Crews started building the 95-foot tree at Galleria Dallas on November 1, and it is due to be finished this evening, November 5. The tree has 850 branches, more than 15,000 ornaments, 215,000 lights and a 10-foot LED star, according to Local Profile's holiday lineup report. It sits on the ice from November 5 through January 4, and the rink stays open for skating the whole time.
This year the tree has a bigger role than usual. In March, Nordstrom set May 16 as the last day for its Galleria store, which ended a long run as one of the mall's anchors, as Local Profile reported. Over the same months, the mall put much of its renovation work into the rink in the middle of the building. This December the rink, the tree on top of it and the space around it are filling the anchor role.
Where the 2026 money went
The Dallas Morning News reported in April that the mall had filed state paperwork for $6.2 million in improvements. The filings covered a new northwest entrance and plaza, plus rink work: a new signage band, walls around new seating areas, new floor finishes, paint and decorative film on the glass guardrails.
The Center Court refresh began in May and is scheduled to continue through the end of the year. The rink's longtime teal glass panels are being replaced with an off-white finish. The plan also adds new flooring, lighting and seating, plus new artwork on the scissor-style escalators above the ice. Level 2 is getting new digital boards, and interactive kiosks will text store directions to your phone. Galleria Dallas General Manager Angie Freed explained the thinking in comments published by Local Profile:
"Ongoing investment in Galleria Dallas, combined with strong growth in foot traffic, reinforces that modern shopping centers can still prosper in the digital era."
The traffic numbers support her. The same Dallas Morning News report said December 2025 was the mall's busiest month for visits since Placer.ai began tracking in 2017, up 14.3% from the year before. The Galleria also posted the highest sales per square foot in its four-plus decades in 2025. That record December was also the month Netflix House opened. It covers more than 100,000 square feet and is one of only two in the country.
The holiday calendar is built around the ice
Look at where this season's events happen. Most are on the rink, at Center Court beside it, or a short walk away on Level 1.
| Event | Dates | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tree on the rink | Nov 5 to Jan 4 | Center Court | Free to view |
| Official Galleria Dallas Tree Photo | Nov 13 to Dec 27 | Center Court | $10 for up to three poses and six guests, digital photos included |
| Santaland | Nov 13 to Dec 24 | Level 1 near Banana Republic | Reservations strongly recommended |
| SNOWDAY | Nov 13 to Jan 3 | Level 1 near Banana Republic | Online reservations |
| Grand Tree Lighting skating show | Nov 27, Nov 28 and Dec 5, all at noon | All levels, Center Court | Free show |
| Operation Kindness pet adoptions | Nov 27 to Dec 24, Thursday through Sunday | Level 1 near Banana Republic | Dogs and cats |
| Holiday performances | Weekdays, Nov 30 to Dec 18 | Level 1 near Sephora | More than 60 local groups |
| Menorah Lighting | Dec 6, with nightly lighting through Dec 11 | Galleria Dallas | Nightly lighting |
The Grand Tree Lighting is the main event. It features Olympic skaters and Missile Toes, the Galleria's backflipping ice-skating Santa, and ends with fireworks. Pet adoptions run Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The more than 60 performing groups take the stage at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. The lineup includes the South Oak Cliff HS Golden Essence Dance Team, the DFW Honor Band, the Lake Highlands Wildcats Wranglers and the Broadway Dallas Performance Ensemble.
The tree photo is new this year, and it shows how the mall is treating the space around the rink as a product in its own right. Prebooking gets you into a priority line, prints cost $5 each, and you can still stand by the tree and look at it for free.
The stores that arrived while the anchor left
The tenants who signed on in 2026 point the same direction: smaller stores, specific brands, and a few things you would go out of your way for. CW33's March roundup listed the year's additions by location:
- Aritzia, Level 1 near Sephora. The mall's homepage announced it would open October 24.
- Watson, Level 3 near Old Navy, its first North Texas location
- Urban Planet by Charlotte Russe, Levels 2 and 3 near Nordstrom
- Helzberg 1915, Level 1 near A|X Armani Exchange, with a custom jewelry bar
- Rolife, Level 2 near Zumiez
- Kids Foot Locker, Level 2 next to H&M Home
- Le Petit Chef, Level 2 of The Westin Galleria Dallas, a dinner served with 3D projections
Crocs also opened on Level 2 on June 5. The same roundup announced a new Level 2 spot for Foot Locker by Fossil, a larger Level 1 space for Lane Boots, and a Cotton On expansion on Level 2. None of these is the size of a department store. Together they work as a shopping list for the walk between Santaland and the rink.
Netflix House gets its first full December
Netflix House opened last December, so this is its first full holiday season, and the schedule has room for longer visits. On November 12 it opens KPop Demon Hunters: The Immersive Experience. Standard admission starts at $39, and a VIP package starts at $89.
Netflix's Dallas page lists hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Special hours are posted for November 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and November 27, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The mall itself is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. On a Friday or Saturday, Netflix House stays open three hours after the stores close.
Timing a visit around the crowds and the construction
If you live close enough for the Galleria to be a weeknight errand, a few details from the official schedules can make a visit easier:
- Book Santaland on a Monday or Tuesday. The booking site lists lower prices on those days, except the week before Christmas, and takes 15% off when you book Santaland and SNOWDAY together.
- Skating is first come, first served. Public sessions cost $13, plus $5 for skate rental, and there are no reservations. Group rates don't apply November 23 to 29, December 18 to January 3, or any weekend between December 5 and January 3. Those blackout dates also give you a good idea of when the rink will be busiest.
- The Center Court refresh may still be underway. The project runs through year-end, so the off-white panels and new seating could still be going in while the tree is up.
- Allow extra time on the north side. WFAA reported that the new North Plaza between The Westin Galleria Dallas and Grand Lux Café, designed by Omniplan, is set to finish in the first quarter of 2027. The project includes a new entrance, landscaping, seating and an upgraded valet stand. That is near the Salvation Army Angel Tree drop-off, which runs November 6 through December 5 at the driveway by Grand Lux Cafe.
The plaza will open after the holidays. Its timing is one more sign that the mall's improvements are concentrated near the rink and the hotel side of the building, where most of this season's events take place. No replacement for the Nordstrom space has been announced.
If you live near the Galleria and want to talk through how its reinvestment could affect demand for homes in your part of North Dallas, Jeremy Whiteker can walk through recent comparable sales on your street with you. Start with a home valuation, and we can meet for coffee on Level 1 after you've seen the tree.
