Dallas Area Festivals by Month
January 10, 2010 by Katie
Filed under To Do in DFW, activities, events, feature
It’s 2010 and another fun-filled year is upon us, packed with events, festivals and more. If you’re looking for some fun and excitement in the Dallas Fort Worth area, we have put together a list of some (of the many) festivals and shows that the Dallas Fort Worth area has to offer. What will your family do in 2010?
JANUARY
Southwestern Exposition and Stock Show & Rodeo: This popular event attracts nearly one million people from around the world to the Will Rogers Memorial Center for the nation’s oldest livestock show and daily performances of the world’s original indoor rodeo. For affordability and good family fun the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo can’t be beat. www.fwssr.com
FEBRUARY
Black History Month: Although it’s not a festival in the usual sense, you would be hard-pressed to find a better description for this monthlong collection of activities, events and exhibits honoring ethnic history and culture. One example is the The Texas Black Film Festival, which will host three full days of entertaining and insightful films, workshops, and events. Programmed for family entertainment and inspired by the African-American experience, this festival will provide film makers an opportunity to reach audiences with films seldom recognized through major theatrical release. www.texasblackfilmfestival.com
Cowtown Marathon: The Cowtown is a non-profit organization promoting community health and wellness to North Texans of all fitness levels by providing enjoyable, accredited races for young and old, skilled athlete and novice. Events include a marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K and 5K races. The Cowtown was started in 1979 and continues to thrive and grow each year; in 2010 they will be celebrating their 32nd year of running. www.cowtownmarathon.org
MARCH
North Texas Irish Festival: Largest Celtic festival in the Southwest features bagpipes aplenty, with traditional, contemporary and pop music; traditional dancing; cultural booths; wandering musicians; Scottish clan village; and Urchin Street Faire. Fair Park, Dallas. 214-821-4173. www.ntif.org
APRIL
CJ+K Hickory Street Mud Bug Boil & Gumbo Cook-Off: Daylong crawfish boil, street party and all-you-can-eat charity fund-raiser, which also includes fried fish and deep-fried turkey, gumbo competition and sampling, and live entertainment. 1211 W. Hickory St., Denton. 940-565-0770. www.mudbugboil.org
Prairie Dog Chili Cook-Off and World Championship of Pickled Quail Egg Eating: “Granddaddy” of North Texas chili cook-offs after nearly three decades, this two-day event includes more than 100 chili teams, pinto bean cooking contest, quail egg eating and tortilla tossing contests, “Lemon Roll” and anvil toss. Alas, no prairie dogs. Traders Village, 2602 Mayfield Road, Grand Prairie. 972-647-2331. www.tradersvillage.com
MAY
Asian Festival: Largest Asian heritage celebration in North Texas, this event features local dance and music groups performing traditional routines, martial arts, sumo demonstrations, kids activities and, of course, Asian food. Annette Strauss Artist Square, Flora at Leonard, Dallas. 972-241-8250. www.gdaacc.com
Cinco de Mayo Festival: Parade, live bands and dancers, soccer tournament, children’s crafts and food. Civic Center Park, 321 E. McKinney, Denton. 940-349-8509. www.dentoncinco.org
Texas Stadium Festival: A quarter-century tradition, event celebrates Hispanic culture and Cinco de Mayo with live entertainment, exhibits, games, carnival rides and food. State Highway 114 at Loop 12, Irving. 972-785-0400
National Polka Festival: Three-day event, around for nearly 40 years, celebrates Czech and Slovak heritage with parade, polka bands and dancing, traditional costumes, arts and crafts booths and ethnic food. Memorial Day weekend. In Ennis. 972-878-4748 or 1-888-366-4748. www.nationalpolkafestival.com
JUNE
Denton Juneteenth Celebration: Three-decade-old tradition marking the emancipation of Texas slaves, the festival includes live entertainment, food vendors, basketball “shoot-out,” barbecue cook-off and children’s games. Fred Moore Park, Bradshaw and East Prairie. 940-349-7275 or 940-349-8275. www.dentonparks.com
