Good luck to you if the holiday season is not your thing, as it will be almost impossible to avoid holiday-themed events in the coming weeks.
This weekend's batch includes a celebration at Fair Park, a parade and lights in downtown Dallas, a TV special come to life, and a world premiere opera about the origins of Santa.
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, December 3
Holiday Delights at Fair Park
Holiday Delights is a free holiday festival and market that marks the beginning of a full season of holiday events. Enjoy the lighting of the tree, carolers, arts and crafts, carriage and train rides, a reindeer petting area, photos with Santa, a snow hill complete with snow baseball field, and hay rides. The event takes place at Fair Park through Sunday.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical
The beloved TV classic soars off the screen and onto the stage for the third consecutive year at Majestic Theatre. Playing through Sunday, you can see all your favorite characters from the special, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius, and, of course, Rudolph.
Theatre Three presents A Christmas Carol: The Radio Play and The Fantasticks
Theatre Three will utilize its two distinct spaces to present two new productions. A Christmas Carol: The Radio Play is a one-man show set on Christmas Eve in 1947, in which the manager of a radio station plays all 21 characters and does all the sound effects. The Fantasticks, a timeless romantic tale of a boy, a girl, and their fathers’ schemes to get the two married, is a perennial production from Theatre Three, coming back for the ninth time. A Christmas Carol will run through December 20, while The Fantasticks runs through December 27.
Dallas Theater Center presents Clarkston
The latest world premiere from Dallas Theater Center is an intimate production in which the lives of a fledgling writer and a descendant of William Clark intersect as they stock televisions and cheese puffs in the aisles of Costco. The two characters take an allegorical journey filled with humor and compassion. The play will run through January 31 in the Studio Theatre at Wyly Theatre.
Friday, December 4
Dallas Opera presents Becoming Santa Claus
After two years of waiting, we'll finally get to see composer Mark Adamo's world premiere for the Dallas Opera come to life. Set in an Elven kingdom in the "Far, Far North," Prince Claus celebrates his thirteenth birthday with the party to end all parties. However, a bright star has signaled a momentous birth. Claus decides to dazzle this newborn with an assortment of the very latest toys before discovering that love is the most treasured gift of all. The opera will play four times at Winspear Opera House through December 12.
Saturday, December 5
28th Annual Dallas Children’s Health Holiday Parade
The great ice-pocalypse of 2014 canceled the annual Dallas Children’s Health Holiday Parade, along with a slew of other events. There's no chance of that happening this week, so you're free to enjoy the marching bands, famous characters, holiday floats, larger-than-life balloons, and more as they wind their way through downtown to City Hall.
AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Reliant Lights Your Holidays
Back for another year is Reliant Lights Your Holidays, taking place in and around the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. The free festival includes a holiday concert with The Polyphonic Spree, Bubba Hernandez y los Super Vatos, and cast members of the national tour of Jersey Boys, as well as a fireworks show and free photos with Santa Claus.
Sunday, December 6
CultureMap Holiday Pop-up Shop 2015
It's often hard to know what kind of presents to get for your loved ones, so let us help. This unique gift market, taking place at Sixty Five Hundred, features the very best and most beloved local boutiques, gourmet edibles, and home decor shops, as well as food, cocktails, crafting stations, carolers, photos with Santa, and more. Admission is free with an RSVP.
Jackopierce in concert
It's never a bad time to see Dallas favorites Jackopierce, and this special concert at McFarlin Auditorium on the SMU campus should be especially fun. For their first-ever Christmas show, Jack O'Neill and Cary Pierce will be playing a bunch of great Christmas classics with a full band, special guests, and other surprises.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical will play at Majestic Theatre through December 6.
