‘Like ants on sugar’: Covid-fatigued Texans shrug off mandates for holiday fun

Despite rising virus cases in the state, visitors are flocking to the Christmas village in Fredericksburg, threatening the small community

Tucked away in the hills of central Texas, the small city of Fredericksburg still feels like a bustling Christmas village this year, mostly unchanged by the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, a soft pink sunset descended over Marktplatz square, soundtracked by holiday music and children laughing. Tiny tots climbed aboard gingerbread train cutouts as older kids zoomed around a makeshift ice skating rink, their required face coverings" dangling well below their mouths like scarves.