Fort Worth Juneteenth Freedom Celebration: Another long-standing event, with several days of activities, including a parade, music festival, pageant, dance competition, art and history exhibits, religious observances and 3-on-3 basketball tournament. In and around the Tarrant County Convention Center. 817-335-1866
JULY
Old-Fashioned Fourth: Old City Park in Dallas takes visitors back to a turn-of-the-century Independence Day with a parade, the swearing-in of new U.S. citizens, live entertainment, a pie-eating contest and stick horse rodeo. 1717 Gano St. 214-421-5141. www.oldcitypark.org/fourth.htm
Gran Fiesta de Fort Worth: Three evenings of Latino culture, including folkloric dance; mariachi, merengue and salsa bands; outdoor arts and crafts mercado; children’s activities; and food reflecting Hispanic and Latin cultural influences on Texas and the Southwest. 214-855-1881 or 817-488-2336. www.meifestivals.com
AUGUST
North Texas State Fair: OK, this is a fair, not a festival. But it has been around for three-quarters of a century, which, in the shadow of the State Fair of Texas, should count for something. Includes championship rodeo, carnival rides and games, live entertainment, barbecue cook-offs, fiddling contest and petting zoos. North Texas Fairgrounds, 2217 N. Carroll Blvd., Denton. 940-387-2632. www.northtexasstatefair.com
SEPTEMBER
The Corndog Festival: Timed to the opening of the State Fair of Texas, this annual benefit features corn dogs in costumes and oddball dioramas. Includes live music and all-you-can-eat corn dogs and tater tots. Ozona Grill & Bar, 4615 Greenville Ave., Dallas. 214-749-3901. www.corndogfestival.com
Greek Food Festival: One of Dallas’ oldest food fests (nearly five decades), featuring all-you-can-eat buffets with Greek favorites such as gyros, dolmas and spanakopita; a marketplace; cooking demos; and entertainment. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 13555 Hillcrest Road at Alpha. 972-991-1166. www.greekfestivalofdallas.com
National Championship Indian Pow Wow: Salute to American Indian heritage attracts dance participants from dozens of tribes, artisans and crafts people. Event includes tepee contest, Indian food booths and exhibits. Traders Village, 2602 Mayfield Road, Grand Prairie. 972-647-2331. www.tradersvillage.com
Addison Oktoberfest: Munich-style harvest festival features four days of German foods – including sausage, sauerkraut, strudel and giant pretzels – plus authentic beer, wine tastings, live music and dancing, carnival and children’s activities. Addison Circle Drive. 1-800-233-4766. www.addisontexas.net
OCTOBER
Country Day on the Hill: Cedar Hill event harks back to an era when farm families came to town after the harvest to trade goods in the town square. Sixty-six years old and counting, the festival includes settlers reunion, traditional food, arts and crafts, horseshoe tournament, street dance, music, chili cook-off and pie auction. 972-293-4740
Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering & Western Swing Festival: Three-day commemoration of Texas’ cowboy culture opens with arrival of wagon train and includes ranch rodeo, ranch cutting horse and chuck wagon competitions, cowboy poetry recitations, music, trading post and food. Fort Worth Stockyards, Main Street at Exchange Avenue. 817-444-5502 or 1-888-269-8696. www.theredsteagallcowboygathering.com
Lebanese Food Festival: Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church festival features three days of homemade Middle Eastern food such as tabbouleh, hummus and baklava, plus performances including Lebanese folk dancers and belly dancers, and children’s activities. 719 University Place, Lewisville. 972-436-7617. www.ourladylebanon.com
DECEMBER
Candlelight at Old City Park: Holiday celebration includes a parade, horse-drawn carriages, carolers, arts and crafts, children’s crafts and storytelling. 1717 Gano St., Dallas. 214-421-5141. www.oldcitypark.org
KwanzaaFest: Features live entertainment, including musical performances and African dancers, children and family activities, vendors and food. Fair Park, Dallas. 214-653-6671. www.johnwileyprice.com/pages/kwanzaa.html
If we happened to leave out a festival that you know our other readers would love to know about, please leave the information in the comments below!
Bloggers’ Night Out: It’s Tea Time!
