On Friday, December 4, The Woodlands Waterway has its holiday market open, fireworks over the water and the light trail lit, with two new restaurants a short walk away. No other December evening on the 2026 calendar has all of that.
Two events are new this year. The Market at Holiday on The Waterway and Waterway Winter Nights both run in the evening and both come back week after week. They join two restaurants that opened on Waterway Avenue this fall, and the result is a season of repeat visits. A family can come back four or five times before January and find something different each time.
The Season Opens Over Three Straight Days
The traditional openers come first, in quick order, at the start of Thanksgiving week's lead-up:
- Thursday, November 19, 6 p.m. The Market Street Annual Tree Lighting Event is free at 9595 Six Pines Drive, according to Community Impact's fall events roundup. After that night, Market Street in Lights plays a three-minute light show set to holiday music every hour from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. through December 31.
- Friday, November 20. The Woodlands Ice Rink opens at 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, next to Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. A two-hour session costs $15, and the rink stays open through January 18, 2027. The Holiday on The Waterway site calls it an indoor rink.
- Saturday, November 21, 3 to 8 p.m. The Woodlands Township holds the Lighting of the Doves at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive. The festival has two stages, snow play, Santa, the dove lighting and fireworks. Visit The Woodlands lists crafts with The Woodlands Children's Museum as part of the day.
That same Saturday, the Holiday on The Waterway light trail turns on at 31 Waterway Square Place. It is free, has more than one million lights and runs through January 3, 2027. Light tunnels, arches and giant snowflakes, ornaments and gift boxes line the paths and bridges.
Up to this point, the season follows the format the Township has long used. The Lighting of the Doves is described on the official festival page as a long-standing tradition that marks the start of the holiday season in the community. The change comes after opening night.
Two New Events, Both in the Evening
The Market at Holiday on The Waterway also opens November 21. Vendors sell gifts, seasonal items and holiday treats from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, until December 9. The market is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Waterway Winter Nights takes over Waterway Square on the first three Fridays of December, from 7 to 9 p.m. Visit The Woodlands calls it a sister event to the Lighting of the Doves. Each night has live music, and a seven-minute fireworks show over The Waterway closes the evening at 8:55 p.m. Visit The Woodlands sponsors the fireworks. Admission is free, and lawn chairs and blankets are welcome.
On the 2026 calendar, the two schedules fall like this:
| Date | Market at Holiday on The Waterway, 5–9 p.m. | Waterway Winter Nights, 7–9 p.m. |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Open, same day as Lighting of the Doves | — |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Closed for Thanksgiving | — |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Open | — |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Open | — |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Open | — |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Open | Music and 8:55 p.m. fireworks |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Open | — |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | — | Music and 8:55 p.m. fireworks |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | — | Music and 8:55 p.m. fireworks |
The market's last Thursday-through-Saturday run is December 3 through 5. The fireworks Fridays start December 4. That makes the first Friday of December the one evening when both new events are running.
December 4 Is the Night Everything Overlaps
On December 4, the market opens at 5 p.m. and the music in Waterway Square starts at 7 p.m. The fireworks begin at 8:55 p.m., five minutes before the market closes. The light trail is lit all evening, and the Market Street light show is still running its hourly shows nearby.
The other two Fridays, December 11 and 18, have the music and fireworks but no market. The market Saturdays have shopping but no fireworks, apart from the Lighting of the Doves fireworks on opening day. In December, the market and the Winter Nights fireworks share a single evening.
At Winter Nights, on-site vendors sell dinner and drinks, including Sorriso Modern Italian Kitchen. For a sit-down meal before the 8:55 p.m. fireworks, two new options are now open on Waterway Avenue.
Dinner at 24 and 25 Waterway Avenue
Both restaurants are Houston names that opened Woodlands locations on The Waterway this fall. One came from River Oaks and the other from Memorial.
Bari Ristorante, 24 Waterway Ave.
Bari Ristorante The Woodlands opened September 30 at 24 Waterway Ave. It is a 9,000-square-foot Italian restaurant from Bari Hospitality Group, according to Community Impact. PaperCity reports that the entrance has the same car as the River Oaks location. The kitchen makes its own pasta, gelato, sauces and bread. Each dining room seats up to 40 for private events, and the lounge holds up to 30.
The same PaperCity report lists these hours. Monday through Thursday, Bari is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, it is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and weekend brunch runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bari also has a weekday happy hour with $10 burgers and $10 individual pizzas. With an 11 p.m. close on Fridays, dinner on a Winter Nights evening can easily come after the fireworks. On a Saturday, brunch fits before the Lighting of the Doves begins at 3 p.m.
Bar Bludorn, 25 Waterway Ave.
Bar Bludorn The Woodlands opened October 2 at 25 Waterway Ave. It is Bludorn Hospitality Group's fifth restaurant and its first outside Houston, according to Community Impact. The group calls it an upscale tavern with a private dining room and outdoor patio seating. It is modeled on the Memorial Bar Bludorn that opened in 2024, but its menu is different. The menu includes oysters served fried, grilled, raw or dressed, steak tartare with potato rosti, branzino with salsa verde and black garlic za'atar, bavette steak frites, and duck breast on riso venere. The bar serves craft cocktails and a deep wine and spirits list.
On a cool December Friday, a patio within walking distance of Waterway Square is a practical place to wait out the gap between the 7 p.m. music and the 8:55 p.m. fireworks.
Moving Between the Stops
The stops cover Town Green Park, Waterway Square, the rink next to the Pavilion and Market Street. Visit The Woodlands lists two ways to get around besides walking. One is the free Town Center Trolley. The other is a swan boat rental, which lets you see the lights from the water. The Holiday on The Waterway site also has a downloadable brochure and map that marks the featured lights and activities along the route.
Bad weather can change the plan. Visit The Woodlands says all Winter Nights entertainment and fireworks depend on the weather and may change. The Township says Lighting of the Doves details and locations may also change. Check the official event pages the morning of December 4 before you book dinner.
At The LaRose Kaileh Group, we follow The Woodlands the way our clients live in it, including which December evening on The Waterway is worth planning around. If you are hosting family this season or thinking about a home within an easy trip of Town Center, we would be glad to share what we know. Request a Private Consultation.
