The holiday season in Houston is a magical time. The city cools down, lights decorate every corner, and families are offered a variety of ways to celebrate. From fun festivals to symphony shows, there is something for everyone. Check out our roundup below for ways to make the most of the holiday season in H-town.  Holiday Shows Around Town  Houston SymphonyDisney’s Fantasia Thanksgiving Weekend Watch the beloved Disney classic while the Symphony brings the soundtrack to life.   Home Alone Dec. 3, 2022  Listen to renowned composer John Williams’ score performed alongside the movie in the beautifully decorated Jones Hall.  Very Merry POPS Dec. 15 – 18, 2022  Broadway’s talented N’Kenge joins the Houston Symphony and Chorus for classic yuletide carols and festive favorites.  Houston Ballet  Nov. 25 – Dec. 27  The Nutcracker is must for every Houston holiday bucket list. Attending this performance is a tradition for many families and is truly the perfect holiday experience for the whole family. Behind on holiday shopping? You can also attend the Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market, which is a shopping wonderland that benefits the Houston Ballet Foundation.  Click to expand Festivals to Attend  Dickens on the Strand Dec. 2 – 4  Transport back to the Victorian era while walking the streets of Galveston’s strand. This annual festival features holiday food and drinks as well as Victorian-inspired crafts and other unique shopping opportunities.  Discovery Green Winter Celebration  Nov. 11 – Jan. 29  Discovery Green is known for offering Houstonians a creative, green space to have a good time year-round. It is especially magical in the wintertime when it transforms into an ice-skating rink. Opening night kicks off Nov. 11, and the first 50 skaters skate free!  Tomball German Festival Dec. 9 – 11  Experience German food, dancing and music while shopping through the festival market, which has over 150 unique vendors.  Houston’s Best Lights  Moody Gardens Lights in Galveston Nov. 19 – Jan 7  The stunning lights of Moody Gardens will twinkle on again this year! As the holidays approach, Moody Gardens gets ready to host the spectacular sights and stunning displays that make up the Festival of Lights. In addition to light shows, there are several other winter activities for families and visitors, such as smores stations, train rides and arctic slides.  Click to expand Santa Wonderland Nov. 11 – Dec. 30th Located in College station, this is worth the drive for any Houstonian. Not only does Santa’s wonderland have spectacular lights and décor, but there are also a wide range of activities, such as tubing through the snow, hay rides pictures with Santa and more.  Zoo lights Nov. 18 – Jan 8  TXU Energy Zoo lights is one of Houston’s favorite lights experiences, and for a good reason! Strings of lights, glowing flowers and animal-themed displays illuminate the zoo as visitors walk through at night. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and snap a picture with Santa for the perfect evening out.  These are just a few ways to experience the city during the happiest time of the year. Let us know your favorite Houston holiday happening by sharing a picture on Instagram and tagging @liveworkhou. Check out more ways to explore Houston.

In an increasingly competitive economic development landscape, the City of Sugar Land is making a big play to keep the companies it already has.  Earlier this month, Sugar Land officials announced a new incentive program aimed specifically at the city’s office headquarters companies. The approved program provides $6,000 per job for qualified businesses to keep their headquarters in Sugar Land. As new office parks and commercial real estate developments pop up across the region and in competitor markets, Sugar Land’s move is a business retention tool designed to keep companies and investment inside the city limits.  “Retaining office headquarters is key to maintaining high-paying jobs in Sugar Land,” said Elizabeth Huff, Economic Development Director for the City of Sugar Land. “Our new incentive program ensures we maintain our office headquarter locations during this highly competitive office market and hopefully grow those high-quality job opportunities in our community.”  To qualify for the new incentive program, companies headquartered in Sugar Land must retain at least 50 primary jobs and renew their existing lease for five to ten years within the city limits. The program also requires companies commit a minimum of $1 million towards capital investment for build outs or office improvements. The investment requirement is expected to help Sugar Land, which consistently ranks among the fastest-growing suburbs in the state, to enhance its office infrastructure by encouraging companies to spend money to improve their existing space.  Sugar Land Mayor Joe R. Zimmerman said the new incentive program will enable the city to retain the companies that already call the Fort Bend County community home. “The new program allows us to target existing companies and selected industries in order to demonstrate our level of commitment and partnership to our business community,” Zimmerman said.  According to the Houston Business Journal, Sugar Land is currently home to the headquarters or principal offices of 19 companies across different industries, including a subsidiary of SLB (formerly Schlumberger), Noble Corp., Accredo Packaging, and Bluebonnet Nutrition. Learn more about why companies are choosing the Houston region.