Spring Events in Grapevine & DFW
February’s showers may bring March flowers, as opposed to the proverbial pairing meant to happen in April and May. Now that the rush of rainfall that hit late last month seems to be drying up, we can turn our thoughts to the new season, and you know what that means: It’s spring festival time! Whether you want to discover nature, celebrate your community with an old-fashioned town square party, or recognize your Irish (or Latino or Asian or Hindu) culture, there is a spring festival in D-FW for you. For a more complete list of happenings, go to GuideLive.com/things-to-do.
This week’s highlights
FREE | GARLAND HERITAGE CELEBRATION. Celebrate Garland’s rich history in the city’s historic downtown square. Test your riding skills on a mechanical bull, compete in a historical-trivia scavenger hunt and play outdoor games. Check out the debut of the Garland Landmark Museum’s newest exhibit, “Garland Hats: Harry, William and John,” which details the last century of men’s hat manufacturing in Garland. Catch a concert by eclectic polka band the Dogensteins at 5 p.m. and a Tom Petty tribute by Petty Theft at 7 p.m. A cowboy-themed comedy show will entertain guests between musical performances.
April 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. on the square at 520 W. State St., Garland.
Kirsten Williams shows off her claws at a crawfish boil in 2015.
Jerry McClure/Special Contributor
Tulips during this year's Dallas Blooms, Monday, March 05, 2018 at the Dallas Arboretum.
Ben Torres/Special Contributor
Cyclists cross the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge at the beginning of the Gravelthon during the All-Out Trinity Festival in 2017.
The 2018 fest takes place this weekend.
Andrew Buckley/Special Contributor
A group of people including James Graham (left) takes casting lessons during first annual Texas Fly Fishing & Brew Festival at Plano Centre in Plano, Texas, Saturday, March 11, 2017.
Jae S. Lee/Staff Photographer
Pickle Queen Coleen Daniell, center, of Mansfield, encourages Brandie and James Dodd (also of Mansfield) as the couple competed in the annual pie eating contest at the St. Paddy's Pickle Parade and Palooza.
Steve Hamm/Special Contributor
Jennifer Jackson of Fort Worth is all smiles as she crosses the finish line during Dash Down Greenville 5K race before the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Greenville Avenue in Dallas on Saturday, March 14, 2015.
Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer
Many forms of transportation are seen on the Trinity River levee in West Dallas, with the downtown Dallas skyline in the background, photographed on Friday, March 16, 2018.
Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News
ColorPalooza
at Old Town Lewisville
Sat, April 14, 2018 | 10am-5pm
FREE | COLORPALOOZA. Celebrate the colors of spring at this annual arts festival. You can check out sidewalk murals by amateur and professional chalk artists. You could also create your own colorful T-shirt at the DIY tie-dye station and watch live demos in printmaking, painting and sketching. Learn how to take better care of our planet through presentations on environmental topics and perfect your technique during art classes led by folks from Painting with a Twist. There will be dance and music performances throughout the day, as well as artisan vendors selling handcrafted items.
April 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wayne Ferguson Plaza, 150 W. Church St. in Old Town Lewisville. Admission is free, but some activities carry a cost.
FREE | ARTS IN BLOOM. McKinney’s quaint but bustling historic downtown will be extra busy when 150 artists from Texas and beyond set up shop in the streets for an arty block party. Support your neighbors by visiting the Local Artist Village and Student Art Tent. There’ll be hands-on activities for children in the Kids Creation Station and dancers, musicians and other performers on the entertainment stage. Visit the Trinity Falls Texas Wine Garden to taste vino from Texas wineries, including McKinney’s Landon Winery and Lone Star Wine Cellars. For $20, receive a souvenir glass and 10 tasting tickets. Or purchase wine by the glass for $5 to $10 apiece. There’ll also be beer and food vendors.
April 13 from 5 to 10 p.m., April 14 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., April 15 from noon to 5 p.m. on the streets surrounding McKinney Performing Arts Center, 111 N. Tennessee St., McKinney. Free admission.
OLD 97’S COUNTY FAIR. This event marries the festive atmosphere of a county fair with an excellent lineup of indie bands. Adults and kids alike can play carnival games and eat all sorts of comfort food, including turkey legs and fried Oreos. Couple that with a ride on the 40-foot-tall Ferris wheel, and you’re guaranteed a good time. Rock out to indie-pop group Lord Huron, sunny Americana act Valerie June, gritty Southern rocker Paul Cauthen, and, of course, the eponymous rock group Old 97’s.
