Photo courtesy from Dallas Arboretum.

Changes to two local events — the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Summit and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s 12 Days of Christmas — have been announced

Of course, there’s a key difference when comparing what’s happening with these annual events. The economic summit will skip this year and return in 2027 while 12 Days of Christmas is scheduled to occur this season for a final time. 

“For 12 years, the Twelve Days of Christmas Gazebos have been woven into the landscape of Holiday at the Arboretum,” said Marshall Detwiler, Dallas Arboretum vice president of marketing and guest experience, in a statement to the Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate. “Families have made them a holiday tradition, children have grown up with them, and the spirit of Holiday at the Arboretum has evolved around them. This season, the gazebos will take their final bow, and we want to honor them by bringing the whole city together one last time. Community is what Holiday at the Arboretum has always been about. Not just a beautiful experience, but a shared one.”

The display was only meant for five years, and the animatronics are worn, according to multiple news outlets. This year is expected to include special promotions and programming, including sing-alongs at the Christmas Village, CultureMap reported. But the Arboretum isn’t going full Grinch and cancelling Christmas — Holiday at the Arboretum will still be in place. Next year, the Arboretum will initiate another outdoor exhibit, this time with sculptures in “HYBYCOZO.” And there will be another new attraction in 2028.

“This is the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next, as the Arboretum reimagines what the holidays can look like for Dallas for years to come,” Detwiler said. “What we are planning will be just as exciting and dynamic as when the gazebos first appeared more than a decade ago.”

Currently, we know a little less about what is going on with the Economic Summit. The chamber hosted its 21st annual summit at the Lakewood Country Club in October (which the Advocate sponsored, by the way). The guest speakers included Jennifer Schuder of the State Fair of Texas, Dallas Cothrum of Masterplan Consultants and Britt Fair of Fair Texas Title. 

The message about the summit on the chamber’s website is short and simple: “The Economic Summit will not be held in 2026. This event is being reimagined for 2027.”

We reached out to the chamber to find out what exactly this means and will update once we know more. 

In the meantime, the chamber does have a new October event for members to participate in. Meet the inaugural East Dallas Chamber Classic, taglined “Tee Off for East Dallas,” which will take place 2-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 at TopGolf. This is a fundraiser tournament for the chamber “designed to bring together the business community for a day of friendly competition, connection and community investment,” according to the website. Proceeds will go toward next year’s initiatives: “expanding programming, growing membership resources and strengthening the economic vitality of our local business community.”

The event is expected to include food and drinks, a tournament award ceremony, a branded bay decorating contest and a raffle. More information is available here.