Totally Texas -- Everywhere for the holidays

When I went in for a flu shot this month, the doctor said, “So, are you ready for the holidays?” Ready? Maybe I’ll be ready by sometime in January! Still, knowing seasons wait for no woman, I’m compiling a totally biased list of my family’s must see and do events. In case we can’t take them all in before year’s end, some actually run into January.

Now through December 24: Illumination Celebration, Galleria, 13350 Dallas Pkwy, Dallas. The country's largest indoor Christmas tree rises from the ice skating rink. Lighting choreographed to music noon, 2, 4, 6 & 8 p.m. (no 8 p.m. shows on Sundays). Today at noon, and tomorrow (November 29) and December 6, 13, and 20 at 6 p.m., also see exhibitions by Missile Toes, the skating Santa, joined by other championship skaters. Free. See www.galleriadallas.com/.

Now through January 4: The Trains at NorthPark Center, Northwest Highway at Central Expressway, Dallas. Yes, my family’s mourning the demise of Joel Occhiuzzo’s Holiday Express Riding Train, which made its last run for the 2013 season. But for train enthusiasts, there’s still the toy trains on their every expanding tracks. This year, the NorthPark trains run on Level One near Nordstrom. Hours are 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon - 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for kids ages 2-12. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. Closed Christmas Day but open New Year’s. See
www.northparkcenter.com for details.

Now through January 4: The 12 Days of Christmas, at the Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas. This one I’m prepared for. Several friends and I already visited the Arboretum gardens adorned with twelve 25-foot-high gazebos dressed with representations of the namesake carol. Daytime viewing is free for members. For nonmembers, regular ticket prices apply¾ $15 for adults, $10 children ages 3-12. Children under 3, free. Additional prices and ticketed admission applies for nighttime visits. Or check out the Arboretum’s discounts at www.dallasarboretum.org/. Visitors this weekend get a three-fer¾ the 12 Days exhibit plus Pumpkin Village (through November 30) plus the historic DeGolyer House dressed in holiday finery (ends December 31). Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. See the website for additional information.

December 6-21: Santa’s Village in Richardson. New this year¾ Hometown Thursdays give Richardson residents free, ticketed admission and a chance to skip the lines for this popular story tale village at 411 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson (behind the library). Not from Richardson? It’s still free, Friday through Sunday nights. Regular hours are 6-9 p.m., December 6-7, 12-14, 19-21. See
www.cor.net for details.

December 13-14: Candlelight at Dallas Heritage Village, 1515 S. Harwood in Old City Park. The Village's nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings are dressed in traditional holiday decorations and candlelight from 3-9 p.m. Costumed interpreters, strolling carolers and other entertainers bring history to life. Pictures with St. Nicholas, or with the Village’s Mammoth Jack donkeys, Nip and Tuck are a must. Tickets $12 for adults, $8 for children 4-12, or buy discounted tickets through December 11. See www.heritagevillage.org/.

December 24: TubaChristmas at Thanks-Giving Square, 1627 Pacific Ave., corner of Bryan, Pacific and Ervay, downtown Dallas. Scores of tubas, euphoniums and related brass sound amazing in the confines of Thanks-Giving Square. The free concert is at noon, but come early for best viewing and listening spots. Want to play? See www.tubachristmas.com for registration and rehearsal times.

Totally Texas -- Toy trains roll for a cause

The Trains at NorthPark

Level Two (near Barneys New York)

8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas

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The boys never met a train they didn’t like. And they fervently believe bigger is better -- except when it’s a tiny version of something usually huge -- like the Trains at NorthPark, the annual visitation of toy trains zipping through scale models of the most recognizable landmarks in the country.

One of those justly-famous landmarks, all Dallas residents agree, is the State Fair’s Big Tex, a miniature version still standing proud despite his unfortunate accident this fall. New model landmarks in this year’s exhibit this year also include the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge whose arches now grace the Dallas skyline, Albuquerque’s hot air balloons, a trolley car, and interactive features.

The first time I saw the exhibit, I was amazed at its size and detail, and it gets bigger and better each year.

The boys are old enough to recognize more landmarks -- those of downtown Dallas from sight, and places like the White House from their first-ever awareness of this year’s presidential campaign. Do they believe the adults in the family have actually seen some of the other highlights -- San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge or New York City’s Times Square? They listen politely, anyway.

The toy trains roll over 1,600 feet of track to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, which offers temporary housing for families of children receiving treatment for serious illnesses at Dallas-area hospitals.

