A Tinsel Touchdown

Dallas Cowboys kick off Christmas with a bang at The Star in Frisco

The Dallas Cowboys knows what North Texas wants: a return of the 7th annual Christmas at The Star (and a national championship, but we'll take this in the meantime).

These free, family-friendly events and experiences begin November 17 and run throughout the holiday season, all held at The Star in Frisco.

Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza
Powered by Reliant, this electrifying 20-minute show ignites The Star with a powerful mix of game-day excitement and Christmas cheer on Tostitos Championship Plaza. The show kicks off with a dazzling performance by the world-famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, followed by the lighting of The Star’s 67-foot LED Christmas tree.

A magical lineup of 65 game-day performers includes Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue, Cowboys Rookie Squad, Rowdy, and a special appearance by Santa Claus. This event takes place every Friday and Saturday at 6 pm from November 17-December 16, outdoors on Tostitos Championship Plaza.

Special appearances by Dallas Cowboys football heroes include:

Friday, November 17: Tyron Smith & Family
Saturday, November 18: Darren Woodson & Family
Friday, November 24: Chad Hennings & Family
Saturday, November 25: Drew Pearson & Family
Friday, December 1: Bradie James & Family
Saturday, December 2: Tyrone Crawford & Family
Friday, December 8: TBA
Saturday, December 9: DeMarcus Ware & Family
Friday, December 15 :Gene & Jerry Jones
Saturday, December 16: Dat Nguyen & Family
And more to be announced soon (all appearances are subject to change).

Admission and parking for the event are free.

Santa at The Star
Monument Realty helps welcome Santa Claus to his Cowboys-themed set in the heart of The Star District, November 17-December 24. You can schedule an appointment to visit Santa inside his custom Dallas Cowboys cottage by visiting here. Walk-ins will also be welcome, but with limited availability.

Photo packages include a printed 5×7 photo and an exclusive Cowboys gift for each child. Save $5 when they book your appointment before December 9 using code STAR5. Santa’s cottage is located centrally in The Star District across from Ascension. Free parking is available in the Silver Parking Garage located off Gaylord Parkway.

Christmas Tours of The Star
Fans are invited to experience the magic of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters during Christmastime Tours of The Star, presented by SeatGeek. Tours happen November 17-December 16.

Tickets are $65 and include VIP viewing of Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza, a 45-minute Christmas-themed guided tour of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters, a takeaway Santa hat, and limited-edition Dallas Cowboys ornament.

Check-in will occur at 5:45 pm prior to the start of Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza. To book your tour for an individual or group, email TheStarTours@DallasCowboys.Net or call 972-497-4720.

Youth camps
Additional Cowboys-related holiday activities include Dallas Cowboys Holiday Youth Football and Dance Camps presented by Invisalign. These happen at AT&T Stadium on December 22 and December 23. To learn more and register visit here .

Feast for the fest
In addition to The Star’s marquee holiday events, The Star’s dining, shopping and entertainment district features 36-plus shops and restaurants which offer a a festive place to toast, break bread, and gift-shop throughout the holiday season.

To stay up to date on holiday menus, sales, events, and more, visit here.

Photo courtesy of The Star in Frisco

Are you ready for a Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza?

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Media News

Pushy investment firm increases offer price on Dallas Morning News

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Dallas Morning News

An investment firm is circling back to try and acquire the Dallas Morning News: MNG Enterprises, Inc., an affiliate of Alden Global Capital, a New York investment firm that is into buying up newspapers, has increased its offer to purchase DallasNews Corporation to $18.50 per share, which they note is higher than a competing offer that the DMN has already accepted.

On July 10, parent company DallasNews Corporation announced that The Dallas Morning News would be acquired by New York-based Hearst, joining a portfolio of 28 daily and 50 weekly newspapers, for $15 per share in cash.

But on July 22, MNG Enterprises, Inc. made a competing offer. Alden owns more than 200 newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, the Baltimore Sun, the New York Daily News, and the Denver Post, and has subsequently shrunk newsrooms with cutbacks and buyouts.

The Dallas Morning News has already clarified that they wish to go with Hearst, but Alden is persisting.

A statement from MNG says that they've made proposals to address the concerns of Dallas Morning News majority stockholder Robert Decherd, which have been ignored; and cit their track record for "sustaining quality journalism" as well as their recent acquisition of six newspapers in Northern California from Sonoma Media Investments.

That acquisition followed a similar scenario: Sonoma Media Investments was expected to sell its portfolio — consisting of the Press Democrat, the Sonoma Index Tribune, the Petaluma Argus Courier, the Sonoma County Gazette, La Prensa Sonoma, the North Bay Business Journal, and Sonoma Magazine — to Hearst. But at the last minute, Alden came in with a higher offer.

According to the Sonoma Sun, after the Alden purchase was announced, all newsroom staff were offered buyouts — a standard Alden strategy, usually followed by staff layoffs. According to an NPR report by David Folkenflik, a former reporter at the Baltimore Sun, which is now owned by Alden, a NewsGuild union study covering a six-year period found that Alden cut staff at Guild-represented newspapers by an average of 75 percent.

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