Fall Block Party in One Arts Plaza Dallas – Oct 14th

7 Oct

Recently Mother Nature decided to slash our temperatures in half (making our usual lows higher than our average highs); the State Fair is open for business, and football season is in full effect with the Red River Rivalry and chaos at the Cowboy Stadium, which can only mean one thing – FALL is upon us! Even though we know this kind of cool weather could only last so long in Texas, we’ll enjoy it while we can. One way to do this is by having outdoor events to help our bodies adjust to the change in season before going into full shock. DFW Fall festivals are being planned all across the metroplex and the Dallas Arts District is no different. Sunday, October 14th they will be having a FALL Block Party at One Arts Plaza. From noon to 4pm North Texans of all ages can enjoy cinnamon flavored and pumpkin spiced treats, 5 featured plaza chefs and a variety of specialty food vendors. You can look forward to more than just tasty food though. There’s something new to look forward to each hour of the party. Take a look at the schedule for the 3rd Annual FALL Block Party in One Arts Plaza.


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30TH

12:00pm
Creative Halloween Spirits: Cocktail competition

1:00pm
Live Swing Music performance by The Southland Swing Band

3:00pm
Dog Halloween Costume Contest



If you’d like to enter your doggy in the Halloween Costume Contest, on-site registration will take place at 2:00pm. Meanwhile, Paws in The City, DFW Rescue Me & the Greyhound Adoption League will all be there offering pet adoptions at the One Arts Plaza Fall Block Party.

Ring in the autumn season the right way! Head downtown for a block party that has it all, from the tasty delights of skilled Plaza chefs to pups in Halloween costumes. Enjoy some free samples, live music, crafts, more than 15 vendors and even luxury cars all on the plaza this Sunday at the 2012 Fall Block Party One Arts Plaza Dallas! Pets welcomed!

ONE ARTS PLAZA is located between Woodall Rogers Freeway and Highway 75 at Flora and Boll Streets.

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Top 10 Reasons to Visit the State Fair of Texas 2012

1 Oct

The largest state fair in the country, the State Fair of Texas is back for 24 days of spectacular fun with everything you could imagine at a state fair – plus so much more! Fair Park Dallas opens their gates to visitors from across the country from September 28 – October 21. The variety of deep-fried delicacies may be one of the main attractions for those adventurous enough to try such treats as fried bubble gum, fried peanut butter & jelly, fried frito-pie, fried ice cream and more. Others are after the traditional corn dogs, nachos, cotton candy and turkey legs. If you’re still deciding what the draw is to this 2012 State Fair of Texas and how to make the most out of your visit we’re here to help! We’ve compiled a list of our TOP 10 REASONS TO VISIT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.

1) Deep Fried Jambalaya (and other fried foods)
The Texas State Fair is known to be the fried food capital. This year the deep fried jambalaya won Big Tex Choice Award, while the fried bacon cinnamon roll won Most Creative. The food, whether fried or not, is a treat for those tastebuds just because it’s fair food and it’s good! Click here to see a list of some of the many fried foods and past Big Tex winners!


2) Daily Deals
A special discount is offered almost every day of the week for admission to the fair. Students and teachers are given complimentary tickets from their schools, but everyone doesn’t work for the school system. You don’t HAVE to pay $16 at the gate. Here are a few ways to save:

  • Go Online – $13.95 when purchased online ($10.95 for kids/seniors)

    • Fried Bacon Cinnamon Roll culturemap.com

  • Kroger Ticket – $14.50
  • Kroger/Cinemark Season Pass – For $34.95 get unlimited visits to the fair, a buddy for one visit between Mon & Fri and a Cinemark movie pass
  • Kroger DART Combo – For $17 get one admission and one RoundTrip on the DART rail to avoid parking
  • Dr Pepper $5 Tuesdays – Bring an empty Dr. Pepper can every Tuesday and get in for $5
  • After 5pm Dr. Pepper Deal – Bring an empty Dr. Pepper can after 5pm and get in for $8
  • 3 for $2 Wednesdays with NTFB – Bring 3 cans of food on Wednesday for the North Texas Food Bank and receive $2 admission
  • Coke $6 Thursdays – Bring an empty 20oz bottle of Coca-Cola and enter the fair for $6 every Thursday
  • Dickies Day – On Thursday, Oct 11th wear/show Dickies logo clothing item and receive a FREE voucher for admission to the fair (ONLY ON 10/11)
  • McDonald’s Deal – Check your tray liner or look for bag stuffers when dining at McDonalds and get $3 off general admission. Half priced child tickets are also sometimes distributed.

