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LOCAL EVENTS
Oct. 25-31, 6 p.m.
Embrace the occasion by donning your most chilling attire and collect your exclusive Zombie Survival Kit upon check-in. Inside this kit, you'll discover a comprehensive map pinpointing a plethora of participating bars and nightclubs across Dallas, each offering exclusive entry privileges and bewitching drink specials. The kit also boasts a booklet of drink vouchers, ensuring discounts and even free Halloween-themed welcome shots at select venues. Wander the streets alongside your companions or unite with a spirited multitude of fellow revelers, all adorned in their Halloween best.
September 21 – November 3
garden-wide trick-or-treating, live music on the Martin Rutchik Concert Stage & Lawn, and a delightful petting zoo. Kids can solve Halloween riddles, strut down the orange carpet, and revel in the festive atmosphere
Prairie Lights is the premier holiday light park in Texas located at Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie, Texas. Prairie Lights 2024 will feature Holiday Village, the magical walk-thru forest, carnival rides, photos with Santa, holiday shopping and more.
40th annual. Since 1981, new generations of families turn out to experience the fun, family-friendly atmosphere of the Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot. When you register for the YMCA Turkey Trot, you’re signing up for more than just a race. You’re helping your neighbors in need during their most difficult times. 100% of the proceeds from the Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot go towards scholarships for families in our community.
8 mile race, 5K, Junior trot – Proceeds support the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas Community Health programs for children, adults, and families.
Experience the magic of Christmas on board Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express®. Join Mrs. Claus on a 40- to 45-minute holiday adventure as she takes her guests to bring Santa to the Christmas Capital of Texas®. Guests will receive a cookie baked in Mrs. Claus’s North Pole kitchens, a beautiful “We Believe” bell, and a taste of Santa’s Frosty Chocolate Snow Milk (served in a keepsake Memory Mug). Grapevine is your top Christmas destination. Remember us for your Christmas getaway!
The Christmas season kicks of in Granbury with the Night of Lights Parade and continues with such fun as Santa’s House, a Candlelight tour of the square, musicals, nativities, and more.
Visits with Santa, shopping, children’s activities and more
Christmas in Cowtown Holiday Gift Market 2023 is a 4-day regional consumer show, organized by the Junior League of Fort Worth. The event will be held on October 9–13, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas
The Arthritis Foundation’s original Jingle Bell Run is a fun way to get decked out and be festive, while racing to raise funds and awareness to cure America’s #1
Witness Southlake’s Home for the Holidays annual Christmas Tree Lighting celebration. This event is free for the whole family to enjoy. The holiday festivities begin on November 23, 2024. The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place in front of Southlake Town Hall at 6 p.m., followed by a one-minute fireworks show!
Shop small & local at the Funky Finds Holiday Shopping Experience! There’s no better place to shop for unique handmade and vintage items that will set you apart this holiday season. Free Admission, Family AND Pet Friendly, Fundraising benefits Saving Hope Animal Rescue and DFW Toys for Tots, Photos with Santa, and more! Shop local with 200+ makers & pickers on November 9, 2024 at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas
Christmas in the Park is led by the S.M. Wright Foundation to spread holiday cheer by providing underprivileged families with brand new toys, bed sets, coats, bicycles, as well as food, clothing and household items.
BethanyMBC Music and Fine Arts Ministry Christmas pageant "Christmas at Bethany" featuring the P.R.O.O.F Praise Dancers, the Youth Choir, Praise & Worship Team, Men's Chorus and the A.L. Schley Choir along with special guest the Jackson family
We’re fortunate that Christmastime means Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, and friends are back at DCT by popular demand! Rediscover the true reason for the season while sharing laughs with the Peanuts Gang along the way. As a live combo fills your heart with music, merriment, and warmth, Charles Schulz’s classic special makes you nostalgic for days gone by. Button up your coat, and meet us on the ice as the Baker Theater becomes a most awesome skating rink!
Help maintain a safe course by redirecting traffic away from participants and guiding participants in the right direction. Feel free to bring pom-poms, horns, music, instruments, signs, etc. to encourage and cheer on runners. Bonus for creative costumes!
