Most of Spicewood's dated holiday events between now and Dec. 23 happen in three places. Two are on County Road 409. Spicewood Vineyards is at 1419 County Road 409, and Iron Wolf Ranch & Distillery is at 101 County Road 409. The third is the Christmas Barn at Green Acres, a gift barn at 6083 Highway 71. Add Stone House Vineyard on Haynie Flat Road and the two library branches, and you have nearly every dated event on the local calendar through Christmas.
Since the season runs through a few private venues, each venue's opening days decide when things happen. Iron Wolf is open Friday through Sunday, Stone House is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the barn on 71 closes Mondays. Planning around those hours is the simplest way to get the most out of the next six weeks.
One road, two calendars
On County Road 409, the two venues work almost as one calendar. Spicewood Vineyards hosts its own winery events and is also the main stage for Spicewood Arts, which calls the winery "our long-time home and valued partner." Five of the six shows in the 2026–2027 Spicewood Arts season are at the vineyard. Iron Wolf, on the same road, is another of the series' venues, and so is Lopez Hill on Highway 71. A $300 season ticket covers all six performances and is capped at 50 tickets. The series also has a rule for every venue: no outside alcohol.
Iron Wolf runs its own weekend schedule. Posted ranch hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, with live music on weekends and tastings Friday through Sunday. That makes Iron Wolf a weekend-only stop. The vineyard down the road is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to its listing in this year's wine passport, covered below.
With both venues on the same road, a single trip out County Road 409 on a Saturday can cover a free afternoon concert and a winery visit.
Saturday, Nov. 14 runs from afternoon into evening
The first full weekend after this post goes up shows how the season works. Two venues have events the same Saturday, at different times of day.
- Iron Wolf, 2 to 5 p.m. Freedom Fest is the ranch's Veterans Day Celebration. Nashville artists Taylor Hughes and Krystal King bring their Lonestar Nights Texas Tour for a free show, and part of the proceeds goes to Folds of Honor. The ranch's Sip & Shop vendor market is open the same afternoon, along with the DGE Cigar Lounge and the Hungry Wolf Food Truck.
- Stone House Vineyard, 6:30 p.m. The November Table winery dinner costs $115 per person.
- Stone House the next day, Sunday, Nov. 15. The winery calendar lists its Sunday Roast, billed as "An Australian Tradition."
The Australian theme continues on Thursday, Nov. 19, with Stone House's Master Class, A Taste of Australia, at 6 p.m. for $50 per person. Stone House Vineyard is at 24350 Haynie Flat Road. It is open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sunday and Monday, noon to 7 p.m. Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thanksgiving week is when the wineries open up to visitors
Things change the weekend before Thanksgiving. On Sunday, Nov. 22, Spicewood Vineyards holds its Fall Wine Club Pick Up Party, with three new wines to taste and take home, plus live music and light bites. The next day, the Texas Hill Country Wineries Christmas Wine Affair Passport begins. It runs Nov. 23 through Dec. 18, 2026, at more than 50 participating wineries. The $65 Signature Passport Ticket includes a complimentary tasting at each participating winery and 10% off purchases of three or more bottles.
Both Spicewood Vineyards and Stone House Vineyard are on the participant list. The listing says Spicewood Vineyards takes reservations by phone or online and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Stone House recommends reservations and is open Thursday through Monday. For anyone hosting family over the holiday, a local passport works for several visits, since one ticket covers both Spicewood wineries and the event runs 25 days.
Thanksgiving week also has a small event closer to home. The Lake Travis Community Library's West branch, at 21209 State Hwy. 71 W., holds an adult craft session making felt Christmas ornaments on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving.
Early December is the busiest stretch
The first two weekends of December have the most events in the shortest span. Three of them fall between Dec. 4 and Dec. 6 on County Road 409 and Haynie Flat Road.
| Date | Venue | Event | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Stone House Vineyard | First Friday | See winery |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Spicewood Vineyards Event Center | Matt Wilson Band holiday show, doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m. | $60 general admission |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Spicewood Vineyards | 4th annual Sip & Shop With Santa | Free |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | Spicewood Community Library | Bound by Books Christmas Brunch | See library |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Green Acres Christmas Barn | Santa visit, noon to 4 p.m. | Free |
Spicewood Arts bills the Dec. 4 show as its holiday party. Matt Wilson first gained national recognition starring as the "Piano Man" in the First National Tour of Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out. For this show he brings a six-piece band, with room in the set for singalongs, dancing and requests. Two days later, the vineyard hosts its fourth annual Sip & Shop With Santa, with more than a dozen vendors selling gifts and free Santa photos.
That puts two events at one venue on the same weekend, one in the evening and one in the afternoon. The Friday show is ticketed and the Sunday market is free. Together they make Spicewood Vineyards the closest thing to a central holiday gathering place on the local calendar.
The barn on 71 is open most weekdays
On County Road 409, most dated events fall on weekends. The Christmas Barn at Green Acres covers the weekdays. According to its Visit Marble Falls event listing, the barn opened for the season on Friday, Nov. 6, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission. It stays open through Thanksgiving week except Thanksgiving Day, and for the whole week leading up to Christmas. The last day is Wednesday, Dec. 23, with doors closing at 5 p.m.
The barn describes itself as a Christmas shopping destination with fully decorated trees, gifts and a large collection of outdoor decorations. Visitors don't need to be staying at Green Acres to come in for the shop or a cup of cocoa. Santa visits on Saturday, Dec. 12, from noon to 4 p.m. The barn's own website lists different weekly hours, so it's worth calling 713-398-7331 before a weekday trip.
That makes two free Santa photo days in Spicewood this season: Dec. 6 at the vineyard and Dec. 12 at the barn, on back-to-back weekends.
Lopez Hill, at 12649 Highway 71, is another Highway 71 stop in the mix. It's a fine-art and tequila destination with a hacienda-style house and mosaics inspired by Michelangelo and Vincent van Gogh. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, with Monday through Wednesday visits by appointment.
What's closed or limited for the season
Some of Spicewood's warm-weather favorites close or slow down in winter. Krause Springs says it usually closes for the winter between Nov. 1 and Feb. 15 for property improvements and rest. Out-of-town guests who remember a summer swim there will likely find it closed this season.
Pace Bend Park, at 2805 Pace Bend Road North, stays open from sunrise to civil twilight. The entrance takes cash only, and some campsites are already booked for Nov. 13 to 15 and Dec. 12 to 14. For a quick sunset drive, bring cash and plan to leave by dark, which comes early in December.
Canyon Ranch Austin, at 600 Moonlight Bend, is now open as an all-inclusive resort. It offers stays and scheduled programs, including Kira Stokes' Expert in Residence program Dec. 2 to 4. We covered what its arrival means for everyday Spicewood life in an earlier post.
One more Highway 71 item is still in the future. A restaurant and retail project called SpiceQ is proposed for 5600 Hwy. 71. Its filing forecasts construction from January 2027 to completion in July 2028, Community Impact reported on Oct. 30. That's after this season.
Our office is in Spicewood, and a lot of our year runs along these same roads. If family is coming in for the holidays and you'd like a few ideas for keeping them busy between the vineyard, Iron Wolf and the barn, Austin Lakeside Properties is happy to share what we know. More about the area is on our Spicewood neighborhood page. Let's Connect.
