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Celebrate the December 2024 holidays in Pearland! This year, there are numerous festive events — including some that are free to attend — from now through Christmas and New Year’s Eve. For easy planning, we’ve listed these week-by-week, followed by those events going on through the month. To fuel all those activities for you and your family, we’re also including visit suggestions for Pearland restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and more. Pearland is known for its ever-growing food and drink scene, so enjoying it should definitely be part of your December plans! 

In addition to all of the special holiday activities below, Pearland also is home to the drink-focused (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) Sip & Save Trail, Pear-Scape Art Trail, mural tour and geocaching adventure. (Some of these are weather-dependent, but South Texas is famous for its mild winters.) For these and many more suggestions, go to the Visit Pearland website! 

Biggest Shopping Weekend at Pearland Town Center, 11200 Broadway: Check off those last presents on your list and Shop With a Show on Saturday, December 21 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Spend an afternoon enjoying fun, food and fantastic performances! Stroll through a diverse range of handmade treasures and indulge in the delicious treats while searching for that unique find. Support local businesses and artists bringing their best to this memorable and exciting event featuring fun music and entertainment.

Ugly Sweater Christmas Eve Buffet at Hometown Seafood Company, 5010 Broadway: Don your most-festive and garish holiday sweater and head over to Hometown Seafood Company for a Ugly Sweater Christmas Eve Buffet on Tuesday, December 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet will have stations for carved Prime rib and ham, as well as seafood, omelets, desserts and more. The grown-ups can indulge in $20 bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys. The cost is only $35 per person; kids 12 and under are $10. Call (281) 416-5419 for reservations. 

Ongoing Pearland Holiday Events Through December 2024

Pearland Festival of Lights at Pearland Town Center, 11200 Broadway: Experience the magic of Christmas through Monday, December 23 from 6 to 10 p.m. Enjoy photo opportunities and stroll through the lighted Christmas displays presented by Second Baptist Church.

Photos with Santa at Pearland Town Center, 11200 Broadway: Through December 24, bring your kids to visit Santa at his workshop, pen a “Dear Santa” letter (don’t forget to drop off your letter in Santa’s mailbox!) and take photos with jolly ol’ St. Nick himself. Times vary by day, and reservations for Santa are encouraged. For parents of fur kids, Monday, December 16 is pet-friendly day with Santa! Go online for more info or to reserve your shoot.

Where to Dine in Pearland Town Center Grab a bite before or after your photo-call at one of these many dining options.

• Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken, 11200 Broadway, Suite 400: Dive into a plate of super-crispy Korean fried chicken. Bonchon lets you choose between drumsticks, strips, wings or mixed tossed in a variety of sauces including our favorite “Yangnyeom” flavor, a sweet-and-spicy, gochujang-based sauce balanced with soy, garlic and vinegar. While you’re there, be sure not to miss the Mopo Corndog made with a mozzarella cheese center in crispy breading with crunchy potato cubes. 
• Russo’s New York Pizzeria, 11200 Broadway, Suite 635: For over thirty years, Galveston local Anthony Russo has been perfecting pizza and calzone recipes handed down from his Sicilian grandparents at multiple Greater Houston-area eateries. Treat the entire famila to a giant 28-inch party pizza that feeds 10, or take a walk on the wild side and order the Brooklyn Paesano Square Pizza topped with peperoni, sausage and red onion. A robust selection of salads, wings and Italian apps is sure to keep the whole crew happy. 
• Shogun Sushi and Hibachi, 11200 Broadway: Slide into this traditional sushi and teppanyaki house where meals are cooked right in front of you, providing a show to accompany your meal. Start with a seaweed salad, then move on to shrimp tempura before choosing between the Banzai Dinner (steak, chicken and shrimp) or the Filet Mignon Bento Box. Round out the meal with ae California roll and a couple portions of eel sashimi. 

Holiday Light Display at Independence Park, 3919 Liberty: Through Tuesday December 31 from 6 to 9 p.m., brighten up your holidays all month long by visiting this amazing light exhibit with captivating photo moment displays sponsored by Frontier Waste Solutions, Lone Star Recreation and Texas Emergency Care Center. This is the perfect place to take your family holiday photos, enjoy an evening walk outside and share the magic of the holiday season with your loved ones.

Where to Dine Near Independence Park: There are numerous restaurants nearby for fueling up before or after your holiday stroll in the park. Here are just a few. 

