'Tis the Season

Popular Dallas event experts offer vital holiday party planning advice

The holidays are synonymous with parties, and chances are good that you're going to be playing host as well as guest.

Take the stress out of organizing a soiree with these indispensable tips from the team at Sixty Five Hundred, one of Dallas' most popular event venues.

Select a unique holiday theme
Winter wonderland, ski lodge, traditional Christmas, "Who-ville" — all the best parties start with a strong theme. Choosing a unifying idea will also make it easier to plan all the smaller details, as you'll have parameters to help whittle down the seemingly endless choices.

Find the perfect blank canvas
Your venue is where your holiday vision can come to life, and it's much easier to start with an empty white room than to work around architectural styles and idiosyncrasies. Sixty Five Hundred can be — and has been — turned into practically every kind of vision, transforming itself so completely that guests truly believe they've stepped into another world.

Fill the space with specialty lighting
It's not the holidays without lots of lights, right? Don't feel afraid of atmospheric lighting, and remember that more is better when it comes to smaller light sources. Hang twinkle lights from the ceiling, drape them on Christmas trees, and string them above the bar, and add a few colored uplighting options for extra pizazz.

Coincide catering with the season
This is another way you'll want to stay on theme. For a holiday party, think festive cocktails like hot toddies and build-your-own hot cocoa and apple cider stations. Turn traditional dishes on their head by serving them in innovative ways, like a mashed potato bar or display of mini pies.

Enjoy interactive entertainment
Think outside the box when it comes to how you can entertain your guests. Consider hiring a ballerina to dance inside a snow globe or put in-theme characters on oversize tricycles and have them pour Champagne. And you can never go wrong with a photo opportunity with Santa Claus himself.

Opt for non-traditional centerpieces
Incorporate tree branches, ornaments, twinkle lights, wrapped presents, or snow, and give your guests something to admire that's more than just flowers.

It's all about the music
What’s a holiday party without the sounds of the season? Whether using a DJ or live musicians, after guests have a few specialty cocktails, they will want to dance the night away.

'Tis the season for parties, and it helps to have the experts on your side.

Photo by Matthew Shelley Photography

'Tis the season for parties, and it helps to have the experts on your side.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

politics