North Pole in North Texas

Deck the halls in Plano this year with tons of holiday cheer

It's true Plano always puts on the holiday ritz, and this year is no different. This lively Dallas ’burb keeps raising the bar on seasonal cheer with more than 50 festive events of all kinds, along with charming boutiques, luxury shops, and so much more.

Whether you wander the suburban wonderland for a day or stay awhile, here are some highlights you won’t want to miss.

What to do

November 22 – December 28, Lights on the Farm: Magical and sweet, this fourth annual event at the Heritage Farmstead Museum features a quarter-mile stroll through one million twinkling lights, all to the tune of holiday music. It’s also the perfect chance to meet Santa Claus and indulge in seasonal treats like s’mores, hot cocoa, donuts, and popcorn while enjoying the festive holiday music. Kids will love the themed nights, including Frozen Adventure Night, Grinch Night, and Princess Night.

November 24, Lights at Legacy: Kick off the season with The Shops at Legacy East’s family-friendly outing, featuring complimentary train rides, balloon artists, toy soldier stilt walkers, little drummer boys, live entertainment, and more. Free food and drink samples from retailers and restaurants will also be available. While the event is from 4-7 pm, make sure to stay for the tree lighting ceremony at 6:30 pm. You can also grab a pic with Santa and Mrs. Claus, with 50 percent of the proceeds benefiting My Possibilities.

December 1-30, Deerfield Holiday Lights: This is no ordinary neighborhood! Deerfield has become renowned for its extraordinary holiday lights, with nearly every house participating in the spectacle. Expect tons of creatively illuminated displays, with each street more spectacular than the next.

Prestonwood Church Gift of Christmas Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

December 6-15, The Gift of Christmas: This live musical extravaganza is a Prestonwood Baptist Church tradition, and has become one of the highlights of the Christmas season. The visually stunning multimedia event is complete with special effects, a nearly 1,000-member cast and choir, live orchestra, flying angels, camels and kings, and much more.

December 7, Dickens in Downtown Plano: There will be no bah-humbugs at this free annual event in the Historic Downtown Plano Arts District. It’s fun for the whole family, with a tree lighting festival with vendors, a snow globe, and interactive activities. Downtown businesses will also stay open late so guests can enjoy food and shopping.

December 14, Plano Holiday Parade: There’s nothing more wholesome than a holiday parade, and this one in downtown Plano definitely fits the bill. This year, Olympic Gold Medal gymnast and Plano resident Hezly Rivera will make a special appearance in the parade. Also in the mix: festive floats; performances by Plano’s high school marching bands, drill teams, and color guards; and Santa Claus.

Where to stay

Whether you’re planning a staycation or visiting from out of town, the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West is your holiday headquarters. It's hosting s’mores specials every Saturday through the end of the year, along with live music and more festivities. Plus, you’ll be right in the heart of Legacy West — a prime Christmas shopping destination.

Renaissance Plano hotel Get cozy at the Renaissance hotel.Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

Lights at Legacy will have you feeling merry and bright.

Where to shop

Speaking of shopping, Plano is a one-stop shop for everything you could possibly need on your Christmas list.

Legacy West: This high-end outdoor shopping destination is ready for you and your lists with many beloved storefronts that are perfect for holiday gifts, including Golden Goose, Vuori, Gorjana, and Read Between the Lines.

The place has also transformed into Legacy North Pole, with a wonderland of experiences and festive photo opps to enjoy while you shop: Big (Rein) Deer Energy, Gumdrop It Like It’s Hot, Sleigh All Day, and more.

On the weekends, don’t miss Mistletoe Mall, where Legacy West is partnering with local businesses to host pop-up shops.

The Shops at Legacy East: In addition to Lights at Legacy, swing by the Santa Boutique Studio all season long for professional Santa pics.

While there, browse boutiques like Another Time & Place, Francesca’s, Kendra Scott, Prized Kicks, The Impeccable Pig, and more for the perfect gifts.

Downtown Plano Arts District Spend a day shopping in Downtown Plano.Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

Downtown Plano Arts District: Having experienced something of a renaissance, this historic district delivers all the walkable charm you could want along with one-of-a-kind shops to love.

These include La Foofaraw (with designer candles, unique art, vintage jewelry and art-inspired clothing), Lyla’s Clothing, Décor & More, The Feathered Nest, and more. The Mistletoe Market on December 15 is a great time to shop handcrafted gifts from local makers.

For a complete listing of Plano holiday events, head here.

deerfield holiday lights dickens in downtown plano downtown plano arts district holidays legacy north pole legacy west lights at legacy lights on the farm plano holiday parade promoted vacation

Movie Review

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney go off in trashy film The Housemaid

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.

Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.

Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).

After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.

Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.

The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.

Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.

Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.

The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.

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The Housemaid is now playing in theaters.

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