If you’ve driven past 75 and Arapaho anytime since Halloween you or your child may have seen the beginnings of igloos, houses and lights popping up. Each year in Richardson the east lawn of the library is transformed from a mere green space into a winter wonderland complete with a petting zoo, Santa’s house, a miniature t.v. station and much, much more.
It is not only free but well worth the drive even if you don’t live in Richardson. And this weekend is the perfect time to make your first visit.
4 Things to Know Before You Go:
1. This year Santa’s Village will kick off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 7th with the City of Richardson’s tree lighting ceremony. The village’s official operating hours are as follows:
December 7-8 from 6-9 p.m.
December 12-15 from 6-9 p.m.
December 19-22 from 6-9 p.m.
2. There will be crowds! This year the City of Richardson is expecting 25,000 people to attend between all three weekends. This place is hustling, bustling, and full of families with small children. Mrs. Claus’ cookie shop hands out free cookies for children, there are small crafts to do and even sled rides. But, even though there are always large crowds on the weekend, the only house we’ve seen year after year that has a consistently long line is, of course, the visit with Santa Claus.
3. The village remains lit up and open to the public throughout the week, even though the houses are all closed up. What this means is that if large crowds are not for you, or you can’t make it to Santa’s Village on the weekend, you and your family can still enjoy much of what it has to offer. Although your children won’t be able to experience the petting zoo, visit the t.v. station or build their own ornaments, the village is still a very fun place to play. As an added bonus you can give your little ones much more room to run around as there are usually very few people there during the weekdays.
4. Hot cocoa and snacks are for sale! When the night air gets chilly and your children have no desire to leave, you’ll be glad for that toasty cup of cocoa to keep your hands warm.
Why My Family Loves Santa’s Village
Every year, no matter what the ages of our children, there is always something for my littles to enjoy. There are characters roaming about, large cutouts for admiring or posing with, lots of things to climb on, and even more to see. There are Christmas lights, dozens of decorated trees, and friendly volunteers everywhere in case you need help or information. As an added bonus both parking and the event (with the exception of the hot chocolate stand) are completely free. As we save for Christmas while trying to find Christmas activities for our kids this perk always makes mom and dad happy.
We LOVE to visit Santa’s Village during the week when it’s closed. My poor kids got a mom who can’t handle the crowds! But, they enjoy wandering around the village and taking in the beautiful decorations. This year, I took them there during the day for a photo shoot. The backgrounds were perfect. Colorful little houses, trees covered in fabulous ornaments, wreaths, a sleigh they could sit in, and more. Our pictures turned out great.
Are there pictures with Santa??
Santa’s Village does have photos with Santa! You’ll have to check it out next year when the event returns.
Do you how far in advance tickets need to be picked up from city hall?