Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

While many events in and around Dallas have either been postponed or canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, some organizations have pivoted to virtual or socially-distanced events to continue offering the masses some entertainment while we need it the most.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. For the first time in a long time, each event will be in-person but with all of necessary precautions during this strange time.

Thursday, November 19

Rocky Mountain High: Songs of John Denver by Rick Schuler
Ever since singer, songwriter, and adventurer Rick Schuler wore his first pair of round glasses at age 13, it was undeniable that he looked like John Denver. Nearly four decades later, Schuler has emerged as the leading performer of Denver’s music. In his Rocky Mountain High experience, Schuler performs favorite hits such as “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” “You Fill Up My Senses,” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” He'll perform on Thursday and Friday at Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts in Richardson.

Friday, November 20

SnowDay Dallas
At SnowDay, taking place through January 3 at Galleria Dallas, guests will navigate their way through 5,000+ square feet of wondrous holiday fun. It includes multiple photo opportunities throughout, with integrated professional cameras and lighting. Photos are delivered instantly to visitors' phones, with the opportunity to print pictures in the gift shop.

Luminova Holidays
At the new Luminova Holidays, visitors will be able to view millions of twinkling lights, take to the ice on an outdoor rink, and snap selfie-worthy pics. The sprawling indoor and outdoor wonderland, located at Globe Life Field in Arlington through January 3, marks the first event to be open to the general public at the new stadium. It also includes appearances by Santa Claus, a 65-foot Christmas tree, interactive activities like light up hopscotch, train rides for the kids, strolling holiday entertainers, and booths with food and special mementos.

Six Flags Over Texas presents Holiday in the Park
Holiday in the Park is back for select days at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. The winter wonderland features a variety of interactive activities, festive shows, an extravagantly decorated Christmas tree, holiday treats, unique holiday-themed attractions, seasonal entertainment, a Merry Marketplace, The Frosty Snowhill, and, of course, world class thrill rides. It will take place through January 3.

Magic of Lights
The Magic of Lights at The Lakefront is a COVID-19-safe, drive-thru event taking place at Little Elm Park in Little Elm. The 1.25-mile experience features favorite holiday scenes and characters of the season using the latest LED technology and digital animations. It will take place through January 2.

Dallas Zoo Lights
Dallas Zoo Lights, presented by Reliant, has been reimagined so guests can drive through a holiday safari of lights in their own vehicles. Visitors will cruise through a newly constructed pathway — and through familiar parts of the Dallas Zoo — while viewing more than one million lights in elaborate displays, silk-covered animal lanterns depicting Zoo favorites, an ice palace fit for a trio of penguins, and more. The event takes place through January 3.

TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Parsons Dance
Parsons Dance is everything that is right about American modern dance. Their bold, joyous and athletic movement has solidified them as one of the world’s leading modern dance companies. Stunning works like the iconic Caught exemplify this company’s innovation and huge audience appeal. They'll perform at Winspear Opera House in the venue's first event since the pandemic started.

Saturday, November 21

Chamberlain Ballet presents Nutcracker Sweets
Nordstrom and Galleria Dallas will hold a limited-attendance production of the abbreviated Nutcracker Sweets, presented by Chamberlain Ballet. Tickets include a continental breakfast for each guest, a pass to SnowDay on the day of the performance, and a Galleria Ice skating pass, including skate rental. Additionally, Chamberlain Ballet will bring The Nutcracker story to life via photography with an exhibit featuring decades of performances captured in photographs. The exhibit will be onsite on Level I at Galleria Dallas near Apple, December 1-31.

Seltzerland
Seltzerland is a socially distanced, hard seltzer celebration where attendees will sample from 50+ flavors of the popular alcoholic drink. Taking place at Irving Golf Club, it features the best hard seltzer brands, from iconic national brands to beloved local companies, who will be on-site offering a variety of beverage samplings, along with Hormel Black Label Bacon providing brunch bites.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents The Concert Truck
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present the residency of The Concert Truck during the holiday season. Taking place on various dates through December 18, the DSO and The Concert Truck will present collaborative community concerts across the city, featuring musicians of the DSO and other arts organizations. The performances kick off at The Potter's House Church on Saturday and The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza on Sunday.

Sarah Jaffe in concert
Singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe has been on the verge of stardom for a decade. After getting her start in Denton, she's gone on to release four acclaimed albums, including 2017's Bad Baby, and has toured with the likes of Norah Jones, The Polyphonic Spree, and Old 97's. She'll perform at Granada Theater as part of the venue's reopening weekend.

Snowday Dallas, running November 20- January 3, is one of several holiday events opening this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Snowday Dallas

Snowday Dallas, running November 20- January 3, is one of several holiday events opening this weekend.

event-planner dance concerts 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.

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