• Home
  • popular
  • Events
  • Submit New Event
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • News
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Home + Design
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • Innovation
  • Sports
  • Charity Guide
  • children
  • education
  • health
  • veterans
  • SOCIAL SERVICES
  • ARTS + CULTURE
  • animals
  • lgbtq
  • New Charity
  • Series
  • Delivery Limited
  • DTX Giveaway 2012
  • DTX Ski Magic
  • dtx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Your Home in the Sky
  • DTX Best of 2013
  • DTX Trailblazers
  • Tastemakers Dallas 2017
  • Healthy Perspectives
  • Neighborhood Eats 2015
  • The Art of Making Whiskey
  • DTX International Film Festival
  • DTX Tatum Brown
  • Tastemaker Awards 2016 Dallas
  • DTX McCurley 2014
  • DTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • DTX Beyond presents Party Perfect
  • DTX Texas Health Resources
  • DART 2018
  • Alexan Central
  • State Fair 2018
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Zatar
  • CityLine
  • Vision Veritas
  • Okay to Say
  • Hearts on the Trinity
  • DFW Auto Show 2015
  • Northpark 50
  • Anteks Curated
  • Red Bull Cliff Diving
  • Maggie Louise Confections Dallas
  • Gaia
  • Red Bull Global Rally Cross
  • NorthPark Holiday 2015
  • Ethan's View Dallas
  • DTX City Centre 2013
  • Galleria Dallas
  • Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty Luxury Homes in Dallas Texas
  • DTX Island Time
  • Simpson Property Group SkyHouse
  • DIFFA
  • Lotus Shop
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Dallas
  • Clothes Circuit
  • DTX Tastemakers 2014
  • Elite Dental
  • Elan City Lights
  • Dallas Charity Guide
  • DTX Music Scene 2013
  • One Arts Party at the Plaza
  • J.R. Ewing
  • AMLI Design District Vibrant Living
  • Crest at Oak Park
  • Braun Enterprises Dallas
  • NorthPark 2016
  • Victory Park
  • DTX Common Desk
  • DTX Osborne Advisors
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • DFW Showcase Tour of Homes
  • DTX Neighborhood Eats
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • DTX Auto Awards
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2017
  • Nasher Store
  • Guardian of The Glenlivet
  • Zyn22
  • Dallas Rx
  • Yellow Rose Gala
  • Opendoor
  • DTX Sun and Ski
  • Crow Collection
  • DTX Tastes of the Season
  • Skye of Turtle Creek Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival
  • DTX Charity Challenge
  • DTX Culture Motive
  • DTX Good Eats 2012
  • DTX_15Winks
  • St. Bernard Sports
  • Jose
  • DTX SMU 2014
  • DTX Up to Speed
  • st bernard
  • Ardan West Village
  • DTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Taste the Difference
  • Parktoberfest 2016
  • Bob's Steak and Chop House
  • DTX Smart Luxury
  • DTX Earth Day
  • DTX_Gaylord_Promoted_Series
  • IIDA Lavish
  • Huffhines Art Trails 2017
  • Red Bull Flying Bach Dallas
  • Y+A Real Estate
  • Beauty Basics
  • DTX Pet of the Week
  • Long Cove
  • Charity Challenge 2014
  • Legacy West
  • Wildflower
