Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this Thanksgiving weekend

As is always the case the weekend of Thanksgiving, holiday events dominate the landscape across Dallas. There will be lots of lights, Nutcrackers in both dance and concert forms, two theater versions of the Scrooge story, flipping reindeer, two Christmas-themed concerts, and a kids theater production. Two other events aren't explicitly about the holidays, but offer something for both kids and adults.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this long holiday weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Wednesday, November 23

Disney On Ice: Into the Magic
At Disney On Ice: Into the Magic, hosts Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will bring audiences on an expedition across raging seas, snow covered mountains, and the marigold bridge. The action-packed extravaganza features Disney’s Moana, Frozen, Coco, and Beauty and the Beast, along with other beloved Disney characters. There will be multiple performances through Sunday at Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen.

Friday, November 25

Holiday lights galore
As always, there will be no shortage of holiday lights to look at in and around Dallas this season. Among the notable displays opening on Friday will be Enchant at Fair Park, featuring millions of lights, an ice skating trail, marketplace, and more; Vitruvian Lights at Vitruvian Park in Addison, where hundreds of trees are wrapped in colorful lights; Lights on the Farm at Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano, featuring a quarter-mile trail showcasing holiday light creations and animated displays; and Lights on The Lake at Little Elm Park, featuring lights and activities like a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and an ice skating rink. All events will be open through at least December 25.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents The Nutcracker in concert
Maurice Cohn leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in selections from Tchaikovsky’s iconic Nutcracker score. The story of The Nutcracker, loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy, is the story of a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. Audiences will enjoy the miniature overtures, triumphant marches, Russian, Arabian and Chinese dances, and the Waltz of the Flowers. There will three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Cirque du Soleil: Twas the Night Before...
Twas the Night Before…, Cirque du Soleil’s spin on the beloved Christmas tale, is about the wonders of sharing and friendship. The production marks Cirque du Soleil’s first-ever Christmas show and is a flurry of Christmas cheer, rip-roaring fun with hugely lovable characters that will introduce audiences to the magic of the acrobatic troupe. The production runs through December 11 at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Ebenezer Scrooge
A year after being forced to move from their longtime Dallas location, Pocket Sandwich Theatre returns at a new venue in Carrollton with their traditional Ebenezer Scrooge production. The production is based on the age-old holiday favorite about the miserly Scrooge, who is visited one Christmas Eve by three ghosts intent on helping him change his ways. It runs through December 23.

Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol
Dallas Theater Center presents their annual production of A Christmas Carol, a delightfully reimagined take on Dickens’ enduring classic. Three spirits have come to visit the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge to take him on a fantastic journey through Christmases past, present, and future. But will it be enough to save Scrooge’s soul? The production runs through December 24 at Wyly Theatre.

Texas Ballet Theater presents The Nutcracker
Featuring dazzling choreography and exquisite sets, The Nutcracker celebrates the season with enchantment, snowflakes, and sweets. Texas Ballet Theater presents the most magical Christmas tradition of the season as Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battle an army of mice and travel through a winter wonderland to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Kingdom of Sweets. The production runs through December 4 at Winspear Opera House.

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox: A Very Postmodern Christmas
New York City pianist Scott Bradlee created Postmodern Jukebox to remake the pop hits of today into the classic sounds of the legends of yesterday. The group has grown to become a pop culture mainstay in its own right, introducing audiences to many of the world’s greatest singers, dancers, and instrumentalists. The concert will be at Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, November 26

Cara Mia Theatre presents Crystal City 1969
Inspired by a little-known event in Texas history, Crystal City 1969 is based on the true story of Mexican-American students in south Texas who walked out of their school and into civil rights history. Crystal City became an example of American democracy at its best. The production runs through December 18 at Latino Cultural Center.

Sunday, November 27

Dallas Children's Theater presents Harry Connick, Jr.’s The Happy Elf
From Grammy-winning musician Harry Connick, Jr, The Happy Elf is a jazz musical that will get audiences in the holiday spirit. Eubie is, much to the exhaustion of his coworkers, an elf of unparalleled and endless energy looking to get a spot on Santa’s coveted sleigh team. When his unstoppably sunny spirit comes into contact with the miserable town of Bluesville, where every single child is on the naughty list, he’s in for the shock of a lifetime. Will his relentless positive attitude be enough to turn this gloomy place around, or has the happiest elf in the North Pole finally met his match? The production runs through December 23 at Rosewood Center for Family Arts.

