Weekend Event Planner

These are the 12 best things to do in Dallas this Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving weekend is when the holidays officially kick off in the Dallas area. Eight of the 12 events we're featuring are holiday themed, including ones with ice sculptures, theater, shopping, mazes, classical music, dancing, and lights galore. You can also catch Disney characters skating, some truly talented basketball players, a great Broadway musical, or some heavenly singing.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Wednesday, November 21

Gaylord Texan presents Lone Star Christmas: ICE! featuring Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
ICE! is the signature holiday attraction at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, and this year guests can experience their favorite scenes from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer brought to life in the walk-through winter wonderland. The attraction features two million pounds of ice sculptures, six ice slides, colorful ice sculptures, and more. As a bonus, use the promo code JOLLY at online checkout to receive 40 percent off tickets for November 26-29 and December 3-6. ICE! will be open through January 1.

Disney on Ice presents Frozen
It's been five years since the behemoth that is Frozen was unleashed on the world, and the popularity of Anna, Elsa, and Olaf shows no signs of slowing down. You can discover the full story at this ice skating production as Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven search for Elsa and bring back summer. Hosted by Mickey and Minnie, the musical production will also feature special appearances by favorite Disney stars. It will be at Allen Event Center through Sunday.

Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol
Dallas Theater Center will present its annual production of A Christmas Carol, in which three spirits come to visit the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and take him on a fantastic journey through Christmases past, present, and future. Brimming with joyful songs, magical spirits, and holiday cheer, this year's production will feature Alex Organ as Scrooge. It will play at Wyly Theatre through December 30.

Thursday, November 22

Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation presents Prairie Lights
Prairie Lights, taking place through December 30 at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie, is the always-popular two-mile drive featuring 4 million lights that drew 250,000 visitors in 2017. It will be better than ever in 2018 with new custom displays, along with carnival rides, a holiday show, a holiday magic walk-thru forest, pictures with Santa, gift shop, and more.

Friday, November 23

The Original Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters will bring their 2018 “Amazing Feats of Basketball World Tour” to both Frisco and Dallas this weekend. The Globetrotters will celebrate the special blend of basketball and entertainment that has made the team iconic, showcasing the high-flying, fun, and memory-making moments that they are known for. They'll play twice at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco on Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Texas Christkindl Market
This free, family-friendly market, inspired by a cherished German tradition, features holiday gifts, decorations, and other traditional festive goods, as well as live entertainment. Holiday shoppers can look for exclusive Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas decorations and designs from the renowned Rothenburg ob der Tauber Christmas Village in Germany. The event will be at Texas Live in Arlington through December 23.

Enchant: World's Largest Christmas Light Maze & Market
Enchant will once again illuminate North Texas skies with its World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze & Market. This year, the event will move inside Globe Life Park in Arlington, where guests can enjoy the light maze, an all-new skating trail, an artisans market, appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and much more. The event will be open daily through December 30.

Vitruvian Lights: A Magical Night of Lights
Vitruvian Park in Addison transforms into a magical holiday wonderland during Vitruvian Lights, running through January 1. With each tree in the park decked out in different solid colors, it's a unique experience that's unmatched in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Opening Night on Friday will feature a performance by the Jordan Kahn Orchestra, food trucks, free photos with Santa, Metrocrest Services Donation Drive, and more.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty
Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present two of Tchaikovsky's grandest ballet scores, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, to kick off the holiday season. In addition, pianist Andrew von Oeyen will perform Grieg’s much loved concerto. The concert, conducted by Andrew Grams, will have three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Rock of Ages 10th Anniversary Tour
The jukebox musical Rock of Ages officially opened on Broadway in 2009, so this "10th Anniversary Tour" is getting to Dallas a little early, but fans will probably have no complaints. The production is built around classic rock songs from the 1980s, including songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison, and Europe. It will play three times through Saturday at The Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Texas Ballet Theater presents The Nutcracker
Texas Ballet Theater's production of The Nutcracker is perhaps the definitive one in Dallas-Fort Worth. A magical Christmas Eve comes to life in the ballet that features Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battling an army of mice led by the evil Rat King, and traveling through a winter wonderland to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Kingdom of Sweets. The production runs through December 2 at Winspear Opera House before making its way to Fort Worth.

Sunday, November 25

Pentatonix in concert
Arlington's own Pentatonix got their big break when they won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011. Since then, the a cappella group has gone on to release seven albums, including three Christmas albums. They'll perform at The Theatre in Grand Prairie in support of their new Christmas album, Christmas is Here!, featuring songs like "What Christmas Means to Me" and "When You Believe."

Alex Organ stars as Scrooge in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol, playing at Wyly Theatre through December 30.

Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol

Photo by Paxton Maroney

Alex Organ stars as Scrooge in Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol, playing at Wyly Theatre through December 30.

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Big Tex Wrap-Up

State Fair of Texas bounces back with 2.1 million attendees in 2026

Crowds around Big Tex at 2026 State Fair of Texas

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

Almost 2.1 people attended the 2026 State Fair of Texas, up from 2025.

After experiencing its lowest total attendance numbers in seven years in 2025, the State Fair of Texas bounced back in 2026, welcoming nearly 2.1 million visitors, according to an official release.

That represents a slight bump up from the 2,020,064 that came through the gates in 2025. Both numbers are still down significantly from the highs of 2019 and 2022, when more than 2.5 million people attended the State Fair.

The uptick in attendance could be attributed to the concerted effort to make the Fair more affordable this year, including lowering ticket prices, making games and rides cheaper, expanding days for free student tickets, and offering a free day of parking.

As usual, the busiest day of the State Fair was Saturday, October 10, the date of the annual Texas-Oklahoma football game, with more than 203,000 fairgoers in attendance, including the 92,100 fans in the Cotton Bowl.

The average attendance for the other 23 days of the fair was around 82,500.

“We are grateful to every fairgoer who joined us this year, as well as the team members, vendors, and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this season possible," said State Fair of Texas President Mitchell Glieber in a statement. "As a nonprofit organization, a successful Fair helps fuel our work throughout the year, and we are proud of the impact we continue to make through agriculture, education, and community.”

Other notable numbers from the 2026 State Fair of Texas include:

An all-new look for Big Tex, standing 55 feet tall, sporting a 95-gallon Resistol cowboy hat, a Cavender’s shirt measuring 245 by 192 inches, Levi’s 501 jeans measuring 380 inches wide by 290 inches long, size 96 Lucchese boots, and a Shiner belt buckle.
The unveiling of an official State of Texas Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission for Big Tex, honoring his enduring legacy as a beloved Texas icon and symbol of State Fair tradition.
An estimated 110,655 pounds of food were collected and donated to the North Texas Food Bank.
More than 28,600 members of the military and their families visited the Fair over 24 days, utilizing the special discount offer in gratitude for their service.
Approximately 500,000 prizes, valued at an estimated $1.8 million, were won at the State Fair Midway, enough stuffed animals and prizes to fill approximately 90 semi-trucks.
Approximately 450,000 Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs were enjoyed by fairgoers.
The State Fair of Texas is estimated to generate more than $600 million in economic activity each year, serving as one of the most impactful annual events in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

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