Wednesday December 23
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, but you do throw a heck of a party. At 8pm, put on your best holiday costume and head to Landmark Bar & Kitchen (3008 Bledsoe St, 817-984-1168) for Whoville Idol: A Grinchmas Karaoke Party. There will be drink specials all night, plus $150 in prizes for the karaoke contest winners. In case karaoke isn’t your thing, Landmark has arcade games, more than 30 HD TVs, a huge patio, and a mechanical bull.
Thursday December 24
For those of us experiencing sadness, loss, and despair, the holidays tend to make things worse, not better. Peace Mennonite Church (14325 Proton Rd, Dallas, 214-478-6321) wants to help. From 4pm to 6pm, join PMC on Facebook Live or Zoom for A Holiday Season to Forget: Grief & Blue Feelings Festival. This safe-space, online gathering for “contemplating and nourishing our griefs through word and other arts” — including poetry, visual art, and spoken word — is free to attend at Facebook.com/Peace-Mennonite-Church-122293367967468.
Friday December 25
Once the packages are opened and Christmas dinner is done, you may need a break from the family and a strong drink. If this is the case, head to Billy Bob’s Texas (2520 Rodeo Plaza, 817-624-7117) at 10pm for A Donahew Christmas featuring native Texas country artist Casey Donahew. Doors open at 6pm, and the show starts at 10pm. Tickets are $20-40 at AXS.com.
Saturday December 26
Donating blood, buying CBD, and winning Dallas Mavericks gear are three things you can accomplish from 10am to 3pm at the Carter Blood Care Blood Drive at Purely Natural CBD (674 Grapevine Hwy, Hurst, 817-479-8669). For those of you who were sick as heck last December and convinced you had the ’rona, COVID antibody testing will also be conducted at this event.
Sunday December 27
It’s Sunday Night Sports Ball time! At 3:45pm, watch the Cowboys game on the big screen — a 100-foot screen to be exact — at the Miller Tavern Experience at Texas Live! (1650 E Randol Mill Rd, Arlington, 817-852-6688). General admission is $10 per person at Eventbrite.com, and each guest receives a food and beverage credit of $40 that can be used toward your check and Miller Lite swag gear.
Monday December 28
Will CSI Mansfield be like CSI Miami, but with no David Caruso? Not quite. Oliver Nature Park (1650 Matlock Rd, Mansfield, 817-473-1943) hosts an actual event called Wildlife CSI. Kids ages 5 to 15 years old are encouraged to “use wildlife knowledge to help crack the case” while analyzing “wildlife crime scenes to gather clues and evidence” to identify the perpetrators. An annual membership to the Mansfield Activities Center — $17 for youth on up to $50 for families — is required to participate, along with pre-registration to the event at Facebook.com/MansfieldTxParks/Events.
Tuesday December 29
No bones about it. If you work in the service industry right now, boy, do you need a drink. Head to Barrel & Bones Craft Bar & Smokehouse (2801 Plano Pkwy, Ste 140, The Colony, 469-353-8810) every Tue from 9pm to midnight for Service Industry Night. Food and drink specials include premium offerings on Fireball and Jameson, $3 domestic beers, and $2 tacos. DJ Joe Vega and Leo Morales will be spinning tunes throughout the night.
8 Days a Week
Not only does Raising Cane’s (1527 S University, 817-882-8722) have delicious chicken strips, but it also does a lot for the community. Thru Jan 3, buy Raising Cane’s plush puppy-shaped toy, Cozy Cane, for $8.99 with proceeds benefiting Patriot Paws nationally and Operation Kindness locally with their mission to get cats and dogs out of the shelters and into “furever” homes. For more information, participating locations, and a picture of the plush pup, go to RaisingCanes.com/PlushPuppy.
