The 12 Days of Christmas is a popular annual tradition at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This year, the Arboretum will debut another seasonal exhibit inspired by the Christmas markets of Europe. As KERA’s Courtney Collins explains, visitors can snack on gingerbread and mail off letters to the man in the red suit in this picturesque Christmas Village.

The Pauline and Austin Neuhoff Christmas Village is a first for the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Guests can now stroll through what looks like a quaint, European hamlet. There’s a bandstand, a post office, a flower shop, even an apothecary. Many of the facades offer treats and keepsakes, a bookmark from the bookstore, a bite of cake from the bakery.

Photo by Dallas Arboretum

And while winter isn’t really known for its blooms, VP of Gardens Dave Forehand says the village required planting… and decorating.

“Well there’s over 100 Blue Spruce, we’ve added another, I think just in that area alone, probably another 25-30,000 lights. There’s over a million lights total throughout the entire garden.”

And that’s the vibe the Arboretum is going for– glimmery and festive, with a twist of yesteryear. Kids can meet Santa on Wednesday nights and weekends, and LETTERS to Kris Kringle can be mailed at the village post office. Each of the 12 tiny buildings has been decorated with painstaking detail.

“If you can’t go to Europe and see the Christmas markets then you can do it here at the Dallas Arboretum.”

The village is open through the end of the year.