Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Fort Worth this Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving weekend around Fort Worth will feature fun new holiday events, including concerts, train rides, and more. There will also be visits from two rising country music stars and an MMA/boxing event featuring an appearance by a huge rock band.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.

Friday, November 26

Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau presents North Pole Express Christmas Village
The Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau will present North Pole Express Christmas Village, featuring a winter wonderland in the Snowy Christmas Forest where visitors can take a selfie in the snow in Texas. Visitors can also shop for North Pole Express merchandise, toy trains, and more in the General Store, enjoy holiday treats and cups of hot chocolate, coffee, or apple cider. The Grapevine Christmas Passport, Elf Adventure, invites guests to learn holiday-themed heritage skills and enjoy making fun keepsakes with classic Christmas cookie cutter crafting and other craft activities. The event takes place in downtown Grapevine through December 23.

Grapevine Vintage Railroad presents North Pole Express
Guests can experience the magic of Christmas onboard Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express. Mrs. Claus takes her guests to pick up Santa and bring him to the Christmas Capital of Texas. Along the journey, guests can join in singing along to Christmas favorites and enjoy Santa’s favorite chocolate chip cookies. Mrs. Claus will also give each child a magical “We Believe” silver bell that reminds them of the spirit of Christmas and of all of the goodness and kindness within them. The trains depart from Grapevine Cotton Belt Depot through December 23.

The Michael Hix Christmas Party
Downtown Cowtown at the Isis will highlight the magnetic charm and wit of Michael Hix. This festive, high-energy Christmas show is bursting with Christmas favorites like "Jingle Bells," "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and more. The show includes music, comedy, fun, and celebration.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Home for the Holidays
One of Fort Worth's favorite holiday traditions returns when the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, special guest artists, and conductor Byron Stripling present Home for the Holidays, featuring a program of Christmas carols and seasonal tunes. Audiences can wave to Santa as the orchestra conjures a white Christmas courtesy of a magical snowfall. Take place at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday. FWSO is partnering with Toys for Tots to provide gifts for children who may not be receiving gifts this year. They will have a uniformed Marine to collect toys on-site at the Saturday and Sunday concerts, and they will have a donation box on Friday evening. All attendees who donate a toy will receive $5 off their ticket purchase at the event.

Zach Bryan in concert
Oklahoma native Zach Bryan is an up-and-coming country star who has YouTube to thank for his burgeoning success. After he started uploading his music in 2017, he had a viral song with "Heading South." Bryan has self released two albums, including 2020's Elisabeth, which went to No. 22 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, November 27

A Twitty and Lynn Acoustic Christmas
A Twitty and Lynn Acoustic Christmas is a holiday-themed salute to Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn starring Tre Twitty and Tayla Lynn. The pair will be honoring their grandparents in a heartfelt tribute at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis. They will cover many of their No. 1 hits along with some holiday favorites and beloved classics of their grandparents.

Triller Fight Club presents Triad Combat
Triller Fight Club presents the debut of Triad Combat, a new combat team sport which incorporates boxing and MMA rules in an aggressive, fast-paced manner with the fighters competing in a specially designed triangular ring over two-minute rounds. It features professional boxers competing against professional mixed martial arts fighters. The event, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, will also feature a special concert by Metallica and other surprise guests.

Granger Smith in concert
Country singer Granger Smith has been releasing albums for over 20 years, but he didn't start tasting real success until 2013 when he released his first album with a major label. He's had two top three albums on the Billboard Country charts, and he released a double album, Country Things Vol. 1 and 2, in 2020. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Metallica will make a special appearance at Triller Fight Club's Triad Combat, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington on November 27.

Photo by Herring Herring

Metallica will make a special appearance at Triller Fight Club's Triad Combat, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington on November 27.

concerts holidays event-planner symphony

Election News

Texas voters re-elect Abbott, Patrick, and more of the same in mid-term election

Greg Abbott/Instagram

Four more years.

Texans maintained the status quo in the November 8 mid-term election, re-electing Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Attorney General Ken Paxton by similar majorities.

Results of all elections can be found at results.texas-election.com/races.