Jewish Holidays
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History for Celebrating the Jewish Festivals in 2024
The history of the Jewish festivals goes back to the bible. These are the days when the Israelites were freed from their slavery in Egypt. They were led by Moses to the promised land. These holidays have been celebrated for thousands of years and are very important to the Jewish people.
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Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is a time of celebration and reflection. It marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance, during which Jews reflect on their sins and ask for forgiveness.
Rosh Hashanah lasts for two days and is celebrated with a feast that includes traditional foods like apples and honey. It’s also a time for prayer and family gatherings. Special services are held in synagogues, and many Jews take the time to reflect on their relationships with God.
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Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is one of the holiest days of the Jewish year. It is a day of fasting and reflection when we ask for forgiveness for our wrongdoing and pledge to make changes in our lives going forward. This year, Yom Kippur will begin in the evening on Tuesday, September 13th, and end in the evening on Wednesday, September 14th. During these 24 hours, we fast from eating and drinking and focus on prayer, repentance, and charity. We also abstain from wearing leather and using electrical devices. Yom Kippur is a time for introspection and to think about how we can make our lives more meaningful. We take stock of our actions over the past year – both intentional actions such as those that bring us closer to God, as well as unintentional acts that may have caused harm or hurt to others – so that we can make amends by asking God’s forgiveness. It is a day of reconciliation with God, with ourselves, and with one another.
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Sukkot
Love the outdoor vibes? Sukkot is the Jewish festival for you! Also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles, it is celebrated on the 15th day of Tishrei (which is around September/October in the Gregorian calendar). On Sukkot, people build and eat in a sukkah—a makeshift hut in which rain can come through. I know what you’re thinking—it might be a bit cold eating outside during Autumn! But no worries—the hut has to be made out of natural materials (not plastic or metal) and open to the sky, so we can keep cozy using blankets and warm clothes. The main activities on Sukkot involve rejoicing over our abundance and gratitude for nature’s seasonal harvest. Jews also believe that this was one of the times when Egyptian slaves left Egypt and went into the desert to wander for 40 years. To commemorate this event, we practice four kinds of rituals during Sukkot: dwelling in a sukkah, reciting special prayers, waving four species (lulav, etrog, willow branches, and myrtle leaves), and performing joyous acts such as dancing and singing.
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Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah is one of the lesser-known Jewish festivals and is celebrated in the seventh month of Tishrei, usually in late October or early November. It honors the conclusion of the annual cycle of public reading from the Torah. A central feature of the Simchat Torah includes the Hakafot procession, where people march around carrying Torah scrolls decorated with flowers and ribbons. During Simchat Torah, different parts of the synagogue sing together, creating a powerful atmosphere. Depending on your community’s tradition, this may include singing special prayers for healing or a good year ahead. Another common activity at Simchat Torah is kiddush – celebrating with wine and food – that symbolizes a festive end to the Cycle of Torah. This is also a popular time for children to carry tiny replicas of TORAH scrolls while they parade around the synagogue, an experience that helps them develop an emotional connection to Judaism and its rituals. Simchat Torah truly captures the joyous spirit of Judaism by coming together to celebrate with food, music, and dancing!
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Hanukkah
Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, and it’s one of the most exciting and meaningful of all Jewish holidays. The celebration lasts for eight days and nights, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev. This year, Hanukkah will begin in the evening on December 1st and end in the evening on December 9th. During this time, Jewish families will typically light the menorah (a nine-branched candelabra), eat fried foods (like latkes and sufganiyot) to commemorate the miracle of the oil that allowed the Maccabees to keep a single flame burning for eight days, play dreidel (a spinning top game), exchange gifts, and sing traditional songs like “Rock of Ages.”
Hanukkah is a time to come together as a community and celebrate faith, heritage, and family—and is sure to be an annual highlight!
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Purim
March 17th is the holiday of Purim, a joyous and festive occasion that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from great danger in ancient Persia. On this day, Jews celebrate by dressing up in costumes, exchanging gifts, and eating traditional food such as pastries called Hamantaschen.
