We're two days away from Christmas, which means many of us will be doing requisite family duties this weekend, but skip out a little early on your commitments tonight to see a classic holiday film that reminds us what the season's really about - stayin' alive.
See George Bailey take on the evil Mr. Potter tonight at a special screening of It's a Wonderful Life. The film, which was a flub when it opened in 1946, chronicles the life of the passionate yet troubled Bailey as an angel shows him what his town would have been had Bailey never lived, but we don't need to tell you that. You've probably seen the film, and if you haven't, well then you better be at the Angelika in Dallas tonight when It's a Wonderful Life screens at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $6. Visit angelikafilmcenter.com for tickets.
Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Chanukah or Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us, we hope you have a good weekend, and we look forward to seeing you in 2012, which promises to be full of more nut-jobs than a Y2K basement party. After the jump, see what else you can do with the family this weekend or alone if you're planning to ditch the relatives.
Holiday Presence 7 Friday, December 23, and Saturday, December 24, at Kettle Art Gallery Some of us are still doing last-minute shopping, but that doesn't mean you have to trek to the mall to duck and weave through those giant jogging strollers that Schutze despises (we share his sentiment). Stroll on over to Deep Ellum to snap up paintings, ornaments and other art from local artists at the 7th Annual Holiday Presence. All pieces on sale are $200 or less, and Kettle Art is also offering an additional 10 percent off all purchases through Christmas Eve. The gallery is open from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. Admission is free. Visit kettleart.com.
32nd Annual Matzoh Ball Saturday, December 24, at House of Blues Isn't it time you met your mentsh? All the single Jewish ladies - and men - will be partying at the 32nd Annual Matzoh Ball, hosted by The Network: Dallas' Jewish Connection Under 40 and the Jewish Community Center. Jewish singles can connect with fellow Chosen People, and hopefully there will be more successful matches than JDate can offer. Nosh on a kosher spread, enjoy music from a DJ and grab a few drinks for your future spouse at the cash bar. The mixer runs from 9 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday at the House of Blues. Tickets are $25 for J members, $30 for non-members, and it includes a membership to jdallas.org, a local matchmaking service. Visit jccdallas.org.
Feast of the Seven Fishes Saturday, December 24, at Urban Crust For many Southern Italians, Christmas Eve dinner is just as important as the meal served on Baby Jesus' birthday. The Feast of the Seven Fishes originated in Italy when Roman Catholics abstained from meat and dairy on Fridays preceding Christmas. Plano's Urban Crust keeps the tradition alive as the restaurant hosts a special Christmas Eve dinner featuring seven fishes. Salmon, tuna, flounder, mussels, calamari, shrimp and scallops are all on the menu, and, for those who prefer their food from land, the regular Urban Crust menu is available. The Feast of the Seven Fishes begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The dinner is $36.90 per person. Call 972-509-1400 for reservations.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat Sunday, December 25, at American Airlines Center Ever since NBA players and owners reached a settlement last month, we've been waiting for our Mavs to defend their championsip title. After a disappointing pre-season loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Mavericks are looking to rebound in the season opener when the face the Miami Heat. Of course, we haven't forgotten that the Mavs defeated the Heat in the NBA Finals this year, so surely Dirk, Shawn and newly-minted Mav Lamar Odom can take down Miami again, right? See the Mavs defend their title on Christmas Day at 2:30 p.m. in the first game of the shortened NBA season. Tickets are $39.17 to $4,502.45 (with service fees) on ticketmaster.com.
