Holiday shopping

3 treasured holiday markets gift Dallas-Fort Worth with joyous return of in-person shopping

The Chi Omega Christmas Market is expected to attract 11,000 shoppers in person this year.

Photo courtesy of Chi Omega Christmas Market

We're hardly dashing through the snow — heck, we're not even crunching over fall leaves yet — but it's October, so it's time to talk holiday shopping.

The "bah humbug" of COVID-19 forced holiday shopping online last year, including several cherished Christmas markets across Dallas-Fort Worth. While point-and-click shopping is convenient and safe, there's nothing quite like a holiday market, where you can thumb through trinkets and treasures galore to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Bonus that you're supporting local small businesses and raising money for local charities.

Here are three beloved holiday markets that are back for in-person events this year.

Christmas in Cowtown, October 13-17
Junior League of Fort Worth took the shopping online last year, but the highly anticipated holiday event is back, in person, for its 15th edition at the Amon G. Carter Exhibit Halls at Will Rogers Memorial Center. More than 200 merchants from across the country will be selling home décor, jewelry, clothing, children's products, gourmet food, and more.

The whole event kicks off with the exclusive Boots & Bowties Preview Party on Wednesday, October 13 (tickets: $100). The City of Culture & The Cowboy Brunch is another private shopping affair, October 14 (tickets: $65). General admission shopping ($15) takes place daily October 14-17, but hours vary. For schedule, tickets, and more information, visit the website.

Christmas in Cowtown is one of JLFW's biggest annual fundraisers, annually supporting the organization's impact areas: Arts & Culture, Education, Health & Nutrition, and Life Readiness. To date, the market has raised nearly $5 million for the Fort Worth community.

Chi Omega Christmas Market, November 17-20
The 44-year Dallas holiday tradition returns from an all-virtual event in 2020 to a hybrid format this year. The in-person market will take place Wednesday, November 17 (Chi Omega Christmas Market Premier Shopping Night) through Saturday, November 20 in a new location: the Automobile Building at Fair Park. A virtual shopping experience will offer extended shopping days, additional merchants, and special offers through the website.

The 2021 market will feature 200 merchants selling holiday décor, women’s clothing/accessories, home accents, children’s clothing/toys, food items, and more. All proceeds from ticket sales go to local beneficiaries; in its 43-year history, Chi Omega Christmas Market has supported 120 different local North Texas agencies and donated more than $9 million.

General admission is $15, with early entry on Thursday available for $25; Premier Shopping Night tickets are $100. Tickets, schedule, and more information are now available on the website.

The Texas Christkindl Market, November 18-January 2
Arlington's annual outdoor shopping event moved online last year, but it's back in person for a long holiday season run. According to the city of Arlington website, the German-style Christmas market — one of the largest open-air holiday markets in the Southwest — will take place November 18-January 2 at Choctaw Stadium (formerly Globe Life Park).

The market coincides with the new event The Elf on the Shelf’s Magical Holiday Journey, an immersive experience taking place throughout the concourse of the stadium. Tickets for Elf on the Shelf start at $19.95 for children and $24.95 for adults, but according to the website, admission to the Texas Christkindl Market is free.

Shoppers can expect to find treats, gifts, and handcrafted collectibles, including exclusive Käthe Wohlfahrt merchandise and designs from the iconic Rothenburg ob der Tauber Christmas Village in Germany.

shopping holidays

Movie Review

The Invite delivers smart, sexy laughs with an all-star cast

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film - which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century - has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples - the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis - turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights - and occasional bawdiness - make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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