Weekend Event Planner

Holiday happenings headline the best weekend events in Fort Worth

We're about two weeks away from Christmas, so holiday events still naturally dominate the landscape around Fort Worth. But this weekend brings a slightly different holiday event, along with — gasp! — two events with no holiday connection whatsoever.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Friday, December 11

Amphibian Stage Productions presents Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
In a small Russian village, the presence of wicked goblins keeps the town from celebrating Hanukkah. Then one man, Hershel of Ostropol, takes it upon himself to evict the mischievous residents from the haunted synagogue at the top of the hill. Amphibian Stage Productions' inaugural holiday production will feature an original klezmer score, feats of puppetry, and stunning visual effects. The play will run through December 20.

Stolen Shakespeare Guild presents She Loves Me
Set in a 1930s European perfumery, She Loves Me features shop clerks Amalia and Georg, who more often than not don't see eye to eye. After both respond to a "lonely hearts advertisement" in the newspaper, they now live for the love letters they exchange, but the identity of their admirers remains unknown. Stolen Shakespeare Guild's production will play at Fort Worth Community Arts Center through December 20.

Texas Ballet Theater presents The Nutcracker
Texas Ballet Theater normally splits this production between Dallas and Fort Worth, but this year Fort Worth has it all to itself. The holiday classic, in which Clara goes on magical journey with a nutcracker-turned-prince to The Land of Sweets, will run at Bass Performance Hall through December 27. Also, don't forget about The Nutty Nutcracker on December 18, a special performance that puts a decidedly more adult spin on the story.

Saturday, December 12

Cowtown Indie Bazaar 2015
Looking for a unique gift for that special someone? Then head out to Will Rogers Memorial Center for the Cowtown Indie Bazaar, featuring handcrafted goods from independent makers from all across North Texas. Shoppers will find handmade jewelry, home goods, children’s items, unique clothing, accessories, bath and body products, original artwork, eco-friendly items, and more at this one-day event.

National Theatre Live presents Hamlet
With a commanding presence in both movies and television, Benedict Cumberbatch is one of the most noteworthy actors working today. Now you can see him onstage as National Theatre Live and Amphibian Stage Productions bring his production of Hamlet, which ran in October 2015 in London, to the big screen at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The filmed version of the play will be screened four more times through December 19.

---

Want more great stories like these delivered to your inbox daily? Then sign up for our emails.

Texas Ballet Theater will present The Nutcracker at Bass Performance Hall through December 27.

Photo by Steven Visneau

Texas Ballet Theater will present The Nutcracker at Bass Performance Hall through December 27.

dance holidays theater shopping event-planner

Animal News

Seaquest declares bankruptcy following closure of Fort Worth aquarium

Courtesy photo

One of the many unfortunate critters at SeaQuest Fort Worth.

SeaQuest Holdings, LLC, owner of Seaquest aquariums at shopping malls such as Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth, has filed for Chapter 11 banrkuptcy protection, following a series of investigations into animal cruelty.

The bankruptcy follows the October 2024 closure of the Fort Worth location at Ridgmar Mall, which had been the target of numerous reports of animal abuse and an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States.

The Boise, Idaho-based company claimed less than $1 million in assets, but between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities.

According to court records, Vince Covino is still listed as a CEO and consultant and was paid more than $128,000 between December 2023 and November 2024, despite announcing in August that he was stepping down from his role.

PETA Associate Director of Captive Wildlife Rebecca Smudzinski said in a statement that "SeaQuest’s financial failure offers yet more proof that animal exploitation is a losing business model, as compassionate consumers don’t want to fork over their dollars to look at fish, otters, and birds suffering in cramped, filthy enclosures and forced into stressful public encounters."

Smudzinski said that PETA was calling on SeaQuest "to shut down its remaining locations and surrender the surviving animals to reputable, financially responsible facilities that can finally get them the care they desperately need."

PETA’s ongoing campaign against SeaQuest included numerous complaints filed with federal and state authorities regarding injuries to customers and animal welfare issues, including animals who drowned, were burned, were intentionally deprived of food, or were stomped or crushed to death by customers.

According to an ABC News investigation, SeaQuest was cited more than 80 times in the past five years for issues including human injuries, disease hazards, animal neglect, and animal deaths.

In addition to the Fort Worth location, SeaQuest has closed three other locations in the last two years in Littleton, Colorado; Trumbull, Connecticut; and Stonecrest, Georgia. There are five locations still open in Las Vegas, Layton, Utah; Folsom, California; Roseville, Minnesota; and Woodbridge, New Jersey.

animals