January 5, 2010 by Chirky
Filed under To Do in DFW, events, feature, fun
If you’ve got the evening of Thursday, January 21st open — and I hope that you do — plan on hanging out with other social media lovers at a networking event in Dallas. We’re heading to Village Tea Company (located at Preston/Forest), who is hosting us with a light dinner, a variety of gourmet teas, goodie bags, and a guaranteed great time!
We’d love to meet you there, but space is limited. If you plan on attending, RSVP to jes@blogher.com so we can get you on the list today!
- – -
Jes is a new mom to four-month-old Rayah, who prefers sleeping in the evenings over drinking tea. But she’ll be happy to show you pictures of her adorable daughter if you ask. And maybe even if you don’t ask. Beware.
Texas Ballet Theater – The Nutcracker
(Grounds of The Winspear Opera House include a reflection pond, and plenty of room to explore)
(The Opera House lobby. My daughter was smitten with all the Nutcrackers!)
(My daughter with blankie and sippy cup, looking so tiny in her grown up theater seat!)- Did you know over 200 costumes are used in the ballet?
- 10 miles of thread were used to build the costumes!
- 17 loads of laundry have to be done after every performance!
- Some women go through one pair of pointe shoes for each performance!
(Did I mention my pumpkin developed a small crush, on a lobby nutcracker just her size? Who knew she would go for the strong, silent type? Lol.)
Whether you see it in Dallas or in Fort Worth, you are in for a real holiday treat! My husband and I both left with smiles on our faces, and in the Christmas mood. And when our daughter fell asleep in the car on the way home – we smiled knowing she was surely dreaming of Snow Queens, and Sugar plum fairies!
http://www.milkandcuddles.com/
Annual Christmas Parade in Roanoke, December 5th!
November 27, 2009 by Rachel
Filed under To Do in DFW, events, feature
I love Roanoke, I love living in Roanoke! It is such a family friendly city and their holiday celebrations are no exception. My kids love the Annual Christmas parade! Roanoke’s parade is so much more than just a parade! There are floats of course, and my kids love collecting candy, but they equally look forward to the train rides, bounce houses, carolers, storytellers and more. The parade starts on Oak Street, lights the Christmas tree at Oak and Austin and then winds over to the Roanoke Recreation Center where they serve complimentary Hot Coco and cookies. Such a treat after standing outside in the cold! There are crafts, a few vendor booths, and Santa is there for photo opportunities with your kids.
Before the parade, participating downtown restaurants and businesses are offering special Christmas treats. Twisted Root, Babes and Tortilla Flats are among the restaurants in the “parade path” – there is also a new sushi place a block over, One Fish Two Fish. Enjoy dinner before or after the parade. And if you want to participate with a float, it is not too late to sign up! A donation of canned goods to benefit the Roanoke Food Pantry is the only requirement. Click here for parade registration form. Any questions, call the City of Roanoke at 817-491-2411.
Ho Ho Hope to see you there!
Rachel is a mommy to three, a fan and a resident of Roanoke. She blogs regularly at QuirkyMomma and did not receive any compensation for sharing this event with the world, well, besides the satisfaction of seeing a crowd there!
Walking With Dinosaurs
November 11, 2009 by BlessedinTexas
Filed under To Do in DFW, events, feature
Today we went to the most incredible theatrical show! It is called Walking With Dinosaurs. The production is from the UK but currently touring in the US. There were 17 life-sized dinosaurs that moved, growled, ran, ate, and fought with each other. They were really impressive and so life-like.
The show starts with Professor Huxley, a paleontologist who narrates the actions of the entire show. He takes us through the different eras of dinosaurs and really provides a great educational piece to the very entertaining show.
