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Lights…Candles…Action!

A SPIRITED SCHEDULE OF HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
By CAROLINE CRANE |

’Tis the month before Christmas and all is alight Throughout our fair cities by day and by night. With minstrels and music, dances and plays, Special entertainments dress up our days. From houses to concerts to the City Hall tree, There’s plenty to do, and a lot of it’s free. Taking our cue from jolly St. Nick, We’ve bagged lots of options-just take your pick! There’s candles and carols and music galore, Pageants, parades, movies and more. Choices abound that appeal to all ages, And you’ll find it all on the following pages.

PLUM PERFORMANCES

Float away to the fantasy the Dallas Ballet will present in an all-new production of Tchaikovsky’s classic, The Nutcracker. Bjorn Wiinblad from Denmark was commissioned to design sets and costumes, and the revised choreography is by artistic director Flemming Flindt, who worked with the Royal Danish Ballet for 12 years. Performances are December 27 through 30 at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m., in the Fair Park Music Hall. Tickets are $5, $10, $15 and $25. For further information, call 744-4396. For reservations, call 744-4430.

The Fort Worth Ballet, in conjunction with the Hartford (Connecticut) Ballet, will also be dancing Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Performances of this ever-popular holiday entertainment will be presented on November 29 through December 2 at 8 p.m., with a matinee at 2 p.m. on December 1. Tickets are $7, $10 and $19 for balcony seats; $15, $20 and $24 for main floor seats. Group discounts are available. All performances are in the Tarrant County Convention Theater, 1111 Houston, Fort Worth. For more information, call (817) 921-6998. For reservations, call the Central Ticket Agency, metro 429-1181.

The young Richardson Ballet Company’s holiday version of The Nutcracker will be presented December 1 at 8 p.m. and December 2 at 2 p.m. The performances will be under the direction of Tanju and Patricia Tuzer (Tanju will also dance). Tickets will be $7.50 for adults; $5 for senior citizens and students. For more information, call 231-7381.

Enjoy the festive feeling the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet will present at its annual Christmas program, taken from the classic play The Night Before Christmas by Clement E. Moore. Company directors Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson are producers of the ballet, in which Frosty the Snowman, a dancing bear and a 9-foot-tall soldier join in the holiday frolic. Performances will be December 8 and 9 at 2:30 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium, SMU. Tickets range from $4-$9. For reservations, call 361-0278.



MUSIC TO OUR EARS

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Chorus combine their talents to present A Christmas Festival Fantasy. This special family program will include excerpts from The Nutcracker Suite and Handel’s Messiah. Kirk Trevor will conduct the orchestra, with the choir under the direction of Ronald Shirey. Performances will be December 20 and 21 in McFarlin Auditorium, SMU. Tickets range from $8 to $15. For reservations, call 692-0201.

The Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra will perform at the Kimbell Christmas Concert, presented in the Kimbell Art Museum on December 16 at 2:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (817) 921-2676.



WHAT THE DICKENS IS GOING ON?

The Dallas Theater Company will transform the Arts District Theater into the atmosphere of merry old London to enchant its audience with Charles Dickens’ ever-popular classic, A Christmas Carol. This new stage production has been adapted by Adrian Hall and Richard Cummings and will be presented every day except Mondays from December 4 to December 30. Performances will be Tuesday through Thursday at 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Matinees will be presented on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets will be $10 for adults; $8 for children. The cost on Fridays and Saturdays will be $1.2 for adults; $10 for children. Reservations are necessary. For reservations, call 526-8857; for group discounts, call 526-8210.



JUST PICTURE IT

For its inaugural Christmas, the wondrous Dallas Museum of Art will present a series of Christmas films in the auditorium: Fanny and Alexander, December 16 at 1:30 p.m.; A Christmas Carol, December 23 at 2 p.m.; and The Gospel According to St. Matthew, December 30 at 2 p.m. Admission will be $1.50 for DMA members; $2.50 for non-members. Also at the museum, the Dallas Chamber Orchestra will present a concert entitled A Baroque Christmas, including works from Handel and Mozart, on December 20 at 7:30 p.m. On December 27 at 7:30 p.m., Mary Vernon will present a lecture entitled “The Joys of Christmas,” as seen through the history of art. Admission for both nights is $14; for one night, $8. For more information, call 922-0220, ext. 229.



