Holiday fun

Cool new ice skating rinks slide into Dallas-Fort Worth for 2024 holidays

Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo Rink, ice skating, ice rink

The Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo Rink is open through January 5, 2025.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Stockyards

The newest holiday attractions in Dallas-Fort Worth have families gliding gracefully through the season - or having fun falling down on their rumps. Ice skating rinks are gliding into the Metroplex as part of big holiday events and smaller community celebrations.

From a dazzling place to skate among the lights in Arlington to first-ever town ice rinks in Aledo and Southlake, here are the best new places to skate through the 2024 holidays, along with some favorites making their limited returns for the season.

Stockyards Rodeo Rink, Fort Worth Stockyards, November 21-January 5
For the third year, visitors to the historic Fort Worth district can "giddy up and glide" as part of the Stockyards' holiday festivities. The 4,000-square-foot professional ice skating rink has taken over the lawn of the Livestock Exchange Building (131 E. Exchange Ave.) and includes a snack and beverage bar, fire pits, music, picnic seating, and more. The Stockyards will also host visits with Cowboy Santa, a tree lighting at Hotel Drover, rides on the North Pole Express train, a "Christmas in the Stockyards" event, and more throughout the season.

Details: Open at 11 am most days through the season. Five 90-minute skating sessions are offered Monday-Thursday, with an extra 9 pm session Friday-Sunday. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for kids ages 3-12, and include skate rental. A family four-pack is available for $80.

Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas, Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, November 22-December 29
A new immersive holiday event from the creators of the popular "Enchant" light maze turns Choctaw Stadium into a winter wonderland, and it includes an ice skating rink. Adults and kids will glide on real ice underneath dazzling lights. The event illuminates 55,000 square feet of holiday light sculptures featuring larger-than-life, interactive Coca-Cola-inspired vignettes to walk through and explore; plus a snow slide, falling snow, visits with Santa, caroling, seasonal treats, special themed nights, and more.

Details: Open select nights, as early as 4:30 pm and as late as 11:30 pm; check the calendar for specific dates and times. Ice skating tickets (including skate rental) are $9 for juniors and $13 for adults, in addition to event admission, $14-$35; free for kids up to 3. Skating session times are unlimited. Note: If bringing your own skates, make sure they have blade guards on at all times; skate bags must meet a Clear Bag Policy; more info here.

Skate under the twinkling lights at Coca-Cola's Classic Christmas in Arlington.Photo courtesy of Coca-Cola's Classic Christmas

Home for the Holidays: Christmastime in Southlake, November 27-January 1
The 25th-anniversary Southlake holiday celebration will include an outdoor ice rink for the first time. Although the city's Christmas tree will be lit at the big Home for the Holidays event on November 23, the ice rink will not open until November 27. The rink is in the heart of Southlake Town Square, and includes a spot for gourmet hot cocoa, a nearby Santa's Village, carriage rides, and more.

Details: Open 3-10 pm Sunday-Thursday and 12-10 pm Saturday-Sunday outside City Hall, 1400 E. Southlake Blvd. Tickets, timed every 15 minutes, are $15 for one-hour sessions and include skate rentals; walkups will be welcome, but reservations are recommended through the Geoji app.

Christmas Tyme in Aledo on Ice, December 6-January 5
The city of Aledo is debuting its first-ever outdoor ice rink, open for 30 days as part of the holiday festivities. Located in the city's downtown, the Aledo Ice Rink will be adorned with twinkling lights and festive decorations, with music piped in under winter skies and seasonal refreshments to refuel. The annual Christmas Tyme in Aledo event on December 7 will feature the city's tree lighting ceremony, vendors, visits with Santa, live music, food trucks, and more.

Details: The ice rink is at Aledo City Hall, 104 Maverick St. Open 4-9 pm Monday-Thursday, 4-10 pm Friday, and 12-10 pm Sunday. Tickets for one-hour sessions are $15 (plus service fee), and include skate rental.

Peace Plaza Ice Rink, Grapevine, November 28-January 27
The 4,500-square-foot outdoor ice skating rink on Historic Main Street has become a favorite tradition in the "Christmas Capital of Texas." Skaters can jump and spin in the festive surroundings, including the 60-foot live Christmas tree, and the entire street decked out with Christmas lights. The ice rink's grand opening event on November 30 (rescheduled from November 23 due to inclement weather) will feature a performance by Olympic figure skater Ashley Cain, Team USA pair team Nick Traxler and Kristen Nardozzi, and more, beginning at 6:15 pm.

Details: Open daily, times vary (opening as early as 11 am with last entry as late as 9 pm); check the calendar for exact dates and times. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Location is Grapevine Main Peace Plaza, 815 S. Main St., at the train station outside Hotel Vin. Tickets are $20 for a one-hour session at 15-minute timed intervals; skate rentals included. Group ice rentals are available by the hour.

Skate under the lights at Peace Plaza Ice Rink in Grapevine. Photo courtesy of Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau

Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, through January 5
As part of the massive "Christmas at the Gaylord" event, the Grapevine resort rolls out a 6,000 square-foot ice skating rink made with real ice. That's not the only way to get up close with ice, though. At ICE!, guests can experience their favorite scenes from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer brought to life in the walk-through winter wonderland. ICE!, kept at a chilly 9°F, features two million pounds of ice sculptures hand-carved by 35 artisans from Harbin, China; six ice slides; colorful ice sculptures depicting the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; and an ice sculpture scene of the Nativity.

Details: The ice rink is open daily in the Christmas Village; times vary. Tickets are $23. Admission to ICE! runs $19.99-$41.99.