Abbott won by 55.11 percent, with a tally of 4,335,425 votes, while runner-up Beto O'Rourke earned 43.52 percent or 3,424,074 votes.
Patrick garnered 54.08 percent or 4,216,864 votes, against Democratic challenger Mike Collier, who earned 43.18 percent with 3,367,033 votes.
Paxton trailed with 53.75 percent or 4,178,494 votes, against runner-up Rochelle Mercedes Garza, who got 43.36 percent or 3,371,361 votes.
Sid Miller was re-elected Commissioner of Agriculture with 46.63 percent or 4,372,741 votes, versus opponent Susan Hays who earned 43.37 percent or 3,349,247 votes.
Wayne Christian was re-elected Railroad Commissioner with 55.7 percent or 4,296,565 votes, beating top contender Luke Warford who scored 40.24 percent or 3,104,474 votes.

In Fort Worth, the new Tarrant County Judge replacing Glen Whitley will be Tim O’Hare, a former mayor of Farmers Branch who had the support of Donald Trump; he defeated Democratic candidate Deborah Peoples, who has run for Fort Worth mayor twice.

In Dallas, County Judge Clay Jenkins was re-elected, as was District Attorney John Cruezot, who earned 59.36 percent of the vote against challenger Faith Johnson's 40.64 percent. The city also passed Proposition A, which will raise hotel occupancy taxes from 13 to 15 percent, with the funds to be used to renovate Fair Park and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Austin's race for Mayor will go to a run-off. None of the six candidates earned more than 50 percent, so voters will choose from the two top candidates — former Austin mayor and state senator Kirk Watson and State Rep. Celia Israel — in a runoff election on December 13.

Houston experienced issues with polling places that did not open on time, or malfunctions that caused delays and temporary closures. A group called Texas Organizing Project successfully petitioned Harris County to extend the voting hours until 8 pm, but the Texas Supreme Court ordered Harris County election officials to separate out any ballots that were cast after hours.

A location at Texas State University in San Marcus also suffered malfunctions with five out of eight machines, causing wait times of four hours or more.

In San Antonio, U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar was reelected, besting Republic challenger Cassy Garcia by 56.6 percent to 43.4 percent.

Five cities — Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Harker Heights — approved propositions to decriminalize low-level possession of marijuana, following the example of Austin, which passed a similar proposition in May.

For the first time, voters were given "no straight ticket" option to vote quickly for all one party or another requiring a click on each individual race — the result of HB25, a law pushed through by Republicans in the Texas Legislature in 2017, which killed the straight ticket option.

politics

Oh, what fun!

Expert Fort Worth Christmas lights family plugs in sweet new drive-thru Sugar Lane Lights

Facebook/Tell Family Lights

They know a thing or two from their annual Tell Family Lights display in far north Fort Worth.

This year, Jeff Tell and his family are spreading holiday cheer even further than usual with their new drive-thru lights experience called "Sugar Lane Lights."

The Tell family has been lighting up their own home in far north Fort Worth since 2018 with Tell Family Lights, a synchronized Christmas lights show that annually makes CultureMap's lists of must-see displays. They still plan to host the free event at their 76244 home this year but have expanded their efforts to include Sugar Lane Lights, which they describe as the “sweetest holiday light show in Texas.”

Sugar Lane Lights will be hosted on rented land in Haslet and feature a mile-long drive with 2 million LED lights programmed to shine in sync with upbeat holiday songs. Each light can be changed to over 16 million possible colors, creating a unique holiday show.

Tell says the family worked with Murphy Christmas Lighting, a local Christmas light service company, but otherwise outsourced no help to create the show. The display’s props, configuration, network, sequencing, effects and everything else that went into creating the show was 100 percent designed by the family.

“A lot of these other displays are different,” Tell says of the rarity of their in-house model. “A lot of them are outsourced and kind of pieced together. So the person that owns it, if you ask them how it’s done, they have no idea. So doing this all ourselves, we have full control of everything.”

Tell’s experience as an IT consultant helped him manage the creation of the display. He says he has worked with other companies since 2018 to configure other major lights displays in Texas.

The Sugar Lane Lights display will feature 1,200 props, including a 50-foot tall Christmas tree decorated with 90,000 lights, a 25-foot tall gingerbread house, and a 16-foot tall snowflake. Guests will also be able to purchase battery-charged LED bracelets that are synced to the show’s music.

Tells says his wife, Jennifer, sequenced the show’s effects and programmed the lights to sync with the show’s music. Oftentimes, light shows will sequence all props to be doing the same thing — Sugar Lane Lights didn’t. Each of the eight songs took 180 hours of programming, Tell says.

“The artistic part of it is just going to be a lot more detailed than a lot of the other [shows],” he says.

