Holiday Cheer

Top 5 reasons to attend CultureMap's Holiday Pop-up Shop this weekend

Even Santa knows this is the event of the season.

Photo by WJNPHOTO

In just a few days, CultureMap's Holiday Pop-up Shop returns to kick off the holiday season in style. On December 2, Sixty Five Hundred will transform into a boutique showcasing 25 of Dallas' best vendors, plus all the necessary ingredients — festive sips and eats, crafts, carolers, even a visit from Santa — for an afternoon full of holiday cheer.

Ahead of the big event, we've rounded up the top five reasons why this is Dallas' ultimate holiday shopping experience — and why you simply can't miss it.

1. Something for everyone on your list
It's possible to knock out all of your holiday shopping in one afternoon, thanks to our boutique of select retailers. Fabulous Dallas vendors like Madre, Swoozie's, Gaia, Primavera, Elizabeth W, Trousseau of Dallas, Follain, and many more will be on hand to make finding the perfect gift a breeze.

2. DIY cocktails
This is guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. Ketel One is rolling out its bar cart stocked with seasonal ingredients so you can create your own complimentary holiday cocktail. And because no celebration is complete without bubbly, Korbel is uncorking a special mimosa bar for the occasion. Plus, Sourced Craft Cocktails will be on hand with smooth bourbon sips.

3. Exclusive workshops
Want to put your DIY skills to use on more than just cocktails? New this year, the Holiday Pop-up Shop features exclusive workshops where you can create your own festive succulent arrangement or master holiday lettering. Space is limited, so sign up in advance. Bonus: Your workshop ticket includes access to the main event.

4. Two tickets for the price of one
Right now, you can snag two Holiday Pop-up Shop tickets for the price of one. The offer ends November 30, so grab a couple now: one for you and one for a friend, because even holiday shopping is more fun with your bestie by your side.

5. It's all for a good cause
Proceeds from Holiday Pop-up Shop benefit The Birthday Party Project, a Dallas-based charity that hosts monthly birthday parties for children at homeless and transitional living facilities across the country. In the spirit of the season, attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the organization.

The CultureMap Holiday Pop-up Shop, sponsored by Verizon, Korbel, and Ketel One, runs 12-4 pm on December 2 at Sixty Five Hundred. Verizon Up Members get free VIP access from 11 am-12 pm, and the first 100 Verizon Up Members can snag a sweet swag bag.

holidays shopping

Park patriotism

State Fair of Texas marks America's 250th with flyover, music, and more

Canned food display at the State Fair of Texas

Photo by Kevin Brown

There will be patriotic displays everywhere you look at the 2026 State Fair of Texas.

As if all the food, entertainment, and discounts the State Fair of Texas is offering in 2026 wasn't enough, they will also continue the celebration of America's 250th birthday with a variety of patriotic attractions, exhibits, and experiences.

Red, white, and blue will be woven throughout Fair Park during the annual extravaganza, running September 25-October 18 this year, thanks to the State Fair's commemorative theme, “Stars, Stripes, and Howdies." That will be especially evident opening weekend, September 25-27, according to a news release.

At the annual Opening Day Ceremony, which takes place at 6:45 pm on the Hall of State steps on September 25, there will be a special America 250 flyover after the national anthem concludes.

The flyover will consist of a B-52 Stratofortress, two F-35 Lightning IIs, and an A-10 Thunderbolt II. Following the flyover, future servicemembers of the U.S. Air Force will be sworn in with the Oath of Enlistment.

Additionally, an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter and other military assets will be on display near the Hall of State the full weekend.

Finally, The United States Army 1st Cavalry Band will put on a special performance every two hours from 2-8 pm on Sunday, September 27 on the all-new ZiegenBock Stage at The Old Mill.

Visitors can also celebrate patriotism through several different types of exhibitions taking place the full run of the fair.

At D.A.R. House will be "Revolutionary Women: The Role of Women and Girls in the American Revolution," featuring display panels and artifacts that tell the stories of service, rebellion, and hardship of the mostly overlooked roles of women and girls in the American Revolution.

At the Music Hall at Fair Park, Broadway Dallas will present free daily screenings of Compagnia de' Colombari's Whitman on Walls!, featuring 50 artists performing Walt Whitman's iconic poem, "Song of Myself."

The Creative Arts building will host “United We Can,” a special display featuring hundreds of canned jars themed to each state, all arranged in a specific way to create an American Flag.

There will also be opportunities to visit the permanent Texas Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, located across from the Music Hall and a visit from the Freedom250 Mobile Education Truck, which covers various aspects of American history.

As always, active-duty military, retired military, veterans, and first responders enjoy $5 off admission any day of the State Fair.

americas 250th birthday fairs-festivals families kids music patriotism state fair of texas