Calendar

WED | 12.14 SUN | 01.08

SPECIAL EVENT

LIGHTSCAPE

Returning for its second year in San Antonio, Lightscape turns the San Antonio Botanical Garden into an alluring holiday wonderland via a million colorful, twinkling lights. The outdoor exhibition, which sold out in the UK and Chicago as well as multiple nights last year in the Alamo City, spans a one-mile trail through the greenspace, with lights winding their way up trees, illuminating paths and adorning sculptures. Fan favorites from last year such as the Winter Cathedral and Field of Bluebonnets will return, featured alongside new additions by local and international artists. Tickets and parking must be reserved online in advance. Visitors are encouraged to arrive approximately 15 minutes before their entry time to allow for parking and check-in. Outside food and drink are prohibited, but festive concessions, including s’mores, will be available at the venue. $16-$60, entry times every 15 minutes from 5:30-9 p.m., Dec. 14- Jan. 8, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, (210) 536-1400, sabot.org/light-scape. — Caroline WolFF

Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Botanical Garden WED | 12.14 MON | 01.16

SPECIAL EVENT

ROTARY ICE RINK

As San Antonio gears up for a third La Niña winter in a row, bringing dry and warm holiday weather, this annual downtown ice rink is making its own return to cool visitors. The Rotary Ice Rink opened its gates to skaters starting the Friday before Thanksgiving. Both the graceful and unbalanced can fight inflation with Cheap Skate Night Tuesdays or discounted Military Mondays, dine al fresco on Food Truck Fridays or enjoy live jazz during Date Night Wednesdays. Other themed nights are listed on the rink’s website. As in prior years, the Rotary Club of San Antonio is asking all visitors to purchase admission online. $14 (includes skate rental), 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, Noon-8 p.m. Dec. 14-Jan. 16, Travis Park, 301 E. Travis St., (210) 222-8242, rotaryicerink.com. — Karly Williams

WED | 12.14

SPORTS

SPURS VS. TRAIL BLAZERS

When the Spurs squared off against the Trail Blazers in Portland last month, center Jakob Poeltl led the way for San Antonio with 31 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a 110-117 loss. The narrow defeat came near the start of an extended losing streak for the Spurs. Indeed, it became a November to forget that yielded only one win for the Silver and Black. Injuries to starters Poeltl, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell revealed just how slight San Antonio’s margin of error is in a league loaded with talent. After a strong start, the Blazers have also felt the effects of an unrelenting NBA schedule. Guard Damian Lillard has been sidelined for extended time due to his second calf strain this season. Portland has posted a significantly improved record in contests that Lillard starts and finishes, so his on-court presence doesn’t bode well for a Spurs defense that ranks among the worst in the league. With matchups against the Heat and Pelicans on the horizon, a home victory would be a welcome lift for the young Spurs. $10 and up, 7 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, a center.com, CW35. — M. Solis

Spurs/Reginald Thomas II

FRI | 12.16 FRI | 12.23

THEATER

WHITE CHRISTMAS

In 1944, when World War II veterans Bob Wallace (John Berring) and Phil Davis (Ivan Ortega) decide to rekindle their old song-and-dance duo, they meet songbird sisters Be y (Laurel Neuhaus) and Judy Haynes (Kate Ragan Davis). Yearning for a yuletide romance with the sisters, Bob and Phil join them in their Christmas show at a quaint Vermont lodge, which just so happens to be owned by their former commander, General Waverly (Michael Cooling). Tensions rise as Bob and Phil discover that Waverly is in financial ruin and at risk of being forced to close his inn. They resolve to do their best to help him get back on his feet. Directed by Lizel Sandoval and featuring beloved musical numbers like “I Love a Piano,” “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” and, of course, the timeless classic “White Christmas,” this Woodlawn Theatre production celebrates the spirit of love and selflessness so fondly associated with the holiday season. The show’s nearly one-month run includes a handful of Community Appreciation Nights, including Pride Night on Dec. 16. $18-$32, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday Dec. 16-17, 3 p.m. Sunday Dec. 18, 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday Dec. 21-22, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23, Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 267-8388, woodlawntheatre.org.. — Karly Williams

Courtesy Photo / Woodlawn Theatre

FRI | 12.16

SPECIAL EVENT

DULCE

‘Tis the season to start planning for holiday shindigs, and the adults-only Dulce will return to the DoSeum for its fourth iteration, offering seasonal eats, sweets and handmade treats. New to this year’s event is a holiday-themed cocktail competition between top Alamo City bars plus a combination holiday costume-ugly sweater contest in which competitors will vie for a $500 cash prize. Vendors will also post up in an artisan marketplace where a endees can shop for holiday gifts while they imbibe. Live performers and immersive photo ops also will pepper the 21-and-up event. Dulce will run from 7-11 p.m., and a portion of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit museum. Limited general admission tickets are available for $65 and include access to all food and drink, select museum exhibits, the vendor marketplace and entertainment. $50-$80, 7-11 p.m., The DoSeum, 2800 Broadway, (210) 212-4453, (210) 227-0044, dulcesanantonio.com. — Nina Rangel

