Happy holidays

Dallas lands on list of best cities to celebrate Christmas in 2023

Photo courtesy of Downtown Dallas Inc.

Dallas loves the holidays and now a report confirms its status as a festive place to be: According to this list of Best Cities for Christmas, Dallas comes in on the top 50 of best cities for to celebrate the holiday.

The report by WalletHub identifies the most festive and affordable cities for Christmas celebrations, ranking the 100 most populous cities across five categories: Christmas traditions, holiday observance, generosity, shopping, and costs.

Dallas came in at No. 34, which also made it the most festive city in Texas.

The city earned its spot in the top 50 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings. From local restaurants putting their all into creating the most festive holiday dinners, to the most spectacular lighting displays all over North Texas, there's plenty to enjoy.

Dallas restaurants are also hustling towards 2024 with a plethora of New Year's Eve dinners and New Year's Day brunches.

Despite inflation woes, Dallas households have bigger holiday budgets this year ($943) than they did in 2022 ($845), according to another WalletHub study.

"Inflation is weighing heavily on consumers’ minds as well as their budgets this holiday season, but it doesn’t have to spoil the occasion," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. "Whether you find yourself in what amounts to a humble modern-day manger or one of the best cities for budget-friendly Christmas celebrations, the most important thing is to spend quality time with loved ones and create lasting memories. By doing so, you can find joy and inspiration in the true spirit of the season."

Elsewhere in North Texas, Fort Worth ranked No. 50, Plano earned No. 63, Irving came in at No. 86 with Garland (No. 87) right behind, and Arlington ranked No. 92.

The 10 best cities to experience Christmas are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Orlando, Florida
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 7 – Seattle, Washington
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Miami, Florida
No. 10 – Birmingham, Alabama

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

wallethub reports holidays christmas

Meteor News

Best time to see the Draconid meteor shower in Dallas this week

Facebook

Meteor shower

A meteor shower will be visible from most of North America, including Dallas, during the week of October 6-10.

The Draconid meteor shower – also called the Giacobinids – is predicted to produce the most meteor activity on the night of October 7 and through the early hours of October 8. The peak is expected to occur at 12 am on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

But there will still be sightings on subsequent nights, stargazing experts say, with the overall duration of the shower extending from October 6-10.

According to EarthSky, a cool website devoted to all things starry, the Draconids will be visible right after it gets dark, rather than the more common early morning hours most meteor showers are visible.

The best time will be just after sunset, until around midnight. Viewers won't have to stay up until the crack of dawn.

Helping to make the meteor even more visible is a waxing moon, barely a crack — only 27 percent illuminated — which will cast less light and keep the sky darker overall.

EarthSky says that the meteors are radiating from two stars known as the Dragon’s Eyes, called Eltanin and Rastaban, found in the constellation Draco. Which is located in between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.

However, the meteor shower will be visible across the sky.

The shower is dubbed a "sleeper" in that it produces only a handful of meteors — 10 per hour. But they move slower, so the duration of each streak of light sometimes lasts longer — one to two seconds, rather than a rapid flash.

Meteor showers consist of debris left behind by comets and asteroids, which throw off bits of rock and ice as they orbit the sun. The Draconids are the result of Earth passing through this trail from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The comet completes an orbit of the sun about every seven years, and according to CNN, the last time got this close to Earth was in September 2018.

The best way to see it is to find a place that's far from artificial light, then lie on your back and look up at the sky with a wide view. No special equipment is needed.

nature