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Ryan Robinson takes you for a ride in the passenger seat of his RV, off the grid, deep among the dramatic rock formations of the Utah Desert. Robinson and friends chill by the fire, tell stories, and of course, rig a one of a kind highline over the Looking Glass Arch in Moab, UT.
Holiday lighting ceremonies, breakfasts with Santa, Christmas crafts, cookie decorating, Christmas caroling and Christmas movies under the stars with hot cocoa are among the activities taking place at campgrounds, RV parks and resorts in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Some parks also complement their holiday activities with toy drives and various fundraising events to help needy families. Here’s a sampling of some of the activities and special events that will take place in the weeks leading up to Christmas:
Colorado Springs KOA Holiday in Fountain, Colorado: December weekends at this park include photos with Santa, Christmas crafts, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, storytime with one of Santa’s elves, caroling on a sleigh ride, and a movie under the stars with hot cocoa.
Fiesta Grande RV Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona: This park has several holiday events in December, including its Adopt a Family Christmas Angels event in partnership with Mesquite Elementary School. The resort collects papers from families with their holiday wishes and puts them on the resort’s Christmas tree. Park residents then choose which family to adopt and make their wishes come true. This year Fiesta Grande will have the families pick up their gifts at the resort on Dec. 15 and 16, when Santa and his helps will help pass out the gifts. On Dec. 17 the park will host a Christmas movie night with nachos, soft drinks, water and popcorn. On Dec. 24 the resort will place luminaries all around the park for a Christmas Eve dinner that includes soups, salad, bread sticks, and dessert. The dinner will be followed by a candlelight service.
Great Escapes RV Resort in Chestnut Bay, Alabama:
December weekends at this park include photos with Santa, Christmas crafts, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, storytime with one of Santa’s elves, caroling on a sleigh ride, and a movie under the stars with hot cocoa.
Great Escapes RV Resort in Bryan College Station, Texas:
December weekends at this park include photos with Santa, Christmas crafts, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, storytime with one of Santa’s elves, caroling on a sleigh ride, and a movie under the stars with hot cocoa.
Jellystone Park in Bremen, Georgia: This park will feature Christmas activities every weekend in December, including pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Christmas crafts, caroling, cookie decorating, storytime, “sleigh hey rides,” in which guests sit under blankets and ride through the park looking and Christmas lights and singing Christmas songs, and a Christmas movie under the stars with hot cocoa.
Jellystone Park in Burleson, Texas: Christmas-themed activities are scheduled for every weekend in December at this park. Activities include a red and green scavenger hunt, Magic Christmas tree planting, a reindeer dash event, Christmas Carole Karaoke, and a contest to see who can create a human snowman out of their partner the fastest in the park’s human snowman contest. Campers will also be able to design an ugly Christmas sweater and compete in the park’s annual ugly Christmas sweater contest.
Jellystone Park in Fredericksburg, Texas: This park is planning a “Christmas Decorating Weekend” Dec. 9-11 that will include ornamental crafts, candy cane bingo, and Christmas decorating. The park is also planning A Bear-y Merry Christmas Weekend Dec. 23-25 with Yogi Bear and Santa.
Jellystone Park in Lodi, California: Activities on December weekends at this park include holiday crafts, a holiday golf cart parade, a holiday “hey, hey, hey” ride, and a holiday dance party with a bear.
Jellystone Park in Pelahatchie, Mississippi: This park offers a variety of winter and Christmas activities in December, including a Winter Window Camping and Car Show, Dec. 2-4, for all makes, models, styles and genres of vehicles. Activities during the last three weekends of December include photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, story time with an elf, Christmas crafts, “sleigh hey rides,” in which guests sit under blankets and ride through the park looking and Christmas lights and singing Christmas songs, and a Christmas movie under the stars with hot cocoa.
Jellystone Park in Tabor City, North Carolina: This park has Christmas activities scheduled for the first two weekends of December, the first being “Yogi Bear’s Express Weekend,” in which Yogi lights the park’s Christmas tree. There will be Christmas carols, hot cocoa, and cookies. The park will also offer the Yogi Bear Express “Hey” ride and a visit by Santa. Santa will also join in the Christmas activities slated for the second weekend of December.
Lake Conroe KOA in Montgomery, Texas: While an official date has yet to be set, this campground will host a holiday breakfast with tasty food, games, crafts, and opportunities to provide letters to Santa and have photos with Santa. The park will also host a Christmas toy drive from Nov. 25 to Dec. 5.
