Family Fun with Christmas at the Anatole in Dallas
Holiday traditions are an important part of making memories with children. Immediately after Thanksgiving, we make plans to visit Hilton Anatole in Dallas for their holiday event, Christmas at the Anatole.
We instantly fell in love with spending time at Hilton Anatole last year when we attended the hotel’s Sparkle! event. We drove away from last year knowing that we would be back this year! With multiple dates between Thanksgiving and Christmas, families have many opportunities to enjoy this Dallas treat.
What’s New This Year at Christmas at the Anatole
This year’s event, Christmas at the Anatole, is a reinvented holiday experience. Because Hilton Anatole is in the process of building a resort pool, some of the holiday attractions have been altered compared to previous years. While there is no ice skating rink or bounce house, there are plenty of activities to keep your entire family entertained for the weekend.
We enjoyed family movie night in one of the conference rooms. The hotel provided pillows and blankets and we enjoyed laying on the floor to watch family Christmas movies.
During the Breakfast with Santa event, children can enjoy story time and a scavenger hunt that covers the entire hotel! There are opportunities to make crafts, write letters to military service members deployed during the holidays, drink hot chocolate, enjoy face painting, decorate cookies, answer trivia, and take pictures by the Christmas tree.

Our favorite spot was a large conference room transformed into a gingerbread house. Inside were tables of cupcakes and cookies, icings to pipe, and bowls of decorating supplies. Treats could be enjoyed immediately or boxed to take home.

Returning Favorites from Previous Events
While the scavenger hunt is a new activity, Breakfast with Santa is a returning favorite. The chefs have prepared a classic breakfast to satisfy everyone in your family. Our family rarely has the opportunity to sit at the table and enjoy breakfast together so we appreciated lingering over breakfast as we awaited our turn for Santa and Mrs. Claus to join us at our table. Santa took the time to speak with everyone, take pictures, and answer questions.

A year-round treat at Hilton Anatole is Geppetto’s Theater. While there is a rotating playlist throughout the year, the holiday season features a marionette show titled Winter Wonderland. Without spoiling any of the surprises, you must Let it Go for just an hour to Rock Around the Christmas Tree in your best Blue Suede Shoes. While some of the cast is a little wooden, the detail and talent of the crew is pulling my strings to visit the upcoming spring show.

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Know Before You Go
- On the third Friday of every month from 6 PM to midnight, the Dallas Museum of Art holds a Late Nights at the DMA event, which holds performances and additional events.
- The McKinney Avenue Trolley is free to ride and can take you from Uptown to Downtown.
- The nation’s largest art district is located in Dallas.
- Since 1886, The State Fair of Texas has been held in Dallas.