Cypress's 2026 holiday season starts with one outdoor evening at Boardwalk Towne Lake. After that, most of the largest events move indoors, into three buildings run by Cy-Fair ISD: the Berry Center, the Telge Exhibit Center and the Visual and Performing Arts Center. Those events fall on two weekends. Saturday, Nov. 21 has two shopping events in one day. Dec. 4 through 6 has a 31-year craft show and a 31-year ballet production running at the same time on different roads. You'll have an easier time planning the season around those three buildings and two weekends than reading through listings one at a time.
The Kickoff Is the One Night That Happens Outside
The 10th annual Light the Towne takes place Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Boardwalk Towne Lake. Performances begin at 6 p.m., and Santa is expected around 6:20 p.m. Towne Lake's event page tells guests to arrive early, which makes sense when the main moment comes 20 minutes after the start.
The evening centers on the lighting of a 40-foot Christmas tree. The Towne Lake events calendar also lists live reindeer, snow, face painting, letters to Santa, festive photo spots and free hot chocolate while supplies last. The event page adds a DJ to the performances and says outside chairs, food and drinks are not allowed. Plan to stand, and plan on the Boardwalk's food and drink rather than packing your own. Visitor parking at the Boardwalk is free, according to Boardwalk Towne Lake.
Light the Towne is also the only event here that falls on a weeknight. Everything else this season is on a weekend, and most of it is indoors on school district property.
Three District Buildings Host Most of the Calendar
Cy-Fair ISD rents several of its larger facilities to outside groups. Its Use Our Facilities page lists the Telge Exhibit Center at 11206 Telge Road, with separate rate sheets for nonprofit and for-profit events. The same page says the building has been renovated to add space and more arena seating. The Visual and Performing Arts Center is listed as a bookable venue for concerts, fine arts showcases and community gatherings. The Berry Center keeps its own public events calendar.
None of the three holiday events below is a school district event. A market organizer, an FFA booster club and a ballet company each book a district building. Here's how the season lines up by building:
| Building | Event | Dates | Hours | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berry Center | Nutcracker Market | Sat., Nov. 21 | 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $6 cash at the door or online; under 16 free |
| Telge Exhibit Center, 11206 Telge Road | Cy-Fair FFA Country Christmas Craft Show | Sat.-Sun., Dec. 5-6 | Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Not listed on the show's site |
| CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center, 11420 Matzke Road | Houston Repertoire Ballet's The Nutcracker | Fri.-Sun., Dec. 4-6 | Five performances | Tickets from $30 |
Two of those three rows fall on the same weekend. The Berry Center market also shares Nov. 21 with a farmers market back at Towne Lake.
Nov. 21 Is a Two-Market Saturday
On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Nutcracker Market fills the Berry Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Berry Center's event page promises hundreds of vendors selling women's and children's clothing, home, holiday and garden decor, gourmet food, and handmade and fashion jewelry. Entry is $6 in cash at the door, or you can buy online. Children under 16 get in free.
One rule on the Berry Center page affects how families with young children plan the day. Under Berry Center policy, strollers are not allowed until after 2 p.m.
The same morning, the Towne Lake Farmer's Market runs on the Boardwalk from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to the Boardwalk's events page. With a stroller, the timing works itself out: the farmers market in the morning, then the Berry Center once strollers are allowed after 2 p.m., with three hours of shopping left before the 5 p.m. close. If you're shopping without a stroller, you can do it in either order.
Towne Lake's calendar also lists live music at the Boardwalk at 6:30 p.m. that Saturday. The series runs every Friday and Saturday night, including Nov. 13, 14, 20 and 28. That puts a third Towne Lake stop on Nov. 21 after the markets close.
Shoppers who want an earlier look at the Berry Center can go the Saturday before. The CFISD Health Expo is there on Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Berry Center lists it as a free public event.
Dec. 4-6 Puts Two 31-Year Traditions on One Weekend
The second crowded weekend brings together two long-running local organizations that, by their own counts, both reach 31 years this season.
