‘Tis the Holiday Season in Brownwood
While the old saying “there’s no place like home for the holidays” sure can be true, you might want to add Brownwood to your travel bucket list this season. There’s no shortage of twinkling lights and festivities across Texas, but this year Brownwood’s Christmas spirit will shine brighter than them all! From holiday festivals to timeless parades, there’s magic on every corner in Brownwood this season!
Lighted Christmas Parade
A classic Christmas parade is the hallmark of any charming small town and Brownwood is no exception! This year’s lighted parade will kick off a weekend of festivities so merry, even the Grinch will feel the holiday spirit! The parade will be held on Thursday, December 1st beginning at 7:00 pm and is sponsored by Texas Rock Crusher Railway. A word to the wise is to get downtown early, don’t underestimate how many spectators will flock to all the best viewpoints! The parade route begins near the Lehnis Railroad Museum and will circle through our historic downtown passing by The Turtle Restaurant, Pat Coursey Park, the courthouse, Teddy’s Brewhaus, and more. Featuring nearly 100 decorated floats, unique vehicles, fire trucks, classic cars, marching bands, and even horses, Brownwood’s annual lighted Christmas parade is an event you don’t want to miss!
Christmas Under the Stars
Book a room in Brownwood and make a weekend of your visit because the holiday cheer doesn’t stop there! The 14th Annual Christmas Under the Stars Festival, presented by United Supermarkets, will commence Saturday, December 3rd from 9 am – 3 pm! Bring the whole family for a day of holiday games, food vendors, hot chocolate, cookie decorating, Hot Wheel races, and pictures with Santa! Speaking of Santa, Brownwood’s youth were so well-behaved this year, Santa is coming down from the North Pole early to have breakfast with all the good boys and girls at 9 am! The first 100 kids to visit will receive a free breakfast chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-A.
In the heart of our downtown, many businesses will host fun crafts, live music, and special sales inside their lovely decorated brick-and-mortar locations. Intermission Bookshop, in particular, will host scheduled readings of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” In keeping with holiday traditions, the local Brownwood Middle School choir will perform and encourage you to sing along. Finally, when we say bring the whole fam, we really mean it! There will even be a holiday pet costume contest!
Sipping Under the Stars
Then send the kids to bed early, and while visions of sugar plums are dancing in their heads, head back downtown for our 4th Annual Sipping Under the Stars Festival from 6-9 pm! Back by oh-so-popular demand, guests travel from all over Texas to sip samples from local wineries and craft breweries while shopping Brownwood’s unique boutiques. A different vendor will be stationed inside nearly each of our downtown businesses, providing an excellent opportunity to knock a few gifts off those holiday shopping lists! VIP tasting tickets for the event are $30 per person and include 10 tasting tickets, a commemorative wine glass, a wine tote bag, a map of participating merchants, and exclusive offers from our downtown merchants. General Admission tickets may be purchased for 10 tasting tickets for only $20.
Holiday Shopping
Bah Humbug! Not everyone will be able to join our December 3rd Christmas Festival, but an excellent way to still experience the holidays in Brownwood is to shop! Brownwood has something for every special someone in your life, and our gifts are much more unique and personalized than you’ll find in big retailers. Come explore best sellers at the historic Intermission Bookshop, collectible sports cards from Matt’s Mantiques, holiday dresses at Earth & Noble, stylized baby needs at Luna Maya Baby, house plants from Urban Roots, jewelry from The Hen House, and more! Don’t even get us started on the sellers inside Shaw’s Marketplace offering adventure gear, flower bouquets, kitchen accessories, soy candles, old-fashioned candy, and so much cute clothing! Every small business in Brownwood has something truly distinctive to share and every dollar spent supports an entrepreneur’s dream. Put something special under your Christmas trees this year.
Christmas at The Lyric Theater
The Lyric Theatre’s production of I’ll Be Home for Christmas will bring you to tears as the actors tell a captivating story of a family’s journey through the pain of separation during the Christmas season in the weeks leading up to Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of World War II. The theme…hope. This Broadway-style dramatic musical features choral numbers from the big band era that are integrated into the storyline as part of radio broadcasts showcasing the world’s balance of fear and hope in 1941. Get your tickets for an unexpectedly moving Christmas show more compelling than any Hallmark movie, running December 2 through December 11.
Award-Winning Wine for Christmas
Some people hold hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, others turn to apple cider, but here in Brownwood, we sip award-winning wine! The Turtle Restaurant, Skies Over Texas Winery, and 10 Mile Productions are all local to Texas and have been recognized both across the state and even internationally this year for exceptional wine lists and blends. Come sample what wine enthusiasts have ranked among some of the best wines in the world, or even better – gift a bottle to the vino lovers in your family!
Starry Christmas Lights
In addition to our annual tree at Pat Coursey park, the icing on our Christmas fruitcake this year will be Brownwood’s increased lighting throughout downtown, including the Depot Civic & Cultural Center and Lehnis Railroad Museum & Visitor Center. Come admire the twinkling glow of thousands of beautiful lights all hung with care to truly bring the Christmas spirit to life! And don’t forget to admire the traditional nativity scene at Howard Payne University.
With a variety of holiday festivities, we invite you to Have a Merry Christmas with us in Brownwood!
