While 2021 may be drawing to a close, it won’t happen before some of the year’s hottest events crank up, especially when it comes to the arts, a few other highly anticipated fall events with a definitively cultural twist, and some seasonal highpoints as well.
On November 2, the Tate Lecture Series presents Jerome Adams at Southern Methodist University’s McFarlin Memorial Auditorium. The former U.S surgeon general was appointed by President Donald Trump and served from 2017-2021.
On November 4 the night explodes in brilliant fashion at Annette Strauss Square (voted as D Magazine’s 2021 Best Performing Arts Venue in the center of the fabulous AT&T Performing Arts Center) with Turn Up the Lights. The flashy evening event features gourmet food and beverage presentations from Wolfgang Puck, plus immersive photo ops designed by some of Dallas’s technical theater and lighting specialists. Virtual reality experiences will transport guests to a world of interactive art forms with plenty of room for live performance and dancing.
November 4-6 the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performs the stunning Mozart’s Requiem at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Left unfinished at his death, it remains among the great composer’s most personal works, featured in the climax of the Oscar-winning motion picture, Amadeus. Sandwiched between those concerts is an impassioned multi-media journey, a magnificent musical portrait of life in the American Southwest spotlighting one of the world’s best sopranos on November 5 and 7 when Grammy-winning DSO music director Fabio Luisi welcomes the incomparable Renee Fleming to town.
Also, on November 5 through 7, it’s a food fight like none other. Join the World Food Championships in Centennial Hall at Fair Park with 20-plus tasting experiences and 1500 competing chefs over a three-day period. The culinary event is devoted to creativity and competition, an annual highlight for media and chowhounds.
The DSO presents its annual Women in Classical Music Symposium November 7-10 at the Meyerson. Meetings, panels, and events feature industry leaders and up-and-coming arts professionals assembled to discuss an array of topics.
The three-time Grammy-nominated Hermitage Piano Trio joins the Dallas Chamber Music Society on November 8 for a concert at Caruth Auditorium on the SMU campus.
November 10 through the end of 2021, take a trip to the lovely shores of 1,015-acre White Rock Lake for Holidays at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanic Garden. It’s an annual event featuring a magical Christmas village, the 12 Days of Christmas animated installations, and DeGolyer House exhibitions.
Then on November 13, another seasonal tradition pulls into town: The Trains at NorthPark Center. For over 30 years, the wondrous toy train diorama has benefitted Ronald McDonald House of Dallas while delighting generations of families as one of the city’s top holiday traditions.
Celebrate Veteran’s Day with Grammy-winning DSO pops conductor Jeff Tyzik welcomes the U.S. Naval Academy’s Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs and Pipes & Drum Band when the Dallas Symphony presents Patriotic Pops November 12-14 at the Meyerson. On November 16, the Dallas Winds presents The Firebird, a special concert that features guest artists Epoch Percussion Quartet performing exciting new works plus highlights from recent seasons also at the Meyerson.
Arthur C. Brooks is a Harvard professor, and a well-respected social scientist who writes for The Washington Post and has authored 11 books, including a pair of New York Times bestsellers. He headlines the Tate Lecture Series on November 17 at McFarlin Auditorium on the SMU campus.
The same day, the Chi Omega Christmas Market begins at Centennial Hall at Fair Park through November 20. For over 40 years old, the annual Dallas shopping extravaganza features over 175 merchants with gifts, holiday decor, women’s clothing, accessories, home accents, children’s toys, and more.
November 18-21 the DSO presents Bartók & Beethovenat the Meyerson. Bartók’s “lost” Violin Concerto No. 1 is full of infectious melodies and jagged rhythms, while Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony uses the many colors of the orchestra to tell an unforgettable pastoral story.
On November 20 is the Dallas Summer Musicals 2021 Gala at the Music Hall at Fair Park. The evening is scheduled to feature a full performance of the Broadway smash Hamilton, plus dinner and a party, all while supporting DSM educational and outreach programming.
For years, Park Cities families have joyously gathered to celebrate the holiday season with carolers and dancers near Snider Plaza’s landmark fountain for the annual tree lighting, set this month for November 21. On the same night in Downtown Fort Worth is the GM Financial Parade of Lights, an exciting annual trek through Cowtown signaling the beginning of the holiday season with a variety of floats, music, and, of course, thousands of dazzling lights
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington opens on November 19, while Prairie Lights at Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie kicks off on November 25. November 26 through December 26 catch the Texas Ballet Theater’s production of The Nutcracker at Winspear Opera House and Bass Hall in Fort Worth. Experience the magical tradition of the holiday season with Clara, the nutcracker prince, and a cast of festive characters performing to some of the most iconic music ever written.
Perfect for kids, Enchant Christmas on the Fair Park Esplanade is a journey through a maze of millions of twinkling lights and wondrous art installations, an ice-skating trail, and international holiday treats, and a Christmas market, November 26 through January 2.
Texas is well-known for taking creative liberties while adding a few bold twists and turns along the way. Nashville Christmas at Casa Mañana is a great example. November 30 through mid-December, kick up your heels and get into the holiday spirit with Christmas tales and songs performed in the style of your favorite country superstars including Dan + Shay, Garth Brooks,Faith Hill, and more.