LIGHTS.. .CANDLES.. .ACTION

On Armstrong Parkway in Highland Park, the traditional lighting ceremony of the enormous Million Dollar Pecan Tree will be held on December 13 at 7:30 p.m. The 2,000 lights will shimmer during a performance by McCullouch’s Middle School choir. For more information, call 521-4161.

The eighth annual Southern Methodist University Celebration of Lights will be held December 9. At 6:30 p.m., carolers will begin singing throughout the campus. The opening fanfare by a brass ensemble at 7:30 p.m. will herald the evening’s celebration in the main quadrangle. For more information, call 692-2079.

One thousand candles will twinkle at the 12th annual Candlelight Tour of Old City Park, where 15 buildings will be decorated in the style of their respective time periods, ranging from 1840 to 1910. The tours will proceed on December 6 and 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. and December 8 and 9 from 3 to 9 p.m. The cost will be $5 for adults; $2 for senior citizens and children under 12. For more information, call 421-5141.

Fort Worth’s Cowtown will present its holiday Christmas Lights Tour December 15 and 16. Citran buses will take two tours per evening at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $2; children under 5 ride free. For information about departure locations, call (817) 870-6226.



WE TREE KINGS

High school bands and choirs will perform prior to Dallas’ annual Holiday Tree Lighting December 6 at 7 p.m. at City Hall Plaza. Santa Claus will be present for the lighting ceremony. Through the combined efforts of Old City Park and the Park Recreation Department, the crowd will embark on a parade to Old City Park for other festivities. Shuttle bus services will transport commuters back to City Hall. For more information, call 670-3957.

This will be the 28th year for the City of Fort Worth to light its Christmas Tree. On November 23 on Main Street, between 8th and 9th streets, the 50-foot Douglas fir will be decorated with 3,000 lights. At 5:30 p.m., a parade will start at the County Courthouse and proceed down Main Street toward the Fort Worth Convention Center and the tree. Andy Williams will lead the carol singing, which 50,000 people are expected to attend. The tree-lighting ceremony will highlight the festivities at 6:15 p.m. For more information on the tree lighting, call Dee Harden at (817) 870-7004; on the parade, call Ken Debero at (817) 827-1692.

Fifty-five designer-decorated Christmas trees will be presented at the Festival of Trees, a feature of Winterfest ’84. The display will be November 30 through December 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rodeway Inn, Arlington. The festival, spen-sored by the Dallas Times Herald, will include choral groups, dance troupes, Santa Claus, arts and crafts and a special miniaturists’ display of dollhouses and Christmas scenes. Ticket prices are $2 for adults; $1 for children under 12. All proceeds will benefit the Dallas/Fort Worth Medical Center-Grand Prairie. For more information, call 641-5145.

The first annual Festival of Trees benefiting Artreach Dallas Inc. will be presented at the Dallas City Hall on November 29 and 30 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Art-reach is an organization that strives to bring artistic enjoyment to disadvantaged citizens of the community. Twenty-two trees will be professionally decorated and donated by many different stores, including Bloom-ingdale’s, Neiman-Marcus and Joske’s. A preview party will be held November 28 between 7 and 10 p.m., when the Christmas trees will be auctioned. For more information, call Artreach at 373-8491.



SINGING ’TIL YOU’RE HORSE

Fantasize the traditional Christmas spirit while singing carols and riding in a horse-drawn carriage within Old City Park. Dallas Surrey Services will offer rides December 6 and 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. ; December 8 and 9 from 3 to 9 p.m. Prices are $2 for adults; $1 for children. For more information, call Charles Smith at 946-9911.



MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

Enjoy singing along with hundreds of others at the eighth annual Messiah Sing December 9 at the University of Texas at Dallas. All are welcome at 7:30 p.m. at UTD’s University Theater. The production, entitled A British Christmas at UTD, will be conducted by Karl Dent and accompanied by Christmas Scripture readings by faculty members. Don’t forget to bring a Messiah score! After the concert, a wassail party will be held in the lobby. For more information, call 690-2982.



A FEAST FIT FOR A QUEEN

Step back to a Renaissance Christmas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I by participating in an evening filled with food, fun and music at the North Texas State University December 6 at 7 p.m. A Renaissance dinner will be held in the Silver Eagle Suite of University Union at NTSU, Denton. Tickets are $15 per person, and reservations are required. For more information, call (817) 565-2656.