    • Fried Jumbalaya paperblog.com

  • Museum of Nature & Science Members – Free admission for all members! Museum members will receive a voucher good for 2 adults and up to 4 children.
  • Senior Thursdays – Senior citizens 60 and over get in for Free every Thursday. ($12 on regular days)
  • KISS FM $5 Fridays – Click here for the Kiss FM coupon allowing $5 off the gate price on Fridays
  • The Addams Family at Music Hall – Receive a same-day fair admission when buying a ticket to the Addams Family performance at Fair Park’s Music Hall.

    Click here to buy tickets & coupons online.



3) BIG TEX’s 60th Birthday
Big Tex turns 60 this year! At 52 feet high Big Tex is the world’s largest talking cowboy figure. By the way, All Seniors 60 and over get free admission on Thursdays & discounted admission for $12 any other day.

4) Chinese Lantern Festival
For the first time this ancient Chinese tradition will be on display in the American Southwest with a collection of authentic Chinese art, a 110 yard long dragon made of 15,000 porcelain dishes, a Chinese marketplace, live shows, souvenirs and it all lights up at night. Open daily

5) State Fair Photo Contest
Capture the best angles and focal points during your visit to the fair and if you’re a skilled enough photographer you could win an iPad or $500 gift card!
Click here for details and where to submit your pics!

6) Auto Show
Big Tex stands over the only state fair to feature such a major automobile show as a yearly attraction. Two buildings and an outdoor truck area contain more than 400 new cars and trucks presented by manufacturers. Click below to see some of the new 2013 models and featured manufacturers taking up 350,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space this year! Auto Gallery

7) Free Chevrolet Concerts
See musical guests like Le Freak, Kevin Costner & Modern West, Kevin Fowler, Rebirth Brass Band and The Commodores perform live from the Chevrolet main stage. Click here for a complete main stage lineup and schedule of the featured performing artists

8) Garden Expo
The State Fair Garden Exhibition continues to grow each year. Locate the Greenhouse on the Midway where Southern Living Lecture Series every Saturday and Sunday. Professional landscaping and sculptures by artists are featured in the Fall Garden Expo. Click here to view the speakers and garden exhibition artists.

9) Legendary College Football Rivalries
Our fair is the only one to host legendary college football rivalry games as an annual event.

Saturday, Oct 6th – Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic
Grambling State vs Prairie View A&M (Kickoff: 6pm)

Saturday, Oct 13th – AT&T Red River Rivalry
Oklahoma vs Texas (Kickoff: TBA)

10) It’s good for the economy!!
The longest running state fair in the U.S., TX state fair earns an estimated $350 million making a major economic impact on the DFW economy.


Hope these 10 reasons are good enough to convince you to attend! We could only choose 10, but there are plenty more where that came from! The thrilling rides, nearby museums, Chevrolet Test track, livestock and Illumination sensation show are other great attractions of the State Fair of Texas. Happy 60th to BIG TEX! This year we’re celebrating BIG at the 126th Annual State Fair of Texas.

Exhibit Hours:
Friday & Saturday 10am – 10pm
Sunday – Thursday 10am – 9pm

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2nd Annual ONE RUN | CSC North Texas 5K at Reverchon Park

30 Sep

Join in the 2012 One Run at Reverchon Park October 6th and help support those affected by ALL cancers. You can run, you can walk, you can stroll or skip, but whatever you do, cross the finish line! The Cancer Support Community of North Texas is having their 2nd Annual One Run about a month later than last year’s. Even at the Inaugural One Run there was an awesome turnout with live music, vendors, cancer survivors as well as supporters, so this year will be even greater!

