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'Tis the season for twinkling lights and festive delights!

We've got a roundup of Houston's most enchanting light displays sure to drum up the holiday spirit.

Downtown has transformed into a holiday destination with several free and cheap things to do, like the Winter Wanderland light display outside City Hall and ice-skating at Discovery Green Park.

This special wintertime event pairs zoo animals with glistening lights. There are life-size animal lights, an enchanted forest, a colorful holiday light tunnel, a canopy of glowing flowers and butterflies, and more.

Tickets range from $22 to $35 based on the day. Now through Jan. 7.

The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, formerly a drinking water reservoir, has a special light installation by a local artist on view from Saturday through Jan. 7.

The 30-minute show happens Wednesdays through Sundays regularly from 10am to 5pm. Tickets are $12.

You don't have to shell out money to see photo-worthy light displays. Drive through River Oaks, the Heights, Briargrove or Pecan Grove to see the exuberant displays (and enjoy glimpses of luxurious homes, if that's your cup of tea).

See the botanical gardens glow up, with a majestic 200-foot-long dragon, 12-foot-tall peacock and other animals. The nature-themed light display is up through the end of the year. Tickets around $30.

Space Center Houston has an out-of-this-world light show. The space-themed installations are open through Jan. 7. Tickets range from $20 to $30.

The 10th annual holiday light show in Sugar Land is a sparkling wonderland featuring 3.5 million lights. Santa Claus is present until Dec. 23.

There are also holiday food vendors and themed nights, including Cowboy Christmas, Teacher Appreciation Night and more. See the full schedule here.

Drive through an electric show while staying warm in your car. There are two locations in the Houston area — in Spring and Katy — and both are open till Jan. 1.

$39 per vehicle online or $50 at the gate.

Guide to Houston's best holiday light displays

Houston's become a winter wonderland, with lighting displays at the zoo, space center and more.

Christmas

&#x27;Tis the season for twinkling lights and festive delights!<ul><li>We&#x27;ve got a roundup of Houston&#x27;s most enchanting light displays sure to drum up the holiday spirit.</li></ul>

Things to Do

On a recent gallery-hopping trip in Sawyer Yards, we came across Site Gallery Houston, an art space located in a former grain storage facility.

Why it matters: It's always fascinating when old structures are kept intact and repurposed.

The intrigue: The entrance of the gallery still had the old switches where visitors could play with buttons and keys with labels like "parboil" and "brown rice."

Inside, visitors could see the large rice silos.

Left photo of rice silos and right photo of dials and switches

We could almost detect the faint smell of rice in the air. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios

Driving the news: "Sculpture Month Houston 2023: The Sleep of Reason" is currently on display at Site Gallery. It's funky and spooky, and the dozens of rice silo structures add to the creepiness of the installations.

Of note: We were introduced to the gallery by Taylor Rae, who hosts free tours of galleries through her brand Museum Trippin' in an effort to get more people to view local art.

If you go: 1502 Sawyer St. The current exhibition is on display until Saturday.

See art in former rice silos

Site Gallery seemed to be the perfect location for the current exhibit.

Site Gallery Houston seemed to be the perfect location for the current exhibit. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios

On a recent gallery-hopping trip in Sawyer Yards, we came across <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Site Gallery Houston" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/sitegalleryhouston/" data-vars-content-id="80d37d94-a51f-4e83-b79f-6e249c9f717a" data-vars-headline="See art in former rice silos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/sitegalleryhouston/" target="_blank">Site Gallery Houston</a>, an art space located in a former grain storage facility.Why it matters: It&#x27;s always fascinating when old structures are kept intact and repurposed.

A mini library vending machine is now at William P. Hobby Airport.

Driving the news: People visiting Hobby Airport can stop by the Houston Public Library's Booklink at the airport's entrance, near the escalators and TSA screening.

How it works: Only Houston Public Library cardholders can check out physical books, but anyone can check out an e-book or an audiobook with just an email address.

The cabinet features five shelves of books for adults, teens and children, and books are in English and Spanish. Cardholders can scan their library card, open the door, and check out or return any book.

The receipt will show when the book is due. Physical books have a normal lending period of three weeks and can be returned to any library location in the system. Digital books have a 14-day lending period.

Of note: While Hobby is not part of the library's regular delivery route, a library spokesperson said they can restock the machine daily or as needed. 

Flashback: The Houston Public Library installed its first Booklink in 2019 at a library in downtown Houston as part of an initiative to bring the library to more people.

