In November 2017 the Wiess Energy Hall reopened its doors after undergoing a massive renovation. The previous version of the exhibit covered 8,500 square feet and was home to several classic attractions, like the popular Geovater and the Energy Jukebox. The new and improved exhibit, however, is more than triple in size, and now spans 30,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on learning and fun. Over the holidays we got a chance to check it out, and it did not disappoint. 

Dewberry Farm is an easy favorite when it comes to planning fall activities, and once the holiday season hits it becomes a choose-n-cut Christmas tree chopping destination. However, this year the farm has added another layer of holiday cheer to the festivities: the brand new Trail of Lights and Christmas Village, touting it as a "Christmas Adventure as Big as Texas!" Christmas lights become a bigger and bigger deal each year as our kids get older, and when we had the opportunity to check out the Trail of Lights I knew it was a holiday activity we had to add to our list.

Spoiler: it was a BIG hit... dare I say... (drum roll...) as big as Texas? 

First and foremost: Happy Thanksgiving! While our city suffered major devastation earlier this year, we still have so much to be thankful for in our great city, and for those interested in spending paying it forward we've rounded up some wonderful holiday volunteering opportunities. 

If you find yourself in a last-minute panic over how to feed incoming guests and decide you just want to scrap the cooking entirely, there are plenty of great restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day ready to serve you and your family and friends. 

After Thursday's feast, it's officially time to start looking at Christmas. That means planning photos with Santa, as well as breakfast, brunch, and more with the big guy. There are also still plenty of craft fairs and markets happening, making gift-buying for the holidays a breeze, especially if you decided to opt out of the Black Friday shopping craziness. 

Find yourself in need of some family-friendly activities to fill up the upcoming weeks and weekends? Check out our fall bucket list, event calendar, and November GoList for tons of family events and activities. You can also subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to make sure you're always in the loop with everything happening around Houston. 

Have an event you want to share? You'll definitely want to submit your event to our calendar, and we'll share it with all of our loyal readers.

Now, let's get on to this weekend's events!