HOMEWARD BOUND

The 13th annual McKinney Christmas Tour of Homes, presented December 1 from 10 am to 5 p.m. and December 2 from 1 to 5 p.m., will be sponsored by the Heritage Guild of Collin County. In addition to the private residences, the Chestnut Square Historical homes are part of the tour. For additional information, call the Chamber of Commerce at (214) 542-0163.

The Piano branch of the American Association of University Women will sponsor the city’s seventh annual Holiday Tour of Homes December 1 and 2. Four Piano homes will be open for the tours between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pre-sale tickets ($4) can be obtained by calling 596-4883. Tickets may be purchased on tour days for $5. For more information, call Cathy Camalier at 423-3960.

The Jefferson Christmas Candlelight Tour will be held December 7, 8 and 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. Sponsored by the Marion County Historical Council, the tour features four of the city’s homes. Admission is $5 for adults; $1 for children under 12. Tickets and maps will be available from the Carnegie Library in Jefferson.

An added attraction is the Victorian Christmas Play at 8 p.m. each night, with a matinee presented December 8 at 2 p.m. The play will be held in the Playhouse, 203 Henderson, and is sponsored by the local garden house. Admission is $4 for adults; $1 for children under 12. Reservations for the play are recommended. For more information, call (214) 665-8390.

The Weatherford Candlelight Tour departs December 8 between 5 and 9 p.m. The tour will feature five historical homes decorated for Christmas. Hosted by the Parker County Heritage Society, the evening will also include Christmas music, crafts and Santa Claus. Tickets will be $5 for adults; $1 for children. For more information, call (817) 599-7114.

Members of Save Old Cleburne are sponsoring this year’s Cleburne Christmas Candlelight Walk, which will be held December 1 from 2 to 10 p.m. The walk will include seven homes, craft demonstrations, minicourses and a parade. Bed and breakfast will be available in one of Cleburne’s restored homes. Tickets for the tour are $6 for adults; $1 for children under 10. For more information, call (817) 641-3835.

The Eldorado Designer Showhouse will present “Home for the Holidays,” featuring the work of 17 interior designers in a Christmas showhouse. A country store will offer handmade holiday decorations, gifts and accessories. Proceeds benefit the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children. The showhouse will be open December 1 through 9 at the El Dorado residential community, Exit 39, McKinney. Hours are Monday through Friday at 11 a.m.to4p.m.; Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $4 in advance; $4.50 at the door. For more information, call 691-3922.



HAVE A VISION

Visual Arts students at the University of Texas in Dallas will exhibit and sell their works November 28 and 29 from 1 to 8 p.m. A preview and reception of the artists’ oils, watercolors, photos, sculpture and pottery will be presented November 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Visual Arts Gallery, UTD, Richardson. For more information, call 690-2982.



PARADING THE STREETS

The 13th annual Richardson Chamber of Commerce Community Christmas Parade will begin December 1 at 9 a.m. at Richardson Square Mall. The 250 entries will include 5,000 people on floats, in decorated vehicles and marching units, and the audience is expected to number 20,000. Awards and trophies will be presented at the official tree-lighting ceremony which will be at 6:30 p.m. at Richardson City Hall, followed by carol singalongs. For more information, call 234-4141.



CHURCH GOINGS-ON

The choir of the First United Methodist Church of Dallas will perform The Music of Christmas with hand bells, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. The Joy of Christmas will be presented December 16 at 7:30 p.m. under the choral direction of Lloyd Pfautsch and conducted by John Yarrington. A 10-piece instrument ensemble and the chancel choir will perform A Day for Dancing and Gloria by British composer John Rutter. The Candlelight Carol Service will be held on Christmas Eve at 11 p.m. The church is located at 1928 Ross. For more information, call 742-6222.

Highland Park United Methodist Church will present a carol service December 16 at 7:30 p.m. The service will feature the full choir. For more information, call 521-3111.

The First Baptist Church of Dallas will present its children’s choir’s Christmas Program December 2 at 7 pm. The junior choir and puppet team will be included December 7 and 14 in the The Singing Christmas Tree. The Carols by Candlelight service December 16 will include the full choir with hand bells. The church is located at 1707 San Jacinto. For more information, call 969-0111.