• Boiling Pho, 2705 Broadway: Nothing satisfies during a chilly evening like a steaming-hot bowl of phở — Vietnamese noodle soup! Boiling Pho is known as one of the best restaurant in Pearland for this speciality, and bowls come in small, large or extra-large sizes. There are a dozen meat options to consider, such as meatball, fatty brisket, chicken, seafood and lemongrass beef. For something crunchy with your meal, select from crab rangoons, fried shrimp rolls or chả giò — addictive fried egg rolls filled with ground pork, noodles and mushrooms. 

• Killen’s Burger, 2804 South Main: At this ’50s retro-diner-style burger joint, located only a five-minute drive from the park, you can take a trip through time while enjoying expertly prepared classic burgers. Founded by Pearland native Ronnie Killen, who just earned Michelin acclaim for two of his other restaurants, Killen’s Burger also offers modern burger interpretations such as the triple-meat smashburger and other options topped with brisket or truffle aioli. Alongside, enjoy crinkle or hand-cut fries (including some topped with brisket or Wisconsin cheese curds), and if you’re not in the mood for a burger, there are hot dogs, including the Stuffed Dog with bacon, cheddar cheese and jalapeño, and a wide selection of chicken sandwiches. 

• Portara Fresh Mediterranean, 2740 Broadway: Sometimes it’s hard to find wholesome food during the holidays, but at this restaurant, it’s easy. Owned by Sheri Rabanal, who also runs Taglia Fresh Italian, Portara offers numerous Mediterranean dips, including one hummus infused with beets and another spiked with chipotle, nutritious bowls such as the Portara Bowl with a protein choice of chicken kabob, Honey Harissa Chicken Kabob, souvlaki chicken, falafel and gyro meat, and warming soups, including the traditional egg lemon soup with chicken and rice known in Greece as avgolemono. Of course, with tempting dishes such as saganaki (fried cheese with pita), spanakopita (phyllo dough filled with spinach, feta and onions) and pastitsio, Greece’s answer to lasagna with pasta, meat sauce, and bechamel, there are also plenty of chances for holiday-style indulgence. 

Pictures with Santa and The Grinch at Cole’s Flea Market, 1014 North Main: Bring the kids to take photos with Christmas’s crankiest character, The Grinch, on Saturday, December 14 and 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your own photo or camera to capture the moment.

Where to Have a Kid-Friendly Breakfast Before the Photos: Kids can be cranky when they’re hungry (and that sure doesn’t make for good pictures), so make a festive day of it by dropping by a Pearland restaurant for breakfast or brunch. 

• Busy Bee Café, 4009 Broadway: Just a five-minute drive south from Cole’s Flea Market, this long-standing spot for breakfast and brunch opens at 6 a.m. daily. Breakfast dishes are served all day long and include classic egg platters with bacon, ham, sausage or the special Smoked Rope Sausage, Breakfast On a Biscuit — two hot buttermilk biscuits smothered with scrambled eggs and sausage gravy with country potatoes — and a number of omelets, such as the Spanish Omelet with pan sausage, green chiles, onions and cheddar cheese. There’s not only a kids’ menu with right-sized breakfasts, such as one with a hot cake, one strip of bacon for $5.49 (add an egg for 99 cents), but also a senior menu — perfect if Grandma or Grandpa is going with you for holiday photos and shopping. 
• Stella’s Fresh Brunch, 3115 Dixie Farm Road: December is a great time to visit this Pearland favorite, as right now there are some seasonal dishes such as Eggnog French Toast topped with cranberry sauce and Gingerbread Waffle topped with cinnamon butter. There are festive coffee drinks, too, including the Xmas Cookie Latte and Toasted Marshmallow Mocha. The seven different kid-sized meals are perfect for family outings and include a breakfast plate with one meat, scrambled eggs, hash browns and toast and French toast with a side of fresh fruit. 

Christmas High Tea at Four Friends Tea Room and Gifts, 3816 East Broadway: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Thursday, December 26, make special memories this holiday season with Christmas High Tea at Four Friends Tea Room and Gifts. 

Check out Visit Pearland on social media for the latest updates on what’s going on around town! You can follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There is even a YouTube channel with videos that take you right to the people and places that make Pearland a great food and drink destination! Happy holidays from all of us at Visit Pearland and Houston Food Finder!

Alex Gregg and Phaedra Cook