April 14 at noon at Main Street Garden, 1902 Main St., Dallas. $50, free for children younger than 10. $125 for VIP passes.
April 14 at noon at Main Street Garden, 1902 Main St., Dallas. $50, free for children younger than 10. $125 for VIP passes.
(Jason Janik/Special Contributor)
DALLAS ART FAIR. The founding — and now signature — event of Dallas Arts Month will feature more than 90 galleries and art dealers from around the world. More than 30 international groups, including ones from Dubai, Bogota and Tokyo, will join nine from Dallas and one from Fort Worth to display hundreds of artists’ paintings, sculpture, photography and other works, all under one roof.April 13-14 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., April 15 from noon to 6 p.m. at Fashion Industry Gallery, 1807 Ross Ave., Dallas. $25 per day, $50 for a weekend pass.
Frisco StrEATS
Gourmet Food Truck
and Music Festival
at Downtown Frisco
Sat, April 14, 2018 | 10am-5pm
FREE | FRISCO STREATS GOURMET FOOD TRUCK AND MUSIC FESTIVAL. More than a dozen rolling restaurants will be parked in downtown Frisco’s recently rebranded Rail District. Dine on hot dogs from Sir Frank’s Truck, Vietnamese fusion from Nammi, po’ boys from Cajun Tailgators, pizza from BellaTrino, grilled cheese from Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe and Mexican street food from Tacos, Bites and Beats. Dessert options include ice cream sandwiches from Coolhaus and edible cookie dough from the Dough Box. Four bands — Emerald City, Iron Horse Express, Cast Iron Soul and Wooden Nickel — will perform, and there’ll be a children’s area with a face painter, a balloon artist and games.
April 14 from noon to 7 p.m. at Fourth and Main streets in downtown Frisco. Free admission; food prices vary.
FREE | OAK CLIFF EARTH DAY. At this Earth-friendly festival, guests can get creative in the Green Man and Mother Nature costume contests or show off their pooches in the Mutt Strut dog contest. You can run a 5K or take it easy with a 1-mile walk, with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the race starting at 9:30 a.m. Look forward to music and dance performances, as well as artisan vendors selling handmade designs and civic organizations running educational displays and demos.
April 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lake Cliff Park, 300 E. Colorado Blvd., Dallas.
FREE | THIN LINE FEST. If you love the idea of Austin’s South by Southwest festival but aren’t keen on crowds, consider Denton’s Thin Line Fest, which began as a multiday film-focused event and grew to include concerts and photography exhibits. It’s notably smaller than SXSW, but like the Texas capital city’s signature multimedia festival, Thin Line is a citywide affair, taking over several venues near Denton’s downtown square for its different components. This year’s performers include Dallas metal trio Mothership, female mariachi band Flor de Toloache, hip-hop group Shredders, and Elk River Sessions, a group of Denton-based musicians who holed up in a cabin in the Ozark Mountains last year to write and record an original album. A film about Elk River Sessions is one of dozens of feature films and shorts showing over five days.
April 18-22 at several venues around the courthouse square, 110 W. Hickory St., Denton. Free admission. Festival packages with perks are $19-$99.
FREE | BIG MAMOU CAJUN FESTIVAL. Spread out over two weekends, the Big Mamou Cajun Festival at Traders Village returns this year to transport you straight to N’awlins. The festival is free to attend (and parking is only $4), with live zydeco, swamp pop and Cajun music and hundreds of pounds of spicy boiled crawfish available ($10 per pound, served with potatoes and corn), as well as other authentic Cajun food like étouffée and gumbo.
April 14-15 and 21-22 at noon at Traders Village, 2602 Mayfield Road, Grand Prairie.
FREE |MAIN ST. FORT WORTH ARTS FESTIVAL. Get your steps in while shopping for treasures and trinkets. This award-winning festival will span 27 city blocks from the Tarrant County Courthouse through Sundance Square to the Fort Worth Convention Center. The meter will be running while you’re browsing 223 artists working in 15 media, including painting, jewelry, fiber, glass, leather, wood and ceramics. There’ll also be booths from more than two dozen local artists, multiple food courts, craft beer and wine pavilions and two entertainment stages featuring performances by Brave Combo, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and others. Children can do arts and crafts in the Main St. Creates area, which will also include balloon artists and face painters.
April 19 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., April 20-21 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., April 22 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. along Main Street in downtown Fort Worth. Free admission.
