Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this Christmas weekend

With Christmas falling on a Monday this year, the number of new events over the long holiday weekend is significantly diminished. There are holiday events wrapping up their runs, a special holiday race, a national tour of a beloved musical, two comedians, a big soccer match, a holiday drag show, a holiday-themed circus, and a chance to get a little crazy at an iconic sports venue.

Below are more best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend before Christmas. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events. Looking for the best Christmas lights to see this weekend? Find those lists here and here.

Thursday, December 21

Ongoing holiday events
There are plenty of great holiday events continuing this weekend and beyond in and around Dallas, including Holiday at the Arboretum, The Trains at NorthPark, Christmas at the Anatole, Vitruvian Lights, Prairie Lights, and Dallas Theater Center's A Christmas Carol. Check out the full calendar for all ongoing holiday events.

$National tour of Les Mis\u00e9rables$

Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

The national tour Les Misérables will be at the Music Hall at Fair Park through December 31.

Dallas Jingle Bell Run
The Jingle Bell Run is a festive family-friendly event with a nighttime 5K run/walk, 1 Mile walk, and a huge afterparty. Participants are encouraged to run dressed up in their favorite holiday attire. The afterparty includes live entertainment, complimentary food and beverages, and more. The run takes place at the Hilton Anatole.

Broadway Dallas presents Les Misérables
Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption - a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. The production runs through December 31 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Improv Arlington presents Mark Curry
Mark Curry is an American actor, comedian, and host best known as the star of the ABC sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and as one of the various hosts of the syndicated series It's Showtime at the Apollo. He'll perform five times through Saturday at Improv Arlington.

The Match: FC Barcelona vs Club America
FC Barcelona is one of the most accomplished ~~soccer~~ football teams in the world, having won 27 La Liga titles, 31 Copa del Rey titles, and five UEFA Champions League titles. Club America has been equally dominant in Mexico, winning 14 Liga MX titles, six Copa Mexico titles, and seven CONCACAF Champions Cup titles. The two storied franchises will play a special match at Cotton Bowl Stadium to support the victims of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco.

Friday, December 22

Dallas Comedy Club presents Myles Weber
Myles Weber has racked up over 60 million views across all platforms, was featured on MTV’s Greatest Party Story Ever Told, and had a top 10 Special on the Dry Bar Comedy App in 2021, leading to a second upcoming special with the company. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Dallas Comedy Club.

Murray & Peter present A Drag Queen Christmas
For the ninth consecutive year, Murray & Peter present A Drag Queen Christmas, the longest running drag tour in America. Host Miz Cracker and other favorite queens will perform live on stage, joined by special guest Todrick Hall. The event takes place at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland
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 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. There will be three performances through Saturday at Winspear Opera House.

Saturday, December 23

Jared's Epic Blaster Battle: Holiday Edition 2
Jared's Epic Blaster Battle will hold a "Holiday Edition" version of the largest foam dart blaster battle of all time. The event will feature an all-new theme, music, special guests, and special battles. Visitors can join team red or team green and get ready to have a blast on the climate-controlled turf of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer is an unappreciated mom 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.

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

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Movie Review

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