Performances from The Nutcracker, a hand bell choir, and old-fashioned Christmas carolers will entertain guests at this year's Galveston Holiday Lighting Celebration at Hotel Galvez & Spa®, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel, on Friday, Nov. 28. This is one of the 1,000+ holiday events being held this year in Galveston, “The Winter Wonder Island” of Texas. The Holiday Lighting Celebration is an annual, free family event and marks the start of the official holiday season on the island.

The Celebration commences at 6 p.m. with the arrival of Santa Claus via horse-drawn carriage, Santa's arrival signals the lighting of the hotel's iconic 35-foot Christmas tree located on the front lawn, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston Ballet and other local talent will set the spirit for this holiday season. Children are invited to have souvenir photos taken with Santa and will receive a small gift. Adding to the festivities, Dickens on The Strand's Queen Victoria and the Nesquik Bunny from Nestle Toll House Café will make special appearances. Most importantly, to honor the true spirit of the evening, Hotel Galvez will be collecting monetary donations for the Salvation Army to help make the holidays brighter for all members of the community.

Galveston holiday events to enjoy during the season include some of the following:

• Nov. 15 - Jan. 4 (open daily), Holiday “Ice Land” Exhibit and Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens. The new “Ice Land” exhibit will feature 20 large ice sculptures in a 25,000 sq. ft. structure while Moody Gardens Festival of Lights features a mile-long trail of holiday lights, ice skating and snow tubing on the Arctic Ice Slide. For information, visit www.moodygardens.com.
• Nov. 28 – Jan. 4 (open daily), Holiday Magic at House Museums. The 1892 Bishop's Palace and 1895 Moody Mansion will be adorned with holiday décor and are open for tours daily. Moody Mansion will host its annual open house on Dec. 14 and celebrate Twelfth Night on Jan. 6  
• Nov. 29 – Dec. 20 (open weekends), Santa at Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark. Santa Claus will surf twice daily at Schlitterbahn and visit with children.
• Nov. 29, Dec. 13 & 20, Santa on The Strand. Santa Claus will make a special appearance at Saengerfest Park to visit with children and take photos.
• Nov. 29 – Dec. 31, Holiday Lights and Magic in the Park. Galveston's historic downtown will sparkle with fun as Saengerfest Park is transformed into a holiday spectacle on weekends. Visitors to downtown will be able to enjoy holiday light shows, music, flurries of “snow,” visits with Santa and more. 
• Dec. 13, Santa Train at Galveston Island Railroad Museum. Children will have the opportunity to take a train ride with Santa Claus
• Dec. 5 – 7, Dickens on The Strand. Imagine the Victorian London of Charles Dickens transported into Galveston's historic Strand District. This Victorian-themed holiday festival offers family entertainment, holiday food and drink, crafts, holiday décor and other gift items.
• Dec. 21, Santa Hustle Half Marathon and 5K. An estimated 4,000 “Santas” will race in the Santa Hustle Half Marathon and 5K donning their Santa beards and shirts.  

A complete calendar of Galveston holiday events is available at www.Galveston.com/HolidayMagic.

Hotel Galvez & Spa is offering a special holiday package during the Thanksgiving weekend as a celebration of Galveston's holiday festivities. The Thanksgiving Getaway package, available Nov. 26-Nov. 28 or Nov. 28-Nov. 30, includes a two-night stay, Thanksgiving brunch for two, complimentary valet parking and courtesy shuttle service to Galveston's historic Strand District for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Additionally, the hotel is offering a Galvez Holiday Getaway package through the holiday season. This package includes a $50 food and beverage credit, complimentary valet. See special offers at www.WyndhamHotelGalvez.com. The hotel's shuttle is also available to transport guests to Galveston's downtown for shopping and holiday festivities, upon request.

About Hotel Galvez & Spa®

Hotel Galvez & Spa®, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel and National Trust Historic Hotel of America, is the only historic beachfront hotel on the Texas Gulf Coast. This 224-room, century-old hotel offers 13,000 square feet of meeting space, a 9,763-square-foot spa, fitness center, full-service restaurant, lobby bar, pool with a swim-up bar and Hall of History.

The hotel is rated four diamonds by AAA and is owned by the Cynthia and George Mitchell family as part of Mitchell Historic Properties. For reservations, call (800) WYNDHAM, or visit www.HotelGalvez.com.

About Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC, a subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN), offers upscale hotel and resort accommodations at more than 170 properties throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and China. All Wyndham® hotels are either franchised by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, LLC or managed by Wyndham Hotel Management, Inc., or one of its affiliates. Additional information and reservations for all Wyndham hotels are available by visiting www.wyndham.com.

About Wyndham Grand Hotels and Resorts

Wyndham Grand® Hotels and Resorts are an ensemble of distinguished hotels within the Wyndham® Hotels and Resorts brand that represent one-of-a-kind experiences in key destinations with refined accommodation, attentive service and relaxed surroundings.  For more information, visit www.wyndhamgrand.com.

About Galveston Island

Galveston Island is a historic beach town located on the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from Houston. The island is best known as a vacation destination, offering 32 miles of beaches, a variety of family attractions, Texas' premier cruise port and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country. For more information on Galveston Island visit www.galveston.com or call 1-888-GAL-ISLE.

###

MEDIA CONTACT:

Christine Hopkins, APR

Director of Communications

Hotel Galvez & Spa, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel

The Tremont House, A Wyndham Grand® Hotel

Harbor House Hotel & Marina at Pier 21

Office (409) 515-2058/Cell (409) 457- 1055

E-mail: chopkins@wyndham.com

Hotel Galvez Pressroom