Houston's Hobby Airport now has a library vending machine

Visitors can stop by the Houston Public Library's Booklink near TSA Screening.

Photo off a vending machine filled with books. 

The little library in the airport. Photo: Courtesy of Houston Airport System

Air travel

A mini library vending machine is now at William P. Hobby Airport.Driving the news: People visiting Hobby Airport can stop by the Houston Public Library&#x27;s Booklink at the airport&#x27;s entrance, near the escalators and TSA screening.

News

Transit

Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotify this year in Houston. Surprise, surprise.

Drake, Bad Bunny, Peso Pluma and The Weeknd rounded out H-Towns top five artists, respectively.

The big picture: Spotify Wrapped named Swift the most-streamed artist globally on Wednesday.

Here's what Houstonians listened to this year, per Spotify:

"Ella Baila Sola" by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma

"Bebe Dame" by Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera

"La Bebe - Remix" by Peso Pluma, Yng Lvcas

Houston's most streamed songs on Spotify in 2023

Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotify this year in Houston. Drake and Bad Bunny also made the top five.

Taylor Swift at at NRG Stadium on April 21. Photo: Bob Levey/TAS23/Getty Images

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotify this year in Houston. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Surprise, surprise." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/20/taylor-swift-kelce-eras-chiefs-news" data-vars-content-id="e7dbc59b-afe6-453a-912f-fdfc86edf11c" data-vars-headline="Houston&#x27;s most streamed songs on Spotify in 2023" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/20/taylor-swift-kelce-eras-chiefs-news" target="_self">Surprise, surprise.</a><ul><li>Drake, Bad Bunny, Peso Pluma and The Weeknd rounded out H-Towns top five artists, respectively.</li></ul>

Culture

Vice President Kamala Harris came to Houston on Monday for a moderated conversation with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Why it matters: The event was an opportunity for politicians to highlight the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to support the Latino community and to appeal to Hispanic voters.

Latino voters are important to Democrats' success in key states, but polls show they are slowly drifting away from the party.

Driving the news: More than 200 community members and public officials were present as Harris — joined by caucus Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) — discussed topics including abortion, gun violence, mental health and small businesses.

"Really every issue is a Latino issue," Garcia said.

What happened: County Judge Lina Hidalgo told the audience, "You are hard-pressed to find an administration that has done more for the Hispanic community" than the Biden-Harris administration.

Hidalgo also shared how the vice president reached out to her during her recent stay at a mental health facility, and Hidalgo urged more conversation about mental health within the Hispanic community.

Plus: Several politicians, including Mayor Sylvester Turner and U.S. Reps. Al Green, Lizzie Fletcher and Sheila Jackson Lee, also lauded the work that the administration has done, like the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

What they're saying: "We are living in a moment where there is a full-on attack on our freedoms and rights," Harris said. "We're going to have to build coalition, and we're going to have to remember that these are the things that make us strong as a nation and this is a time for us to recommit ourselves."

"I love Gen Z," she added. "What I have found and learned is that they, on each and every one of these issues, are not going to be satisfied until things are done."

The other side: Experts say the Biden administration's approval of a new border wall and adoption of other policies reminiscent of the Trump era could risk Democrats' support with Latinos, Axios' Astrid Galván writes.

Photo of people protesting, holding posters and a Palestinian flag.  

Protesters chanted, "From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go." Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios

Meanwhile, outside the caucus event, there was a pro-Palestinian protest of a few dozen people, including many Gen Zers, who condemned the Biden-Harris administration and called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

Harris did not comment on the protest during the event.

The intrigue: As candidates gear up for the 2024 elections, many young voters are reportedly losing faith in the Democratic Party and are regularly protesting in the streets for Palestine.

Go deeper: Biden's team sees a "very close" election in 2024 and Arab Americans warn Biden's Israel stance could hurt him.

VP Kamala Harris visits Houston for Hispanic outreach event

Politicians highlighted the Biden-Harris administration's support of the Latino community.

Photo of three women sitting on a stage, in front of multiple USA flags

From left to right, U.S. Reps. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios

Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris came to Houston on Monday for a moderated conversation with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.Why it matters: The event was an opportunity for politicians to highlight the Biden-Harris administration&#x27;s efforts to support the Latino community and to appeal to Hispanic voters.

Shafaq Patel

Featured stories

Houston's most streamed songs on Spotify in 2023

See art in former rice silos

VP Kamala Harris visits Houston for Hispanic outreach event

Houston's Hobby Airport now has a library vending machine

Guide to Houston's best holiday light displays