Prices for the show vary from $30 to $55 per car depending on entry time, and tickets can be purchased online. Entry times are categorized on the website as sweet (no traffic), semi-sweet (light traffic) and toothache (medium to heavy traffic). Tell says the family decided to discount sweet entry times to encourage more people to visit the show during less popular hours and hopefully reduce traffic congestion.

There's a handy FAQ about vehicle height, pets, and more here.

Tell says the family hopes to open the show on Friday, November 11, but recent storms have caused delays. Most likely it will open on November 17, they predict. They'll be open nightly until December 31, 5:30-10 pm on weekdays and 5:30-11 pm on weekends.

Sugar Lane Lights can be found at 12452 Willow Springs Rd., Haslet. (The entrance is directly after the shipping containers, right before the Oasis Church.)

Follow their website or Facebook page for more information and updates.

This week in gluttony

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Photo by Julie Nong

Tacos for everyone this week.

It’s a week of giving and sharing, with multiple restaurants honoring veterans with complimentary meals and the return of a big free dinner to those who'd like one. Step back in time with a Dutch oven cooking demonstration at one of Fort Worth’s most cherished museums, learn to smoke the perfect BBQ brisket, and save room for tacos during a two-day festival.

Wednesday, November 9

Feast of Sharing 10^th Annual Holiday Dinner
Hosted by H-E-B and Central Market, this community celebration will provide complimentary dinner to anyone who wishes to attend. The event is back after a two-year hiatus and is expected to draw around 10,000 people to Dickies Arena. (Volunteers are still needed.) Besides a meal, there will be kids’ activities, live entertainment, health and family services, and an appearance by Santa. The event will run from 3-7 pm.

Thursday, November 10-Friday, November 11

Veterans Day deals and discounts
Dozens of local restaurants are offering free and discounted meals and menu items for active military and veterans. For a complete list, go here.

Saturday, November 12

Dutch Oven Cooking at Log Cabin Village
Visit this living history museum and learn how ancestors used to prepare meals over hot coals during a Dutch oven cooking demonstration led by the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society. The demonstrations (which often include samples) will run from 10 am- 2 pm and are free with admission ($7 for adults, and $6 for kids ages 4-17 and adults 60-plus).

Texas Taco Festival at Texas Live
More than two dozen restaurants and food vendors will participate in the two-day event, which will feature not only tacos but margaritas, tequila flights, desserts, and more. Tickets range from general admission ($12.99 on Sunday, $16.99 on Saturday), which allows for entry at 2 pm and includes one beer or cocktail, to VIP ($59.99 Sunday, sold out for Saturday), which grants early admission at noon and includes private bars, five taco vouchers, chips and salsa, two beers or cocktails, and gift bag with swag. Additional vouchers may be purchased at the event. Children 10 and under do not need a ticket.

BrisketU at Rahr & Sons Brewing
Backyard Pitmasters’ acclaimed BrisketU class promises to teach the everyday meat lover how to work a pit and create a perfectly smoked brisket. Renowned pitmasters will teach participants about BBQ pits, choosing the right cut of brisket, trimming techniques, rubs and prep, wood selection, starting and managing a fire, timing the cook, and properly slicing the end result. The three-hour class is $119 per person; register here.

news-you-can-eat

Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Fort Worth this Thanksgiving weekend

Metallica will make a special appearance at Triller Fight Club's Triad Combat, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington on November 27.

Fort Worth gets its first taste of acclaimed New York ice cream shop

These are the 13 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

Election News

Texas voters re-elect Abbott, Patrick, and more of the same in mid-term election

Fort Worth gets its first taste of acclaimed New York ice cream shop

These are the 13 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

Oh, what fun!

Expert Fort Worth Christmas lights family plugs in sweet new drive-thru Sugar Lane Lights

Fort Worth gets its first taste of acclaimed New York ice cream shop

These are the 13 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

This week in gluttony

These are the 5 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

Fort Worth gets its first taste of acclaimed New York ice cream shop

These are the 13 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

Weekend Event Planner

Metallica will make a special appearance at Triller Fight Club's Triad Combat, taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington on November 27.

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Election News

CultureMap Emails Are AwesomeGet Fort Worth intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

Oh, what fun!

CultureMap Emails Are AwesomeGet Fort Worth intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

This week in gluttony

CultureMap Emails Are AwesomeGet Fort Worth intel delivered daily.

We will not share or sell your email address.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Fort Worth intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Fort Worth intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Fort Worth intel delivered daily.

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Fort Worth intel delivered daily.