The Best Things To Do In Dallas, Dec. 7–13

Wednesday, Dec. 7

‘Twas the Night Before… by Cirque du Soleil at Texas Trust C.U. Theater
People talk a lot about the magic of Christmas, but now the magic is really coming to life because Cirque du Soleil is here. With a show based on the beloved Clement Clarke Moore poem, Cirque brings a beautiful acrobatic show designed for the whole family to catch the spirit of Christmas. See it at Texas Trust CU Theatre, 1001 Texas Trust Way, Grand Prairie, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; or noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday. Tickets vary and are available through AXS. But hurry, it’s the final weekend.

Thursday, Dec. 8

Looking for Home at Angelika Dallas
With the pandemic, we’ve spent a lot of time at home. But what defines home, exactly, is different for a lot of people. Dallas filmmaker Alan Govenar explores home before, during and after the pandemic in his latest effort. Govenar asked people around the globe (and a few Dallas locals) what home means to them, and from that comes Looking for Home. It enjoys a one-night screening as part of Dallas VideoFest’s Curated Film Series 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at Angelika Dallas, 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane. Tickets are $10, available online.

Crystal City 1969 at Latino Cultural Center
Weary of constant discrimination in school, whether it was exclusion from sports or rules against speaking Spanish in school among other things, Mexican-American students in Crystal City, Texas, staged a school walkout in 1969. These days, it should be widely celebrated and remembered, and Cara Mía Theatre is doing just that. Crystal City 1969 honors on stage the movement that inspired politicians and change-makers. See it at the Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak St., at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 18. Tickets are $20, available online.

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Celebrate the brave kids of Crystal City 1969 with Cara Mía Theatre.

Ben Torres

Friday, Dec. 9

The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge at the Core Theatre
A Christmas Carol at Wyly Theater
Choose your Scrooge-y adventure. With two local theater companies bringing the past, present and future to the stage, it’s an all-time favorite served two ways. Dallas Theater Center offers the classic tale of a miser visited by ghosts and changed for the better. A Christmas Carol is the grand, emotional ride we’ve come to expect from Tiny Tim and company at the Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora St., through Dec. 24. Meanwhile, in Richardson, The Core Theatre gives us the famed businessman, but a year after his big awakening. In The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, the eponymous character is back to bad news and all the ghosts and Cratchits are taking turns on the witness stand to show exactly what went down. See it at the Core Theatre, 518 W. Arapaho Road, through Dec. 18 (with a special NYE performance). Find tickets through DTC and Core online.

Saturday, Dec. 10

Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign public talk at African American Museum
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and the African American Museum, Dallas are hosting a series of public discussions in connection with the Solidarity Now! 1968 Poor People’s Campaign exhibition currently at the Sixth Floor Museum. The talks and exhibition examine police brutality, open housing, civil disorders and more in a pivotal time in the civil rights movement. This Saturday’s discussion question is essentially: “What has happened since 1968 when the Kerner Report indicted the police as the main cause of civil disorders and racial violence in the nation’s urban areas?” The discussion is free to attend and begins at 1 p.m. at the African American Museum.

Alton Brown: Beyond the Eats – The Holiday Variant at Music Hall at Fair Park
Y’all. Alton Brown might call for volunteers when he’s here for his Beyond The Eats – The Holiday Variant tour stop. The television star and author is bringing all the joy of his inquisitive and engaging TV kitchen to the Music Hall at Fair Park stage 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. He even promises “more potentially dangerous science stuff,” so we are officially interested. Tickets start at $39, available online. Aprons and goggles are optional, but fun.

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Find the perfect gift from local vendors at the African American Museum’s Christmas Marketplace.

Courtesy of African American Museum, Dallas

Christmas Music Under the Dome and Christmas Marketplace at African American Museum, Dallas
Gabriel Dawe closing event at Talley Dunn Gallery
Oil & Cotton Holiday Mercantile
Gift giving can be an art. And as of this Saturday, there is just one week to get to the start of Hanukkah and two until Christmas. Fortunately, we found three super special opportunities to find super special gifts. Start at the annual Christmas Music Under the Dome and Christmas Marketplace at Fair Park’s African American Museum, Dallas. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., find handcrafted jewelry and gifts and enjoy live music, book signings and more. Then from noon to 5 p.m., step over to Talley Dunn Gallery, 5020 Tracy St., and shop artist Gabriel Dawe’s incredible ornaments and limited-edition puzzle. The artist will be in attendance. The longest-running, with hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., is Oil & Cotton’s Holiday Mercantile, 2313 Beatrice St. Shop local artists, art supplies and handmade goods, while enjoying treats, mocktails and cocktails. And there’s gift wrapping!

Sunday, Dec. 11

The Farmers Market at The Boardwalk at Granite Park
Some of the best farmers markets are the ones that are near great restaurants. Because let’s be honest, after you’ve done all the shopping for fresh produce that fits your meal plan and locally made treats for the end of a delicious meal, you’re probably ready for one you don’t have to go home and cook yourself. That’s the beauty of the Farmers Market at the Boardwalk at Granite Park, 5601 Granite Parkway, Plano. Shop the stalls from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for the perfect seasonal veg and then snag a bite from Suburban Yacht Club, Blue Mesa Grill or others. Find more info online.

Christmas in Connecticut Brunch at Alamo Drafthouse Richardson
Come the holidays, work is either winding down or ramping up, depending on the industry. Either way, it can come with some serious imposter syndrome. Even though we all know what we’re doing, right? Christmas in Connecticut, from 1945, is not about that. Ol’ Barbara Stanwyck is straight-up lying. She’s become a famous culinary writer and housewifely icon, but the truth is, she is single and can’t cook a lick. So when her boss invites a superfan and returning war hero to spend Christmas with her at her place, she’s gotta go from imposter to uh …  poster real quick. Have some brunch and watch the classic holiday farce noon Sunday, Dec. 11, at Alamo Drafthouse Richardson, 100 S. Central Expressway. Tickets are $10, available online.

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The Meyerson gets a holiday glow-up with the DSO Christmas Pops.

Courtesy of Dallas Symphony Orchestra

DSO Christmas Pops at the Meyerson
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra shines like musical tinsel during the holiday season, and the best way to hear it and see it is with the DSO Christmas Pops concerts Thursday through Sunday this week at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St. Hear Christmas carols and festive classics that make spirits soar. Enjoy a special performance by the Dallas Symphony Children’s Chorus at the matinee event 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. And you might even get a special visit from the big guy in the red suit. Tickets vary based on seating level and are available online.

Tuesday, Dec. 13

Hanukkah Sun Catchers workshop at Renner Frankford Branch
Bring the kids for a little crafting celebration. Ages 6–11 will love a quick event making festive suncatchers for Hanukkah. These Festival of Lights decorations will harness the glow in sunlit windows after this session, which uses only scissors and two types of paper. It’s a free workshop hosted by the Friends of Dallas Public Library at the Renner Frankford Branch, 6400 Frankford Road. Find out more, and about other holiday events on the DPL website.