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

Rose Byrne fights for her life and car in new movie 'Tow'

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Rose Byrne in Tow.

Actor Rose Byrne had a banner year in 2025, getting her first Oscar nomination for her starring role in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You. Although she came up short in that race, she’s getting another chance to prove her acting bona fides in the new film, Tow.

In the “inspired by a true story” movie, Byrne plays Amanda, a down-on-her-luck woman who lives in her car and can’t find a job. Living in Seattle, she tries to stay in touch with her daughter, Avery (Elsie Fisher), who lives with her dad in another city, but circumstances sometimes limit their communications, especially when her car is stolen.

The good news is that her car is found relatively quickly. The bad news is that the tow company is charging her to get her car back, money she can’t afford. Now truly homeless, she does everything in her power to right the wrong, even taking the company to court. Without much luck, she has to start staying in a women’s shelter run by Barbara (Octavia Spencer), where she makes friends with Nova (Demi Lovato) and Denise (Ariana DeBose), among others.

Directed by Stephanie Laing and written by Jonathan Keasey and Brent Boivin, the film has relatively low stakes going for it and never really tries to make the story feel deeper than it is. The situation Amanda finds herself in is clearly a tough one, and any empathetic person would feel for her and want her to overcome her plight. But the filmmakers keep things light and never try to up the drama in any significant way.

The issue Amanda is dealing with, being price gouged by a predatory towing company, is one with which many people can relate. But aside from helpfully underscoring Amanda’s frustration by showing the increasing number of days she is without a car, they never establish why they felt this particular story was one worth telling. Her personal issues, including a growing estrangement with her daughter, fail to conjure any big emotions.

The filmmakers are very loose with their storytelling, especially when it comes to side characters. The presence of the women she meets at the shelter, and Kevin (Dominic Sessa), the young lawyer who offers to help her, never makes full sense other than a need for her to have other people with whom to interact. A tighter focus on what Amanda was going through would’ve helped both her and people around her feel more important.

Byrne is a dynamic performer who’s shown great skill at both drama and comedy, but there’s nothing special about her performance here. Hampered a bit by a blonde wig and false teeth, she feels out of sorts for much of the film. The unusually high-powered supporting cast - both Spencer and DeBose are Oscar winners - makes things interesting on first blush, but none of them outside of Sessa is given much to do, so they’re mostly wasted.

Tow will be a disappointment for anyone hoping to see more great stuff from Byrne. While she remains a fine actor, her performance and the story as a whole are nowhere near the level shown in her previous film. The real life predicament shown in the film also never rises to the level of being of something worth showing to the masses.

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Tow is now showing in theaters.

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