The lighting of Lakeside’s 30-foot Christmas tree highlighted the 2023 Lakeside Holiday Event.
New attractions include Snow Zone, holiday pop-up market, and skating rink
The 2023 Holiday Event on Wednesday, December 6, filled Lakeside’s sidewalks with an estimated 3,000 people checking out restaurants and shops (many with treats out front), taking part in the many activities, and walking from one attraction to another before gathering for the tree lighting at 7:30.
While similar to the six previous Holiday Events, the 7th edition offered a number of surprises that thrilled some, created special memories for others, and brought smiles to nearly everyone.
“Our goal for this year’s event,” said Kelly Vance of Realty Capital, who organized the festivities along with colleague Sarah Brown, “was to spread the attendees out so there would be less overcrowding in any one area.” Vance and Brown sought new attractions that — placed strategically — might prevent crowds from overwhelming any one location. Their search resulted in five new attractions that complemented the popular horse-drawn carriage ride, photos with Santa, live music, and toy train rides.
The Snow Zone, located on the road between 1845 Taste Texas and Craft Pies Pizza, stood out. Its eight-foot tall hill was packed with snow creating a genuine sledding experience that required a snow berm about 25 yards from the hill to prevent sledders for jetting into Lakeside Parkway.
An estimated 240 riders waited in line for 30-45 minutes to take their ride. “We had some great interactions with the kids,” said Sam Pan of Realty Capital who was stationed atop the hill. “Some were scared, but most overcame their fears. And it was great seeing the smiles on their faces and hearing their joyous screams as they went down the hill.”
“My back was trashed [by bending over and seating riders for over two hours],” laughed Pan, “but it was totally worth it. It is an absolute must for next year.”
A holiday pop-up market was organized for 2023 Holiday Event by the Boho Market just north of the plaza near the 30 ft. Christmas tree. Shoppers found a variety of artisans and small businesses offering goods ranging from tasty treats and handmade jewelry to clothing and crafts.
On the main stage in the plaza, another new attraction: the Flower Mound High School Choir. Their Christmas carols were piped along Lakeside Parkway, filling everyone with the spirit of the season. Magen Miller, a regular performer at the Lakeside Music Series, followed the choir and played until the Christmas tree lighting at 7:30 pm.
Between Northwood and Surrey, attendees had the opportunity to share their Christmas wishes with Santa, take a horse-drawn carriage for a tour, and enjoy a toy train ride — all traditional attractions at the Holiday Event.
Then in Surrey Park adjacent to Urban Vybe, attendees found 12 princesses, 10 dancers, Cindy Lu Hu, and Belle interacting and dancing with audience members. Longtime Lakeside resident Kellie Carroll came up with the idea as a way to give her students at Rebel Theatrics in Flower Mound an opportunity to perform live.
Audience members, especially little girls, loved it. And their parents took lots of photos. The actors enjoyed it as well.
“I thought it was a blast,” Carroll said, “my people were ecstatic and loved every part of it. It felt really intimate gathered around the fountain in the park.” At around 7:15, the princesses led their audience to the plaza for the lighting of the Christmas tree.
“I’ve attended every Lakeside Holiday Event as a resident,” Carroll said. “I was very grateful for the chance to contribute to the success of the 2023 Holiday Event.”
Across the street, individuals were dancing and striking poses at another new attraction, the 360 degree photo booth. “People were lined up from 5:30 through 7:45,” said Lakeside resident Pradeep Sanjeev, who provided the open-air booth. “We were working non-stop for 2-plus hours.”
The last of the new attractions — a skating rink — was located west of Personal Eyes, near the northern roundabout. Prior to the event, people had questioned how a skating rink could possibly work in Texas.
But thanks to a synthetic ice made from polymer plastic that acts like a kitchen cutting board, the 30’ x 40’ skating rink entertained a large number of skaters. Real ice skates in assorted sizes were provided by Classic Holiday Ice along with a rink perimeter, benches, and rink attendants.
“The addition of the skating rink this year helped to create the ambience of a Texas Winter Wonderland,” said Kumar Patel, of Personal Eyes. “We loved meeting new faces and seeing some familiar faces as they created personalized ornaments outside our store. We really enjoyed participating and are so grateful to be part of this community!”
Outside Epic Gelato, Richard Baldwin and his staff offered free hot chocolate and cookies for 2023 Holiday Event. “We made 12 gallons of hot chocolate and 200 cookies. And they were gone in 30 minutes. It was insane! We also had a big night inside the store.”
“The event definitely brought in a lot of business for us,” added Jackie Kuntz, manager of Craft Pies Pizza Co. “A lot of families with kids. I love that we have a very kid friendly environment. This was my first time experiencing the Holiday Event, and it was a hit!”
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