Interested participants can join a team, start their own or run solo! Register online at oneruntx.org or click here. Runners can also register at Luke’s Locker on Mockingbird Lane or show up at the park the morning of the race at 7am to sign up. Click here for more information on registration and packet pickup. The 2nd Annual One Run includes a 1K walk, a 5K run along Katy Trail, a post-run party, family activities and Vocal Trash! Don’t let the name fool you though! The musical group is far from garbage! Banging on recycled metal items and unique pieces of equipment they come up with high energy music and sounds that will lift almost anyone’s spirits.

Cancer Support Community North Texas is the only affiliate of CSC (formerly known as Gilda’s Club) in the state of Texas, and offers support groups, educational seminars, workshops and social events to all those touched in some way by cancer. Stop by the club house one day in Oak Lawn area to see what’s going on or how you might volunteer!

Vocal Trash

As the One Run grows bigger and bigger gaining publicity and support, their main sponsor this year is Cancer Treatment Centers of America. You don’t have to be a cancer caregiver, survivor or even an expert runner, just support the fight against this highly despised disease. All cancer categories will be recognized so you can rock your colors also! Lace up those sneakers Saturday morning and we’ll see you at Reverchon Park bright and early!

ONE RUN SCHEDULE
Registration – 7:00am
1K Walk – 8:10am
5K Race – 8:30am
After Party – 8:45-11am

Those affected by ALL cancers unite at the ONE RUN

Reverchon Park | 3535 Maple Avenue, Dallas 75219

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3rd Annual Cruise Night in the Bishop Arts District – Oct 4th

30 Sep

Attention all classic car owners in Dallas! Now is your time to shine! Rev up that old engine and cruise down to the Bishop Arts District on Thursday afternoon for the 3rd Annual Cruise Night between 4pm and 10pm. Show off all the hard work you’ve put into your machine or just how beautiful your vintage mobile is. Plenty of other classic car owners will gather in the streets of this eclectic Dallas area for live music, great food at the many restaurants in Bishop Arts and good times with fellow DFW car fanatics.

The air outside is becoming cooler so it’s a perfect time to hang outside and admire rides from many of our birthyears and before! See collectibles, hot rods, motorcycles and more during the 3rd Annual Cruise Night. Get a close-up glimpse of the curves, details, interior leather, ice cream paint jobs, old-school radios and roll-down windows. Make it a Date Night or just make it Cruise Night! All ages are welcome to this fall event in the Bishop Arts! You can shop the independent boutiques scattered along the streets, and dine at nearby eateries while in the area.

October 4th, 4pm-10pm

*ENO’s Pizza Tavern will be providing complimentary brewskis during the car-owner happy hour 6-7pm. Then Live Ragime will give a special live musical performance from 7pm – 8pm.

Shift into third gear and steer your way over for Cruise Night at the Bishop Arts District this Thursday for a glimpse at smooth rides and night of “tricked out” beast machines in the most classy way possible. This many “beauts” will only be around all in one spot for one night this week!

The Bishop Arts District is a small shopping and entertainment district located in north Oak Cliff, Dallas that can be found near the intersection of Bishop Street and Davis Street.

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King’s Men Tour 2012 Dallas Recap

27 Sep

The King’s Men Tour has come and gone through Dallas, yet its lingering effects remain. The trucks have packed up the stage, the Verizon Theatre has returned to its natural state…yet something’s different.

Gospel music is different and so is every single person that attended this groundbreaking concert Tuesday night in Grand Prairie.

The night started fast and ended at warp speed. The night seemed to end early and Israel Houghton’s plea for World Vision sponsors really seemed to bring the night to a warm close. Still, the King’s Men weren’t done turning gospel music upside down!

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Closing the night out with a final, collaborative set (lasting about a half hour) all four headliners capped the night with the crowd’s favorite songs.

