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

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney go off in trashy film The Housemaid

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

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The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

movies film

Holiday shopping

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

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Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney go off in trashy film The Housemaid

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