Dallas and Fort Worth
, two outstanding cities with two distinct cultures, yet they stand a mere 30 miles apart. If you want some instant culture shock, grab a Starbucks and just observe travelers at DFW airport. There you are just as inclined to see a Stetson travel hat box as you are an Armani garment bag. People watching aside, this can only be good news for us Southlakers as we get to choose the best activities and events our two neighboring cities have to offer.
Usually, the school year keeps us busy with every extra-curricular activity under the sun (some of us actually decided not to enroll our 2 year olds in soccer). Outside of school breaks where we usually just get out of Dodge, there is little time to taste the infused or barbequed flavors of our nearest cities. Unless of course…it is Summer. Ahh, school is out and there is no better time to defeat the adage and actually becoming a “tourist in your own home town.” Schedules open up a little allowing us to delve into our habitat far beyond chaperoning out of town family and friends. Let’s face it the 6th Floor Museum is great, but there is so much more to experience in North Texas. We have gone to great lengths to make sure you, your family and even your out of town guests enjoy a Cowtown or Luxury Condo - good time!
Spend some time this summer in Fort Worth at some of these great family friendly activities:
Red Bull X Fighters
– The sound of stampeding Texas Longhorns will temporarily be replaced by 12 snarling 250cc engines as Red Bull X-Fighters makes its United States debut. The world’s premier, freestyle motocross event will take on a rodeo theme at the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards on Saturday, June 14. Highly skilled riders from around the glove will be conjuring the spirit of the cowboys who roamed these parts in years past. They will compete on a massive FMX playground constructed on a vast field set amongst hundreds of century-old wooden bull pens, just a cow chip’s throw from the Livestock Exchange. For more information, visit www.redbullxfighters.com.
The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago
. This summer and fall, thanks to an unprecedented and exclusive loan from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Kimbell Art Museum plays host to 92 of the most celebrated works of the great Impressionist painters. The Art Institute’s Impressionist collection has never before left Chicago in such a large group, and it will be shown only at the Kimbell. The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago will be a feast for the eyes more sumptuous than even the great Barnes Collection exhibition, seen at the Kimbell in 1994. The Impressionists is an array of masterpieces by such artistic geniuses as Manet, Degas, Monet, Renior, Cezanne, Gaugin, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec. The exhibit runs June 29 – November 2. For more information, visit www.kimbellart.org.
Back in Black: Penguins Now Open at the Fort Worth Zoo: After a six-year hiatus, penguins have returned to the Fort Worth Zoo. Penguins officially opened April 12 and is home to a colony of African black-footed penguins. The 1,600-square-foot exhibit features above- and underwater-viewing, providing Zoo visitors an up-close and personal experience with the 15” birds. In addition to showcasing the colony’s natural behaviors, Penguins will provide behind-the-scenes keeper areas to support future breeding within the colony. The Fort Worth Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which manages breeding efforts of endangered species in zoos and aquariums across the country. For more information, visit www.fortworthzoo.org.
Fort Worth Cats Baseball
: Come see the American Association Champion Fort Worth Cats take the field to once again defend their title. The Cats play at LaGrave Field just north of downtown and offer a fun family atmosphere at a great price. Home games take place from May 8-August 19. For more information, visit
www.fwcats.com
.
Concerts in the Garden:
During June and July, enjoy the soothing music of the Fort Worth Symphony in the beautiful Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Pack a picnic or call ahead and place a picnic order with City Club, the Official Picnic Partner with offerings ranging from $8 box lunches to custom-order gourmet baskets. Your picnic will be ready for pick-up when you arrive at the Garden. Call 817-878-4028 or visit www.cityclub-ftw.com to place an order. Grounds open at 6:30 p.m. and concerts begin around 8 p.m. Music will range from classical and big band to blues and rock 'n roll. http://www.fwsymphony.org
Ain’t Misbehavin: The Fats Waller Musical Show
at Jubilee Theatre
: “The joint is jumping!” The Harlem Renaissance was the Golden Age for venues like The Cotton Club and The Savoy Ballroom; a time when the dives along Lenox Avenue were ablaze from stride piano players banging out a new beat – swing. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a vibrant musical revue and tribute to the black musicians of the early 1900s that centers on the music of one of the most prolific musicians of the time, Thomas “Fats” Waller. Bold, bright, and told with the cheeky humor for which Fats Waller was known, this Tony Award winning musical has become a classic of African-American theatre that is sure to bring the house down and keep you singing, and swinging, into the streets. The show runs July 11 - August 10.
Show times are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m.
