Texas State Parks Offer Gifts, Events for the Holidays

ent--article_ _media__contact">Media Contact: Stephanie Salinas, 512-389-8756, Stephanie.Salinas@tpwd.texas.gov or Thomas Wilhelm, 512-389-8698, Thomas.Wilhelm@tpwd.texas.gov

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AUSTIN— With Christmas only a few weeks away, take time to get away from the craze of gift shopping and other holiday madness at a Texas state park.

“State parks have long been associated with the summer holidays, but some of the best programming for the entire year happens around Thanksgiving and Christmas,” says Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Thomas Wilhelm, marketing and branding manager for Texas State Parks.

In the spirit of the season, state parks will be hosting more than 50 holiday- themed events from Dec. 1 until after Christmas at more than 40 parks across the state.

A new brochure is available at all state parks and Texas Travel Information Centers with details of each event. The 12-page booklet includes images of past events and a map of all parks offering holiday happenings. The brochure is also available online at www.texasstateparks.org/holiday.

Can’t make it to a park or want to take home something to commemorate the holidays? Take a piece of the parks home with you by purchasing a Texas state park ornament.

For the past 13 years, TPWD has offered Christmas ornaments featuring some of the most recognizable landscapes from the Texas state park system. This year the ornaments are showcasing Independence Hall at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, the Texas state bison herd at Caprock Canyons State Park and a horseback rider gazing at the majesty of Big Bend Ranch State Park.

All of the ornaments can be found and purchased at: texasstateparks.org/ornament. The ornaments are $8.95 each, or $19.95 for the set of three. During the month of December, if you purchase a Texas State Park gift card valued at $75 or more, you can receive a free 2014 ornament.

One of the longest-running state park traditions is the Christmas celebration at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site. View the festivities at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9PjqI1KwJg.