  • Stillwater Capital
  • Tulum
  • DTX Texas Traveler
  • Dallas DART
  • Soldiers' Angels
  • Alexan Riveredge
  • Ebby Halliday Realtors
  • Zephyr Gin
  • Sixty Five Hundred Scene
  • Christy Berry
  • Entertainment Destination
  • Dallas Art Fair 2015
  • St. Bernard Sports Duck Head
  • Jameson DTX
  • Alara Uptown Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival fall 2017
  • DTX Tastemakers 2015
  • Cottonwood Arts Festival
  • The Taylor
  • Decks in the Park
  • Alexan Henderson
  • Gallery at Turtle Creek
  • Omni Hotel DTX
  • Red on the Runway
  • Whole Foods Dallas 2018
  • Artizone Essential Eats
  • Galleria Dallas Runway Revue
  • State Fair 2016 Promoted
  • Trigger's Toys Ultimate Cocktail Experience
  • Dean's Texas Cuisine
  • Real Weddings Dallas
  • Real Housewives of Dallas
  • Jan Barboglio
  • Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
  • Hearts for Hounds
  • Okay to Say Dallas
  • Indochino Dallas
  • Old Forester Dallas
  • Dallas Apartment Locators
  • Dallas Summer Musicals
  • PSW Real Estate Dallas
  • Paintzen
  • DTX Dave Perry-Miller
  • DTX Reliant
  • Get in the Spirit
  • Bachendorf's
  • Holiday Wonder
  • Village on the Parkway
  • City Lifestyle
  • opportunity knox villa-o restaurant
  • Nasher Summer Sale
  • Simpson Property Group
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2017 Dallas
  • Carlisle & Vine
  • DTX New Beginnings
  • Get in the Game
  • Red Bull Air Race
  • Dallas DanceFest
  • 2015 Dallas Stylemaker
  • Youth With Faces
  • Energy Ogre
  • DTX Renewable You
  • Galleria Dallas Decadence
  • Bella MD
  • Tractorbeam
  • Young Texans Against Cancer
  • Fresh Start Dallas
  • Dallas Farmers Market
  • Soldier's Angels Dallas
  • Shipt
  • Elite Dental
  • Texas Restaurant Association 2017
  • State Fair 2017
  • Scottish Rite
  • Brooklyn Brewery
  • DTX_Stylemakers
  • Alexan Crossings
  • Ascent Victory Park
  • Top Texans Under 30 Dallas
  • Discover Downtown Dallas
  • San Luis Resort Dallas
  • Greystar The Collection
  • FIG Finale
  • Greystar M Line Tower
  • Lincoln Motor Company
  • The Shelby
  • Jonathan Goldwater Events
  • Windrose Tower
  • Gift Guide 2016
  • State Fair of Texas 2016
  • Choctaw Dallas
  • TodayTix Dallas promoted
  • Whole Foods
  • Unbranded 2014
  • Frisco Square
  • Unbranded 2016
  • Circuit of the Americas 2018
  • The Katy
  • Snap Kitchen
  • Partners Card
  • Omni Hotels Dallas
  • Landmark on Lovers
  • Harwood Herd
  • Galveston.com Dallas
  • Holiday Happenings Dallas 2018
  • TenantBase
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2018
  • Hawkins-Welwood Homes
  • The Inner Circle Dallas
  • Eating in Season Dallas
  • ATTPAC Behind the Curtain
  • TodayTix Dallas
  • The Alexan
  • Toyota Music Factory
  • Nosh Box Eatery
  • Wildflower 2018
  • Society Style Dallas 2018
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital 2018
  • 5 Mockingbird
  • 4110 Fairmount
  • Visit Taos
  • Allegro Addison
  • Dallas Tastemakers 2018
  • The Village apartments
  • City of Burleson Dallas

