Frisco, Texas -- The holidays are quickly approaching, and Kaleidoscope Park’s event calendar is brimming with cheerful community celebrations. As the Park enters its second winter season, visitors can enjoy a special holiday edition of its popular weekly program, SaturYAY, in addition to seven one-day events: the Holly Jolly Stroll and Roll, Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Shop Local Holiday Market, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Kaleidoscope Live Holiday Concert, Fireside with Friends, and Chanukah Menorah Lighting.
The festivities will kick off with the Holly Jolly Stroll and Roll, a joyful, on-foot parade through the Park on Friday, November 21, beginning at 6 p.m. Participants are encouraged to decorate strollers, wagons, or wheelchairs, and join their neighbors in spreading holiday cheer. The stroll is accessible for all ages and abilities, and even pets are welcome to join in the fun. Participation is free, and those interested in taking part can sign up at kaleidoscopepark.org.
Immediately following the parade, North Texas Performing Arts will take the stage for a holiday show at 6:30 p.m. The Park’s second annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will follow at 7 p.m., when visitors can watch the Park’s 45-foot Enchanted Christmas Tree come to life with more than 42,000 synchronized lights dancing to music. From 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., the full Plano Symphony Orchestra will perform, with the concert sponsored by Capital One. Until 9 p.m., visitors can also enjoy complimentary cocoa and cookies sponsored by Plug and Play, children’s crafts and activities sponsored by Cook Children’s, and a mini train and sleigh sponsored by Bank of Texas. Santa Claus and two live reindeer will make special appearances, and families can capture memories with themed photo opportunities, including a snow globe display and a holiday wall. During this event, visitors are invited to participate in an Angel Tree adoption, selecting a wish list from local nonprofit City House to help bring light and hope to youth experiencing crisis or homelessness.
The next morning marks the return of SaturYAY Holiday Edition, beginning Saturday, November 22, and running weekly through December 20 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This special version of the Park’s popular weekly program will feature a lineup of festive family fun. Children can visit with Santa Claus and share their wish lists at the Letters to Santa station. Little ones can also create holiday-themed crafts such as glitter art and ornament decorating, and hop into the mini train and sleigh, sponsored by Bank of Texas.
On Saturday, November 29, visitors can browse the Shop Local Holiday Market, sponsored by Comerica Bank, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 15 vendors will line the Park’s Performance Lawn, offering a variety of goods, winter treats, and handcrafted gifts. This unique shopping experience will showcase skilled artisans, local makers, and even child-led businesses from Young Tech Pioneers, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through hands-on entrepreneurship.
Offerings will include cookies, ornaments, candles, books, laser-engraved gifts, and more. Vendor applications are available at kaleidoscopepark.org/support/vendor-opportunities.
In December, Kaleidoscope Park will host Altair Global’s How the Grinch Fights Hunger on Saturday, December 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This Grinch-themed food drive and vendor market benefits the North Texas Food Bank and Move for Hunger and has already provided more than 137,000 meals to local families in need.
Attendees are encouraged to drop off nonperishable food items, hygiene products, or cleaning supplies, and enjoy the Wholiday Market, music, and a free raffle with six prizes. Donations can also be made online at donate.moveforhunger.org/campaign/726480/donate.
Later that evening, the Park’s Kaleidoscope Live concert series returns on the first Saturday of the month, December 6, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Local school groups will perform from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., followed by a performance from the Plano Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Visitors can bring a blanket or chair, grab a bite from on-site food trucks, and enjoy a cozy evening of music under the stars. Each month, Kaleidoscope Park welcomes community groups to its VIP seating area. In December, Military, Veterans, and First Responders are invited to join as honored guests. Seating is first-come, first-served while space is available, and the invitation is valid for up to two people.
On Thursday, December 12, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Kaleidoscope Park will host Fireside with Friends, an exclusive Friends of the Park donor event. Friends can cozy up by the fire for a magical evening with fellow supporters, featuring gooey s’mores roasted over the fire, warm cocoa, cider, and other seasonal treats, light jazz and holiday tunes, and campfire stories for kids and adults alike. Seating is limited, so Friends are encouraged to bring a favorite folding chair or blanket.
