The Christmas Capital of Texas started its holiday event schedule with the 37th Carol of Lights on Nov. 24 on Main Street.

A 60-foot Christmas tree was lit at 7:30 p.m., while Santa made appearances at three different locations during the four-hour event.

According to the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau website, more than 1,400 festive Christmas events take place over 40 days, transforming Grapevine into a storybook destination.

What happened: There were some new events at this year's Carol of Lights, including Santa’s Racetrack and the Frozen Fun zone, which had bounce houses and a snow hill.

What to expect: The Merry & Bright Christmas Drone Show is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. There will be 400 drones in 12 custom formations near Main Street and Northwest Highway and near Main Street and Dallas Road, according to previous reporting.

Sign up for festivities like pie bingo and trivia, Christmas fire engine tours and Lego Santa this December.

1. Wall of Military Gratitude: Participate in an ongoing project at the International Porcelain Artists and Teachers, or IPAT, museum of porcelain art to decorate a tile for American heroes in the past or present. Tiles will be added to a mobile wall that will travel throughout Grapevine.

• All month, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Free (admission)
• 204 E. Franklin St., Grapevine

• Dec. 1-30, times vary
• $15
• 2500 Oak Grove Loop S., Ste. 200, Grapevine

Waymo is gearing up to roll out fully autonomous driving in Houston and Dallas.

The gist: The move comes as Waymo begins driverless operations in Miami, with launches planned in four additional cities—Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando—over the next several weeks, according to a Nov. 18 news release.

Waymo leaders said expanding to new markets has become increasingly streamlined thanks to its “generalizable” Waymo Driver and a consistent operational playbook.

According to the company, the shift to fully autonomous driving—once viewed as a major technological leap—has become routine as its safety systems and deployment strategy mature.

Diving in deeper: The company reports its vehicles have already shown strong safety performance, with 11 times fewer serious-injury collisions compared with human drivers in its current operating areas.

This year, voters in communities across Texas were skeptical of local property tax hikes and supportive of larger tax breaks for homeowners and businesses, results from the Nov. 4 election show.

The overview: Voters in Community Impact’s coverage areas approved just over half of the local bond propositions and tax rate elections on the November ballot, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Statewide, 40% of tax rate elections and 45.9% of bond propositions passed, according to Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican and property tax policy writer.

Zooming in: Cities, counties, school districts and other local government entities use funding from tax hikes to build new schools and facilities; hire educators and first responders; and maintain local infrastructure. However, amid high inflation nationwide, more Texas residents are tightening their belts and asking local officials to do the same, fiscal policy experts told Community Impact.

Local governments whose tax hikes were shot down are now grappling with how to make cuts while maintaining essential services, Community Impact reporting shows.