With Thanksgiving behind us, that means the holiday season is here. Many people put lights on their houses or decorate their yards. It is fun to walk around the neighborhood and view these festive displays, but many extravagant displays of holiday cheer in the DFW area are honestly mind-blowing.

Downtown McKinney has the Parade of Lights hosted by the Rotary Club on Dec. 10. This will be the 23rd annual parade, and while the parade is free to attend, the Rotary Club accepts donations in order to fund their projects for the rest of the year. The parade is filled with floats representing different organizations in McKinney. There will be music and holiday cheer throughout the parade.

Holiday at the Arboretum in Dallas is a great place to view some mesmerizing lights. The show consists of 12 large gazebos representing each of the twelve days of Christmas. There is also a German-style Christmas village with a beautiful light-up musical tree. This year a new exhibit has been added honoring Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, so there is something for everyone to see. Tickets are $10 for nighttime viewing.

Another great place to experience holiday cheer and a little cold is ICE! At the Gaylord. ICE! is a walkthrough experience with enormous ice sculptures where guests can interact. This year’s theme is The Polar Express. Aside from the exhibit, the Gaylord offers a display of lights, ice skating and other holiday activities. Ticket prices for ICE! vary, but adult tickets start at $25.99 and $16.99 for kids.

A free option to celebrate the holidays is Christmas in the Square in Frisco. This is a drive-through light show where viewers can set their radios to 107.3 FM and drive through the lights while listening to the audio provided by the station. A walk through the square on foot is also magical, as it is extravagantly decorated as the music plays. If you want to spend a few dollars, you can ice skate, meet Santa, or ride a carriage for $15 each. There is also story time with Anna, Elsa and Olaf for $20.

Finally, many neighborhoods in the area compete for the best-decorated house. This makes for a great and free viewing experience. Some neighborhoods with these over-the-top decorations are the Village of Eldorado, Tucker Hill, Winding Creek, and a single house display in Anna is Deck the Falls. All of these exhibits are free to view and are a fun and easy way to experience some holiday cheer with friends or family.