posted by
Elizabeth on 2013.05.03, under
Around Town: Dallas,
Around Town: Fort Worth,
Around Town: North Texas,
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What to do today!03:
This Saturday, take the family out to Dallas’ new amusement park, and to celebrate Asian cultures, cheer on the jockeys and horses racing in the Kentucky Derby, and cavort with fellow Star Wars fanatics.
Opening of Summer Adventures in Fair Park
See the more than 50 street entertainment acts planned for the weekend and be one of the first to ride the 500-foot-tall Top o’ Texas Tower, go boogie boarding on the FlowRider, positively soaked on the Log Flume at Dallas’ newest amusement park. Admission includes unlimited rides on all except the Sky Coaster, and it also gets you free entry to Texas Discovery Gardens and the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park.
May the 4th (And Comics) Be With You
We love puns, especially those that tickle our fancy for favorites like Star Wars. Let the kids attain the force at two locations celebrating this special day.
At LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Grapevine, help build a LEGO spaceship, take photos with storm troopers from 3–8pm on Saturday and 11am–6pm on Sunday, and please please, if you have a costume, come dressed as your favorite character for the costume contest.
Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco will have a Save the Ewok Wow Lab, Star Wars-themed experiments, crafts and games. Kids dressed in Star Wars costumes get in free.
And perhaps by coincidence (we think not), Saturday is also Free Comic Book Day. Visit freecomicbookday.com to find a comic book store near you and stop in for a free comic book of Star Wars or whatever other superheroes your kids adore most. Another good reason? Because Hugh Jackson/Wolverine is telling you to (see his video message).
Celebrate the Kentucky Derby
Do you love horses and can’t wait for the Kentucky Derby? For those reasons or just for an excuse to wear a darling, large hat, head to Prestonwood Polo and Country Club’s Polo on the Lawn in Oak Point on Saturday. Watch the derby race as well as a live polo match, the kids can enjoy a bounce house and face painting, and the whole family can compete for prizes in costume, picnic and tailgate contests judged by a celebrity panel.
If all that horse racing inspires you to get up and running, join the Derby Day 5K, one-mile fun run and festival at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano.
Asian festivals
The Crow Collection of Asian Art in Dallas is hosting its AdventureAsia family day from 10am–2pm with kite- and fan-making activities, family yoga, face painting, storytelling and a family writing workshop. Best of all you can join elementary-aged sisters Isabelle and Katherine and more members of the Keiki Club in a workshop to make origami ornaments. Proceeds from their ornaments benefits Living Water International, a Houston-based charity that drills water wells in developing countries. (Stay tuned for the Crow’s big Asian festival on May 18).
For families closer to Collin County, head to Plano’s Haggard Park on Saturday for the 10th annual AsiaFest for dance performances, martial arts demos, cultural exhibits, ethnic foods and kids activities presented by the Celebrating Asian American Heritage Foundation.
Sign up to receive our Weekend Guide newsletters delivered each Thursday to your inbox, and visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/showcalendar.asp for more family-friendly events every day.
30:
Dallas Children’s Theater is celebrating its 30th season with an announcement of 11 productions (see them all here) planned for September 2013 – July 2014, the new season video, and best yet, a hat design contest for kids in K–12th grades.
Winners for each title in the 2013–2014 season will help Emmy-nominated DCT costume designer Lyle Huchton build their hats to appear on stage in that show. Visit dct.org/hatcontest for all the details and for steps on how to submit your design. Entries will be accepted through July 15 and will be announced August 2.
Want to see a show now? The next in DCT’s lineup is The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, opening May 10, but tomorrow you can catch the Dallas Opera’s Brownbags@theopera performance – and even fit it into your lunch hour – at Sammons Park in Dallas. The free show starts at noon featuring a recital by Laurel Semerdjian. Bring lunch from home or choose from on-site food trucks and have a seat on the canopy-covered lawn at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
For more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/showcalendar.asp.
09:
Give a little and get a little this Earth Day by purchasing a pair of Naya sandals. For every Zenobia or Zephyr sandal purchased during the Spring 2013 season Naya will plant one tree in Colorado. The “Buy it. Plant it.” campaign was created to support reforestation efforts following the devastating damage caused by recent wildfires in Colorado.
Warm weather will be here in force before we know it and Naya’s sandals are the perfect weekend wear for spring and summer. A new pair of shoes for you and a new tree for the beautiful state of Colorado … you just can’t go wrong.
Check out the Zenobia and the Zephyr at shoes.com. $89 a pair.
25:
(And no, it’s not TOMS – though we love them, too.)
I’m talking about Dallas-based CHOOZE Shoes, founded by mom-we-love Sharon Blumberg. I had the pleasure of touring her workspace last fall and was so impressed by the company’s philosophy. The premise is simple: Shoes don’t have to be identical to be a matching pair, and the freedom to wear expressive shoes gives kids confidence and boosts creativity.
The new Spring ’13 collection introduces the limited-edition Create a Difference shoe (pictured left). Proceeds benefit the Soles4Soles Micro-Enterprise program. Designed by 12-year-old Ximena Fanco of Guatemala, the Create a Difference shoe with its multicolored handprints and footprints represents her desire “to leave a mark on the world” – which is precisely what CHOOZE is doing.
Because no matter which style you choose, your CHOOZE shoes are comfy, clever and socially conscious. Each pair is made from vegan materials, and every purchase goes to support micro-financing programs around the world. Following the Good Returns business model, CHOOZE re-invests net profits to lift women and their families out of poverty. It’s hard to describe just how cool these shoes are.
You can purchase CHOOZE Shoes online or visit one of ten local retailers. (Oh, and did we mention? They have women’s styles too. You know you want some.)
12:
Nothing beckons for a springtime photo opp like a field of flowers. For our next issue of DallasChildbaby, we want to know where you take your baby for sweet family photos around Dallas and Collin counties. Email photos of your little one to elizabeth@dfwchild.com and we’ll consider our favorites for inclusion.
In the email, please include:
-The exact location
-Your full name
-Your child/children’s first name(s) and age(s)
-Your contact phone number
-Photographer credit
29:
Through the Eyes of a Child exhibit
We know how a garden grows. Now you can see how local kids view their own growing garden in a new art exhibit at Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park in Dallas. Students at Dallas’ S.S. Conner Elementary School who are participating in the Thriving Minds after school program created a series of murals, drawings and photographs to reflect their work to prepare the Woodall Foundation Community Garden, which will include organic vegetables and pollinator-friendly plants. See the exhibit on view through April 28 and take a stroll through the center’s garden and butterfly house.
Big Muscle Builders
Let the kids work out their mid-week energy at a program hosted by Kidville at Bookmarks inside NorthPark Center in Dallas. Younger kids can climb courses, stack up giant blocks and brush up on basic agility skills to prepare for a variety of sports that are sure to pique their interest. The program is free and begins at 10:30am.
Developing Responsible Children
Help create some positive energy in your family by encouraging the kids to slowly take responsibility as they get older. The Parenting Center in Fort Worth is offering a workshop to help parents teach their kids how to develop decision-making skills, accept responsibility and gain confidence. Join the workshop on Wednesday from 6:30–8:30pm for $20 and $5 per additional adult household member. Registration is required.
To find more family-friendly events, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/showcalendar.asp.
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