Weekend Event Planner

Nothing but holiday events on tap for Thanksgiving weekend in Dallas

Thanksgiving weekend is when most people kick off the holiday season in earnest and, appropriately, holiday-related events dominate the list of activities for the next five days.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Wednesday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Wednesday, November 26

Gift of Lights
Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway lets visitors circumnavigate the concourses of TMS in their cars, taking in more than 600 unique LED light displays. It'd be better if the event was actually on the track, but then someone would go all Jeff Gordon and ruin everyone's fun. You can look at the lights through January 1.

Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol
Even though Dallas Theater Center has put on A Christmas Carol for 30 years, they somehow find a way to make each year's show feel new and different. Chamblee Ferguson returns as Ebenezer Scrooge in a production that promises flying ghosts, falling snow and eye-popping special effects. The play runs through December 27 at Wyly Theatre.

Thursday, November 27

There are a handful of events going on Thanksgiving Day, but this should be a time to relax at home with your family. Enjoy the day off!

Friday, November 28

Galleria Dallas presents Macy's Grand Tree Lighting Celebration
The Christmas tree at Galleria Dallas is located in the middle of the signature ice rink, so what better way to celebrate the lighting of the tree than with champion ice skaters? Carolina Kostner and junior champion Amber Glenn perform at the inaugural lighting on Friday, but the real draw is on Saturday, when ice dancing gold medalists Charlie White and Meryl Davis take the ice.

Sparkle! Christmas at the Anatole
Anyone who's enjoyed ice skating, listening to music or just taking in the lights at the Hilton Anatole's annual Sparkle event may like it even more this year because they're bringing everything inside. From now through December 31, visitors can partake in all the fun activities in a nice 70 degrees, no matter how cold it gets outside.

XTO Energy Parade of Lights
There's almost no better way to start the holiday season than by lining the streets of downtown Fort Worth for the Parade of Lights. Now in its 32nd year, it features close to 100 professionally designed flights with more than 12,000 lights each, as well as vintage cars, bands and more. Get there early for a free sidewalk spot or reserve seats in the grandstands.

Vitruvian Lights
This lights display at Vitruvian Park in Addison is not as well-known as some others in the area, but it should be. The organizers of the display set it apart by going big and bold with the colors of the lights they use to line the trees, making the scene pop like none other. The lights stay up through January 1.

Saturday, November 29

Shop Small Holiday Market
Saturday is Small Business Saturday, and you can get the bad taste of Black Friday out of your mouth by shopping local at this event at Unbranded in Deep Ellum. Along with gift choices from The Citizenry, Unbranded and other Dallas-based makers, gourmets, designers and startups, the event has free beer tastings from Community Beer Company and Holy Kombucha mimosas.

Design District Market
Much like the Unbranded market, the final Design District Market of 2014, taking place at Community Beer Company, features more than 60 local vendors offering unique holiday gifts, ranging from locally crafted jewelry and clothing to housewares, pet accessories and growlers. Also enjoy holiday films playing on big screens, food trucks and live music.

Sunday, November 30

106.1 KISS FM Jingle Ball
The annual Jingle Ball, presented by 106.1 KISS FM at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, is the first of several all-star music festivals put on by local radio stations during the holiday season. The lineup for this event includes perennials like Jason Derulo, Fall Out Boy and Nick Jonas, as well as of-the-moment acts like MAGIC!, Echosmith and Meghan Trainor.

The multicolored display at Vitruvian Lights, which starts on November 28 at Vitruvian Park in Addison, is as spectacular as any other in the area.

Photo by Stevan Koye

The multicolored display at Vitruvian Lights, which starts on November 28 at Vitruvian Park in Addison, is as spectacular as any other in the area.

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RIP Mark

Colorful Dallas musician and DJ Mark Ridlen passes away at 65

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Mark Ridlen RIP

A bright and colorful light in Dallas' music scene went out: Mark Ridlen, DJ and musician, passed away on November 17, following a bout with cancer; he was 65.

From his appearance in Ron Howard’s 1978 directorial debut, Cotton Candy, to his groups Quad Pi, Lithium X-mas, and a plethora of side projects with scores of DFW musicians, to his full-time job as a professional DJ under the moniker "DJ Mr. Rid," Ridlen had been a steady staple on the local creative scene.

He surfed pretty much every musical wave: from Dallas' epochal dance music scene in the early 80s, to punk rock to his role as one of Dallas' top DJs — the guy you called when you wanted your event to be cool and fun.

Ridlen had been quietly battling kidney and lung cancer for the past three years. Over the summer, he had his second kidney removed, which meant he was on dialysis treatment a couple times a week.

He remained upbeat, but according to friends of the family, two more tumors were recently found in his brain. His family and friends decided to forego further treatment and were by his side when he died.

He remained in demand until his passing. In May, he DJed a party at the Kessler Theater, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Starck Club, the legendary '80s dance music club designed by Philippe Starck, which had a huge influence on Dallas, and which Ridlen was part of.

He was invited to DJ at the Starck Club when it opened in 1984 and remained in that role until the club closed in 1989.

Reid mark ridlen Mark Ridlen (right) with close friend Reid RobiinsonFacebook

From there, he migrated to Expo Park, the underground neighborhood across from Fair Park where art and music ruled. His stints at XPO Lounge, Double Wide, and other neighborhood venues made him a staple in the community.

At the same time, he was a member of Lithium Xmas, a psychedelic art-rock band which he formed with acclaimed musicians Chris Merlick and Greg Synodis.

He was also a pop culture savant with a comprehensive knowledge of music, who balanced a low-key charm with a vibrant sense of style, whether it was a vivid pop-art tunic or a flashy sequinned jacket, he did it all with originality and panache.

In late August, a large circle of musicians and friends rallied to participate in a benefit for Ridlen, to help pay for his medical costs — a sweet indication of the high regard in which he was held.

“I do want people to know that I am not being slowed down by cancer,” Ridlen said at the time. “I'm ready to continue working. I have more-or-less a clean bill of health for the moment, and hopefully that doesn't change.”

Survivors include his mother Nancy and his brother David. A memorial service is in the works with details still to be announced.

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