You see baby dinosaurs just hatched from their eggs…
…and big dinosaurs…
We reviewed the website before we went to the show so we had a good idea of how the dinosaurs operated. I couldn’t help but spend the first few minutes of the show studying how they worked. See the pod underneath the dinosaur? Each large dinosaur has a pod like this which rolls it around on 6 roller blade wheels. Inside that pod is a person who drives the dinosaur around. But these dinosaurs move so well – arms, legs, blinking eyes, swishing tails, grimaces and growls – that they each require a total of 3 dedicated people to make them perform. In addition to the driver, each large dinosaur has 2 puppeteers – one controls the the head and tail while the other controls the more minor movements such as blinks, mouth, and roars. I’m not sure where the other 2 people are during the performance. As I said, I studied all of this for the first few minutes because I was in utter awe of the mechanics behind them but then I got so lost in the performance that I completely forgot about it and they really came to life for me.
Brachiosaurus, 36 feet tall and 56 feet long…
This is Nicholas’ favorite dinosaur – Ankylosaurus. He is an herbivore but a tough one. He has a club tail and isn’t afraid to use it to fight his enemies, even a T-rex.
But we learned that you don’t want to mess with a baby T-Rex because Mama T-Rex must be nearby and she will not be happy if you mess with her little one. She roared over the crowd right where we were. It was actually a little frightening.
Mama and baby T-Rex, safe and together again.
It was an incredible event and especially nice to share it with my Dad who has been learning all about dinosaurs and fossils.
The Texas State Fair…Our First Visit!
November 4, 2009 by Happy Campers
Filed under DFW North, To Do in DFW, events, feature
Thanks to BurbMom.net and GMC, Reese and I enjoyed a free day at the Texas State Fair a few weeks ago!
We met up with lots of our buddies, rode tons of rides, had a fantastic *free* lunch at the GMC tents, & even got to check out the 2010 GMCs. I was truly impressed with the gas mileage of the new crossovers!
We LOVED the Lego Tents!
Where is Reese anyway?
Lots of building opportunities at the Lego Tents…
We were challenged to build something that “started with an A, but not an apple” in 2 minutes…Reese built a jail for our Alpaca…
And Mommy built the Alpaca!
We rode lots of rides with our buddies, then the boys got their faces painted.
We had never visited the State Fair before (and I’ve lived in the DFW area for 11 years now!) and I’m glad BurbMom provided this opportunity so I would drag myself out there. The weather held out and stopped raining for a day, the rides were fun, the crowd was not bad at all, & Reese and I had a fantastic time.
Good Times at the Chevy Mom Event
October 18, 2009 by screweduptexan
Filed under To Do in DFW, events, feature
So far so good–my smallest urchin hasn’t told his brothers what kind of fun he had yesterday at the State Fair of Texas…yet. Boy did we have fun! Nothing starts a day at the state fair quite like letting a four-year-old test drive Lightening McQueen at the Chevy Kids Test Drive area–especially when that four-year-old is my kid.
Crash!
After a close call with death in the bumper car arena we decided to do a little coloring…well we should really mean my little man and my old man.
Both were very proud of their artwork.
I think my husband’s picture was the oldest entrant in the contest.
In honor of my husband, I thought of a little poem that goes like this:
If that poem scared you, then don’t look at the following series of photographs…and please if you know Falcon the Helium Balloon Boy, please don’t show him these photos of my son inside the 2010 Chevy Traverse ever. He may get ideas:
If I ever can’t find my kids, I am looking in the back of my van first.
Good memories were fostered, fun times captured at the Chevy Mom Event sponsored by BurbMom and Chevy. There was additional feeding into my addiction of the internet where I sneaked off for a few minutes and checked my blog. Proof of my addiction:
I decided I’d practice with my camera and photograph some other children exploring their creativity coloring at the tables. Some of the children were easy photographing subjects.
Others not so much. Pretty much the look on this dude’s face is, “Lady, back off with the camera.” Love his eyes!
Then it was time for prizes and to see who would be randomly chosen as the Coloring Champ (I think my husband secretly hoped he would win the grand prize). But no, this sweet girl won instead and my husband’s heart was crushed.
I on the other hand won this nifty leather Texas-shaped paperweight. Perfect for this Texan gal.
After winning the paperweight, my life was complete for the day. I thanked the BurbMoms, grabbed some nachos to eat, and found some animals to pet…but not necessarily in that order.
Disclosure: Chevy paid for my parking and tickets to the State Fair, not to mention my nachos too, so nanna nanna boo boo. First posted at Screwed Up Texan.
