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.

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Movies for Kids

Kid-themed film festival at Angelika Dallas will be free to all

Photo courtesy of Viva Kids

The 42nd annual KidFilm will feature screenings of The Pout-Pout Fish and other new animated films.

A family-friendly kid-themed festival is coming to Dallas that'll be free for all: The 42nd Annual KidFilm Family Festival, the oldest and largest children-themed film festival in the U.S., will take place on January 17 and 18, 2026 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas with film debuts, animated films, and an appearance by a renowned children's author.

KidFilm is an annual outreach program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas, a 56-year-old nonprofit dedicated to film and the arts.

The big highlight of this year's KidFilm is a salute to children’s book author Deborah Diesen, who will appear in conjunction with a screening of Viva Kids’ new animated feature film, The Pout-Pout Fish — based on Diesen's 2008 book, which started a series that has now reached 20 entries.

The film — about Mr. Fish, a pouty introvert, and Pip, an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes — features a star-studded voice cast with familiar names like Nick Offerman, Miranda Otto, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris.

Free copies of the new book, The Pout-Pout Fish Movie Storybook, will be distributed to families (while supplies last), and Diesen will sign books for the kids.

The festival will also include screenings of other new animated feature films:

Leon Joosen's The Land of Sometimes, a musical which follows twins Alfie and Elise who get more than they bargained for as they are whisked away to a magical world after summoning a mysterious Wish Collector.
Mark Risley’s Flower of the Dawn, a fairy tale that follows a princess who has been turned into a nightingale by a vain sorceress whose only hope is to attain an elusive, magical flower.
Reza Memari’s The Last Whale Singer, an adventure which features a self-doubting teenage humpback whale who must face his fears and embark on a perilous journey with his friends in order to discover his own song and save the ocean from a monstrous creature.
Caroline Origer’s Spiked, which follows a young, orphaned hedgehog and overextended rabbit father who experience the adventure of a lifetime.
Vincent Bal & Wip Vernooij's Miss Moxy, a comedy which features a domestic cat who gets lost during a vacation and must find her way back home through the South of Europe with the help of the most despicable creatures a cat can imagine: a comical dog and an old, wise bird.

Additionally, the festival will include several new live-action feature films:

Gregory Alan Williams’ Paw Paw & Dayja, which follows the adventures of a Bigfoot obsessed 10-year-old who, with the help of her grandfather, learns that each of us see the world a little differently but everyone’s view has value.
Neven Hitrec’s The Second Diary of Paulina P., which follows a fifth grader who uses her charm and imagination to navigate a strict teacher, her first bully, and the new dynamic with her grandmother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Tord Danielsson’s The Crown Prince and the Return of the Tyrant, a fantasy film that follows a young Crown Prince who will soon become king, just as he has always dreamed, when his suspicious grandmother returns to the kingdom.

Finally, there will be 22 short film presentations featuring animated and live-action short films from around the world, including works from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and U.S. (including two films made by Texans).

The event is free thanks to support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Festival’s Season Sponsors which include the Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Sidley Austin LLP, Headington Companies, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Mary Fox & Laura Fox, Moody Fund for the Arts, Dallas Film Commission, Angelika Film Center Dallas, Wildworks PR, DFW Child, and Spracklen Film and Video. The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The full schedule of KidFilm programs can be found at usafilmfestival.com. Tickets for all shows are free for both children and adults, but tickets are required for admission.

Advance tickets for most programs is available online through January 14 at eventbrite.com. Any unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Theater box office on the day of show only.

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