• Dream of a White Christmas.* The Good Night Theatre Collective is bringing to life the classic Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" this weekend. Grab your devoted sisters, count your blessings and get ready for nothing but blue skies. Oh, and you'll want to snag tickets as soon as possible because they're selling out faster than the train to Vermont.
  • Soak up the holiday sound. The Premiere Playhouse is hosting a "Holiday in Blue Cabaret" this weekend with performances Friday and Saturday. For only $15, you can snag a ticket and hear the holiday musical stylings of eight of your favorite local singers. Get your tickets here.
  • See the luminaries. It's one of Sioux Falls' oldest holiday traditions: Luminary Lane. Neighbors in central Sioux Falls line the streets with luminaries (brown paper bags with candles inside) to create a magical vibe. It's worth a drive-by or walk-through if you've never seen it – check it out starting at 5:30 until about 9:30 p.m. Sunday evening on Park Avenue and Glendale Avenue between 22nd and 26th Streets.
  • Sing carols and drink beer. Yup, that's pretty much the gist of it. Happening from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18 at Woodgrain.
  • Celebrate with a festive meal. There are a number of festive holiday dinners happening at local restaurants in the next couple weeks. Check out the Grinch-themed Who Feast & Roast Beast dinner at DaDa Gastropub, the Feast of the Seven Fishes at Harvester Kitchen, and the Nutcracker dinner at Fernson.
  • Get a head start on your resolution to run more. 605 Running Co. is hosting a Falls Park Holiday Light Run Thursday evening starting at 6:05 p.m. at the downtown shop and following a route through the Falls Park lights. Details here.
  • Ring in the New Year. There's also a ton of events happening on New Year's Eve – enough to make a little sub-category of events:
    • For the partier: Check out PAve.
    • For the partier who isn't in their 20s anymore: Check out Top Hats & Tiaras at Harvester Kitchen or party at Hello Hi or Dahlia's.
    • For the music-lover: Check out Dueling Duos at The District.
    • For the sporty-ish person: Get an hour of free bowling at Union Social from 8 p.m. to midnight,
    • For the parents: Wings Gymnastics is hosting a "Noon Year's Eve" event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 31. (Note: In the past, the Washington Pavilion has also done this event each year, but I cannot for the life of me find it on their event calendar, so perhaps it's off for 2025?? – Someone tell me if it's on because my kids love it).
  • Ring in the New Year (Jan. 1 edition). Want to start off your year with some meaningful movement? Join friends at Good Earth State Park for a First Day Hike at 2 p.m. on Jan. 1. The hike will be about one mile long, and it's free to attend, but you need a parks pass to visit the park.

*Denotes a paid partnership