Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

The first weekend in November — yes, November is here already — is the unofficial start to the holiday season, a fact that's being celebrated by two separate events. You can also enjoy two fun concerts, comedy from two of the best in the business, a food and music festival, and a whale of a good time at the opera.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, November 3

Dallas Market Center presents Market Halliday Sale
The Market Halliday Sale, formerly Sample Sale, is Dallas Market Center’s only consumer event, giving you an opportunity to get a jump-start on your holiday shopping. Visitors to the four-day event can shop for gifts, apparel, jewelry, toys, children’s clothing, home accessories, furniture, and manufacturer samples from a wide variety of vendors. Thursday's preview event is $15; admission Friday-Sunday is free.

Mary Chapin Carpenter in concert with Rose Cousins
Like many other country musicians, Mary Chapin Carpenter hit her peak in the 1990s with hits like "Passionate Kisses," "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," "I Take My Chances," and "Shut Up and Kiss Me." But these songs are more than enough to keep her relevant 20 years later. Carpenter plays at Majestic Theatre in support of her 2016 album, The Things That We Are Made Of, with help from opening act Rose Cousins.

Friday, November 4

Dallas Opera presents Moby-Dick
Six-and-a-half years after making its world premiere in Dallas, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's Moby-Dick returns to Winspear Opera House for a special six-performance encore. Based on Herman Melville’s epic tale of Captain Ahab’s obsession with the great white whale, it is opera on a grand scale. Even better, you don't need a ticket to enjoy it, as the Dallas Opera is putting on a simulcast at Klyde Warren Park, with special activities for both kids and adults.

The Adam Carolla Show Live Podcast
Comedian Adam Carolla has dipped his toes in almost every aspect of the entertainment industry, co-hosting the Loveline radio show with Dr. Drew Pinsky, co-hosting The Man Show with Jimmy Kimmel, appearing on reality shows like Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Apprentice, writing books, and even appearing in a few movies. He's best known these days for his hilarious podcast, a live version of which is being held at the Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, November 5

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox in concert
Created by Scott Bradlee, the rotating collective of Postmodern Jukebox has spent the past few years amassing more than 450 million YouTube views. The performers, which include some notable names, like former American Idol standout Haley Reinhart, alongside phenomenal "undiscovered" talent, are taking their talents off the computer and onto the stage at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Maria Bamford in concert
Comedian Maria Bamford was named by Rolling Stone as one of the 50 Funniest People and won the 2014 American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. But she didn't truly break out until her Netflix sitcom, Lady Dynamite, premiered in early 2016. She's performing a stand-up comedy set at Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, November 6

Dallas Arboretum presents Holiday at the Arboretum
Holiday at the Arboretum includes the return of the 12 Days of Christmas outdoor exhibit, which features 12 elaborate 25-foot-tall Victorian gazebos with charming costumed characters, whimsical animals, and winter scenes made famous by The Christmas Carol. New this year, the garden is open for evening hours for The 12 Days at Night exhibit, which is on display every weekend through December 30.

Granada Theater presents Texas Chili Festival
The inaugural Texas Chili Festival at Granada Theater features select North Texas chefs, including Graham Dodds, Oliver Sitrin, Troy Gardner, Jason West, and Patton Robertson, cooking their unique version of what Texas chili means to them. The event also has music performances from Charlie Robison, Slobberbone, Mike McClure, Phil Pritchett, The Vandoliers, and The Roomsounds.

Adam Carolla presents a live version of his podcast at Majestic Theatre on November 4.

Adam Carolla/Facebook

Adam Carolla presents a live version of his podcast at Majestic Theatre on November 4.

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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