I hope you know by now that Local Debbie is all about the celebration and all about a good cause. Today I get to share both, served up in a nice package! Are you ready to open it up? 

We all know how cold it can get in Texas. Most of the time the temperature is warm and even sometimes unbearable. (Remember July and August? It wasn’t that long ago!) But when it’s time to get cold, that is exactly what happens. 

The Farmer’s Almanac predicts North Texas to be “chilled-to-the-bone and wet” and so far, the winter of 2016-2017 is shaping up to be exactly that. This is where the cause comes in. And you can help by spending just a few of your hard-earned dollars by providing a kid in North Texas with a coat. It’s that simple.

Through Give a Kid a Coat, an organization co-founded by local businesswoman Carla Harrell, known as the Rhinestone Artist, and Grammy-Award-winner Sir Earl Toon of Kool & the Gang, we can all make a difference for kids.

Now, here is your invitation from Sir Earl Toon himself. He invites you to join him for a celebration like no other in just a few short weeks! Here are the details:

What: Give a Kid a Coat Celebration
When: December 11, 2016, 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Where: 3015 at Trinity Groves, 3015 Gulden Lane Dallas, TX 75212

The celebration will feature a concert where Sir Earl Toon and other local artists will perform. There will be games and much interactive play, fun for the whole family. This event will also serve as a collection point for Give a Kid a Coat.

If you can’t attend the celebration, you can still support the cause. Give a Kid a Coat is accepting new coat donations in all children’s sizes for ages infant to 18 years old, at various locations around Dallas and Fort Worth. For more information including the event location and coat collection stations, please visit Facebook the event page at www.facebook.com/events/740660329442411. You can also visit giveakidacoat.org, email info@giveakidacoat.org or call 214-455-9677 to learn more.

Sir Earl Toon of Kool & the Gang will make the winter “Too Hot” with their fourth annual holiday event on December 11. Won’t you join me?

If you want to find local events and things to do, I am always searching!  I dig deep, hyper locally nationwide! Visit my website at LocalDebbie.com and search by your zip. If you want your events on my list to be featured, visit my site and click the link where I explain how I compile my list. 

By the way, my day job is working with BubbleLife.com - It's a network of 250 digital local newspapers.  It's hip and modern, click here to subscribe.

Let's admit it, not many of us are going to miss the Presidential Debates this year with The Donald and Hillary! So, I thought this would be a great feature for those in Dallas.  Yes, Dallas is big and it may be a field trip for those not living in University Park or Highland Park, but it may be worth the haul to SMU for this event! 

Engage Public Programming - Lights, Camera, Politics: A Look into Presidential Debates

The George W. Bush Presidential Center Auditorium
Event Time: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 7:00p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 
Museum Open from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Participants: Jim Lehrer, Ambassador Karen Hughes, Senator Judd Gregg
Price: $30 Members; $45 Public

Join legendary debate moderator and former anchor of PBS Newshour, Jim Lehrer, as he explores key moments from consequential debates of the past and gives exclusive insight from his years of experience.

Also hear from President Bush’s debate prep team, Ambassador Karen Hughes and Senator Judd Gregg, as they discuss what went in to the strategy, planning, and execution of President Bush’s debates.

Hughes, a long time Bush insider, served as Counselor to the President and Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs during the administration. former New Hampshire Governor and Senator Judd Gregg stood in for both Al Gore and John Kerry during President Bush’s 2004 and 2008 debate prep.

Click Here for Tickets

Tickets include special after-hours entry in to their special exhibit, The Path to the Presidency. 

If you want to find local events and things to do, I am always searching!  I dig deep, hyper locally nationwide! Visit my website at LocalDebbie.com and search by your zip. If you want your events on my list to be featured, visit my site and click the link where I explain how I compile my list. 

By the way, my day job is working with BubbleLife.com - It's a network of 250 digital local newspapers.  It's hip and modern, click here to subscribe.

The week is still young, and there are many exciting events happening now through Sunday in the Greater Dallas area. Here are seven events you won't want to miss this week, gathered from LocalDebbie.com.

1. The Dallas Mavericks are currently playing on the road in California, but fans can watch the Mavs take on the Golden State Warriors at the Official Dallas Mavericks Watch Party at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at Henderson Tap House in Dallas. (Bonus: The Dallas Mavs Dancers and the Mavs ManiAACs will be in attendance.)

(Image via Henderson Tap House Facebook.)