Mesa Spirit RV Resort in Mesa, Arizona: This park is planning a Christmas Sock Hop on Thursday, Dec. 1. It’s a traditional sock hop except that attendees are encouraged to bring new packs of socks to be donated to a local charity.
Okeechobee KOA Resort in Okeechobee, Florida: This park will have its annual golf cart parade on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The parade will be followed by a street party that includes music and Christmas carols with Wes and Deb, local entertainers, campfires, a hot chocolate station, a hot dog roast, chili and s’mores. The parade has been a tradition at the park for more than 20 years. Activities on Saturday, Dec. 17 will include the annual Care Camp sale, which will include crafters this year. All proceeds raised at the event are donated to Care Camps, which are camps for children with cancer. Activities on Christmas Day will include the annual Christmas Potluck in which the park provides the main course for more than 300 people. Guests may reserve a hosted table and decorate it as if they were in their own homes. All guests are asked to bring shareable food for all to enjoy.
Port Lavaca / Matagorda Bay KOA Holiday in Port Lavaca, Texas: This campground kicks off its Christmas activities with a Christmas tree decorating event with hot cocoa on Nov. 24. Activities for December weekends will include sleig(hay) rides with Santa and Christmas ornament crafts. Christmas Eve activities will include a hay ride with Santa as well as a Christmas movie with hot cocoa and cooking making for Santa. A hay ride with Santa will also be offered on Christmas Day along with short Christmas movies.
San Antonio / Alamo KOA Holiday in San Antonio, Texas: This park hosts an annual tamale dinner on Christmas Eve as well as a campsite decorating contest. Guests are encouraged to bring their holiday decorations to decorate their campsites.
San Diego KOA in Chula Vista, California: Christmas festivities at this park actually start the day after Thanksgiving this year with the campground’s first-ever Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Santa Claus will also be coming to the campground during the first three weekends of December. He’ll be looking for you during the poolside pancake breakfast to hear if you have been naughty or nice. The elves at The Sandcastle Cafe will be busy cooking up peppermint mochas and Christmas cookie lattes. Adults will also enjoy the park’s signature Santa’s Hat cocktail and Christmas margaritas. Santa will also be available for photos and may offer guests a Christmas treat.
Sun Outdoors Panama City Beach in Panama City Beach, Florida: Guests are encouraged to participate in a Christmas parade scheduled for Dec. 16. The parade will include pedestrians, pets, bicycles, and golf carts with a prize given for first place in each category of the parade competition. An all-ages costume Karaoke event is also scheduled for the evening of the same day.
The Christmas season kicks off Saturday, Nov. 26, at this park with a “Light up the Park” ceremony involving more than 100,000 lights on Christmas trees throughout the park. December weekend activities will also include hayrides, snow play, interactive holiday scavenger hunts, a polar plunge for a good cause, and breakfasts with Santa.
Voyager RV Resort in Tucson, Arizona: This park provides the hams for an annual Christmas dinner for more than 250 guests and park residents. The park also organizes a Voyager Salvation Army Toy Drive to provide not only toys but homemade clothing and other items for over 1,600 children and families in the Tucson area.
Drive Through Christmas Light Experiences
TheJellystone Parklocation in Caledonia, Wisconsin offers a drive-through Christmas light experience. Check the park’s website for details, which are announced closer to the holidays. The Jellystone Park in Eureka, Missouri also operates Santa’s Magic Kingdom, which offers holiday train and wagon rides.
New Year’s Eve Activities
Some parks are also planning New Year’s Eve activities for families and for adults. Here are a couple of examples:
Jellystone Park in Burleson, Texas: New Year’s weekend activities at this park include a “Year in Review” scavenger hunt, a 2022 trivia game, and a “Festival of Lights” glow hayride around the park. New Year’s Eve activities will include a family dance party on Friday night.
Jellystone Park in Fredericksburg, Texas: New Year’s Eve festivities at this park include a pizza party, wine tasting and live entertainment.
Jeff Crider, President and CEO of Crider Public Relations, has been involved in covering the campground industry for over 25 years. Jeff has worked as a freelance writer for publications such as RV Business, Motor Home Magazine, Trailer Life, Highways and other Affinity Group Inc. publications since 1995. He has also successfully pitched many of the nation's top tier media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Financial Times, Reuters, The Associated Press and National Public Radio. In addition to writing, Jeff is also a talented photographer and humanitarian.
