Galleria Dallas Gears Up For Festive -- And Socially Distant -- Holiday Season
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - An iconic symbol of the holidays in North Texas is going up this weekend. The Galleria Dallas Christmas tree will be installed starting this Sunday and should be completed by middle of next week.
The 95-foot tall wonder will be on display throughout the holidays, helping to bring the magic of Christmas to shoppers at the Galleria.
The Galleria is taking multiple precautions to ensure safety for shoppers amid COVID-19, including requiring shoppers to wear masks and utilizing enhanced cleaning methods.
They are also ensuring kids have a socially distant way to have their yearly visit with Santa Claus. In fact, Chuck Steelman with the Galleria of Dallas says Santa's elves have helped them create an incredible new three-level sleigh to keep everyone safe.
"Santa is on the top level and then there is a vacant spot and a clear divider that separates the children or family from Santa Claus," Steelman said.
Families can reserve a time and make reservations to visit Santa online.
A ticketless reservation system that Steelman says will help reduce wait times and better allow for social distancing.
"When you register for your Santa experience, you are even able to give Santa some tips like what the child is looking for Christmas morning and also their name," Steelman said. "Then when they arrive, Santa will already know the child's name and have a few things up his sleeve to talk with them about creating a magical experience for the children."
The Galleria Dallas will also be hosting a holiday ice skating show featuring Olympic skaters. The show will be held Sunday, Dec. 6 in partnership with the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. Tickets will be sold in groups or pods, allowing families to all be socially distant while watching the ice show.
In addition, there is a new immersive holiday photo event happening at the Galleria from Nov. 20 through Jan. 3. Guests can purchase tickets to the event called "Snow Day" and will be able to take photos in a number of different Instagram worthy holiday scenes.
Tickets and reservations for all events are able to be made on the Galleria Dallas website.