2. Come get your laugh on with comedian Maz Jobrani, who has starred in movies alongside Ice Cube, Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn and is a recurring character on ABC's "Better Off Ted," at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28 at Addison Improv. 

(Image via Addison Improv Facebook.)

3. Spice up your happy hour by joining the Geeks Who Drink for some craft beers and pub trivia at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28 at The Nodding Donkey (SMU Boulevard) in Dallas.

(Image via The Nodding Donkey — SMU BLVD Facebook.)

4. Country rocker Bart Crow will be performing with several exciting opening acts, including Madison King and the West Texas Mammoths, and the doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 29 at Trees in Deep Ellum. 

(Image via Trees Dallas Facebook.)

5. Attend a Dallas History Conference hosted by Preservation Dallas with presentations including "Armed Dallas Mob Raids Corporate Headquarters: The Hedgcoxe War or the Peters Colony Rebellion" and "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: Planning in Dallas" at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Dallas Historical Society in Fair Park.

(Image via Preservation Dallas Facebook.)

6. The "Mardi Gras Gala Masquerade Bal: Dallas Mardi Gras...It's a Zoo" will be happening at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30 at The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum.

(Image via The Bomb Factory Facebook.)

7. Cyclists can compete in the "OverDose at Oak Cliff Nature Preserve 100K" races at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31 in Oak Cliff.

(Image via Lone Star XC Facebook.)

(Find more events happening in your neck of the woods by visiting LocalDebbie.com.)

So many good concerts are happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex this week! Below are seven shows happening from Dec. 15-20, which are also featured on LocalDebbie.com.

1. Known for bursting onto the scene in the early 2000s with their cover of the Michael Jackson song "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm will be playing at Trees in Dallas on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

 
(Image via Trees Dallas Facebook.)

2. As seen on "America's Got Talent," the 3 Redneck Tenors will be performing their "Christmas Spec-Tac-Yule-Ar" at the Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater in Lewisville on Wednesday, Dec. 16.

(Image via Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater Facebook.)

3. Put on your dancing shoes because Shane Smith & the Saints will be playing a FREE show at Rockin Rodeo in Denton on Thursday, Dec. 17.

(Image via Rockin Rodeo Denton Facebook.)

4. Famous country artist Hal Ketchum will be playing at The Live Oak in Fort Worth on Friday, Dec. 18.

 
(Image via The Live Oak Facebook.)

5. Described as "outlaw folk," The Dirty River Boys will be playing at the Granada Theater in Dallas on Saturday, Dec. 19.

(Image via Granada Theater Facebook.)

6. Needing no introduction, the Randy Rogers Band will be playing at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth on Saturday, Dec. 19.

(Image via Billy Bob's Texas Facebook.)

7. End your weekend with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sunday, Dec. 20.

(Image via Live Nation Dallas Facebook.)

There are so many events happening these days that often you will hear about an event that you would've liked to have attended after it has already occurred. Also, whether you live in a small town or a large city, you should never be bored because there is almost always something to do — the issue is just knowing where to look.

For those who haven’t heard of me yet, my name is Local Debbie. On my website, LocalDebbie.com, I pull together the best local events for more than 250 cities in the United States! (You may have even noticed some of my events in your BubbleLife community calendar.)

To discover what’s happening in your neck of the woods, all you have to do is go to LocalDebbie.com, make sure your city is selected and then browse my list of local events.

Getting you started, I have handpicked nine events from my website that are happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex this weekend, so you can get a feel for the kind of events I feature on LocalDebbie.com.

FRIDAY
1) DALLAS — Jackson Pollock Late Night at the Dallas Museum of Art

2) ARLINGTON — Texas High School Football Playoffs at AT&T Stadium

3) FORT WORTH — Bart Crow at Billy Bob’s Texas

SATURDAY
4) FORT WORTH — Pumpkin Spice 5K, 10K and 15K Fun Run

5) DALLAS — The Trains at NorthPark Center

6) ALLEN — Light The Night at Watters Creek

SUNDAY
7) DALLAS — Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium

8) DENTON — University of North Texas Chamber Music

9) FORT WORTH — Sundance Square Annual Christmas Tree Lighting

I will be back on BubbleLife soon to let you know more about my website and events happening near you. But for now, have fun discovering what's happening in your neck of the woods!

Make sure to follow Local Debbie on Facebook and Twitter. To stay on top of what is happening locally, visit LocalDebbie.com and your community’s BubbleLife website.