The Cy-Fair FFA Booster Club's Country Christmas Craft Show returns to the Telge Exhibit Center on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show's site calls it the 31st anniversary and describes it this way:
Best Little Craft Show in Texas!
That's the booster club's own slogan. The program is more specific. More than 175 vendors sell handmade crafts. The weekend also includes Chicken Poop Bingo, a silent auction, raffle prizes, performances by the Cy-Fair High School Choir, pet adoptions, a cake walk and what the organizers call a huge bake sale. Photos with Santa run from noon to 2 p.m. on both days. According to the organizers, vendors come from Cypress, Houston, Waller, Magnolia, Spring and nearby areas. The club describes the event as the longest-running craft show in Cypress.
A few miles of Cypress away, Houston Repertoire Ballet stages The Nutcracker at the CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center, 11420 Matzke Road. My Neighborhood News reports that this year marks 31 years of the company bringing the ballet to local audiences, with young dancers from the Houston area, professional ballet artists and a live orchestra. The five public performances are:
- Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Tickets start at $30 and are sold through Houston Repertoire Ballet's Nutcracker page. The same report notes that every guest needs a ticket, including young children. The company recommends a minimum age of 2, and fire marshal rules don't allow lap seating. Late seating isn't allowed either, so guests are asked to arrive at least 30 minutes before the curtain. Accessible seating, wheelchair spaces and companion seating are available.
Where the Two Schedules Overlap
Put the two schedules side by side and the weekend has one real clash. Santa photos at the craft show run from noon to 2 p.m. on both days. On Saturday, the ballet matinee starts at 2 p.m. On Sunday, it starts at 1 p.m. With the 30-minute early arrival the ballet asks for, a family can't do both on the same afternoon.
Every other combination fits:
- Friday, Dec. 4: The 7 p.m. Nutcracker is the only performance that doesn't share a day with the craft show, so Saturday and Sunday stay open for Telge Road.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Craft show doors open at 9 a.m. and Santa photos start at noon. You can be out by early afternoon and still make the 7 p.m. performance on Matzke Road.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: The craft show opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. That leaves time for the 6 p.m. performance if you skip the 1 p.m. matinee.
If seeing Santa at the craft show matters to your family, go with the Friday or an evening performance. If the matinee is the priority, a morning at the craft show before the Santa window still works on Saturday, as long as you leave Telge Road by about 1:30 p.m.
The same weekend has room for something smaller, too. Two places on the Cy-Fair side opened this fall. Aleyotl Coffee & Bakery soft-opened Sept. 11 and held its grand opening Oct. 28 at 28404 Hempstead Road, Unit G09. The Peach Cobbler Factory Cy-Fair soft-opened Oct. 25 at 13325 FM 1960 W., according to Community Impact. In Elyson, Coco Crepes & Coffee began a soft opening Nov. 2 at 7040 Elyson Exchange Way, Ste. 400, with a grand opening planned for mid-November, Community Impact reported.
The Season on One Page
- Thu., Nov. 19, 6-8 p.m.: Light the Towne, Boardwalk Towne Lake. Santa around 6:20 p.m., free visitor parking, no outside chairs, food or drinks.
- Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Towne Lake Farmer's Market, Boardwalk Towne Lake.
- Sat., Nov. 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Nutcracker Market, Berry Center. $6 cash or online, no strollers until after 2 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m.: Live music at the Boardwalk.
- Fri.-Sun., Dec. 4-6: Houston Repertoire Ballet's The Nutcracker, CFISD Visual and Performing Arts Center, 11420 Matzke Road. Tickets from $30, no late seating.
- Sat.-Sun., Dec. 5-6: Cy-Fair FFA Country Christmas Craft Show, Telge Exhibit Center, 11206 Telge Road. Santa photos noon-2 p.m. both days.
If you're new to Cypress, or you're trying to figure out which Saturday works best for visiting family, we're glad to share what we know about the area's calendar and the neighborhoods around these venues. Kesley Flanagan and Topmark Realty Group live and work here, and we're happy to help you plan the season. Let's talk about your next move.
