Weekend Event Planner

Lights fest electrifies the 11 top things to do in Dallas this weekend

The weekend before Christmas in and around Dallas will be full of - surprise! - lots of holiday-themed events. They include a new lights exhibition, a theater production, three concerts, a magic show, a classic movie backed by a symphony, and a dance production. On the non-holiday front will be a favorite modern musical, a rising comedian, and a theater production about a rock & roll hall of famer.

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

Thursday, December 19

Lektrik: A Festival of Lights
Visitors can step into a vibrant world of enchantment at Lektrik: A Festival of Lights. The illuminated trail brings a blend of botanical beauty, ancient civilizations, and fairy-tale magic to life with over 100 light sculptures crafted by 150 skilled artisans using 120 tons of steel and 150,000 feet of silk. Guests can discover a kaleidoscope of interactive photo ops, live performances, food, and more at the exhibition, taking place at Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park through March 23, 2025.

The Eisemann Center presents Christmas with C.S. Lewis
Christmas with C.S. Lewis finds the famous author at his home near Oxford on Christmas Eve hosting a group of Americans who are Christmassing in England. They are about to experience an assortment of Yuletide recollections which stimulates a whole range of emotions – curiosity, laughter, gladness, and even some tears. Above all, they will discover how an encounter with J.R.R. Tolkien forever changed Lewis' Christmas celebrations. The production will have five performances through Sunday at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson.

Michael Martin Murphey’s Cowboy Christmas
Michael Martin Murphey's Cowboy Christmas is a blend of music and multimedia production, encompassing his numerous best-selling Christmas albums, alongside his beloved country and pop hits. Murphey, the members of the Rio Grande Band, and the Rocky Mountain Vintage Dancers will provide a "Christmas Cowboy-Style" experience. The concert takes place at Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.

The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays
The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays will celebrate the holidays with a spectacle featuring the talents of some of the best illusionists on Earth. The show, taking place for one night only at Majestic Theatre, includes performances by Chris Cox, Hyunjoon Kim, Pablo Canovas, Steve Valentine, and Kevin James.

Broadway at the Center presents Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen is the first contemporary musical about connection in the digital age. Evan Hansen is a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. After writing a letter to himself that was never meant to be seen, Evan becomes entangled in a lie that was never meant to be told and a life he never dreamt could be his. As a result, Evan finally gets what so many of us are searching for - the chance to finally fit in. The production will have four performances through Saturday at Winspear Opera House.

Friday, December 20

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Elf in Concert
In Elf, Buddy is accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. Audiences can relive this heartwarming holiday classic on a giant screen as every note of John Debney’s score is played live to picture by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Improv Addison presents Joel Kim Booster
Joel Kim Booster is an LA-based comedian and writer who co-hosted Quibi’s Singled Out remake alongside Keke Palmer and starred as Jun Ho in NBC’s Sunnyside. More recently he wrote and starred in the film Fire Island, and co-starred on the Apple TV+ comedy, Loot. His stand-up has been featured on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Conan, Netflix, Comedy Central and more. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Improv Addison.

Ballet North Texas presents The Nutcracker
In Ballet North Texas' annual production of The Nutcracker, audiences can embark on a journey through the dazzling Land of Snow to the radiant and jubilant Kingdom of Sweets alongside Clara, Drosselmeyer, and the Prince. Audiences will witness their reunion with the Sugar Plum Fairy amidst the clouds, where true magic unfolds. There will be five performances through Sunday at Moody Performance Hall.

Saturday, December 21

Super Bad Theater Company presents Tutti Frutti: The Life and Music of Little Richard
Tutti Frutti is a full length stage production that tells the story of The Architect of Rock and Roll, Richard Wayne Penniman, better known to the world as Little Richard. A writer is given the daunting task of interviewing Little Richard for the inaugural Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class story. Albeit reluctant of taking an assignment for "a non well-known artist," Scott finds himself in a whirlwind of information and true rock and roll history. There will be two performances on Saturday at Kalita Humphreys Theater.