MAGIC

THE ILLUSIONISTS: MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS

This cohort of talented magicians and mentalists have taken their talents for warping reality on the Broadway stage and beyond. Appropriate for all ages, this show promises surprising magic acts and comedy with an entertaining and unconventional nod to the Christmas season. Acts featured in past performances include escapology, mind reading and stage illusions. The Illusionists’ current tour features conjurers Wes Mathison, Hyunjoon Kim, Pablo Cánovas, Paul Dabek and James More. Fans who show up an hour early can watch award-winning magician Richard Blake’s demonstration “Why Magic Fascinates Us’’ in the Feik Family Rotunda. $31.60-$84.50, 8 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — MC

Courtesy Photo / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

SAT | 12.17

COMEDY

BILL BURR

If you’re constantly mad at everything, chances are you’re already a Bill Burr fan. On the heels of his historic August show at Fenway — the fi rst comedian to ever perform at America’s most beloved ballpark — Burr is coming to San Antonio’s AT&T Center as part of his Bill Burr Slight Return tour. Although his rants sometimes court controversy, the loud-mouthed, diatribe-prone comedian often skewers his targets with alacrity. As evidence of his insight, Burr has received recent praise for predicting rapper Kanye West’s descent into antisemitism during the comedian’s 2017 Netfl ix special Walk Your Way Out. Besides making people laugh across the country, the funnyman also hosts Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast, one of the most listened-to comedy podcasts on Spotify. $54.50-$64.50, 7 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, a center.com. —

Michael Karlis

FRI | 12.16 SUN | 12.18

Courtesy Photo / Majestic Theatre

THEATER

BLUEY’S BIG PLAY

Bluey’s Big Play is rolling into the Majestic Theatre with a theatrical adaptation of the beloved children’s TV series Bluey, featuring giant puppets and Australian accents to boot. Joe Brumm, the creator of Emmy-winning program, penned the story for the stage production, so fans can expect the same adorably written characters and musical interludes. The big di erence is that the fun is expanded into a 45-minute performance instead of a seven-minute episode. Dogs Bluey and Bingo, along with their parents, continue to charm audiences with inventive game ideas and meditations on family dynamics and parenting. $30.50-$149.50, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Macks Cook

calendar

Reminder:

Although live events have returned, the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Check with venues to make sure scheduled events are still happening, and please follow all health and safety guidelines.

TUE | 12.20

SPECIAL EVENT

HOLIDAY LASER SHOW

After a two-year hiatus, San Antonio-based arts group URBAN-15 is bringing back its multimedia show that marries 3D animation with a laser display. The more than 40-year-old nonprofi t began the show in 2004 for at-risk students. “Our idea was to say ‘what can we do to help

Unsplash / Eugene Golovesov

that li le kid who’s bored in school?’” said George Cisneros, media and music director at URBAN-15. Geometry, physics and optics all act as a creative backbone of the production, which is soundtracked by classic holiday carols as well as original music. A endees can reserve up to six tickets to the one-day, two-show performance. Free, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Lila Cockrell Theatre, 200 E. Market St., (210) 736-1500, urban15.org. — KW

WED | 12.21

SPECIAL EVENT

AEW HOLIDAY BASH

All Elite Wrestling is heading back to the Freeman Coliseum for its third-annual Holiday Bash. The yuletide-themed beatdown is part of the AEW’s third tour through Texas and the second winter special put on by the organization. Led by Tony Khan, an exec with the NFL’s Jack-

Courtesy Photo / Majestic Theatre

FRI | 12.27

THEATER

A MAGICAL CIRQUE CHRISTMAS

Contortionists, acrobats and gymnasts put their talents on display to classic Christmas tunes in this touring production. Emcee and hostess Lucy Darling — who’s been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not — narrates a show studded with candy canes, tinsel and snowfl akes. Not to be confused with the shows run by Canadian entertainment company Cirque Du Soleil, the production is put on by a subsidiary of Nederlander Organization, one of the United States’ largest operators of theaters and music venues. $39.50 and up, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — KW

sonville Jaguars and the Premier League’s Fulham FC, AEW started in 2019 and has grown in popularity among pro wrestling fans, emerging as the second most popular league behind the WWE. The event will stage both the live AEW Dynamite and taped AEW Rampage television shows. Dynamite will air live on TBS, while Rampage will run on TNT on Friday, December 23. $32 and up, 6 p.m., Freeman Coliseum, 3201 E. Houston St., (210) 226-1177, freemancoliseum.com. — Brandon Rodriguez

MON | 12.26

SPORTS

SPURS VS. JAZZ

Prior to the season, expectations were low for a Utah Jazz team that traded away All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and a slew of future fi rst-round draft picks — all signs of a rebuild. However, stellar play from Markkanen and former Wagner High School phenom Jordan Clarkson fueled a surprisingly hot start for the Jazz, who eventually cooled off after losing starting point guard Mike Conley to a strained leg. The Spurs have faced some tough stretches of their own this season, including the fi rst double-digit losing streak of the Gregg Popovich era, which dropped the team to dead last in the Western Conference standings. After a lopsided 133-95 loss to the Phoenix Suns that extended the skid to 11 games, forward Keldon Johnson addressed San Antonio’s struggles. “We just have to keep fi ghting,” Johnson recently told reporters. “No one is going to feel sorry for us, hold our hand or baby us. This is the NBA.” $24 and up, 7 p.m., AT&T Center Parkway, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, a center. com, Bally Sports SW-SA. — MS