5 Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in Tyler, TX

The holidays have always been a special time of the year in Tyler, bringing our families and neighbors together to celebrate the good things in life and show our appreciation for one another. A big part of what makes the holidays so great is the many special holiday events that happen in our community. Here are five events going on in Tyler during the holidays of 2022 that you and your family won’t want to miss.

Rotary Clubs of Tyler Christmas Parade

Each holiday season, the Rotary International Clubs of Tyler are pleased to sponsor a Christmas parade through the streets of downtown Tyler that you and your family are invited to attend. The parade will include many brightly decorated floats and vehicles, marching bands, local clubs and businesses, and much more.

Immediately following the conclusion of the parade, you are invited to join everyone at the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza for the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, where families will have the chance to have photos taken with Santa.

When: Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, beginning at 6 p.m.

Where: The parade starts on North Broadway Avenue, one block north of East Line Street, moves south and turns right on West Ferguson Street, then left on North Bois d’Arc Avenue, then left on West Erwin Street, then left on North Spring Avenue, ending at East Oakwood Street.

Cost: Watching the Christmas parade in downtown Tyler is free.

Blue Santa Pub Crawl

The Blue Santa Pub Crawl is an annual holiday event in Tyler that benefits the children of our community. The pandemic shut down this amazing event in 2020 and 2021, but this year, it’s returning with a blue Santa vengeance.

Here’s how it works: You buy tickets ahead of time — they are on sale now — and on the day of the pub crawl, you check in at ETX Brewing Company as early as 2 p.m. Once the crawl starts at 4 p.m., your goal is to collect the pieces of a blue Santa suit, picking up parts of it at the many participating downtown businesses in Tyler. There is no set route, which allows you to collect pieces in any order, and spend whatever time you want at each place.

Not only is this a great time of food, drinks, and fun, the very best part is that the proceeds of the pub crawl go to the Tyler Police Blue Santa program, which gives gift cards, food, and other necessities to children in need throughout the Tyler area.

When: Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Check-in begins at 2 p.m.

Where: Downtown Tyler.

Cost: You can purchase the $30 tickets online, or buy them in person at the Visit Tyler office at 110 N. College Ave., Suite 105, Tyler.

Carriage Rides Along the Azalea District Trail of Lights

An area of Tyler special enough to be named a National Historic District in 2003 is the Azalea Residential District, noted for its many extravagant, historic homes and azalea-filled gardens. During the holidays, it becomes even more special when many of the residences decorate their homes and gardens to celebrate the coming of Christmas.

Seeing the spectacular homes can become an unforgettable experience for your family when seeing them from the seats of a horse-drawn carriage. The carriages will travel one of several routes called the Trail of Lights. A detailed street map of the Trail of Lights is available at the Visit Tyler office at 110 N. College Ave., Suite 105, in Tyler. Please note that when wet, the bricks of the roads can be dangerous for the horses, and carriage rentals may not be possible on rainy nights.

When: Nov. 25, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2022, Thursdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: The carriages leave from and return to Bergfeld Park in the center of the Azalea District at 1510 S. College Ave., Tyler.

Cost: There’s no cost to walk or cruise through the Azalea District neighborhoods along the Trail of Lights, but the carriages charge $5, $10, or $15 per person, depending on the chosen route.

Christmas in The Park at The Children’s Park of Tyler

It’s possible that children appreciate holiday events more than anyone else. With that in mind, The Children’s Park of Tyler has created a special time for families to gather at the park, where children can enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations they will find throughout the grounds. There will be Christmas carol singing around brightly lit trees as well as snowman soup and s’mores to be enjoyed by all.

When: Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, beginning at 6 p.m.

Where: The Children’s Park of Tyler, 110 E. Dobbs St., Tyler.

Cost: There is no charge to visit The Children’s Park.

Holiday Lights at the Tyler Rose Garden

In many ways, the Tyler Rose Garden is the heart of our community here in Rose City. And each holiday season since 2016, the natural beauty of the Tyler Rose Garden receives the special touch of Holiday Lights, courtesy of the City of Tyler Parks and Recreation department. Bring your family for an evening walk through the garden that is truly a magical experience in the glowing lights of the Christmas season. It might just become a holiday tradition for you.

When: Dec. 6 to 22 and Dec. 26 to 30, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every evening.

Where: City of Tyler Rose Garden — the Garden gates will be locked, so please enter through the Rose Garden Center at 420 Rose Park Drive, Tyler.

Cost: The gardens are free to the public.

These are just some of the wonderful things going on in Tyler during the holidays in 2022, and we hope you and your loved ones are able to experience some or all of them. Contact us, and let us know which were your favorites or if there was a holiday event we overlooked that we absolutely should have included. We’d love to hear your views. From all of us at Mercedes-Benz of Tyler, Texas, we sincerely wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Santa’s Parade of Lights by Mack Male is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0