Best Things To Do in Dallas This Week

In a city this big, there’s something to do every single day of the week. How could there not be? Dallas is a destination for festivals, traveling art exhibitions, stand-up comedy circuits and literally everything in between. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a curated, weekly guide of top picks you won’t want to miss. And the ways to fill your schedule don’t stop here — check out our full events calendar for even more ways to get through the week in North Texas. 

This week, you can trot with the turkeys on Thanksgiving, then eat them up to build your strength for an onslaught of Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. It’s lights, Santa, The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol and more holiday cheer than any reasonable person could possibly ask for.

Monday, Nov. 24

37th Annual Carol of Lights
Turns out that Grapevine is no longer “the wine capital of Texas.” That’s moved down to Fredericksburg, where they, you know, grow grapes. Instead, Grapevine is “The Christmas Capital of Texas® (note the registration mark), officially designated by the Texas Senate. Grapevine takes its title seriously, in a ho-ho-ho be merry way, and is kicking off its Yule celebration with its 37th Annual Carol of Lights. Main Street in Grapevine will be lit up like the Griswold home, of course, and there will also be live music, food trucks, snow hills for sledding, games and crafts galore, including “the world’s largest gingerbread bounce house.” (Where’s the second-biggest, we wonder.) See it all beginning at 7 p.m. on Historic Main Street.

Behind the Scenes at Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Get a peek at how Dallas Black Dance Theatre productions are developed for the stage with free workshops by DBDT, DBDT: Encore! and Dallas Black Dance Academy. Since it’s the holidays, we won’t go into the labor trouble that happened the last time someone offered a look behind the scenes at DBDT. They’ve moved past that; the city is giving the troupe a grant again, so everything is fine now. Tickets are free, and Monday’s workshops, from noon to 1:30 p.m., feature DBDT and DBDT: Encore! A second free workshop, with Dallas Black Dance Academy, takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both are at 2700 Ann Williams Way.  

Tuesday, Nov. 25

Story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus
Personally, if we were staging a story time with Santa and Mrs. Claus, we’d change things up a little, add a touch of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and make it an eggnog-soaked night of recriminations and psychological manipulation in a rage-filled, dysfunctional marriage, just for grins. Luckily, we don’t have kids, and Grandscape in The Colony is run by sane, responsible grown-ups who are traditionalists. So, beginning at 11 a.m., feel safe to bring the kiddies to hear stories from the Clauses and see a screening of The Santa Clause, followed by more stories and plenty of opportunities to meet the “happy” couple. It’s free, and it happens on Grandscape’s stage and lawn, 5752 Grandscape Blvd.

Wednesday, Nov. 26

CultureMap City Rink
It’s 84 degrees as this is being written, but luckily things are expected to cool down to a brisk high of 68 on the first day of CultureMap’s City Rink at Main Street Garden, 1902 Main St. OK, Jack Frost won’t exactly be nipping at your nose when the rink begins its run at 10 a.m. Wednesday, but gliding on ice skates in the heart of downtown is cool no matter what, and there will be chances of feeling winter’s bite as the rink operates through Jan. 1. Hours vary, so check the schedule. Tickets include skate rental and 75 minutes on the rink and cost $18 plus fees. Members of the military, first responders, teachers and their families receive a discounted rate of $16 plus fees. 

Disney on Ice: Mickey’s Search
Commemorate the season of Christ’s birth the traditional way at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, 200 E. Stacy Road, No. 1350, Allen, as Mickey Mouse and friends skate their way on the trail to find the missing Tinkerbell, a journey that takes them through worlds found in several Disney movies (ref. Luke 25:1-30).  Just kidding, people. Haven’t joined team “stop the war on Christmas.” The ice-skating show actually features skilled skaters, acrobatics and music, and hats off to anyone who can skate in a big mouse costume. Your kids will eat it up. Showtime is 7 p.m. Wednesday, with seven additional performances at various times on Friday through Sunday. Tickets for Wednesday’s show start at $42.85 plus fees. 