The Dallas/ Ft. Worth U2 concert!
So… we had a SUPER time on our first post- baby date night! The concert was outstanding, and the company was as good as it gets! Love you Michael! Muse, the band that opened the show were great – but the real heart of the show was of course U2. Bono was in amazing voice, and the rest of the band sounded unreal. It was a date night full of romance & rock-n-roll!
Because this was the first time my husband and I have left the baby since she was born 14 months ago – we were nervous about how it would go. But, we needn’t have worried about leaving our daughter, Miss Molly with my brother and sister in law. From the moment they arrived she was smitten, and took no notice of mommy and daddy – even as we were leaving! And we were so relieved when the concert had hardly begun and we got a text from them saying Molly had eaten, and had a bath, and had gone to bed with no problem!! Yay, baby girl!! We were so proud of our little pumpkin!! And once we knew she was okay, we could relax and enjoy some great music!
And now, some pictures I took during the concert! Enjoy!
(The crazy claw like stage…waiting for the concert to start)
(Bono strolling the 360 degree stage, wearing the iconic sunglasses)
*Additional video clips can be seen at Milkandcuddles.com
Ten Ways to Learn While at Celebrate Roanoke
October 2, 2009 by Rachel
Filed under DFW North, To Do in DFW, events, feature
I love free, family-friendly activities and events.
One of our favorite fall events is Celebrate Roanoke. It is a fun festival coming up Saturday, October 10– from 10am to 10pm, on Oak Street, Roanoke.
Perfect for the whole family!
As with everything we do as a family, I try and engage my preschool-aged kiddos and interact with them. Here are ten ideas that we have used in the past and they may help you interact with your youngsters at Celebrate Roanoke, or any other local fall fair:
- Play where’s Waldo, only pick a clown or someone in costume (maybe the Elvis impersonator). Have your children tell you whenever they spot him or her walking around.
- Count the number of people you see dressed in historical garb. How many different types of outfits or historical personalities are there? Talk to one of the people in historical “character” and ask them who they are pretending to be.
- Watch the historical reenactments and ask your kids to tell you what they think life would have been like if they were “at the gunfight” or if they had to drive around in a horse-drawn carriage all the time.
- Count the number of people in line for an event, like a bounce house. How many people are before us? After another batch gets in for their turn, re-count and discuss subtraction and addition as more people have entered or left the line.
- Make quantitative comparisons of the lines at two different vendors, or between the balloon-blowing clowns and the face painters. Ask your kiddos which line they’d prefer to be in, the longer or the shorter one. Ask them to theorize why someone would prefer to be in the longer line.
- As you walk up to or past a music stage, ask if they can hear the music yet, and talk about how the closer you are to something the louder it becomes. My kids love the kids’ music stage at Celebrate Roanoke where the performers are all under 18.
- Practice map skills. I love that Celebrate Roanoke distributes a program with a nifty map, or they did previous years. You can use the map to discuss where you are and pick a destination of where you want to be – like you are at the bounce houses trying to get to the mini-train station – and have the kids figure out how to get there.
- Practice telling time. Pick an activity that your kids are looking forward to, like open street dancing, and have them tell you how long they will have to wait before the event will start. My daughter also loves “counting” her steps while she is dancing – and they have really patient instructors teaching her “the moves”.
- Discuss safety as your kiddos are exposed to and get the chance to interact with law enforcement and firemen. My son especially loves policemen and is thrilled to watch the Motorcycle Rodeo.
- During the fireworks, try and guess which color is going to “explode” next. Compare the bangs. Was this set of fireworks bigger or smaller than the last one? Have your kids describe what they see.
Any questions, call the city of Roanoke, 817-491-2411. Here is there public website with information about the Celebrate Roanoke Festival. I hope to see you and your family there!
This article was written by Rachel, mom to three youngsters who lives in and loves Roanoke. Check out her blog for more fun learning and interacting ideas.
