davidson
Looking for more upcoming festivities in Odessa? Check out our event calendar!