With Christmas falling on a weekend this year, it's holiday events galore. There are only a handful of new events to check out, including two one-night-only holiday productions and visiting comedian.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this Christmas weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Still looking for dining options on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or restaurants to take out-of-town company. Find those lists here and here.

Thursday, December 22

Holiday events
If you haven't had a chance to check out a holiday event this year, there is no shortage of options. Notable choices include Holiday at the Arboretum, The Trains at NorthPark, Texas Christkindl Market at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Grapevine Vintage Railroad presents North Pole Express, and Immersive Nutcracker: A Winter Miracle at Lighthouse Dallas.

Holiday-themed theater productions
A trio of local holiday-themed theater productions will wrap up their runs this weekend, including Dallas Children's Theater presents Harry Connick, Jr.’s The Happy Elf (running through Friday), Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol (running through Saturday) and Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Ebenezer Scrooge (running through Friday).

Christmas lights
People love looking at lights this time of year, and there are options all over the Dallas area to fill that need. Choices include Radiance! & Frozen in Frisco at Riders Field, Enchant at Fair Park (canceled Thursday due to weather), The Light Parkat Hurricane Harbor Arlington, Prairie Lights at Lynn Creek Park in Grand Prairie (canceled Thursday and Friday), Vitruvian Lightsat Vitruvian Park in Addison, and Lights on the Farm at Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano, among others. For a long list of spectacular lights across DFW, go here. For top homes and neighborhoods, check this out.

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland
The all-new Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland is a musical journey that will transport audiences to a magical land far away for a holiday-themed show experience. The show, taking place at Comerica Center in Frisco, will feature acrobats, aerialists, hijinks, and holiday cheer. The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with a musical mix of timeless seasonal favorites.

Friday, December 23

Lightwire Theater presents A Very Electric Christmas
Achieving nationwide acclaim on TV’s America’s Got Talent, Lightwire Theater combines the arts of puppetry, theater, and dance with timeless holiday hits. The performance features moving-light characters including toy soldiers, caroling worms, and performing poinsettias that magically appear out of complete darkness. There will be two performances at Courtyard Theater in Plano on Friday.

  

Photo courtesy of Cirque Musica

Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular takes place at Comerica Center in Frisco on December 22.

Dallas Comedy Club presents Raj Sharma
Raj Sharma is a professional comic, a classically trained actor, and a seasoned host who appeared as himself in Jestination Unknown, a comedy travel show on Amazon. Being born and raised in Texas and brought up in a traditional Hindu household gave him all the influence he needed. He'll perform on both Friday and Saturday at Dallas Comedy Club.