Corny Dogs and Pig Races: The State Fair is back in Town
September 17, 2009 by KelliK
Filed under To Do in DFW, activities, events, feature, fun
Let’s be honest. If there’s one thing that we Texans love most about our state, it’s autumn. The kids are back in school and nighttime temperatures dip into the 70’s. We begin to forgive and forget the oppressive heat our great state has just dragged us through. It’s like what they say about childbirth. Once that beautiful baby is in your arms, you forget all the pain. October in Texas, is the beautiful baby.
With limitless sunny days and humidity a forgotten foe, our spirits lift as we once again, step outside to explore the world beyond air conditioning. Sure, we still throw on shorts and tees, but we dare to toss a cardigan or a sweatshirt in our truck. Texans are usually hospitable folks, but when the temperatures get cooler, they’re downright genial. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I swear that drivers are friendlier on the fall roads. I see less “speed-up-to-cut-in-front-of-you-moves” followed by pantomime cursing and more “go-on-ahead-of-me-nods” with acknowleding wave-backs. Aint life great?
Armed with the knowledge that you’re less likely to be a victim of road rage in the fall, I’ve got a suggestion for you. Load up the troops and head on down to the Great State Fair of Texas!
Now I personally know some of you who think the place is filthy, the people are trashy, and the food is unhealthy. You’re right on all three counts! It’s a fair, for goodness sake! There aren’t supposed to be white table cloths, everyone looks like trash by the end of the day covered with a thin layer of Texas dust, and no one ever promised that a helping of fried butter (you read correctly) or fried coca-cola (yummy, I swear) was going to be good for you. But I beg you to think less of how much antibacterial hand wash you’ll need, and more about the great memories you could create with your family.
I grew up in Indiana, and every year my mom and dad and I went to the State Fair. Sure, it’s not as big as the Texas State Fair, but there’s just as much fun to be had. We always went to the different barns to check the prize-winning animals. The world’s largest hog was a big draw, the sheep smelled horrible, and the different horses were beautiful. My dad and I rode a few of the rides, while my mom watched from the sidelines. The tractor pull was always fun to see, as well as the exhibits in the different halls sprinkled throughout the fairgrounds. Junk food was devoured. Lemon shake-ups, elephant ears, and sweet roasted corn on the cob were favorites, but we never once left the fairgrounds without an Italian sausage sandwich or two. These are great childhood memories for me, and I’m sure if you take your kids down to Fairpark in October, you can create some fun yearly traditions and fond memories as well.
Head to the fair in the late afternoon or evening if possible. The crowds are lighter, and much of the good entertainment gets started when the sun goes down. No matter the age of your kids, don’t miss the Pig Races. Even college aged big kids find it hard to be cool when the dressed up oinkers hit the track. Same goes for the stunt dog show and herding demonstration, those dogs know how to work a crowd. From here, make your way over to the rides. I’ve learned from experience that an empty stomach makes for a more pleasant ride. Be sure to hit the Texas Star Ferris Wheel, which is so big it can be seen miles away; it’s a beautiful ride at night. Everyone enjoys the Starlight Parade which begins at 7:15 nightly and is kicked off with the ever impressive U.S. Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Colorful floats wind through the fair with costumed characters and moving lights.
Next, I’d go for some good food, and I’ll throw in a tip for free. Never buy two of anything! There is so much food to sample at the fair; the idea is to taste a variety, not to get filled up on one thing. It’s almost sacrilegious to leave the State Fair of Texas, without eating a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, so be sure to hit this famous booth. This year’s winning fried entries promise to be yummy, so I’ll be trying both the Fried Butter and the Fried Peaches and Cream.
My hubby will want to check out the Classic Corral’s selection of vintage autos. Each night a different local group displays their beauties, and owners chat with car enthusiasts. Boys of all ages, including some husbands, will want to stop by East Park Plaza to hop in a simulator and play the video racing game Forza. This highly anticipated game won’t be released until November, but Texas fairgoers can take their turn in October.
There’s so much to see and do, and a whole month to accomplish it. Take time in October to enjoy the cooler days, spend time with your family, and relish the slower pace of a fair. Build some memories with your kids and remember another reason why you love this state. Be sure to tell Big Tex I said, “Howdy!”
