It's the holidays, time for Six Flags Over Texas to get its annual makeover where the remnants of the theme park's long-forgotten Texas-history shtick and its current Warner Bros. commercial overhaul (i.e., Looney Tunes/Superman/Batman) get covered up in boughs of holly, a sprinkling of tinsel and millions of twinkling lights. The shows are replaced by strolling carolers, and the costumed characters get replaced by Santa and his elves. Or is that Bugs Bunny in a Santa hat? Whatever. Six Flags is all about the rides and roller coasters no matter what time of year it is. When Holiday in the Park first started, all of the rides were closed except for the bobsled, the antique cars and the carousel at the park's entrance. But in the true spirit of erratic Texas weather (or low attendance?) the park opened most of the other rides and roller coasters, except the wet ones. No matter the temperature, doesn't the idea of looking down at all the sparkling lights and sipping hot chocolate at the top of the Oil Derrick with somebody you really want to spend the holidays with sound romantic? What's that? You can't take food or drinks in the tower? Oh, and the tower is closed, too. Oh well, there will be plenty of hot chocolate elsewhere. Holiday in the Park starts Friday and runs through January 4 at 2201 Road to Six Flags in Arlington. Tickets are $29.99 for adults, $17.99 for children 48 inches and under and seniors 55 and up, and free for children 2 and under. Call 817-640-8900 or check www.sixflags.com/parks/overtexas for daily times. --Jay Webb
Snow Biz
11/28
Need a shiver? Rent the movie or re-read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale in the context of Dubya's administration. Brrr. If he's re-elected next November for four more wars, er, years, this may be our last free-to-be-secular Christmas. Make the most of it. Pack up the kids and head to Fort Worth for Frosty the Snowman, a classic holiday musical in Casa Manana's new, no-longer-round theater. Ron Gonzalez plays Frosty, who comes alive thanks to a magic hat. Paul Taylor is Bernarndo, the "evildoer" magician who wants his hat back. Catch the opening-night show at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $15 at the Casa Manana box office, 3101 W. Lancaster, or by calling 817-332-2272, ext. 3. --Annabelle Massey Helber
Word to the Mother
12/3
Who makes reading more fun than Mother Goose? No one, that's who. And the Martin Luther King Jr. Library is preparing to prove it. Mother Goose, or in this case Margaret Clauder, lands at the library with hoopskirts and puppets as part of the Young Audiences of North Texas Library Live! Program. Clauder uses puppetry, audience participation and rhymes to sharpen kids' language skills and boost creativity. The goose lands at 10:30 a.m. December 3 at 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Call 214-670-0344. Library Live! is a free arts and literacy program whose sponsors include Pizza Hut, the city of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs and Target stores. --Stephanie Durham
Mad Scientists
11/29
There's plenty of trickery going on at The Science Place on Saturday afternoon for Family Day, but considering that everything the little ones will see is based on scientific fact, there's no reason to worry that they won't know what to believe. Sure, they'll get to see water "disappear" and glean truth from smoke and mirrors in The Inquiry Zone, but we're most interested by the fact that the event's called Weird and Wacky Science, yet has nothing to do with Howie Mandel or Gallagher. Is that possible? Also, optical illusions (that doesn't include the Wonderbra) are included. The Science Place is at 1318 Second Ave. in Fair Park. Call 214-428-5555. --Matt Hursh