During Purim services, congregants read the story of Esther from the Megillah or Scroll of Esther. This is a festive event filled with music and noise to celebrate and remember this significant moment in Jewish history. Children also dress up and bring noisemakers called graggers to drown out any mention of wicked Haman’s name during the reading. Many also give tzedakah (charity) during Purim to those less fortunate. Finally, it is customary to have a celebratory meal with family and close friends during Purim, where fried foods such as latkes or sufganiyot are served.
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Pesach
Pesach, also known as Passover, is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish festivals and marks the passage from slavery to freedom. It’s typically celebrated in late March or early April and typically lasts for eight days. During this time, Jews abstain from eating chametz, which is any type of leavened product made from wheat, barley, rye, spelled, or oats. Instead, they consume only matzo (unleavened bread). The festival is also observed by engaging in well-known rituals such as the cleaning of the house to remove all traces of chametz to the reading of the Haggadah at dinner each night. During Pesach, it’s also traditional to visit family members and friends throughout the eight days of celebration. It’s a great way to reconnect with our loved ones while honoring an important tradition.
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Shavuot
Shavuot is one of the most beloved Jewish festivals, and it’s coming up in 2023! Celebrated seven weeks after the start of Passover, Shavuot is the commemoration of God giving the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. This festival is typically celebrated for two days and includes lots of delicious food, dancing, and prayer. One of the biggest traditions associated with Shavuot is eating cheesecake and other dairy products. This originates from a midrash which tells us that when God gave us the Torah at Mount Sinai, we were so excited that our mouths were full of milk and honey. The custom to prepare dairy dishes for Shavuot to commemorate this moment has been around for centuries! On this festive day, people also often decorate their homes with flowers and plants as an ode to the natural beauty surrounding Mount Sinai at the time the Torah was received. So if you’re looking forward to celebrating Shavuot in 2023, mark your calendar now and get ready for a day full of festive traditions!
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Shabbat
Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, 25 hours from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday. Shabbat has played an important role in Jewish life for centuries and is considered a sacred and special time for Jews around the world. During this time, it is customary to light candles and bless the wine, in addition to attending synagogue services. On Shabbat, it is forbidden to do any kind of creative work such as writing or cooking, as well as activities like driving and using electrical devices. On Shabbat day, many Jews will spend the afternoon with family in their homes leisurely eating meals and discussing religion or other topics. Jews around the world celebrate this holy day according to their traditions and customs.
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Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret is a Jewish Festival that celebrates the end of the harvest season. It is observed on the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which usually falls in September or October. This festival is one of the most important days of the year for Jewish people, and it is traditionally celebrated by spending time in prayer and reflection. Shemini Atzeret also marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
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Tisha B Av
Tisha B’Av is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It’s a day of mourning that commemorates the destruction of both the first and second temples in Jerusalem. And it’s a day when we mourn all of the other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the years. It’s a somber day, marked by fasting and prayer. And many Jews spend it in a synagogue, listening to stories of loss and lamenting our broken world.
Thanksgiving For Homeless
is serving a Thanksgiving lunch to people experiencing homelessness
evangelism team plans to give away meals to those in need of help.
will feed the community for free. No registration required.
are feeding all active first responders, retired veterans, medical professionals and their immediate families with complimentary Thanksgiving dinners sponsored by Operation Forever Free. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings will be served in The Statler’s restaurant, Scout, with football playing on the big screen.
is hosting a Thanksgiving potluck for a “magical evening of friendship and community — divine prosperity. Bring your friend or family, your favorite dish and an open heart.”
We are serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal, desserts, and coffee and watching movies on our large screens on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, from 8:00 am – 2 pm. The meal will be at OurCalling, 1702 S Cesar Chavez Blvd. We need volunteers to help with everything from set-up the day before to cleaning up that afternoon.
The annual Thanksgiving event provides hot meals, groceries, and clothing to low-income and homeless families in the South Dallas community. Previously, 3,000 or more families benefited from this event.
Vouchers for turkey along with side items given for a Thanksgiving meal to those in need.