Even though Thanksgiving isn’t quite here, the holiday vibes are already buzzing around North Texas with all sorts of Yuletide fun. We get that this time of year can be a bit overwhelming, so we’re here to make it easier for you with some must-do weekly picks.
Kicking off the series this week are some holiday events to help you gear up for all the celebrations headed your way.
Check individual websites for hours, schedule changes and other updates, and visit Go See DFW to find more holiday events.
FESTIVALS
HOLIDAY KICKOFF AT GRANDSCAPE
Where: Grandscape - 5732 Grandscape Blvd., The Colony
When: Saturday, November 22 from 4-8 p.m.
Cost: Free. Food and drinks are available for purchase
What better way to kick off the holiday season than with the appropriately named Holiday Kickoff at Grandscape in The Colony. Enjoy performances throughout the evening, facepainting, food vendors and photos with Santa, accompanied by one or two of his reindeer. Help Santa by bringing a new unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.
HOLIDAY EXHIBITIONS
THE TRAINS AT NORTHPARK
Where: NorthPark Center, Level One near Kona Grill - 8687 N Central Expressway, Dallas
When: Nov. 15 – Jan. 4
Cost: Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children, and $7 for seniors. Free for children under 2. .
If you're one of those people who likes to get a jump on holiday shopping and you find yourself at NorthPark Center this weekend, be sure to pay a visit to the iconic The Trains at NorthPark. The exhibition, which benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, features over 1,600 feet of track and city models of places like New York, Washington D.C., the Grand Canyon, San Francisco and even the State Fair of Texas.
HOLIDAY LIGHTS
CHRISTMAS IN THE GARDEN
Where: Fort Worth Botanic Garden - 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth
When: Open select days from Nov. 21 – Jan. 4
Cost: $13-$58
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden comes to life this season with lights and holiday music. Take a stroll down a 1-mile-long trail illuminated by thousands of lights, where you can enjoy such sights as the kaleidoscopic Rainbow Path, Candy Cane Tunnel or the colorful and whimsical Forest Path. Snap a photo with Santa, who visits every evening, or grab a snack from a menu of goodies that includes sliders, fried mozzarella, hot chocolate or kettle corn.
VITRUVIAN PARK LIGHTING CEREMONY
Where: Vitruvian Park - 3966 Vitruvian Way, Addison
When: Nov. 22 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Cost: Free. Parking is $15, cash only
Vitruvian Park in Addison transforms into a holiday wonderland on Saturday evening with the help of more than 1.2 million sparkling LED lights wrapped around 468 trees. After the switch is thrown, a festival follows featuring a performance by the Emerald City band Limelight, free photos with Santa, live reindeer, an elf balloon artist and photo opportunities with holiday characters. Can’t make it to the opening ceremony? No worries. The lights will be glowing around the park until Jan.1.
PARADE OF LIGHTS
Where: Downtown Fort Worth at the intersection of Weatherford and Throckmorton Streets
When: Sunday, November 23, 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Head to downtown Fort Worth Sunday evening for Fort Worth’s Parade of Lights. The annual event features more than 100 floats and over half a million lights. Along the parade route, you'll see marching bands, antique cars, horse-drawn carriages, and pulling up the rear in the LED-lit grand final float is Santa Claus. The parade is free, but you can purchase reserved seats.
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
SNOWDAY
Where: Galleria Dallas on Level 1 next door to Banana Republic – 13350 Dallas Pkwy., Dallas
When: Through Jan. 4
Cost: Check the website for admission prices
In this indoor immersive holiday experience, visitors make their way through an assortment of holiday photo ops, rooms, interactive spaces, and nostalgic moments like sitting inside a 1970s RV. Added to the mix this year is a German marketplace and ice cave forest. If the kids want a visit with St. Nick, Snowday can be combined with next door’s Santaland for an additional fee. Tickets are available for both experiences online. Reservations are strongly recommended.
CLASSIC CHRISTMAS
Where: Dallas Midtown - intersection of LBJ Freeway & Montfort Dr., Dallas
When: Nov. 21-Dec. 28
Cost: Up to $29
This year's event is reimagined with an Alpine Village theme and a new home at Dallas Midtown, the former location of Valley View Mall. Enjoy winter activities such as an Après-Ski dance party on a light-up dance floor, holiday movie screenings under the stars at the Cinemark Theatre, tube rides down an icy slope, an ice skating rink, visits with Santa and Memory Lane, and a new trail experience with displays and challenges for visitors to complete along the way.
DANCE
THE NUTCRACKER
Where: Granville Arts Center – 300 N. 5th St., Garland
When: Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.
Cost: $24
We all know the Yuletide season has officially started when that first performance of The Nutcracker floats across the stage. If you just can’t wait for the holidays to begin, you’ll be happy to know that Rockwall Ballet Company and CK Studio are officially kicking off Nutcracker season with their production of the famous ballet. The troupe tells the classic story of Clara’s journey to the Kingdom of Sweets, where she is welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy and is treated to dances from around the world.
THEATER
A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL
Where: Winspear Opera House – 2403 Flora St., Dallas
When: Nov. 21 – 23
Cost: Check the website for ticket prices
This stage adaptation of the classic 1983 film follows young Ralphie's quest for an Official Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Set in 1940s Indiana, the show captures the nostalgic spirit of the original story through musical and dance.
ARTS & CRAFTS
CREATE A GLASSBLOWN ORNAMENT
Where: Vetro Glassblowing Studio - 701 South Main St., Suite 103, Grapevine
When: Check the website for times and dates
Cost: $65
Head to Vetro Studio in downtown Grapevine for a hands-on glassblowing experience. Participants choose colors from a palette, apply the colors to the hot molten glass, and then watch as a professional glassblower finishes your snowman or traditional ornament. No need to wait for the ornament to cool. Your creation can be picked up the following business day, or, for a fee, you can have it shipped to you. Families and friends are encouraged to watch and take photos in the stadium seating area of the studio.