Friends of the Park is a membership based on annual support, with contributions renewing each year to sustain the Park’s programs, events, and community initiatives. If you’d like to become a Friend, visit kaleidoscopepark.org/support/friends-of-the-park/ to join and take part in this special evening.
Lastly, Kaleidoscope Park will partner with Chabad of Frisco to host a community Chanukah Menorah Lighting on Sunday, December 21, at 3 p.m. The celebration will feature remarks from Rabbi Mendy Kesselman, traditional music, small bites, and hands-on crafts, leading up to the candle lighting. A 12-foot menorah will illuminate the Park’s Performance Lawn as a symbol of light, unity, and hope, with an additional candle kindled each evening during the week of Chanukah.
Throughout the entire season, visitors will notice the Park beautifully illuminated with twinkling holiday lights. A section of these lights is generously sponsored by CoServ, adding extra sparkle to the Park’s festive atmosphere.
Kaleidoscope Park continues to be a space where everyone can celebrate, connect, and create memories together. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Park does not receive city funding and depends on the generosity of community members and sponsors to keep its programs free and accessible.
If you’ve enjoyed visiting Kaleidoscope Park, consider sponsoring one of the upcoming holiday events, or making a year-end contribution. To learn more, visit kaleidoscopepark.org/support/.
ABOUT KALEIDOSCOPE PARK
Kaleidoscope Park is a dynamic, innovative arts and culture destination for North Texas that celebrated its Grand Opening in October 2024. The Park is home to free, year-round public programming, including markets, diverse musical and dance performances, and a variety of health and recreational activities. The Park features monumental works of public art, architecture, and gardens set among a children’s play area, dog park, performance lawn, outdoor workspaces, and shaded promenades and plazas. Learn more at kaleidoscopepark.org.
ABOUT THE KALEIDOSCOPE PARK FOUNDATION
Kaleidoscope Park Foundation is a nonprofit public-private partnership between Communities Foundation of Texas and the City of Frisco. The Foundation’s mission is to thoughtfully engage the diverse and rapidly growing communities of North Texas through free public arts and culture programming that is genuine, inclusive, and accessible. Operating as a Foundation supported by private donations, financial support for development, operations, and programming is always welcome.
ABOUT COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS
The mission of Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is to improve the lives of all people in our community by investing in their health, wealth, living, and learning. CFT works to accomplish this by growing community giving, expanding community impact, and advancing community equity. With a vision of building thriving communities for all, CFT works locally and across the state with many individuals, families, companies, foundations, and nonprofits through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. CFT professionally manages more than 1,300 charitable funds and has awarded more than $2.6 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.
CFT is committed to serving and understanding donor needs, expertly handling complex gifts, wisely managing charitable funds, and leveraging its community knowledge to increase charitable impact, in addition to powering several initiatives including the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at CFT, CFT’s Center for Business Impact, Educate Texas at CFT, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy at CFT, GiveWisely, and CFT’s North Texas Giving Day. CFT’s North Texas Giving Day raised $70 million on a single day in 2024 to help over 3,200 North Texas nonprofits. Learn more at CFTexas.org.
ABOUT HALL PARK
A pioneering development in Frisco since the mid-1990s, HALL Park today encompasses 2.2 million square feet of office and retail space throughout 15 buildings. One-third of the park is dedicated to green space and includes three miles of walking trails, over 200 works of art including the Texas Sculpture Garden, the largest private collection of contemporary Texas sculpture made available to the public. In October 2021, its developer, HALL Group, commenced construction on the first phase of its new masterplan development that will evolve HALL Park into a dynamic mixed-use community. Upon completion, the full masterplan–anticipated to span 15-20 years of development–will encompass approximately 9.5 million square feet of usable mixed-use space, including residential, with a projected value of around $7 billion. Learn more at hallpark.com.