Hands were lifted high and the crowd was on its feet for nearly the entirety of the concert. Who knows if the King’s Men will return to the area. If not, it would take the full length of a year for concert goers to prepare to again be enraptured by the enthralling performances!

The King’s Men Tour is in Houston, this Thursday.

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Gospel Music writer for the Examiner, Win Willis, is a musician and sound engineer from Fort Worth, Texas. Win Willis is a lover of all styles of music and loves to share and discuss music with other avid music lovers.

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Dallas Natural’s Night Out – Sept 29th

27 Sep

First there was Fashion’s Night Out sweeping the metroplex with trendy looks, runways in the middle of shopping malls and high end Dallas fashion being showcased throughout the town. Now we have Dallas Natural’s Night Out which shakes the DFW hair scene with stylish locs, colorful twists and curly mane. Natural’s Night Out presents both men and women of all shades the opportunity to reinvent their love for natural hair. If you also share a passion for natural hair and exhibiting your own individuality then join hundreds of others on Saturday, September 29th at Hibashi Sushi Bar & Lounge from 10:00pm to 2:00am. Admission is $15. Click here to buy Tickets

Join Expressive Textures for this unique Dallas event taking place at Hibashi Sushi Bar of Dallas. It may be a late function, but you’ll get to mingle with other Dallas naturals and share styles, fashion and do some networking. Plus the musical performances by a live Neo-Soul Jazz band help set the mood for the night.

The first 200 ticket buyers will receive: Swag bags with amazing samples and are entered into a drawing for a product giveaway. Attendees are also given the opportunity to win door prizes. Set aside the last Saturday night of the month for Dallas NNO (Natural’s Night Out) hosted by Expressive Textures!

Click here to purchase Tickets!


Hibashi Sushi Bar & Lounge
13645 Inwood Rd
Dallas, TX 75244

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3rd Annual Texas State Veggie Fair

26 Sep


If you are a seitan-lover—as in the vegan protein and not our Lord and Savior’s arch nemesis— then you’re in for a treat at the 3rd annual Texas State Veggie Fair hosted by DallasVegan.com. Whether you’re vegan, interested in becoming one, or you just enjoy delicious plant-based cuisine, stop by Reverchon Park in Dallas on Sunday, October 21 to enjoy the celebration. There will be food, live music, guest speakers, and don’t forget the fried food contest. Yes, even vegans know how to get down with the deep fryer.

Zombie Taco – Photo by thetacotrail.com

I’m especially looking forward to the food from Zombie’s Food Truck, a vegan-only food truck whose mission is “bringing your taste buds back from the dead.” I hope they’ll be making their Neftacos Feliz, described as “sweet and spicy shredded seitan tacos with onions, cilantro, guacamole, and pepper pineapple ranch.” They had me at ranch. I think I’ll pair that with a refreshing kombucha from Holy Kombucha and follow it with some coconut ice cream from Nada Moo for dessert.

But besides food, there will also be vendors that cater to greener lifestyles, including Arbonne International Skin Care and Wellness, which makes skin care products with premium botanical ingredients and Eco Armoire which makes “eco-friendly apparel for the chic lady”.

Guest speakers include Ginny Messina, a vegan RD and author of Vegan for Life, a guide for plant-based nutrition. Vegan fashionistas—let’s call them “veganistas”—can also listen to Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart talk about her fashion company Vaute (pronounce “vote”) Couture, a high performance fashion line with no materials derived from animals.

The Texas State Veggie Fair runs from 11AM to 6PM and admission is free, although a $5-$10 donation is suggested. Don’t forget to bring extra cash to buy food at the vendors! The main entrance to Reverchon Park is at Maple Avenue and Turtle Creek Boulevard. If you’re not familiar with the Oak Lawn area, then just plug 3505 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX 75219 into your GPS. For more information, and to check out the complete list of vendors, visit
www.texasstateveggiefair.com.