Admission cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 2-12 and those age 65 and older. tickets are available at the door of the exhibit, or for a $1 discount at Tom Thumb grocery stores.

Although the trains continue their goodwill journey through January 6, 2013, I‘ll warn you that the lines get longer closer to closing day. The exhibit is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. with early closings on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. It’s closed on Christmas Day but open for New Year’s Day at the regular hours.

For more information about the trains, and the mission of Ronald McDonald’s House, see www.rmhdallas.org/.

Totally Texas -- Feliz navidad, y'all

I dashed into my neighborhood grocery store yesterday morning for an overlooked Thanksgiving dinner ingredient and found the store already playing Christmas carols. Thanksgiving’s over -- long live Christmas! And Chanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and New Year’s. . . With too many holiday events to blog about separately, I’m giving a totally biased list of some of mine and my family’s favorites, especially the free ones!

During the darkest days of the year, lights suddenly blossom. Satisfy your craving for brightness with these suggestions:

Illumination Celebration at Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Parkway, #3880, Dallas. Today, November 23, through December 24, starting at noon. Lighting of indoor tree choreographed to music. Free. See also “The weather inside’s delight,” November 25, 2011 at this site. For additional Galleria events, see www.galleriadallas.com/.

Chihuly Nights at the Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas. Glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly remain at the Dallas Arboretum through December 31, with lighted nighttime viewings several nights each week. (Evenings through the end of November, and several evenings in December are already booked up.) For additional information, see “Arboretum’s Chihuly nights,” October 12, 2012, at this site. For ticket information and prices, see www.dallasarboretum.com/.

Lantern Light: Roaring through the Holidays, Saturday, December 1, at the Heritage Farmstead Museum, 1900 W. 15^th St., Plano, Texas 75075. From 4 - 9 p.m. Illuminated tours of the historic buildings, with storytelling, visits with Santa, and more. For ticket information and prices, see www.heritagefarmstead.org/.

Chanukkah Menorah Lighting at Galleria Dallas. Saturday, December 8, through December 15, 5 p.m. daily. Of course, it’s in Texas, so it’s a giant 15-foot menorah! On Level 1, near the Guest Reception Center. Free. See www.galleriadallas.com/.

Candlelight at Dallas Heritage Village, 1515 S. Harwood St., Dallas, December 8 -9, 3-9 p.m. Carriage rides along candlelit paths, historic buildings and local entertainers. For ticket information, parking, and list of events included, see
www.dallasheritagevillage.org/.

Even in Texas, small can be beautiful. Some of my family’s favorite small-scale holiday things include:

The Trains at NorthPark, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, currently through January 6, 2013. Multiple miniature trains travel across small-scale landmarks, including Dallas’ new Margaret hunt Hill Bridge, the State Fair of Texas, and the Cotton Bowl. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. For times and tickets, see www.rmhdallas.org/news-and-events/the-trains-at-northpark/. For additional holiday events at NorthPark, see www.northparkcenter.com/.

Joel’s Christmas Train, 156 Hidden Circle, Richardson, Texas. Richardson retiree Joel Occhiuzzo has dedicated years to making his holiday express riding train in the Duck Creek neighborhood bigger and better. The train in his backyard, running now through January 1, 6 - 10 p.m., is big enough to ride on. Free, but he appreciates donations. For additional information, see “Can you hear the train coming?” December 26, 2011, at this site, and
http://holidayexpressridingtrain.wordpress.com/.

Richardson Santa’s Village, in front of Richardson City Hall, 411 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson, 75080. The village of child-size buildings opens Saturday, December 1, from 6-9 p.m. Free. For additional information, see “Santa comes on a fire engine,” December 12, 2011, at this site, and www.cor.net/index/aspx?page=1303/.

And then there are events that defy classification, such as A Tuba Christmas at Dallas’ Thanks-Giving Square, 1627 Pacific Avenue at Ervay and Bryan. December 24, at noon. For nearly forty years, players of tubas, sousaphones, euphoniums and baritone horns from across the country have gathered to play carols, with instruments and in audience sing alongs. Free. See www.thanksgiving.org/.

Totally Texas -- Can you hear the train coming?

Joel’s Christmas Train

156 Hidden Circle

Richardson

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Plenty of yards in Richardson’s Duck Creek neighborhood boast eye-popping displays of holiday lights. But I don’t think anybody’s feelings will be hurt if I say none of them come close to the show in Joel Occhiuzzo’s back yard. Because no one else has his very own train!

When I visited Mr. Occhiuzzo’s holiday train recently I remarked that the show seemed even more impressive than last year’s.

