Old Town Spring's Christmas season starts earlier this year, has a new name and runs on a new schedule. It is now called Hometown Holidays and runs Nov. 14 through Dec. 24, 2026. The Old Town Spring Improvement District is promoting it as six "Signature Saturdays," and each Saturday has one headline event. Last year you could stop by on any weekend and find roughly the same festival. This year, the Saturday you pick decides what you see.
That changes how you plan. The second half of November and all of December now work like a calendar of separate events, and on three of those Saturdays, Harris County Precinct 3 is holding a daytime park event that ends before Old Town's evening starts.
What's different from last season
Visit Houston's 2025 holiday guide listed Home for the Holidays in Old Town Spring for Nov. 22 through Dec. 21, 2025. It had festivities "every weekend," photos with Santa every weekend and a tree lighting on Nov. 22 to start the season.
The 2026 version changes three things:
- It starts earlier. The tree lighting moves up from Nov. 22 last year to Saturday, Nov. 14.
- It ends on Christmas Eve. The season now runs through Dec. 24. Last year's listing ended Dec. 21.
- Each Saturday has its own theme. The district's 2026 sponsorship packet calls the season "a new chapter." It says the long-running tree lighting is growing into a full season, with "six Signature Saturdays, live entertainment, family experiences, holiday lights, festive décor and special programming designed to give visitors a reason to return again and again."
Hometown Holidays is presented by Planet Ford Spring and promoted on the district's site. The Improvement District is a special-purpose tax district, and it also runs the Old Town Spring Visitors Bureau. If you search for the old name, you'll land on the Old Town Spring Preservation League's Home for the Holidays page. The League is a nonprofit association of Old Town Spring business owners, and as of late October its page still showed the 2025 edition. For 2026 dates, use the district's events page.
The six Saturdays, with what fits around each
Only the first Saturday has a posted time so far. For the other five, the district has published the date and the theme, so check its events page for hours before you head out.
- Nov. 14: Grand Christmas Tree Lighting, 5 to 8 p.m. It's at the Spring Historical Museum, 403 Main St. Precinct 3 holds Forest Fest the same day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center, 20634 Kenswick Drive in nearby Humble. Free native trees go out first come, first served starting at 10 a.m. That leaves three hours between them, enough time to get the tree home and in the ground before the lights go on.
- Nov. 21: Charity Give Back Weekend. This one is billed as a weekend, so check the district's events page for which days it covers.
- Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday. This is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it's the one built around shopping the district's storefronts. The packet counts more than 150 businesses and organizations in Old Town.
- Dec. 5: Christmas Movie Night. That morning, Precinct 3's Christmas in the Park runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Meyer Park, 7700 Cypresswood Drive. The flyer lists letters to Santa, Santa himself, hot cocoa, Christmas music, snow play, crafts and games.
- Dec. 12: Christmas Drone Show. Precinct 3's Homestead for the Holidays runs from 3 to 6 p.m. at Jones Park, with a pioneer-style Christmas and Santa arriving by wagon. This one is the tightest pairing because it runs into the evening. Check the drone show's start time once the district posts it.
- Dec. 19: Christmas Extravaganza. This is the season's last Saturday before Christmas.
The drone show is the new headliner
The sponsorship packet makes the new priorities clear. Exclusive naming rights for the Dec. 12 drone show cost $35,000. Naming rights for the tree lighting, which has been the anchor of Old Town's season for decades, cost $25,000. The packet calls the drone show "one of the season's most anticipated and visually unforgettable experiences" and says the sponsor's name may be built into the show itself.
That makes Dec. 12 the Saturday to plan furthest ahead, and it's the most likely to draw people from outside Spring. The packet also says the district expects visitors to come back more than once over the six weeks, instead of making one big trip. If you live a short drive away, the quieter themed Saturdays, like Nov. 21 or Dec. 19, may make for an easier walk around the shops.
Storefronts that weren't open last season
A return trip comes with more to see, because several Old Town addresses have changed since the 2025 lights came down.
| Stop | Address | Status, per Community Impact |
|---|---|---|
| German Gift House II | 318 Main St. | Opened Sept. 11 |
| The Vitality Lounge | 419 Gentry St., Ste. 106 | Opened Sept. 1 |
| Buren Bakery, second location | 419 Gentry St., Ste. 204 | Coming, date not yet set |
German Gift House II is owner Ursula Sledge's second Old Town shop. Her original store has been open for more than 10 years. The new one sells German and European gifts, food, collectibles, jewelry and linens, which suits a December stocking stuffer run. The Vitality Lounge serves smoothies and cold-pressed juices. Community Impact reported that Buren Bakery is adding a second location in the same Gentry Street building with more seating and more menu items. No opening date had been set as of Oct. 20.
For an early start on a park morning, Cold Start Coffee held its grand opening Oct. 11 at 18113 TC Jester Blvd., Ste. A. Community Impact describes it as a motorcycle-themed shop serving coffee, pastries and small bites, with beer and wine planned once it's licensed. Farther out, ALTIRO Mexican Fast plans to open Nov. 16 at 5402 FM 2920, Ste. 3, two days after the tree lighting. Community Impact reports its menu is Mexico City-inspired fast-casual food.
Sketching your season now
The two Precinct 3 flyers and the district's tree-lighting notice give enough to plan with. Here are three Saturdays you can put on the calendar now:
- Nov. 14: Forest Fest at Jones Park in the morning, then the tree lighting at the Spring Historical Museum from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Dec. 5: Christmas in the Park at Meyer Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then Movie Night in Old Town once the district posts its time.
- Dec. 12: Homestead for the Holidays at Jones Park from 3 to 6 p.m., then the drone show.
Save Nov. 21, Nov. 28 and Dec. 19 for walking the shops on Main and Gentry, with stops at the storefronts that opened this fall. The Precinct 3 flyers don't list admission prices, so check pct3.com before you go.
If this season has you thinking about how your own Spring home is doing, Eve Kneller is glad to help between Saturdays. Request your free CMA and consultation, and you'll have a clear picture of your home's value before the new year.
