North Palm Beach Life

An Event Guaranteed to Put You in the Spirit of the Season

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

McKINNEY, TEXAS _ On a recent Thanksgiving trip to the Lone Star State, we discovered "Home for the Holidays," a 37-year tradition set in this city's historic district. By way of reference, McKinney is located some 40 miles north of Dallas, with a population edging close to 200,000.

Just spend a few minutes in the 165-year-old commercial historic downtown district and you'll be instantly in the holiday mood. Rustic shop windows are decorated to the nines; a giant Christmas tree towers above the street and twinkly lights are all around. On our visit, the weather was holiday-like too. Low 40s for these Texans-turned-Floridians was a shock to the system.

The weekend we attended, streets were closed off and a festival was in progress. There were street vendors, singers and performers, along wiith carousel rides, a snowman bouncy house and a giant slide. The 14-block area is home to a number of good dining choices, as well as wine venues. We ate at Harvest, a restaurant known for its local farm to table menu. The food was outstanding, and so was our service.

As they say, it's fun for the whole family. And if you are in the area, well worth a visit.

Photos/Videos by North Palm Beach Life