The Ice at Discovery Green Through January 19

Discovery Green features an outdoor ice skating rink with a season full of family-friendly activities. Due to unseasonably warm weather, the Ice Rink will open at 3PM on Friday, December 19 and 3PM on Saturday, December 20.  For weather updates call the Ice Rink hotline at 713-434-RINK (7465).  See the events calendar for more information.

Snow Box

Toddler-friendly rink, complete with fluffy snow and a visit from Santa.

Nights on The Ice

Even non-skaters may enjoy the performances from professional skaters, hot jazz music, outdoor films and Friday night skate tunes.

Monday at 6 pm, Houston Skating Stars

The region’s best figure skaters, coaches and precision teams performer for you.

Tuesdays 7-9 pm, All That Jazz…On Ice

Local jazz musicians perform on the Anheuser-Busch Stage

Thursdays 7-9 pm, Silver Blades on the Silver Screen

Glide-in for a collection of the best holiday and skating movies are shown on our super-sized screen on the Anheuser-Busch Stage, overlooking the rink.

Fridays 7-9 pm, Cool Tunes, Hot Ice!

Skate to the tunes spun by DJs from Hot 95.7.

Downtown Christmas Market

December 18 & 25

Ice Carving Competition

January 10

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The Ice at Discover Green is just one of the venues included in the Downtown District Holiday Spectacular. Highlights include an amazing line-up of shows in the Theater District, holiday decor at Main Street Square and shopping adventures like the Houston Pavilion.

Two Holiday Trolleys will connect all of the festive happenings in downtown, making it simple for visitors to park once and experience multiple downtown destinations during their visit. The trolleys are FREE and will run Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday beginning Thanksgiving weekend through December.

Houston Holiday Spectacular - Click for a schedule of events.

Make this a Christmas to remember aboard the Rail of Lights Christmas Train in Jefferson, Texas. The steam train departs each Thursday through Sunday evening from Thanksgiving through December 28.  Enjoy more than 300,000 lights along the Big Cypress Bayou.  Period actors bring the Spirit of Christmas Past alive.

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The Texas State Railroad is the setting for The Polar Express™ Train Ride. Inspired by the award winning book by Chris Van Allsburg.  Read along to the story on the train on the way to the North Pole.  Once you arrive at the North Pole, your children will visit with Santa while you enjoy caroling and hot chocolate.  Kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas!

Austin’s holiday tradition, the Trail of Lights, is open December 14th through 23rd from 7pm-10pm nightly.

Please view the following post on Texas RV Travel blog:

~~ Austin Trail of Lights ~~

from last year about the Austin Trail of Lights, including photographs, parking, information for visitors with special needs, and local RV parks.

For more information about this year, please visit City of Austin - Parks and Recreation Department.

Motto:  “Strength Forged Through Sacrifice. Never Forget!”

From USS New York website: New York, NY, November 11, 2008 – The USS NEW YORK Commissioning Committee, Governor David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg today announced the commissioning date of USS NEW YORK as Saturday November 7, 2009 at the Intrepid pier in New York Harbor.

USS New York is the fifth in a new class of warship designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

The bow of the USS New York was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center that was melted down in a foundry in Amite, LA. Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel arrived, he touched it with his hand and the “hair on my neck stood up.”

When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence. It was a spiritual moment for everybody there. (Navy Capt. Kevin Wen Sing)