Omni Dallas Hotel, downtown Dallas, November 22-January 5
The downtown Dallas hotel known for its trademark sculpture of giant-sized Christmas-tree red ball ornaments is upping the ante this year. As part of its seasonal celebration called "Ice, Lights & City Nights," the hotel is introducing downtown's only outdoor ice skating rink on Pegasus Lawn. Visitors of all ages can twirl and spin beneath the glow of holiday lights, then warm up with at a hot chocolate bar, kids can ride the Elf Express train, and adults can make spirits bright at Blitzen's Bar. Every night at 7:30 pm, Omni Dallas will host holiday light shows with 4.1 miles of LED lights wrapped around the building’s exterior.

Details: The rink is open to the public and hotel guests alike, 10 am-10 pm daily. Tickets (starting at $18) can be purchased online or at the ice rink, for 60-minute sessions; skate rental included. A helpful FAQ about the ice rink can be found here.

Skate the Square, Frisco, November 22-January 6
Now 14 years strong, Frisco's Christmas in the Square event boasts the city's only real ice outdoor ice rink. "Skate the Square" is but one of the highlights of the holiday extravaganza, which includes one of the largest free choreographed lights and music displays in North Texas: nightly shows of over 180,000 lights, 200 dancing snowflakes, and festive music. There's also a Christmas tree lot, carriage rides, visits with Santa, and more.

Details: The Skate the Square rink is located along Main and Coleman. Open daily, but times vary (as early as 12:15 pm and as late as 10 pm); check the calendar for specific dates and times. Ice skating tickets are $20, with or without skate rentals. Private group bookings are available. Christmas in the Square runs nightly, 6-10 pm; the light show is free to attend.

Of course, no Dallas-Fort Worth ice-skating list would be complete without the most famous rink of all ....

Galleria Dallas, November 22-January 5
The nation's tallest indoor Christmas tree (at 95 feet) will sparkle in the middle of the ice rink throughout the season. Public skating is available every day, but as usual, holiday festivities will really rev up on at 12 pm Black Friday (November 29) with the Grand Tree Lighting Celebration on the ice rink, featuring Olympic figure skaters and a fireworks finale starring Missile Toes, the famed ice-skating Santa. (The celebration will repeat at 12 pm November 30.) A Grand Holiday Ice Show, starring some of the best figure skaters and ice dancers in the world (Ashley Cain, Mariah Bell, Keegan Messing, Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, Ryan Bradley, and Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre) will take place at 9 am December 8 and benefit Broadway Dallas; tickets are $150.

Details: Public skating hours are 10 am-9:30 pm Monday, Wednesday-Thursday; 10 am-9 pm Tuesday & Friday; 12-9 pm Saturday; 12-6 pm Sunday. Admission is $13, plus $5 for skate rental. Public skating is first-come, first serve; no reservations permitted. A full list of holiday events at the ice rink is here.

Grand Tree Lighting Celebrations Galleria Dallas is famous for its ice rink Christmas tree. Photo courtesy of Galleria Dallas

christmas capital of texas families family friendly galleria dallas holiday attractions ice skating rinks omni dallas hotel stockyards rodeo rink winter festivities holidays sponsored christmas

Movie Review

Disney serves up pretty sequel of Moana 2 for Thanksgiving weekend

Photo courtesy of Disney

Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) in Moana 2.

When Moanacame out in 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios (the non-Pixar side of the studio) was in the midst of a creative boom, having released Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia over the previous four years. In the eight years since, though, the studio has - outside of the stellar Encanto - been in a rut, with studio mergers, a reliance on sequels, and the pandemic all combining for subpar products.

Unfortunately for Disney and fans of the first film, Moana 2 does not break that streak. Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) has become the go-to wayfinder for her tribe on the fictional Polynesian island of Motunui, traveling long distances on her own thanks to her special connection with the ocean. As the film opens, she’s continuing her mission of exploring other islands in the region in hopes of finding other people besides her own tribe.

A message from her ancestors gives Moana fresh hope, and she recruits tribemates Loto (Rose Matafeo), Moni (Hualalai Chang), and Kele (David Fang) to join her on a voyage to an island that may or may not exist. Naturally, along the way they meet up with the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who’s run into his own issue, being held captive by the bat-obsessed enchantress Matangi (Awhimai Fraser).

On the positive side of the ledger, the animation is as beautiful as ever, with the water and other scenery especially impressive. And the returning actors, including Cravalho, Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rachel House, all bring nice touches to their performances. The songs, while not as dynamic as those from the original film, provide nice showcases for Cravalho, Johnson, and others.

But the film, which started off as a streaming series for Disney+ before being reworked into a movie, has almost none of the same feeling as the first film. The main plot is not very interesting, mostly because the obstacles thrown in Moana’s way are odd. The filmmakers’ choice to bring in three crewmates for Moana is also strange, as each of the characters acts more like a comic relief figure than an integral part of the story.

Moana and Maui remain the best parts of the film, but because they have to compete with other characters for attention, their collective impact is lessened. Matangi seems like she’s supposed to be the villain of the film, but her presence winds up being confusing. The filmmakers try to force some emotion into the film by giving Moana a clingy younger sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), but like most of the other new elements, she too falls flat.

With any sequel, the hope is that it will recreate the magic that made the first film so beloved. Moana 2, while not as egregiously bad as some other Disney follow-ups, does not offer nearly enough to be compared favorably to its Oscar-nominated predecessor.

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Moana 2 is now playing in theaters.

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