Thursday, Nov. 27

Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot
Bring your kids, bring your dogs, wear your favorite turkey costume — you do have one, of course — the annual Thanksgiving Day turkey trot is more than just a run. It’s a family-friendly event featuring food, live music and activities for young and old. It’s also a Dallas tradition that has been taking place for more than 55 years. And it’s for a good cause, supporting programs from the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. There are timed 5K and 8-mile races for competitive runners, but participants can walk, push a stroller and jog along at their own pace. Start times are 8:30 and 9 a.m., and both courses begin and end near Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St. Registration costs start at 15 for kids, more for adults and those taking part in the timed races. You can register in advance online or at the event.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The turkey has been eaten. You’re not a football fan — or you’re a Cowboys fan — and you face a long afternoon and evening of hanging with the family in a turkey-induced semi-comatose state. Might we suggest it’s better to step out and see a movie before Uncle Fred has one too many beers and starts in on why Donald Trump is a great president? Lucky for you, you can avoid domestic violence and catch instead a great Thanksgiving movie, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and the late, lamented John Candy on a road trip from hell as they try to get home for the holiday. Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson, 100 Central Expressway, No. 14, will show the John Hughes comedy at 4:10 p.m. Tickets, including fees, are $14.27 and can be purchased in advance online.

Friday, Nov. 28

Prairie Lights
It’s time to toss that moldy pumpkin, pull down the orange lights and put away the inflatable, spooky lawn displays. Editorial aside: Can we just say that those inflatable cloth displays are the sad, joyless give-ups of holiday yard decorations? Put some effort into it, people. If that’s too much, do what we do and see other people’s efforts from the comfort of your car.  Lynn Creek Park, 5610 Lake Ridge Parkway in Grand Prairie, fires up the Christmas season in a blaze of 4 million lights along a 2-mile drive. (Imagine doing that in the days when one burned-out light could take out the whole string.) Halfway through, stop at the Holiday Village for free carnival rides, concessions, photos with Santa and a walk-through forest. Tickets start a $50 per car and up. It’s open nightly until Dec. 31, but plan to get there early or buy a fast-pass.

Texas Christkindl Market
Shop for handcrafted gifts, ornaments and treats and soak in some European-style charm at the 15th Annual Texas Christkindl Market in Arlington. Inspired by traditional Bavarian holiday markets, the Texas Christkindl Market emerged from Arlington’s long-standing sister-city relationship with Bad Königshofen, Germany, as well as its friendship with the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The market features live music from local choirs and bands, dance troupes and a tree-lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free, and the exhibit is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through December 23.

Texas Ballet Theater: The Nutcracker
Dancing mice don’t come off quite so well as a skating Mickey (see above) in The Nutcracker, the beloved ballet set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Famed for such iconic pieces as the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Waltz of the Flowers and the Russian Dance, it offers a masterclass in combining grace and energy while imparting an important lesson to today’s children: Stop sniveling for a new iPhone and just be glad you don’t live in a time when nutcrackers were a top-notch gift for kids. Tickets for Friday’s 8 p.m. ballet start at $30, and there are eight more performances by Texas Ballet Theater at Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St., through Dec. 8.

Saturday, Nov. 29

A Christmas Carol
See how the intervention of a quartet of ghosts opens the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s heart to the true meaning of Chris … oh, come on. What do you mean “where’s the spoiler alert?” How can you not know Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale? It’s like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, only with no Whoville and more supernatural chain-shaking, which is why The Dallas Theater Center says, “This is a ghost story, which may be too scary for younger children, includes loud sounds, theatrical haze, and strobe/flashing lights. Not recommended for children under 5.” Take yourself and the bigger kids to see Scrooge’s transformation and save the Grinch for the l’il ones — the original animated version, not the live-action one with Jim Carrey. Friday’s performances are at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, and there are a slew of performances scheduled through Dec. 27. Tickets for Friday’s matinee start at $30 or $51 for the evening show. They happen at Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St.