“Ten thousand more lights,” he said, as thrilled as a kid. “And the train is new!”

The electric train that circles his yard from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly (weather permitting) from Thanksgiving through the evening of New Year’s Day is a grownup little boy’s dream. Small enough to fit in a suburban back yard but big enough to ride in, Joel’s Christmas Train is now in its eleventh year of delighting neighborhood children.

Mr. Occhiuzzo himself is the engineer, circling a miniature theme park of cartoon character figures and lights. Lots and lots of lights. The show faces the creek and the glow of lights across the water is charming enough to set Ebenezer Scrooge’s heart beating faster.

Train rides are free, but with an anticipated 600-800 passengers a night this year, Mr. Occhiuzzo welcomes (nondeductible) donations. And he depends on the help of a crew of dedicated volunteers who start setting up the train and its tracks soon after Labor Day for the annual Thanksgiving night opening run.

As the retired Mr. Occhiuzzo explains on his blog, http://holidayexpressridingtrain.wordpress.com/, “The idea of having a train came in a dream. I thought I could build one easily, I soon found out it wasn’t going to be easy!. . .
(Eventually) I rented a 16-foot truck and loaded 130 feet of tracks, 44 foot of train batteries and drove 1,250 miles to get my current system.”

My daughter in Richardson first alerted me to the train. With two little boys who were crazy about trains, she was eager to locate Mr. Occhiuzzo’s. This year, her husband scheduled his vacation for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. And I won’t say it was just to take advantage of the holiday train, but that’s definitely on their to-do list.

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Also for kids, or kids at heart -- Trains at NorthPark, the entrancing toy-sized trains crossing a diorama of the United States, continue their run through January 1. They are located this year near Barney’s New York on the second level of NorthPark Center, Northwest Highway and Central Expressway in Dallas. Tickets are $3 for children and seniors, $6 for adults, with discount tickets available at Tom Thumb stores. See
http://www.northparkcenter.com for times, including special hours for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Totally Texas -- Tower of Thanks-Giving

Thanks-Giving Square

1627 Pacific Street, Dallas

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In the days when I worked in downtown Dallas, the DART train I rode chugged every day past a mysteriously-walled park. A white spiral tower rose at one corner, a trio of bells at another. I finally became curious enough to walk over there. It was Thanks-Giving Square, one of the curious little oases of the heart of the city. One of the things Dallas actually does right.

Philip Johnson (also the architect of the Dallas memorial for President Kennedy), designed the park’s pathways to slope below ground level, concealing it from the sight of surface traffic. Its buildings are understated. Its waterfalls mask traffic sounds. When I walked in, Dallas felt a million miles away.

There’s a sheet of water, some understated buildings, trees and grass. From the park level, that’s it. It’s easy to underestimate the importance of water and shade and quiet. Unless you live or work in the heart of the ninth largest city in the United States, one which prides itself more often on bigness than humanness.

The park’s main entrance features a trio of bells, a multi-racial mosaic expressing the scripture, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and a gold-leafed ring large enough to step through with ease. At the other end of the park, the Thanks-Giving Tower rises in a spiral of white marble aggregate smaller than, but not dwarfed by, the surrounding city skyscrapers. It houses the a small, multi-faith chapel and the stained-glass Glory Window.

The window is the culmination of sixty-seven panels designed by Gabriel Loire of Chartes, France. The abstract designs of the windows spiral around the tower, their colors becoming brighter until they reach the apex. A booklet from the park invites viewers to lie on the floor for an unforgettable view of the design. (There are also chairs from which those less nimble may view the windows.)

In the center of the chapel, below the window, is a seven-ton marble altar supporting a glass bowl where visitors may place expressions of thanksgiving.

Although it is not longer possible to ascend the spiral, the abstract nature of the designs makes it accessible to those of any -- or no -- religious persuasion. Christian and Muslim worship services are scheduled regularly.

The park is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, according to its website, www.thanksgiving.org/ , and easily reached from the St. Paul or Akard DART stations. An exhibition of the works of the Thanksgiving Expressions winners is on display through January 2, 2012.

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Also this week: Trains at NorthPark, through January 1, on level two near Barney’s New York. Tickets $6 for adults, $3 for children and seniors, free for age two and under. Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald’s House. See YouTube for video highlights from last year, www.rmhdallas.org for hours and details.

Tuesday, November 22, is dollar day at the Dallas Zoo. All admissions are $1 (regularly $12 for adults, $9 for kids and seniors), free for children age two and younger. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $7 parking fee, or take DART for a $4 day pass. See www.dallaaszoo.com for information.