Call or stop by the Jubilee Box Office at 817-338-4411, Tuesday thru Friday from noon to 6 p.m. or 45 minutes before curtain time. For more information, visit www.jubileetheatre.org
Kara Walker: My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love
at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
: The first full-scale American museum survey of the work of Kara Walker opens at the Modern on July 5 and runs through October 8. My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love features works ranging from Walker’s signature black cut-paper silhouettes to film animations to more than one hundred works on paper. Set in the American South before the Civil War, Walker’s compositions play off stereotypes to portray, often grotesquely, life on the plantation, where masters, mistresses, slaves, women, and children enact a subverted version of the past. For more information, visit
www.mamfw.org
.
Marsden Hartley and the West: The Search for an American Modernism
at the Amon Carter Museum:
June 14-August 24, see the Southwest through the eyes of Marsden Hartley (1877-1943), one of America’s great modernists. Organized by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, this exhibition features nearly forty works from Hartley’s New Mexico period (1981-24); perhaps the most overlooked facet of his career. For more information, visit www.cartermuseum.org.
Stockyards Championship Rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum:
Cowboy up with great family entertainment every Friday and Saturday night at Cowtown Coliseum. See some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the business compete in events such as bull riding, bareback riding, tie down roping, team roping, barrel racing and more. Admission for children 3-12 is $10 and adult tickets range from $12.50 to $20.00 for reserved seating. Tickets are cash only at the box office. Credit cards accepted for online and phone orders. For more information, call 817-625-1025 or visit
www.cowtowncoliseum.com
.
Dallas will not be outdone here are some of their family friendly activities:
Cool Thursdays at the Dallas Arboretum:
Dallas’ only concert series overlooking scenic White Rock Lake returns to the Dallas Arboretum for its 11th spring/summer season, May 1-July 31. This popular event provides the best concert ambiance in the Dallas area at the Arboretum’s Martin Rutchik Concert Stage. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. with performances starting at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices for members range from $6-$18, for non-members $7-$25. For more information, call 214-741-4211 or visit
www.dallasarboretum.org.
Butterfly Exhibit at Dallas Zoo:
Get an up-close view of the life cycle of the butterflies. Immerse yourself in a garden of living jewels as you tour this limited engagement exhibit (through June 8). Parking for the Zoo is $5 for non-members, free for members and tickets range from $5-$8.75. For more information, call 214-943-2771 or visit
www.dallaszoo.com
.
Bluebonnets and Beyond
at the Dallas Museum of Art:
This spring, the Dallas Museum of Art will present Bluebonnets and Beyond: Julian Onderdonk, American Impressionist, celebrating the work of a great landscape artist and native son. During his short life, Julian Onderdonk (1882-1922) transformed the Texas landscape, creating indelible images of the Lone Star State. The exhibition is on view through July 20, in the J.E.R. Chilton and Focus Galleries, with ticket prices ranging from $5-$10; more information can be found by calling 214-922-1200 or visit
www.dallasmuseumofart.org
.
CityArts Celebration:
Celebrate CityArts with outdoor stages, strolling musicians, over 100 artists in a juried art show, cooking demonstrations, Dallas cuisine, museum and cultural organization exhibits, multi-cultural performances and children’s activities. Fun for the whole family, and it’s free! For a schedule and information, visit
www.dallascityarts.com
.
DFW Summer Balloon Classic:
An aviation extravaganza featuring 50 magnificent, colorful hot air balloons and continuous entertainment, including gliders, helicopters, airplanes, skydivers, Confederate Air Force and military aircraft. Something for all ages and free to the public ($5 parking fee). For more information, visit
www.summerballoonclassic.com
.
“A Year with Frog & Toad” at the Dallas Children’s Theater:
Rated by TIME Magazine as one of the top five theaters in the nation performing for youth, Dallas Children’s Theater is a professional theater, serving more than 250,000 young people and their families. The Tony Award-nominated adaptation of the beloved Arnold Lobel classic stories where cheery Frog and grumpy Toad leap off the page to the stage just in time for blossoming, bird-chirping spring. For more information on the production, which runs through July 20, visit
www.dct.org
, or call 214-740-0051.
Trinity River Fiesta:
The second annual Trinity River Fiesta is a free two-day event that will be held in recognition of the Trinity River Project and the 4th of July holiday. The celebration includes an incredible firework show (July 4, 9:30 p.m.), a carnival midway, main entertainment stages with national and international headline music performances, family health fair and a children’s pavilion. Located at Continental and Lamar off the Trinity River beds, the Fiesta runs Friday, July 4 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday, July 5 from noon to 8 p.m. For more information, visit
www.trinityriverfiesta.com
.
Taste of Dallas:
The Taste of Dallas is the largest free outdoor festival in Dallas. This three-day celebration of summer fun includes: taste bud-pleasing food prepared by area restaurants and chefs; live entertainment by national, regional and local performers; interactive sports, games and children’s activities; and a wide array of jewelry, arts and crafts. For further information and scheduling, visit
www.tasteofdallas.org
.