Sunday, Nov. 30

Ebeneezer Scrooge
Probably shouldn’t admit this, but after what we said above about Virginia Woolf, Santa and Mrs. Claus, what have we got to lose? We were kind of hoping that Pocket Sandwich Theatre’s Ebeneezer Scrooge took a different angle on A Christmas Carol. Scrooge remains a rapacious, unrepentant capitalist, Tiny Tim contracts a typical communicable disease and kicks the bucket, and Bob Cratchit, in his grief, succumbs to laudanum addiction. You know, a little theater verité suitable for today’s gilded age. Luckily, nobody asked us, so Ebeneezer Scrooge remains a hopeful tale of redemption. Pocket Sandwich’s version was written by Joe Dickinson with music by Laurie Tirmenstein, and it’s been a popular holiday tradition in Dallas since 1981, so yeah, their version was probably the right take. Performances begin Nov. 28, and there is full slate of them through Dec. 23, but Sunday is your first chance to catch a 2 p.m. matinee, perfect for the kids. Tickets are $25 for children, $28 for seniors and $30 for adults. They happen at 1104 S. Elm St., Carrollton.

A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin: Home Alone 35th Anniversary
Texas Trust Theatre, 1001 Performance Place in Grand Prairie, celebrates the 35th anniversary of the movie Home Alone, with a screening and live appearance from star Macaulay Culkin, 45, who was 10 when he rose to kid fame from the movie. Tickets star at $42 up to  $345 for a VIP package that includes access to a special Q&A with Culkin.

Continuing Events

Roaming Mexico: Laura Wilson at Meadows Museum, through Jan. 11
Now, if you’re thinking, “Wait, I thought that was going to be a book of Laura Wilson’s photographs,” you’re not wrong. The Roaming Mexico title inspiring artist/author events at the likes of Interabang Books in October, is published to accompany the major exhibition of the Meadows Museum opening Sunday, Sept. 14. The show features nearly 90 of Wilson’s photographs documenting more than three decades of the artist’s travels and studies across the country. It shows incredible range of Wilson’s talents, of course, but also of the people and culture of Mexico. Subjects sometimes provide a vibrant harmony and other times, offer a distinct dissonance when put in juxtaposition. Don’t miss Wilson’s love letter from the lens, hanging through Jan. 11. Find more online.

Return to Infinity: Yayoi Kusama at the Dallas Museum of Art, through Jan. 18
“All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins,” one of Yayoi Kusama’s iconic “infinity room” installations, will be displayed at the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 N. Harwood St.) for the first time since 2018. The immersive exhibition at the DMA envelopes the viewer in a trippy, tangible display of art history. Kusama hails from the mythic ’60s art scene. “Pumpkins,” created in 1991, incorporates many themes characteristic of the legendary artist’s work: infinity, the sublime, and obsessive repetition. And, of course, pumpkins – so many pumpkins. To book your appointment to honor these pumpkins, visit the DMA’s website.

International Surrealism at the Dallas Museum of Art, through March 22, 2026
The DMA (1717 N. Harwood St.) will be showing its latest exhibition, International Surrealism, from now through March 22, 2026. Featuring Surrealist icons like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Leonora Carrington, this showcase aims to “[plunge] audiences into the mind-bending dreamscapes of the Surrealist movement” and “[highlight] the wide range of practices and techniques from around the globe that define Surrealism.” Public tickets cost $20 and DMA members get in for free. International Surrealism will be included in the DMA’s Free First Sundays for every month of its run.

Groundbreakers: Post-War Japan and Korea from the DMA Collection at The Crow Museum of Asian Art at UT Dallas, through July 26, 2026
If you missed it at the Dallas Arts District location of The Crow, now’s your chance to see Groundbreakers: Post-War Japan and Korea from the DMA Collection… and consider that second degree. The Crow Museum of Asian Art at UT Dallas offers up the fantastic exhibition that includes pieces created in fascinating ways: with feet, with a mouth, by pouring paint onto a canvas, and other methods that channeled convention after the considerably conventional 1950s. Don’t miss it. Find out more online.