Light It Up

Best Dallas-area neighborhoods for spectacular holiday light displays

Christmas lights in Highland Park Village

Highland Park is one of Dallas' must-see neighborhoods for holiday lights.

Photo courtesy of Highland Park Village

It's the season to be delighted, and you're in the right place, as Dallas has been named one of the top 25 cities to see holiday lights.

Real estate website Redfin released the cheerful list, which features the five best neighborhoods in the Dallas area for sensational light displays, as determined by local real estate agents.

First up is Arlington's Interlochen neighborhood. No surprise here, the spirited area ranks as the third best in America to see holiday lights, according to Redfin. Each year, more than 200 homeowners go all out with extravagant lights, decorations, and displays that are worth the trek. Note: you'll want to plan for long lines as Christmas approaches.

In Plano, the Deerfield neighborhood hosts a holiday decorating contest that yields magical results: a winter wonderland you can walk or drive through.

Highland Park shines with beautiful light displays, many of which are professionally installed. Redfin also touts horse carriage tours through the neighborhood, for a fee. In historic Kessler Park, you'll find lots of holiday lights against a backdrop of the Dallas skyline. And in Lake Highlands, the 12 Days of Christmas come alive on Timberhollow Circle. The display has been a tradition for more than two decades.

Check out the Redfin roundup for more information on each neighborhood's collection of stunning light displays.

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Weed News

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Dallas over decriminalization of marijuana

Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife

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The City of Dallas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

According to a release, Paxton has sued the city for adopting a city charter amendment that would decriminalize marijuana-related offenses and prohibit police from enforcing Texas law.

That amendment was Proposition R, or Dallas Freedom Act, which decriminalizes possession of four ounces of marijuana or less. Voters passed the amendment in the November 5 election, with 67 percent voting in favor.

The lawsuit, filed against the Dallas City Council, alleges that Proposition R is unconstitutional and violates Texas drug laws criminalizing any amount of marijuana.

Paxton says that cities can't "pick and choose which state laws to follow." He's proposing a permanent injunction to stop Proposition R from going into effect.

"The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them," says Paxton in a statement. "This is a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution, and any city that tries to constrain police in this fashion will be met swiftly with a lawsuit by my office.”

Before the recent election, possession of two to four ounces of marijuana could result in a punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Ground Game Texas, the activist nonprofit that has also helped get marijuana decriminalization on the ballot in elections across Texas, first got the issue on the ballot in July with the necessary 50,000 signatures.

Dallas is not the only city to be sued; Paxton also filed lawsuits against five other cities in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos in January for their ballots and policies decriminalizing marijuana.

Both Austin and San Marcos had a judge overturn their cases, according to a FOX 4 report.

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