Downtown Dallas holiday attractions blissfully free of lines or people

by Teresa Gubbins

DALLAS — While lines of cars backed up around Collin Creek Mall and parking lots at Galleria Dallas filled in to the very top level in a pre-holiday shopping binge, downtown Dallas had no such problems on Sunday, as a trip to view the holiday displays of the central business district proved.

Views of the window displays at Neiman-Marcus were obstructed by no one; meanwhile, the overconfidently-titled "Miracle Dallas" attraction attracted approximately 20 people to the ice skating rink-cum-stage where "Powerhouse" and "Superstar Express" performed.

Just trying to determine the actual physical location of the Miracle Dallas event was a challenge. Not sure who designed the Web site but you'll have to scour pretty thoroughly to figure out that clicking on "Contact" will bring you to the map.

It basically occupies a block behind Victory Park which includes a fenced-in patch of ice for skating (at $10 per head for kids and $12 for adults -- OUCH), with little more than a few glorified vending machines. I mean, you want to applaud the effort made, but this thing was laughably hick-town rinky-dink. It appears to be connected to some sort of charitable effort although, again, trying to figure out what via the Web site is impossible. Did I mention $10 per head for kids to skate?

Other attractions listed on the site: Santa Claus, bounce houses, miracles (they actually list that as one of their attractions), treats and drinks, holiday films, and vendors booths. Meanwhile, even with the nice weather, nearby Victory Park remained a barren wasteland.

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