New Braunfels' rivers make it an ideal place to cool off on a summer day.
Now the world famous water park, Schlitterbahn, wants to put your holiday fun on ice.
"We're just not about summer anymore. We've also taken on and embraced Christmas and the holiday season," the park's Jeffrey Siebert said.
One-and-a-half million lights turn this summertime paradise into a winter wonderland, where Christmas performances are viewed from beach chairs in a wave pool. The destination is complete with trains, Texas-style sledding and of course Santa.
In its 30 year history, Schlitterbahn has drawn millions of visitors to Comal County, and now they hope to attract more for the holidays.
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Schlitterbahn
News 8's Russell Wilde shows us how big name attractions are hoping to bring in a holiday crowd too.
 
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"This time of the year is an off time for many of our fellow businesses in New Braunfels. So to have a new signature event really has boded well for everyone in our community," Siebert said.
For the shops in nearby Gruene, the Christmas season is very important for the bottom line. Starla Burchfield at Lone Star Music said they put up lights and play Texas country music.
"It brings in a lot of business for us," she said.
Burchfield said a lot of their business comes from Austin and San Antonio. They even get quite a few shoppers for Houston and Dallas, a similar crowd to Schlitterbahn.
"I think the Schlitterbahn thing is going to be big this year. They've done a lot more advertising for it, so it may bring in a bigger crowd here at Lone Star Music," Burchfield said.
Schlitterbahn has expanded almost everything to accommodate their expected crowds.
"It's bigger, better and brighter than ever before," Siebert said.
During a year where any economic boost is welcome, a lot of business owners are hoping that translates to a Merry Christmas for them as well.
For more information, visit SchlitterbahnChristmas.com, LoneStarMusic.com and GrueneTexas.com.