The First Baptist Church of Richardson will present its children’s Christmas program December 4. The choir (with handbells) will present The Christmas Story classic. Light Eternal, a choral concert composed and performed by John Michael Talbot and accompanied by the church choir and orchestra premieres December 9. The candle lighting service will be December 16. All three performances will be held in the church auditorium, located at 300 Phillips, at 7 p.m. For more information, call 235-5296.

Texas Christian University in Fort Worth will present Carols by Candlelight, December 10 at 10:30 p.m. in the Robert Carr Chapel. This is a popular event, so arrive early for seating. For more information, call (817) 921-7810.



OF CHORUS

The Texas Boys Choir will perform a service of lessons and carols December 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the choir campus, Fort Worth. Tickets are free, but advance reservations are recommended. For more information, call (817) 738-5429.

The boys choir of St. Mark’s School of Texas will present a festival of nine lessons and carols December 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the school chapel. For further information, call Jim Livengood at 363-6491.

The Dallas Girls Chorus will present its annual Christmas concert December 2 at 4 p.m. in the Kessler Park United Methodist Church. The choir will also sing carols December 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Galleria tree-lighting service; December 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the church in Old City Park and December 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Valley View Center. For more information, call 943-2482.



THAT’S THE SPIRIT

The high-spirited Dancers Unlimited Repertory Company will present its holiday series December 19 through January 9 as a Christmas gift to those in the community who are unable to attend festivities around town. Thirty dance performances will be presented in nursing homes, hospitals and day-care centers. For more information, call 742-7821.

Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae will be donating all proceeds to charity when it sells Christmas gift wrapping of all varieties on November 30 and December 1 at Harold’s in Highland Park Villag



HAVE A HEART

To give is greater than to receive, and you’ll feel it when you reach into your hearts and find something to give to the following organization

The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children needs any educational or games software to fit Commodore or Apple computers; records, tapes and stereos; games, books and toys. The children at the hospital range in age from 6 months to 18 years. For more information, please call 521-3168.

Buckner Children’s Home, where children are between 6 and 18 years, welcomes pots, pans, cookie sheets, crockery, glassware, vacuum cleaners, clock radios, sporting equipment, sewing kits, electric rollers and shavers, hand mirrors, games and books. For more information, call 321-4518.

The Children’s Emergency Shelter appreciates toys and clothes for infants and teen-agers. For more information, call Martha Ritter at 920-7996.

The Children’s Medical Center’s wish list includes stuffed animals, picture and coloring books, crayons, dolls, games, puzzles, craft kits, miniature cars and trucks. The center requests items that are not electrical and asks that batteries be included in battery-operated gifts. For more information, call Linda Fitzpatrick at 920-2165.

Casa de los Amigos, which provides temporary shelter for runaways, needs presents for teen-agers. Suggestions include clothes, sporting equipment, jewelry, records and fun T-shirts. For more information, call 358-450.

The Family Place, a shelter for battered women and children, needs towels, sheets, cooking utensils, glassware, a microwave oven and a photocopying machine. It also needs pantyhose and Christmas wrapping paper. For more information, call 559-488.

Hope Cottage Inc. needs a large easy chair and the one-time service of a professional tree pruner. Also needed are toys and games for children up to age 12, and for girls age 13 to 17. For more information, call 526-8721.

The Juvenile Detention Home, with children from age 10 to 17, needs portable cassette players, televisions, table games and clothes. For more information, call Randy Turner at 920-7823.

The Salvation Army appreciates all donations of usable toys, children’s clothing and canned food. For more information, call Maj. Ted Morris at 741-138

VNA-Meals on Wheels needs volunteers to bring a little joy during the holiday period to the elderly who have no families and are housebound. Here, the special personal touch is more important than material possessions. You can contribute to the program through visits, Christmas decorations, homemade Christmas cards, carol singing and making or delivering meals. For further information, call 689-0639.

The Senior Citizens of Dallas serves the elderly who are in and out of nursing homes. Any food items, entertainment, Christmas decorations and radios will be appreciated. Again, the personal touch is all-important here. For more information, call 823-5700.

The Volunteer Center knows of 450 needy agency organizations in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex. For information, call 744-1194. They also need volunteers for various tasks, including deliveries, decorating trees and buildings, carol singing, gift wrapping, making and serving dinner, lawn mowing and house painting.

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