    Winter Wonderland

    Allen's Watters Creek ushers in holiday season with music and merriment

    CultureMap Create
    Nov 30, 2021 | 11:40 am

    It's beginning to look — and sound — a lot like the holidays at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm in Allen.

    The open-air shopping and dining destination is getting all decked out for the season, with everything from Santa visits to holiday craft projects to a menorah lighting ceremony.

    Santa Claus is coming to town
    Visit Santa daily in his magical Bavarian Village at 959 Garden Park Dr. for photos and wishes through December 24. Precautionary measures have been made to enhance the safety of your Santa experience. Reservations are recommended, though walk-in visits are offered as space allows.

    Before your annual visit with Santa, enjoy sweet treats (while supplies last), a balloon elf, a free goodie bag, and more at the PJ Party, December 8 from 6-8 pm. Parents are invited to bring children to this free event in their favorite pajamas.

    Four-legged friends will have their own special time for photos with Santa Paws, December 6 and 13 from 4 pm-close. Five dollars from the sale of each photo package will be donated to Animal Rescue Crusaders of Texas (ARC).

    Santa knows that some children need extra patience and quiet time when visiting, so Santa's sensory-friendly morning on December 5 from 9-11 am is exclusively for families with special needs children and their siblings.

    Merry music
    As you're browsing for everyone on your list, enjoy Sounds of the Season from local schools, churches, and professional musicians through December 21.

    Likewise, Eddie Crocetti Jazz performs jazzy holiday favorites on Fridays and Saturdays through December 19 on the plaza outside Frogg Coffee Bar & Creperie.

    Watch an assortment of tuba players when they congregate on The Green for Merry Tuba Christmas, playing Christmas carols and other crowd favorites on December 11 at 2:30 pm. If you play tuba or euphonium, head to 968 Village Green Dr. at noon for registration and the 1 pm rehearsal, then join in on this joyful celebration. Visit www.allenphilharmonic.org for more details.

    Santa's little helpers
    On Thursdays and Fridays, December 2-17 from 11 am-7 pm, kids can create their very own unique holiday craft project at home and receive a special treat. Elves, Inc. To-Go offers fun, free, holiday craft projects for pick-up, with projects geared toward children from pre-school through elementary, while supplies last. Pick up at the Concierge+ Lounge on Garden Park Drive.

    To make the holidays memorable for the men and women serving America, Watters Creek donates Christmas trees to the Trees for Troops program on behalf of the Allen Community. Help share the spirit by stopping by the Trees for Troops tent on December 3 from 2-5 pm, at the plaza in front of Frogg Coffee Bar, to write a note of appreciation attached to a Christmas tree and received by a service member or family.

    Cheerful celebrations
    Gather on The Green at Watters Creek for the Grand Menorah Lighting on December 2, beginning at 4:30 pm. To-go Chanukah bags for everyone include dreidels, donuts, chocolate coins, arts and crafts, and more.

    Each year on December 24, Tangible Grace Fellowship Church brings Christmas Eve on The Green to Watters Creek, and everyone is invited. The music starts at 5:30 pm and is over at about 6:15 pm. Enjoy a joyful family experience singing Christmas carols by candlelight.

    Gifts for you
    Visit during Festive Fridays, December 3-24 from 2-8 pm, and receive a complimentary glass of wine (21-and-up only) at the Concierge+ lounge. Present $75 in same-day Watters Creek receipts (exclusive of groceries and gift cards) at the Concierge+ lounge and receive a four-piece holiday gift box of Godiva chocolates.

    From December 1-24, purchase three or more Watters Creek gift cards and receive an extra $10 gift card for yourself. Gift cards are available at the Watters Creek Concierge+ Guest Center, located at 909 Garden Park Dr. between J. Jill and Anthropologie. One per person, per day, while supplies last.

    Watters Creek offers free valet to all customers Friday and Saturday from 5-11 pm throughout the year. Valet is located on Village Green Drive in front of Menchie's Frozen Yogurt and on Garden Park Drive across from The Blue Fish.

    Shop the finest in food, fashion, and more with safe, convenient, and contact-free pick-up:

    1. Place your orders with your favorite shops and restaurants.
    2. Park in a designated pick-up spot and let them know you've arrived.
    3. Click here to view a printable map that highlights each pick-up area.

    Parking spaces are branded with signage, and each sign is numbered to identify the location. Don't hesitate to get in touch with each store or restaurant directly for more information.

    All are welcome at Christmas Eve on The Green.

    Christmas Eve on the Green
    Photo courtesy of Watters Creek
    All are welcome at Christmas Eve on The Green.
    holidayskidsmusicshoppingpromotedconcerts
    news/entertainment
    series/watters-creek
    promoted

    most read posts

    Ambitious Indian restaurant Jashan opens at Plano's Legacy North

    Colorful Mexican chain bringing tacos to McKinney leads week's top stories

    Crazy wave of Dallas restaurants and bars have all just opened

    Movie Review

    Michelle Pfeiffer is an unappreciated mom in Oh. What. Fun.

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 5, 2025 | 2:23 pm
    Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.
    Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
    Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

    Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

    That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

    Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

    Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

    The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

    The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

    Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

    Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

    ---

    Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

    moviesfilm
    news/entertainment
    series/watters-creek
    promoted
    Loading...