The kid who begged Santa for a Red Ryder BB gun is grown up and heading to Oak Cliff. Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie Parker in the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story, will appear at the Texas Theatre on December 13 for a screening of the film followed by a live, moderated audience Q&A about his time making the movie.
The event, titled An Evening with Peter Billingsley and A Christmas Story, is set for 5 p.m. at the historic theater on Jefferson Boulevard, according to CultureMap Dallas. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, processed through the box office at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, which serves as the ticketing partner for the show.
Per CultureMap, Billingsley will discuss his experiences making the film, share behind-the-scenes stories and memorable moments, and reflect on the movie's enduring status as a cultural phenomenon. A limited number of VIP packages will be available that include a pre-show meet-and-greet photo opportunity with the actor.
What the National Tour Brings to Dallas
Billingsley's stop in Oak Cliff is part of a broader touring format that has hit stages elsewhere around the country. Stops at venues including The Embassy Theatre have combined a full screening of the 1983 film with the same moderated Q&A format, plus a Toys for Tots charity drive and a leg lamp prize giveaway for one lucky audience member.
Event organizers warn that, as with any live event, the evening could change due to weather or other concerns, and attendees should check with the venue to confirm the show is proceeding as scheduled, per the event notice detailed by CultureMap.
From Child Star to Hollywood Producer
Billingsley's connection to A Christmas Story didn't end when he grew out of the role. In November 2022, he reprised Ralphie nearly four decades after the original release in the legacy sequel A Christmas Story Christmas, which he co-wrote and produced for Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max. That film follows an adult Ralphie returning to his childhood home in 1973 after his father's death.
Beyond acting, Billingsley built a substantial career behind the camera. According to Rotten Tomatoes, he served as an executive producer on Marvel's Iron Man in 2008, made a cameo in Elf in 2003, and co-founded Wild West Picture Show Productions alongside actor Vince Vaughn, with whom he has maintained frequent creative collaborations along with director Jon Favreau.
A Venue With Its Own History
The Texas Theatre itself carries plenty of local weight beyond hosting Christmas nostalgia. Opened April 21, 1931, in Italian Venetian style by architect W. Scott Dunne, it was the largest suburban cinema in Dallas at the time and the first movie theater in the city equipped with built-in air conditioning, according to the Texas Historical Commission. The original auditorium ceiling featured 118 painted, twinkling stars.
The theater gained international historical prominence on November 22, 1963, when Dallas police apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald inside its auditorium following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The building is now designated a Dallas Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hoodline recently reported on Rufus Wainwright's own performance tied to that same history at the venue.
Operating group Aviation Cinemas has managed the Texas Theatre since 2010 and completed a $2 million renovation in September 2021, adding a 165-seat upstairs screening room and a second full bar alongside the original 670-seat main auditorium. The company expanded its regional footprint further in late 2025 by taking over operations of the restored Fine Arts Theatre in Denton, growing its portfolio of historic North Texas film venues.
A Film That Never Left the Cultural Spotlight
A Christmas Story has held onto its cultural footing for decades. The Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2012, officially recognizing it as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, a distinction given to only 25 films each year.
Its holiday-season ubiquity owes plenty to television. TNT launched the annual 24 Hours of A Christmas Story marathon in 1997, running 12 consecutive screenings from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day, a tradition that moved to sister network TBS in 2004 and continues to draw large holiday audiences.
