Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this Christmas weekend

With Christmas falling on a weekend this year, it's holiday events galore. There's also a new pop-up exhibit, college football bowl game, concert from a hometown group, screening of a classic holiday film, holiday circus, and stand-up comedy.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Note: All of the events are happening as of press time, but COVID-19 is rapidly changing the events landscape. Best to check a venue's website for updates before heading out.

Thursday, December 23

Holiday events
If you haven't had a chance to check out a holiday event this year, there is no shortage of options. You can go the Instagram-route with Snowday and Santaland at Galleria Dallas; the Dallas traditional route with The Trains at NorthPark; the outdoor route with Holiday at the Arboretum; and many more. You can check out all the options on our event calendar.

Christmas lights
Some of the biggest displays around will be on for just a few more days, including the TV-famous Burkman Holiday Home of Frisco, which is ending its run early. Here is a complete list of the top drive-thru, immersive, commercial displays, and more. And here are the best neighborhoods to cruise through to see dazzling lights. Heading to Fort Worth this weekend? That list is here.

Sweet Tooth Motel presents Holiday Pop Up
Sweet Tooth Motel/Hotel is an Instagram-friendly exhibition that has been popping up all over Dallas-Fort Worth (Rewind is currently open in Allen). For the holidays, they'll present a special pop-up at AT&T Performing Arts Center. Guests can step inside the bright pink container on the Center’s campus between the Center Cafe and the Winspear Opera House and be transported to a magical winter wonderland. The free pop-up will be open on December 23, 26, and 30.

Frisco Football Classic: Miami (Ohio) vs. North Texas
Frisco is a prime location for the college football bowl season this year. Two days after the 4th annual Tropical Smoothie Cafe Bowl comes the inaugural Frisco Football Classic at the same location, Toyota Stadium. The game will have a local feel as the North Texas Mean Green will take the short trip down from Denton to take on Miami (Ohio) RedHawks from the Mid-American Conference.

Pentatonix in concert
Arlington's own Pentatonix got their big break when they won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011. Since then, the a cappella group has gone on to release five regular albums and five Christmas albums, including the brand-new Evergreen. You can expect the full spectrum of those Christmas albums during this concert, taking place at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Majestic Theatre presents It's a Wonderful Life
You could stay home and watch holiday movies or you could watch a classic movie in a historic theater. The Majestic Theatre, which opened to the public in 1921, is teaming up with the Texas Theatre to host a special screening of 1946's It's a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. An angel will get its wings when the people of Bedford Falls get together to support George Bailey.

December 24

A Magical Cirque Christmas
A Magical Cirque Christmas is a holiday production that features a variety of fantastic circus performers. Audiences at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie can experience the enchantment of Christmas as Magical Hostess Lucy Darling takes them through an evening of breathtaking cirque artists, accompanied by favorite holiday music performed live.

December 26

Sal Vulcano & Chris Distefano - A Night of Standup Comedy, Babes
Comedians Sal Vulcano and Chris Distefano will team up for a special night of post-Christmas fun. Vulcano is best known as a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe that stars in the TruTV series Impractical Jokers. Distefano, who starred in the MTV shows Guy Code and Girl Code, co-hosts the podcast Hey Babe! with Vulcano. They'll perform at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Snowday at Galleria Dallas is just one of a host of holiday events continuing through the holiday season.

Photo courtesy of Snowday Dallas

Snowday at Galleria Dallas is just one of a host of holiday events continuing through the holiday season.

holidays event-planner concerts

Racket sports

Trendy Austin padel club Padel39 lobs first DFW location into Carrollton

Photo by Juan J Valdes

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A popular padel club from Austin is serving up its first location in Dallas-Fort Worth: Padel39 has purchased and taken over the existing Dallas Padel Club, at 3000 Belmeade Dr.

According to a release, multimillion-dollar renovations are underway and are expected to be complete by summer 2026. The revamp includes:

Seven new outdoor courts are being added to the current three indoor courts (with completion expected by March 2026).
Full food and beverage capabilities for a premium sports bar that is open to the public.
A fitness area for members that is affiliated with HYROX, recovery areas, wellness facilities (sauna, cold plunge, etc.), upscale locker rooms.
Upscale lounging and coworking space.

For those not up on their racket sports, padel is a cousin of pickleball, tennis, and racquetball. The sport has been wildly popular in Spain and Latin America for decades and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. Like pickleball, it's a doubles game played on a small court, and players hit off glass walls.

Padel was invented in Acapulco, Mexico, by Enrique Corcuera; Padel39 bears the first two numbers of all Acapulco ZIP Codes.

Padel39 co-founders Will and Naomi Boyce.Photo by Juan J Valdes

The company was founded in 2024 by husband-and-wife William Boyce and Naomi Boyce; William played tennis for the University of Texas at Austin.

Padel39 currently has two locations in Austin, with a third opening in March. They say they aim to open 12 to 15 Padel39 clubs in Austin, Dallas, and Houston by 2028. After Carrollton, a location will open in central Dallas in late 2026/early 2027, they say.

“We currently introduce 200+ new players to the sport each month, while maintaining a core group of repeat clients who return for the fitness, competition and vibrant community,” William Boyce says in the release. “Each new location fulfills our vision to put Padel39 and Texas at the epicenter of the padel community.”

In addition to offering courts to play on, Padel39 features on-court programming, tournaments, social events, and physical wellness opportunities such as courtside Pilates and morning yoga.

Padel39 Padel39 courts and lounge areas at a location in Austin. Photo by Josh Graziadei

While Padel39 offers memberships, all guests are welcome to play, they say. According to the website, each club is priced differently. At the flagship location in Austin, Padel39 memberships start at $89 per month or $890 per year, but players can also rent courts as needed for 90 minutes at $30.

“We set out to create a modern take on a country club; a place where members and guests could ‘play and stay,’” Boyce says. “We’ve built that and more. We work to improve the experience for our guests each day.”

Outdoor construction on the Carrollton club is expected to be completed by March. Indoor food and beverage, fitness and lounging renovations will be finished by summer, they say. The club will remain open during renovations.

padel pickleball sports

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Racket sports

Trendy Austin padel club Padel39 lobs first DFW location into Carrollton