SCARBOROUGH RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL. Join in the mirth and merriment of the days of King Henry VIII at this festival that runs for eight weekends, with colorful characters such as knights, villagers, fire jugglers, jousters, sword fighters and turtle racers there for you to meet. You can also eat a giant turkey leg, buy a longbow or some jewelry at the shops, watch a village artisan at work or stop in the Elkhorn Tavern or Dirty Duck Pub. April 7-May 28 at Scarborough Renaissance Festival Grounds, Waxahachie. srfestival.com.
ALSO IN APRIL
EARTHX EXPO. The festival formerly known as Earth Day Texas features a wide range of Earth-friendly activities. This includes interactive scavenger hunts, an Outdoor Adventure Zone including scuba diving and tree climbing, Goat Yoga, a Tiny Homes showcase, education competitions, a Green Auto Show and more. April 20-22 at Fair Park, Dallas. earthx.org.
FREE | ENNIS BLUEBONNET TRAILS FESTIVAL. Photo ops abound along 40 miles of beautiful wildflowers on a route that is officially open April 1-30. The three-day festival celebrates the state flower of Texas and includes arts and crafts, food, a street dance, live music, a wine stroll, kids’ activities, and plenty of bluebonnet-themed souvenirs. April 20-22 in downtown Ennis. bluebonnettrail.org.
FREE | GRAND PRAIRIE MAIN STREET FEST. Expect three nights of live music from headliners Wade Bowen, Josh Turner and La Mafia; novelty shows; carnival rides; arts and craft vendors; a business expo; food and beer gardens; a kids’ zone; and more. Admission is free, but some activities carry a fee. April 20-22 on Main Street in Grand Prairie. mainstreetfest.com.
FREE | ART IN THE SQUARE. The open-air juried art show features works from more than 150 artists; live entertainment on two stages; food and drink vendors; and fun activities for children, tweens and teens. Admission is free. but tickets are required to purchase food and drinks and for some activities. April 27-29 at Southlake Town Square. artinthesquare.com.
FREE | ARBOR DAZE. Go crazy over trees at this annual festival that includes a free tree giveaway and forestry village alongside plenty of family fun with a kids’ zone, inflatables, food vendors more. Community groups and tribute bands provide live entertainment throughout the day. April 28 at Euless Family Life Center, Euless. arbordaze.org.
FREE | LATINO STREET FEST. Celebrate Latino culture at this family-friendly street fair that features live music, artists, food vendors, games and more. Contests will be held for singing and dancing, children’s poetry, avocado recipes and youth mariachi bands. April 29 in the Dallas Arts District. avance-dallas.org/latino-street-fest.html.
(Ron Baselice/Staff Photographer)
MAY
MAYFEST. This family-friendly fest brings four days (and nights) of fun to the bank of the Trinity River. Enjoy live music, performing arts, festival foods, carnival rides, free kids’ activities, an art and gift market and plenty of people-watching. May 3-6 at Trinity Park, Fort Worth. mayfest.org.
FREE | DALLAS CINCO DE MAYO. Commemorate the Battle of Puebla with this parade, festival and car show. May 7 on Jefferson Boulevard in Dallas. oakcliffarts.org.
FREE | PLANO ASIAFEST. The 15th anniversary event promises to be a day of Asian dance, music and food that includes lion dances, a fashion show, martial arts demonstrations, a tea ceremony and vendor booths. May 5 at Haggard Park, Plano. asianamericanheritage.org/asiafest.asp.
FREE | COTTONWOOD ART FESTIVAL. Browse museum-quality works by more than 240 artists during the spring installment of this juried show. Held bi-annually, you can also check out the ArtStop Children’s Area and plenty of local music and food. May 5-6 at Cottonwood Park, Richardson. cottonwoodartfestival.com.
TEXAS SCOTTISH FESTIVAL AND HIGHLAND GAMES. Break out the kilt for a weekend! This festival features plenty of Scottish music and Highland dance and athletic competitions. You can also expect a Scottish-breed dog show, tents representing clans and families and Scottish foods and quaffs. This includes a scotch tasting and seminar — all in a new location. May 11-13 at Wise County Fairgrounds in Decatur. texasscots.com.
FREE | DFW DRAGON BOAT, KITE AND LANTERN FESTIVAL. Check out dragon-boat races, kite-flying, a lantern display, children’s activities and more. May 20 at Lake Carolyn, Irving. dfwdragonboatfestival.com.