Weekend Event Planner

These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's The Nutcracker week around Dallas, as there will no fewer than five different versions of the classic Christmas ballet on stages in the area. You can also see a former Fleetwood Mac member gone solo, an "orchestra" known for their rockin' Christmas light show, a great comedian, and more.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.

Thursday, December 9

Avant Chamber Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Avant Chamber Ballet will close their 2021 season with Paul Mejia’s lush production of The Nutcracker. This is Avant Chamber Ballet’s second time to present this professional production, with live orchestra conducted by Brad Cawyer, the professional dancers of Avant Chamber Ballet, and a large children’s cast. There will be four performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Lindsey Buckingham in concert
For over 40 years, Lindsey Buckingham has had a love/hate relationship with the band that made him famous, Fleetwood Mac. He pursued solo projects in the early '80s before going his own way in 1987, only to return in 1993. He put out more solo projects in the early 2000s, but always returned to the band until his unceremonious firing in 2018. Now he's back with a self-titled solo album, in support of which he'll play at Majestic Theatre.

Friday, December 10

Dallas Ballet Company presents The Nutcracker
Dallas Ballet Company will present their 35th annual performance of The Nutcracker. Complete with elaborate sets and scenery, the journey begins with the dream of a young girl, Clara, and her Nutcracker Prince. Through the battle scene of scurrying young mice and soldiers, the victorious Nutcracker Prince takes Clara through the Snow Kingdom and Land of Sweets where they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and tasty treats from around the world. The production will run through Sunday at Granville Arts Center in Garland. All performances will also be livestreamed.

Dallas Repertoire Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Dallas Repertoire Ballet presents their 29th annual production of The Nutcracker. It tells the classic story of Clara, along with her precious toy nutcracker, as they journey through a magical and wondrous dream world, filled with brave battling soldiers, wistful snowflakes, and candy-like delights. Audiences can also visit the “Nutcracker Nook” gift shop and place a bid in the silent auction. The production will run through Sunday at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson.

Uptown Players presents Oy Vey in a Manger
In Oy Vey in a Manger, Angel, Winnie, Trixie, and Trampolina try to sell off their manger — yes, that manger — before it's foreclosed upon. Crises arise, secrets are revealed, Jewish-Gentile tensions surface, and mayhem ensues – all in glorious four-part harmony. Uptown Players' production, running through Sunday at Kalita Humphreys Theater, boasts The Kinsey Sicks' reinterpretations of holiday classics, such as "God Bless Ye Femmy Lesbians," "Anchor Baby," and "Lusty the Snowman."

Michael Martin Murphey's Cowboy Christmas
Michael Martin Murphey's music career has spanned four decades and has included such musical genres as folk, country, rock, Western, and cowboy music. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he has contributed some of the most beloved songs of his generation and beyond. "Triple M" returns with his annual Christmas event, a combination of poetry and music and stories at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Saturday, December 11

Dallas Black Dance Theatre presents Espresso Nutcracker
The holiday tradition of sharing magical moments is authentically captured, bringing together the beauty of different cultures and showcasing them in Espresso Nutcracker. Dallas Black Dance Academy students take this classic story to another level by “jazzing” up select scenes set to Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite. The students will whisk the audience away as they take them through a wondrous journey to the Land of Snow and Sweets. The production takes place at Majestic Theatre.

Contemporary Ballet Dallas presents Clara's Dream & Holiday Review
Contemporary Ballet Dallas’ holiday production includes two acts: Clara’s Dream, the best parts of The Nutcracker, and Holiday Review, including performances in tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary to holiday songs. Clara’s Dream includes CBD’s Youth Ballet Company, guests & CBD students, and the Holiday Review includes CBD’s Youth Hip Hop Company, Youth Tap Ensemble Company, Youth Ballet, guests, and CBD students. There will be one performance Saturday and one Sunday at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts.

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly in concert
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly has established a trust fund with music lovers worldwide. Fans know when they attend a Maze concert they will be treated to an evening of honest, raw soul music. And that’s how it has been for more than 40 years. Nothing has changed. The band has stayed in its lane, continuing to do its thing, bringing quality music from the heart night after night. They'll play on both Saturday and Sunday at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert
Trans-Siberian Orchestra will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Christmas Eve and Other Stories. Released in 1996, the album was the beginning of their "Christmas Trilogy" that would go on to include The Christmas Attic and The Lost Christmas Eve. Featuring songs like "O Come All Ye Faithful/O Holy Night" and "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24," the concert will have two performances on Saturday at American Airlines Center.

Chelsea Handler: Vaccinated and Horny Tour
Chelsea Handler is a comedian, actress, and TV host who's arguably best known for her late-night talk show on E!, Chelsea Lately. Never one to shy away from controversy, she's built her comedic reputation on a willingness to do and say things that her peers might not. Her latest comedy special is 2020's Chelsea Handler: Evolution on HBO Max. She'll perform at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Sunday, December 12

Home Free in concert
Successful a cappella groups are few and far between, but Home Free has managed to set themselves apart. Originally formed in 2001, the group first gained national notice after winning the fourth season of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2013, earning them a contract with Sony. They've gone on to release eight albums, including the recently released Home of the Free. They'll perform at Majestic Theatre.

Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis' Holiday Shindig
Married couple Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis will bring some yuletide cheer with this special concert at the Lewisville Grand Theater. Robison and Willis are each renowned for crafting some of the most enduring music on the vast country and Americana landscape, and they will sing their way through their greatest hits as well as holiday classics.

Chelsea Handler will perform at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving on December 11.

Chelsea Handler/Facebook

Chelsea Handler will perform at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving on December 11.

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FIFA World Cup preview

France and Spain set for epic semifinal in last Dallas World Cup match

Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappe #10 of France celebrates scoring a penalty for the team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Paraguay and France at Philadelphia Stadium.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kylian Mbappé and France haven’t trailed at all at this year's World Cup. Neither has Spain with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and clutch goal-scoring substitute Mikel Merino.

Only one of those teams can make it to the final.

France and Spain are both playing at their 17th World Cup, but have met only once previously on soccer’s biggest stage. They play Tuesday, July 14 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in the first of two powerhouse semifinal matches.

After entering this tournament as FIFA’s top-ranked team, France has outscored its opponents 14-2. Mbappé, the 2022 Golden Boot winner, has eight goals to match Lionel Messi for the scoring lead this time, and is one behind the Argentina captain’s career record of 21 at the World Cup.

“We are focused,” France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said. “We are confident, of course, with the course we have done so far, and we have to be, but always with this humility that has characterized us since the beginning of the competition.”

The 27-year-old Mbappé has 20 goals in his 20 World Cup matches, including one in the 2018 win over Croatia when he joined Pele as the only teenagers to score in a World Cup final. And the star striker for Les Bleus had said he is fine despite exiting in the 77th minute of their 2-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco after scoring a goal.

Lamine Yamal, Spain, World Cup Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain controls the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Spain and Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium.Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has already been part of two semifinal wins with Spain over France. He was just days shy of his 17th birthday when he scored in a 2-1 win during the 2024 European Championship semifinals, and Spain then won 5-4 in Nations League play last year.

“I believe if France has to fear anyone, it should be us, in my opinion,” Yamal said after Spain's quarterfinal victory over Belgium. “We were the ones that knocked them out before.”

The teen has only one goal while putting 10 shots on target after coming into this World Cup still nursing a left hamstring issue that forced him to miss the final weeks of the season for Spanish club Barcelona.

France defender Jules Koundé also plays for Barcelona, so he knows Yamal well and didn't feel disrespected by those comments.

“For me he is a sign of confidence. He always does it with (Barcelona). He trusts a lot in his virtues, in the virtues of the team where he plays,” Koundé said in translated remarks. “So I see nothing as an extra motivation for him and that’s it, that’s all.”

Spain has outscored opponents 10-1 since a stunning scoreless draw against surprising Cape Verde to open group play, but La Roja needed late decisive goals from Merino after he entered the last two games as a second-half substitute. All while goaltender Unai Simón set a World Cup record of 650 minutes without allowing a goal until Belgium found the net in the 41st minute of their quarterfinal game.

“I think that from the first game until today, the team needed to catch the rhythm, we had been without seeing each other for a long time,” Spain midfielder Alex Baena said, adding that with more games and practices “the better the team has been.”

Merino scored in the 88th minute for that 2-1 win over Belgium on Friday. That came after the Arsenal forward’s goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time for the 1-0 win over Portugal in the round of 16 at the same stadium where Spain's semifinal match will be played.

Quartet of past champions
This is the first World Cup since 1990 that each of the final four teams are former champions.

Messi and defending champion Argentina, which beat France for the title in 2022, play England in the other semifinal match Wednesday in Atlanta.

The championship match is Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the river from New York City. A third-place game will be played Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Both have raised World Cup trophy since they last met in the tourney
In their only previous World Cup meeting, France beat Spain 3-1 in a round of 16 game at the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Both teams have won the World Cup since then. Spain claimed its only title in 2010, and France won its second World Cup in 2018.

France, which will be playing on its country's Bastille Day national holiday, is trying to join five-time champion Brazil and four-time winner Germany as the only teams to make three consecutive World Cup finals. Brazil did it in 1994, 1998 and 2002 — winning two titles and losing to host France in the middle of that run. Germany’s championship in 1990 came after being runner-up in the previous two World Cups — all playing as West Germany at the time.

Argentina beat France in a penalty shootout in 2022 after playing to a 3-3 draw.

This is France's seventh semifinal appearance, its fifth in the last eight World Cups. Spain's only other semifinals were in 1950 and then 2010 on the way to the title.

Wrapping up in Dallas
AT&T Stadium in North Texas - called "Dallas Stadium" for the tournament - will be hosting its tournament-high ninth game, and in that one-month run there have been some soccer superstar moments in the building that has hosted a Super Bowl and NCAA championship games for football and men's basketball.

Messi scored three goals in Argentina's two group games, the first on June 22 when after missing a penalty kick he broke the World Cup career scoring mark with the first of his two goals in a 2-0 win over Austria. He added another goal as a late substitute in the group finale June 27 against Jordan.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old superstar from Portugal, finished his sixth and final World Cup in the 1-0 round of 16 loss to Spain on July 6.

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