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Candyce Pilliner is a copywriter at Moroch Agency in Dallas. She loves exploring vegan recipes, diving into a good book, and learning about photography. As a Creative, she is the “magenta sheep” of her left-brained family.

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Fort Worth Music Festival 2012

26 Sep

Kevin Eubanks

This weekend in Fort Worth, world class music will grace the stage at the 2012 Fort Worth Music Festival (formerly Jazz By the Boulevard). Huge names like Kevin Eubanks and The Reverend Horton Heat (featured on the Rahr Stage) headline this year’s festival. You’ll come for the names but stay for the stories. One of the festival’s featured acts, The Relatives, have not recorded in over 30 years. In fact, this group was (until recently) defunct. The group hasn’t lost a beat and will surely lift festival goers’ spirits with their gospel offering.

Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires will also be in town singing his James Brown inspired funk and making sure festival goers have a ‘funky good time’! The intrigue of artists like Bradley and the Relatives add to a tremendous backstory that makes the Fort Worth Music Festival what it is. Years ago when the Caravan of Dreams was alive and well, the city was a destination amongst big town names. If you were in the area, you had to stop in and catch the night’s act or perhaps sit in. With its absence and replacement with The Bass Hall, the spirit of live music has become more refined to the chagrin of music lovers citywide.

Thank goodness for the Fort Worth Music Festival. It is a celebration Fort Worth’s rich musical heritage and everything that makes live music what it is. Crowd interaction, good food, and some of the most amazing stories from the most amazing storytellers you will ever hear.

This year’s festival’s storied lineup is one for the history books and will feature one of kind performances from the country’s most in demand artists and musicians. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at fwfest.com. The 2nd Annual Fort Worth Music Festival is September 28th and 29th at the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

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Gospel Music writer for the Examiner, Win Willis, is a musician and sound engineer from Fort Worth, Texas. Win Willis is a lover of all styles of music and loves to share and discuss music with other avid music lovers.

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Parktoberfest at The Shops at Park Lane

19 Sep

What do you get when you mix Germany’s traditional Oktoberfest and North Dallas’ Shops at Park Lane?? PARKTOBERFEST! The Shops at Park Lane are gearing up for fall and all the festivities that come with it by hosting Parktoberfest! On Saturday night, October 6. Between 6:00pm and 10:00pm the shopping area transforms into Parktoberfest! Which will feature live bands, drink specials and of course food. Whole Foods, Park Tavern, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria and Gordon Biersch all have specially priced beverages and appetizers in store for the thirsty.

Parktoberfest! of the Shops at Park Lane is just one of the many 2012 events to arrive on the North Dallas scene this year and drive family activities and traffic to the 33+ mixed-use development just across the street from North Park. Browse Whole Foods Market for organic produce and choose from $4 wines by the glass and $3 beer. Park Tavern will be offering $3 drafts along with 20% off all appetizers, and Grimaldi’s Pizzeria’s house wine is marked down to $4 as well. Gordon Biersch takes the cake for drowning you in their bar-stricken specials: $5, $7 & $11 appetizers and $3 half-liter GB Pale Ale, whatever that is.

I guess it’s safe to say that 2012 Parktoberfest! (not to be confused with Oktoberfest) will be like a late Happy Hour. If you’re a usual to these sort of Oktoberfest events, see what Park Lane has to offer and enjoy a new tapping site with the same old favorites.

Try out the new Park Tavern pub

SHOPS AT PARK LANE | 8080 Park Lane, Dallas 75225

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2012 Walk to End Alzheimer’s Dallas | North Texas Alzheimer’s Walks

19 Sep

EVENT: 2012 WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S

DATE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd

TIME: 8:00 AM

LOCATION: REVERCHON PARK (3505 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75219)

REGISTER ONLINE: www.act.alz.org/dallaswalk



Join the Alzheimer’s Association in raising awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer’s. Choose from one of the other 4 races scheduled to take place throughout North Texas.

Dallas………9/22/12
Denton………9/22/12
McKinney…..9/29/12
Paris…………10/6/12
Rockwall…..9/29/12

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