For King + Country in concert
Christian pop duo For King + Country has been one of the most successful bands in the genre over the past decade, with all of their albums reaching the top five on the Christian charts, and two going to No. 1, including their latest, What Are We Waiting For? This concert may feature some of their biggest hits, but it will also have a holiday theme as it's part of their A Drummer Boy Christmas tour, named for their 2020 Christmas album.

Photo courtesy of Enchant

Enchant opens at Fair Park on November 25.

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Game preview

Dallas World Cup opener will feature 'best team never to win the trophy'

Dutch Orange Bus

The Dutch Orange Bus will serve free burgers to fans at Hat Creek Burger Company.

RIVERSIDE, Mo. (AP) — The road leading into the practice facility that the Netherlands is using for its World Cup base camp was supposed to be welcoming, what with “welkom” signs in Dutch making one of the world's top teams feel right at home. Even the street name Teal Rising Way has been temporarily changed to “Oranje Rising Way” for the next six weeks in honor of the team's orange colors.

But perhaps someone should have reconsidered the white signs denoting important World Cup milestones for the Netherlands. Every one of them is a reminder that the country still has never won the tournament.

“How far can we go? Yeah, hopefully all the way,” said defender Virgil van Dijk, who will be appearing in his second World Cup, and who will once again captain the Dutch team.

The Netherlands begins group play against Japan at 3 pm Sunday, June 14 in Dallas. It will be the first of nine FIFA World Cup matches played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington - dubbed "Dallas stadium" for the tournament - and the first one in front of DFW crowds.

A world-famous bright orange double-decker bus that serves as a symbol of Dutch soccer fandom follows the team and will make an appearance at a Dallas-area restaurant to help hype them up.

“We know how difficult it will be,” the Liverpool player acknowledged after a recent training session held under an unrelenting Midwestern sun, which pushed the heat index toward triple digits in Missouri, as it has in Dallas. "But our full focus will be on Japan, first and foremost. That will get all our attention. We won't look too far ahead. But we all have big dreams, and we'll give all we have.”

Three World Cup finals
The Dutch have long held the unwelcome moniker of best nation never to have won the World Cup trophy. In fact, they are the only nation to have reached three finals without a triumph.

In 1974, the Netherlands had returned to the World Cup after a nearly four-decade drought, and the dazzling play of Johan Cruyff had led it all the way to the final. There, the Dutch faced host West Germany and its star player, Franz Beckenbauer. The Netherlands scored quickly on a penalty kick, but West Germany answered with two goals before halftime, and the Dutch were unable to find the back of the net in the second half before a crowd of more than 78,000 at the Olympiastadion in Munich.

It was disappointing, to be sure, but ask any Dutch fan and they will say 1978 stung even more.

Once more facing the host nation in the final, Argentina led 1-0 at halftime before Dick Nanninga managed an equalizer in the 82nd minute. The game remained tied into extra time, when Mario Kempes scored his second goal of the game for host Argentines, and Daniel Bertoni added another for good measure before a boisterous crowd at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires.

The Dutch reached their third final in 2010, when it faced Spain for the title in Johannesburg, South Africa. That match also was decided in extra time after the teams had played to a stalemate, with Andrés Iniesta scoring in the 116th minute.

Reason to believe
The Netherlands reached the semifinals in 2014 before inexplicably failing to qualify in 2018. But it was back for 2022 in Qatar with van Dijk leading the way. The Dutch rolled through group play while conceding a single goal, then dominated the U.S. in the round of 16 before losing to eventual champion Argentina on penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.

But take away penalty shootouts and the Dutch are unbeaten in their last 12 matches at the World Cup. The only nation with a longer such streak is Brazil, which went 13 consecutive matches behind the brilliant play of Pele between 1958 and 1966.

“I think we have a great group of players, especially human beings. We are getting along so well with each other,” van Dijk said. "But obviously it's all about the results. It's all about performing. All the players that are here, especially over the years — it's players that have played at the highest level, experiencing amazing things in their careers. Winning trophies. Playing for the biggest clubs.

“They're coming together here and trying to make their country proud. It's the biggest thing you can do.”

While the Dutch are favored to get out of their group, the path to the knockout rounds won't be easy. The trio of Japan, Sweden and Tunisia represent a tricky series of matches, and coach Ronald Koeman's team has struggled with injuries; defender Jurrien Timber has already left because of a groin injury and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is nursing a recent hip injury.

It's unclear whether Verbruggen will play in Dallas Sunday against Japan.

“We know Japan is strong. We've analyzed the team and the players,” Koeman said. “We spoke about their system, normally where they play out of, and the physical state of their players. It's difficult. But we believe in ourselves. We respect Japan, but we are Holland, and they will respect us. I think it will be an interesting match, and a difficult one.”

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