Nov. 9-13 | Fair Park
When there are too many chefs in the kitchen, get a bigger kitchen. Or, just head to Fair Park, where more than 1,000 chefs will show off their culinary skills in a live cookoff. Guests can enjoy five days of foodie heaven featuring dozens of tasting experiences. When else do you get a chance to try so many one- of-a-kind dishes? There will also be a special barbecue ranch area where pitmasters and celebrity chefs fire up thousands of pounds of barbecue for hungry guests. New this year is the Burger Battle, where 10 burger experts will go head to head with the final winner voted on by you!
Nov. 11-13 | Bass Hall
Shout it from the rooftops — Santa is coming! And so is everyone’s favorite elf when “Elf: The Musical” comes to Bass Hall this month. Based on the 2003 movie starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel, this modern Christmas favorite follows a young orphan named Buddy who crawls into Santa’s bag and grows up at the North Pole, believing he’s an elf despite the fact that he’s towering over everyone else. When he discovers the truth, he travels through the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest to find his dad and bring tons of sugar and a dose of holiday cheer to New York City.
Nov. 12 | Fort Worth Stockyards
Saddle up, y’all. It’s time to channel your inner cowboy and compete in the John Wayne Grit Series! This tough 5K course takes you through the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Start at the “John Wayne: An American Experience” exhibit, then race down the Stockyards and the beautiful Trinity Trail. Your efforts aren’t just fun — they also benefit the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, which supports pioneering can- cer programs and research. As an added bonus, participants get unique medals, T-shirts and a special finisher’s mug.
Nov. 12-13 | Fort Worth
Imagine if your favorite toy monster trucks be- come life-sized. Pretty cool, right? But what if they also chal- lenged each other in a huge arena while glowing in the dark? Exciting doesn’t even begin to cover it! The first-ever Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party is coming to Dickies Arena, fea- turing real-life versions of famous Hot Wheels toys in battle, in- cluding Mega Wrex, Tiger Shark, Boneshaker, Bigfoot and the all-new Gunkster. As if that wasn’t amazing enough, there will also be a dance party, a laser light show, Hot Wheels toys giveaways, the car-eating Megasaurus robot and a motocross show. Your inner child will be thrilled.
Nov. 13 | The Yard
Pizza is perfection, full stop. If you want to celebrate the beloved food, don’t miss the second annual Fort Worth Pizza Fest. The Yard is hosting this family-friendly event, complete with tons of pizza trucks, a pizza-eating contest and a beer and wine garden. The entertainment includes live shows and performances and a kids’ arena with inflatables for bouncing that are perfect for burning off excess, pizza-fueled energy. There will be plenty of pizza for everyone, whether you like deep dish, vegan, thin crust or even pineapples on top.
Nov. 17 - Jan. 1 | Dallas Zoo
Look up and you’ll see more than a million spar- kling lights twinkling overhead at the Dallas Zoo. This enchanting experience is now a walk-through event, where you can explore the animal habitats after dark, admire new gigantic animal lan- terns and check out the holiday-decorated displays in ZooNorth and Wilds of Africa. Be sure to bring your Christmas list, as Santa will be in his workshop taking down holiday wishes and smiling for photos! There will also be impressive 3D lighted sculptures, more than a dozen new lighted photo ops and festive drinks to keep you warm. It’s a wildly fun time for the whole family.
Nov. 18 - Jan. 8 | Fort Worth Botanic Garden
One million dazzling lights will illuminate the Fort Worth Botanic Garden this month as the internationally-acclaimed Lightscape comes to town. The spectacular installation has been custom designed for the garden. Bundle up and walk through the colorful, one-mile artistic display, where you’ll see suspended strands and tunnels of light, a fire garden with sculptures and frankincense, singing trees that perform in harmony and a field of light that dances in every color before your eyes. Sip on hot cocoa with toasted marshmallows as you walk through this Insta-worthy event. Twinkling lights are a hallmark of the holiday season, after all!
Grapevine Ice Rink Grand Opening
Nov. 18 | Grapevine
Live your Christmas movie dreams when Grapevine, a.k.a. The Christmas Capital of Texas, unveils its brand new outdoor ice-skating rink on Historic Main Street! While skating on the 4,500-square-foot rink, you will be surrounded by the huge live Christmas tree, gigantic ornaments, Victorian coaches and more dazzling decor that makes Grapevine so magical this time of year. While you’re there, be sure to book a ride on the North Pole Express, go holiday shopping, take pictures with Santa and enjoy the 1,400-plus holiday attractions and events hosted by the city.
Nov. 18-19 | Dickies Arena
The King of Country is returning home. After three decades of performing in front of millions of fans, George Strait is back to perform some of his biggest hits. With 60 chart- topping singles, 100 entries on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, 33 multi-platinum albums and selling over 84 million albums worldwide, the “Troubadour” singer has collected more than 60 awards and is the only artist in history to have a Top 10 hit every year for over 30 years. One thing’s for sure — if you ain’t lovin’ this Texas legend, then you ain’t living.
Home For The Holidays Tree Lighting
Nov. 19 | Southlake Town Square
A crowd gathers outside at nightfall, staring up at the tall Christmas tree in the middle of Southlake Town Square. The sun has set and a hush settles over the community. A countdown begins. Three, two, one, and sud- denly thousands of brilliant, twinkling lights are switched on — and it’s officially Christmastime! The Christmas tree lighting ceremony is a time-honored tradition in Southlake Town Square. It’s a magical evening full of awe and wonder, with the spirit of the season in the air. Friends, family and neighbors gather together to mingle, listen to live music and celebrate with a firework show as the Christmas tree glows beautifully.
Nov. 24 | Keller
Oh gravy, it’s almost Thanksgiving! Before you fill your plate with turkey and cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, corn casserole, pumpkin pie and more, slip on your tennis shoes and work up an appetite at the Run With The Turkeys Trot in Keller. The event kicks off Thanksgiving Day at 8 a.m. for the 10K course and 8:15 a.m. for the 5K course. The whole family is invited for this fun run — leashed dogs and strollers included — and it will quickly become your new favorite tradition. The event organizer, Dallas Athletes Racing, asks each runner to bring non-perishable food items to benefit kids experiencing food insecurity.
Nov. 27 | American Airlines Center
Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with For King & Country’s “A Drummer Boy Christmas” experience! This holiday concert will be filled with the same high-energy spirit as the band’s unique cover of “Little Drummer Boy.” The “For God Is With Us” singers, made up of Australian brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, released “A Drummer Boy Christmas” in 2020, featuring catchy covers of many seasonal classics like “Joy To The World” and “Angels We Have Heard On High.” The four-time Grammy-winning duo has nine No. 1 songs, one billion on-demand streams and an uplifting sound that will jumpstart your Christmas spirit in a heartbeat.