Free Stuff To Do in Dallas

Here's a smattering of free stuff to do in Dallas and the surrounding area for Dec 4-10:

Thu, Dec 4

• 5 p.m.-10 p.m., the Bishop Arts District has its monthly First Thursday event. Shops stay open late and offer discounts. Some have wine and cheese set out. The Bishop Arts District centers around the intersection of Davis and Bishop streets in Dallas, south of I-30 and west of I-35.
• 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Hyena's Comedy Club hosts an open-mic stand-up at Mockingbird Station, with intermittent music from DJ Note-to-Self, starting at 5 p.m., then at 7 p.m., listen to Dallas Premier Jazz.
• 7 p.m., meet authors Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler at the Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Park (7700 West Northwest Highway in Dallas).
• 7 p.m., watch the Parade of Lights along Grapevine's Main Street.

Fri, Dec 5

• 3 p.m.-6 p.m., Grapevine celebrates with Christmas on Main. Attractions include free horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, elves, Frosty, and more, and “reindeer games” for the kids.
• 6 p.m.-10 p.m., enjoy Dickens in downtown Plano with a tree-lighting ceremony at 7 p.m.
• 7 p.m., watch “It's a Wonderful Life” outside the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station. Patio heaters and chairs will be available or bring your own chairs and blankets. Concessions and hot drinks will be available for purchase with cash only.

Sat, Dec 6

• noon-6 p.m., Grapevine celebrates with Christmas on Main. Attractions include free horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, elves, Frosty, and more, and “reindeer games” for the kids.
• 1 p.m., meet author Skipper Steely at the Barnes & Noble at University Park Village (1612 S. University Drive in Fort Worth).
• 2 p.m.-6 p.m., enjoy Christmas in the Stockyards with pony rides, chicken roping, a petting zoo, and more. The event ends with a parade and a lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree on Exchange Avenue in Fort Worth.
• 2 p.m., meet photographer Laura Wilson as she signs and discusses her new book, Watt Matthews of Lambshead, at Borders Bookstore (10720 Preston Road in Dallas).
• 5 p.m., watch the ice-skating, back-flipping, pyrotechnic Santa at Dallas Galleria.
• dusk, as the sun goes down, the Twinkle Lights Boat Parade begins. The boat parade winds its away all over Lake Grapevine, so park at any lake park and watch from the shore.

Sun, Dec 7

• 2 p.m.-5 p.m., Grapevine celebrates with Christmas on Main. Attractions include free horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, elves, Frosty, and more, and “reindeer games” for the kids.
• 3:15 p.m., watch the Dallas Cowboys play the Pittsburgh Steelers on the huge screens at the Granada Theater.

Mon, Dec 8

• 7 p.m., watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” outside the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station. Patio heaters and chairs will be available or bring your own chairs and blankets. Concessions and hot drinks will be available for purchase with cash only.

Tue, Dec 9

• 6 p.m., enjoy Foodie Night at Mockingbird Station with a chef demo at Margarita Ranch.
• 7 p.m.-8 p.m., enjoy a performance by the Beckles Dancing Company (and have some refreshments afterward) at the J. Erik Jonsson branch of the Dallas Public Library. (1515 Young Street in downtown Dallas, across from City Hall).