02:
It’s almost TGIFriday, people! Make plans tomorrow to do the hula, plow the fields and see priceless works of art for a lot less.
Hula Dancing in Lewisville
A family of entertainers called the Hawaiian Islanders will be sharing their family and cultural traditions in a live concert at the Castle Hills Village Shops & Plaza in Lewisville. See them perform Polynesian songs and several hula dances from 6–8pm. Want to stand up and join in? Go for it! It’s Friday night after all.
First Fridays at Nash Farm
Farmhands at the 5.2-acre educational farm near downtown historic Grapevine will be leading demonstrations on how families in the late 19th-century, like the Nash family for example, worked the land and the livestock. But it won’t be all work and no play for your own family. This “farm fun”-themed event runs from 10am–2pm, and admission is only $3 per person.
Last weekend for Bernini exhibit
As goes the saying about Rome, the works of art that decorate the ancient city weren’t built in a day. The gorgeous Baroque fountains and statues by 17th-century sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini started as terracotta sketch models, many of which you can see at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth through this Sunday, May 5. Special admission tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for ages 6–11. The museum is open late Friday night, until 8pm, and open 10am–5pm Saturday and noon–5pm Sunday.
For more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/showcalendar.asp.
01:
We could probably tell the classic stories of Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk blindfolded and with our hands tied behind our backs, but what about when their stories intertwine?
If you’re into “fractured fairy tales” like the ABC’s Once Upon a Time series or are seriously excited about the rumors that Johnny Depp will star in a Disney film based on the Broadway musical Into the Woods, then don’t miss this local youth production of Into the Woods, on stage May 1–5 at the MCL Grand in Lewisville.
See students of Our Productions Theatre Co. in Flower Mound perform as Cinderella, Jack and more characters in a plot as thick as, well, a giant beanstalk. Tickets start at $15.
Can’t make it this week? Stay tuned for another unconventional fairy tale by the Frisco Area Children’s Theater May 10–18. See Once Upon a Times They are a Changin’ about a princess who rescues Prince Charming in weekend performances at Black Box Theater inside the Frisco Discovery Center.
For more family-friendly events every day, visit the calendar at dfwchild.com/showcalendar.asp.
01:
In case you missed it, five U.S. presidents and dignitaries from all over the world were in Dallas last week for the dedication ceremony of the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University, and today the center finally opens to public.
Tickets for today are still available at $16 for adults and $10 for ages 5–12. Go online to get your tickets and choose when you’d like to go. Slots are open in 15-minute intervals.
The center is open 9am–5pm Monday–Saturday and noon–5pm on Sunday. Parking in the Bush Center parking lot is available for $7, and more options such as metered and garage parking on the SMU campus and the Lovers Lane and Mockingbird DART Rail Stations are nearby.
When you go, make sure to allot for a couple hours to walk the expansive, 226,000-square-foot building, which is home to the presidential library (the 13th in the country and the third in Texas), museum (with more than 43,000 artifacts) and the Bush institute, a public policy center founded in 2009.
The museum’s exhibits are a hit for adults and for any kid who’s said, “When I become president, I would …” The coolest spots to see are the full-scale replica of the Oval Office with a duplicate Resolute Desk to sit behind, a Texas version of the White House Rose Garden with drought tolerant plants, and the interactive Decision Points Theater where you can “make real-time crisis decisions” as President Bush did during his administration on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. You’ll also see a piece of steel from the World Trade Center.
If you’d like to dine at Café 43, save your trip until Friday when full-service restaurant open. It doesn’t require admission and has indoor and outdoor seating for a view of the native Texas landscaping. After you visit inside, take a walk through the 15-acre urban park with walking paths, an amphitheater and Texas prairie grasses, bluebonnets and more wildflowers. The park is open from dawn until dusk.
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.
30:
Get to know our city like never before by taking a food and drink tour with your significant other. From pizza and chocolate tours to the upcoming Cinco de Mayo Madness Celebration, a food tour is the perfect way to try new restaurants, fill your belly and a have a ton of fun in the process. Dallas Bites! will taxi you around town to try dish after dish from some of Dallas’ best rated restaurants. Play games while aboard the private bus and get to know other foodies; most tours accommodate around 18 people.
If you reside further west, check out the Texas Bar-B-Q Tour. Start with a train ride on the TRE before heading to the T&P Train Station in downtown Fort Worth. Board an air conditioned bus and prepare to be wowed. The tour stops at three award winning BBQ joints were you can sample everything from brisket to sausage to some of Texas’ best smoked ribs.
Most tours last around 4 hours and start at about $40 per person.
For more details on how to book a tour visit dallasbitesfoodtours.com or texasbarbqtour.com.
29:
April is winding down and the countdown to Cinco de Mayo begins now. The holiday itself may be celebrated on May 5, but leading up to the big day, you don’t want to miss out on all the ballet folklorico performances, mariachi bands, gorgeous costumes and meaningful traditions at celebrations across DFW. We’ve compiled a few of our favorites here for you.
Wednesday, May 1
Safari Boy and Adventure Girl from Xtreme Kidz Ntertainment will be teaching kids about the Mexican holiday through song and dance at NorthCourt, inside NorthPark Center in Dallas. The free program begins at 10:30am and is presented by Bookmarks, a Dallas Public Library branch at NorthPark.
Thursday, May 2
Watch a ballet folklorico tribute to Mexican artist Frida Khalo on stage at the Winspear Opera House, presented by all the performing companies – by children and adults – of the Anita M. Martinez Ballet Folklorico in Dallas. Tickets start at $10.
Friday, May 3
If your casa is farther from Dallas and closer to south of Fort Worth, check out the Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Burleson for a hometown street festival with carnival rides, authentic foods and performances from 6–11pm.
Saturday, May 4
The Saturday before Cinco de Mayo just may be the best day to celebrate the holiday with three festivals in Denton, McKinney and Dallas. Denton’s festival at Quakertown Park will host a morning parade, followed by a 5K run, a La Reina pageant and piñata crafts for the kids. Head to McKinney’s Towne Lake Park for a performance by Mariachi Michoacan at 6pm, or join the Dallas Cinco de Mayo parade at 11am and a festival with vendors, live music and performances on two stages from noon–8pm.
Sunday, May 5
For the official holiday on Sunday, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas will be celebrating with a special edition of Countries, Cultures and Kids at noon. Get your tickets online to watch a ballet folklorico performance in the auditorium starting at noon. Space is limited.
Finally, if you’re planning to attend the last day of Mayfest at Trinity Park in Fort Worth, head to the Frost Zone Stage at 2:30pm to see Ballet Folklorico Azteca. Take the kids over to the children’s area until Sol de Fort Worth Ballet Folklorico performs on the Tom Thumb Children’s Stage at 5:30pm.
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Last weekend for Bernini exhibit
