By Audra Stamp
It’s the first official weekend in December and everyone’s started their Christmas shopping. But there’s plenty of other activities to do to avoid being trampled down over the next big game or newest technology. There are some great, fun events, music and eats you won’t want to miss this weekend so start your December off right.
Thursday December 5th
LeAnn Rimes: No matter her age, her presence in country music has always been a strong one. And now she’s back at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth to sing her sweet songs of love and heart break. Her fame and fortune has taken off since her early years when she was performing in talent shows. So now she’ll be able to show off her talent with the help of Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. So bring some friends and celebrate with her newest album “Spitfire.” www.leannrimesworld.com
How The Edge Stole Christmas: Coming to the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie is an alternative to what many expect from their Christmas music. So many love the fun sounds of Michael Buble and Mariah Carey during this happy holiday, but the Edge from 102.1 will be there to spice Christmas up. This winter concert will feature all your alt-rock favorites like Thirty Seconds To Mars, Blue October, Panic! At The Disco, Capital Cities, New Politics and Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington. There’s no better place to be if these bands are your favorite, it’ll be a great holiday treat. www.kdge.com
Christmas on the Square: It’s about that time of the year for all the towns around the DFW area to start lighting their trees and kicking off the holiday season, and Garland is no exception. Downtown Garland Square will be decorated for the Christmas season and there will be plenty to do. From the snow covered hills and children’s crafts to the tree lighting ceremony, fireworks display and a visit from Father Christmas himself. Plus plenty of food trucks will be on hand as well as a Christmas Bazaar to get some one-of-a-kind holiday gift for those who are harder to shop for. www.ci.garland.tx.us
Friday December 6th
Denton Holiday Lighting: The tradition began 25 years ago, and now it’s time to celebrate the festival’s 25 years of existence. The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. and there will be plenty of Wassail to go around. The surrounding local stores in The Square will put out their finest Wassail recipes for all to try and the best will be announced at the end of the festival. Plus the tree lighting will take place and the entire Square will be decked out with Christmas spirit, so let’s celebrate the welcoming of the holiday season in Denton. www.dentonholidaylighting.com
Fair Park Holiday: This yearly three-day event is back and Fair Park is ready for all the foot traffic that will be taking in the Christmas scenery. There will be plenty of shops to start your much needed Christmas shopping, and plenty to keep the children busy with some ornament decorating. The hot chocolate and cider will keep everyone warm from the chilly weather, and the music and dancers will keep all entertained. It’s a great place to bring the whole family for a fun afternoon of holiday cheer. www.fairpark.org
Dead Milkmen: Trees is offering some great music this Friday. The Dead Milkmen is a great American satirical punk rock band that formed back in the 80’s. They are here for only $16 and you can get the fun and jangly punk sound and sardonic humor of the awesome Dead Milkmen. Also playing with them is Radioactivity and Ghost Knife, so while it’s not necessarily a holiday festivity, this may be a great way to start off the holiday season. www.treesdallas.com
Mr. NOBODY: The Barley House will be presenting some fun entertainment this Friday, and you are cordially invited. From 5 to 7 p.m. Lucky Floyd will be there opening the entertainment by playing hits from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. He’ll be belting out Elivs, Orbison, Buddy Holly, Righteous Brother, Beatles and so many more. Following the fun performance will be Mr. NOBODY making his DFW stand-up comedy debut, so come out and enjoy the fun and avoid the cold by being inside and having a great time with some friends. www.barleyhouse.com
Saturday December 7th
Philadelphia Flyers vs Dallas Stars: The Stars are back in Dallas since the first of the month. They will be taking on the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Flyers currently sit 5th in the Metropolitan Division and have had a season of double digits wins and losses. The Stars will be coming off of a game against the Maple Leafs and hope to take that win as well as a win against the Flyers. This will be the first time the two teams will meet this season so it should be an exciting match, so grab every Stars fan you know and get over there. www.stars.nhl.com
Central Florida vs SMU Mustangs: It’s their last home game so you know all SMU fans are hoping for that final win. Despite coming off of a hard loss against Houston, the Mustangs will give it all they got to finish out the season strong. They sit with a conference record of 4-3 currently and hope that interception leader, Stephon Sanders, can add to his already 35 collegiate interceptions. The Knights are 1st in the American Athletic Conference and have a good record of 7-0 in the conference. It will be a tough game for the Mustangs, but they are ready to make their fans and alumni proud this coming Saturday afternoon. Maybe even get a bowl berth! www.smumustangs.com
Sunday December 8th
Dallas Marathon: For those of you who love to run, the Dallas Marathon is here and waiting for you to make the 26.2 mile run. It’s a long run, but even if you don’t know if you can finish the entire journey, it’s a great accomplishment to even start and attempt one. Or if a marathon isn’t quite what you want, then a 5K or half marathon may be more your style. Plus there will be tons of live entertainment and food for purchase set up for the runners all through downtown. So let’s get healthy and start running or at least cheering on the runners in our lives. www.dallasmarathon.com
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