The Polyphonic Spree 21st Annual Holiday Extravaganza
The annual Holiday Extravaganza from the Polyphonic Spree is an evening of high energy and festive fun with the local choral rock band featuring holiday tunes and special guests. Mrs. Mistletoe will be face painting for the kids, Mr. Evergreen will be doing balloon animals, and Vixen the reindeer will make a stop with Santa's sleigh for photos out front with Mr. & Mrs. Claus. Guests are encouraged to bring a canned good to benefit the North Texas Food Bank as well as a new unwrapped toy for Toys For Tots. The event takes place at Majestic Theatre.

Sunday, December 22

Pentatonix in concert
Arlington's own Pentatonix got their big break when they won the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011. Since then, the a cappella group has gone on to release five regular albums and six Christmas albums, including Holidays Around the World in 2022. You can expect the full spectrum of those Christmas albums during this concert at American Airlines Center, which is part of their biggest Christmas tour yet, Pentatonix: Hallelujah! It's A Christmas Tour.

Photo courtesy of Fever

Lektrik: A Festival of Lights will be on display at Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park through March 23, 2025.

theater holidays music concerts exhibitions-visual-arts symphony movies kids families comedy dance event-planner

Local Makes Good

Lewisville resident Ashley Chan hitting it big on Jeopardy

Photo by Alex Bentley

Lewisville resident Ashley Chan at the start of her fourth victory in Jeopardy.

Dallas-Fort Worth can lay claim to a rising Jeopardy! champion: Ashley Mungiguerra Chan, a resident of Lewisville, is now on a four-day winning streak after besting her competition on Tuesday, December 17.

Chan, who works in public relations, began her run-up to champion status on December 12, taking down the previous three-day champion with ease, finishing with a runaway total of $15,600.

Since then, she has shown to have a broad range of knowledge, as well as the buzzer skills, to keep her on top.

Chan is a graduate of Hofstra University in 2015 and a publicist at Dala Communications in Dallas. In an interview with her alma mater, she shared some of the strategies that have helped her stay on top now for four days in a row.

“I told a lot of people before I went on Jeopardy!, ‘Oh, I feel like I have a leg up on other contestants because I’ve been on TV before and hosted programs,'” she said. “I also did debate in high school. So, being on stage in front of people didn’t make me nervous.”

“Having experience with hands-on news work was really helpful for me because I was able to focus on gameplay and not worry if my mic was messing up, if I was looking in the wrong direction, or if my outfit was OK,” she said.

She applied to be on the show more than once, and was eventually accepted by the show's producers in 2024. Her episodes were filmed in October.

She brushed up by listening to the show's podcasts and said she was grateful they got to rehearse the process of hitting the buzzer, since that was one of the most rattling aspects of the show. Hit it too soon, and you're temporarily frozen out.

"It is so much more difficult than it looks on TV," she said.

Knowing how much to risk during Final Jeopardy was also a key strategy that helped her in her second game on December 13, when a smart wager allowed her to retain her title despite not knowing the answer.

The game on December 17 was her closest yet, with all three contestants having amassed more than $10,000 heading into Final Jeopardy, a rare scenario for the game.

The category was "Fictional Characters." The clue: "Dressed in white in her first scene, this play character says her name means 'white woods.'"

Chan's correct response of "Who is Blanche DuBois?," along with a little lucky wagering, enabled her to win by a mere $300. Her four-day total winnings now stand at $67,400.

Root for her on December 18 on CBS TV at 6 pm, when she'll compete once again. Can she win a fifth time? Whether she does or not, with four wins under her belt, Chan is likely to be invited back for Jeopardy's annual Tournament of Champions, set to air in January 2026.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Chan lost in her fifth game to a fellow Texan, Eric Weldon-Schilling of Houston.

entertainment celebrities video