Dallas / Fort Worth: Attractions

Currently displaying the Art of Captain Charles Young

Sweeny Todd – musical thriller Rated PG14 for mature theme and violence

Show Dates: October 17 – November 1 Auditions: August 25, 26

A Christmas Story – family comedy Rated G Show

Dates: December 5 – 20 Auditions: October 13, 14

The People Choose: 1860 & 1900 Today's Lives Shaped by Historical Presidential Campaigns

General Admission Event Tuesday, September 16, 2008 through Tuesday, December 30, 2008 Event Hours: Tuesdays - Saturdays: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sundays: Noon - 4 p.m. Event admission fees vary. Tickets: Event included with purchase of General Admission

Gun Fights at the Village Main Street Site of Gun Fight

 Every 1st and 3rd Saturday in Fall 2008

Why all the shouting in the Saloon? Visit Dallas Heritage Village every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, September 20 to December 20, and witness early Dallas law and order, settler style, on the Village's Main Street. Performed by the Trinity River Desperadoes, visitors will get a firsthand view of the “Wild West” when a mild disagreement concerning the presidential nominees of 1900 campaign quickly turns into a gun fight on Main Street. Free with museum admission.

 General Admission Event Sunday, October 05, 2008

Event Hours: Noon - 4 p.m. Free Admission 1st Sunday of the month (October, November and December 2008) Tickets: Event included with purchase of General Admission

Civil War on the Home Front Cub and Boy Scout Day (Also Open to the Public)

 Saturday, November 08, 2008 Event Hours: Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (2 p.m. Battle Re-enactment) *Early Cub & Boy Scout Registration Ends November 5* Tickets: Scouts $5.00 Adults $5.00 Seniors $5.00 Purchase Tickets Online

Nip & Tuck's Barnyard Buddies Storytime

-November 12 Stories, Music and Hands-On Activities for Preschoolers Event

 Hours: 11 a.m. Tickets: Child $5.00

The Orinoco - Secrets of the River rainforest exhibit represents the relatively unknown South American Orinoco River basin. Located entirely in Venezuela, the Orinoco River begins along the Venezuela-Brazil border in the Parima Mountain Range and continues approximately 1,600 miles (2,575 km) before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

 The tropical rainforest and savannas in this area are home to unparalleled concentrations of flora and fauna.

Located at the southern tip of the African continent is a diverse and fascinating region. South Africa contains nine natural biomes, ranging from desert in the west to evergreen forest in the east. Dominated by a central plateau, the region has no navigable rivers.

The South Africa outdoor, lagoon-like exhibit represents both plants and animals from this area.

The aquarium features more than 85,000 gallons (321,800 l) of saltwater with marine life from around the world. Walk through the 22,000-gallon (83,280 l) tunnel to experience a panoramic view of reef life.

 Many animals found at the top of the food chain can be seen in the Predators exhibit. Ten 2,000-gallon (7,571 l) displays present marine life from around the world - Palau, Southern Australia, Lord Howe Island, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Bahamas, British Columbia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Japan.

Representing the waters of four continents, three oceans and various seas, the aquarium gives a glimpse of the underwater world. four continents, three oceans and various seas, the aquarium gives a glimpse of the underwater world.

Mundo Maya is an eight-story, immersion exhibit that takes visitors from the waters of the Yucatan's gulf coast to the highland rainforests. This great culture believed that nature did not need to be conquered or subdued.

 Many plants and animals were given important roles in their daily lives. The land of the ancient Maya included the countries of modern day Belize and Guatemala, the western parts of Honduras and El Salvador, and five Mexican states (Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Campeche and Chiapas).

Mayan Performance Troupe The popular Mayan Performance Troupe will be visiting with guests, both inside and outside the facility on Saturday and Sunday afternoons starting July 5.

Their scheduled weekend performances will resume on September 5.

2008 North Texas Horse Country Tours 02/02/2008 thru 12/06/2008

North Texas 940-382-7895 Tours depart from Denton Historical Park- 317 W. Mulberry, Denton, TX 76201 First Saturday of each month.

February 2 March 1 April 5 May 3 June 7 July 5 August 2 September 6 October 4 November 1 December 6 http://www.discoverdenton.com

History comes to life with Denton’s new Trails West tour, the latest gem in the city’s rich collection of heritage tourism.

The tour follows the Denton-to-Abilene leg of the Butterfield Overland Trail—a track of land created in 1858 as a stagecoach route from Missouri to California. The tour stops overnight in Abilene where travelers can explore the Frontier Texas! museum before taking a different route back to Denton. It’s an interesting trek for history buffs.

“If you follow the Butterfield, you cross the Chisholm Trail, you’re on the Goodnight- Loving Trail, you’re on the Immigrant Trail. You either traverse or cross half a dozen trails out there, all going different places for different reasons,” says Bob Montgomery, former Denton city councilman, amateur historian, and the tour’s guide.

 For more information on the tour, contact the Denton Convention & Visitor Bureau at (940) 382-7895, (888) 381-1818, or visit www.discoverdenton.com.

Denton's Annual Lighting Festival brings togeter the community as it promotes the joy of giving.

You’ll need sunglasses in the wintertime at Denton’s Holiday Lighting Festival in the historic downtown Square on Dec. 4, where a collage of thousands of star-like lights cover the Square’s trees, railings, and lamp posts.

The festival has marked the start of the city’s holiday season for 20 years, and this season will be no different. The free family-friendly event welcomes all area residents. The festival officially began in 1988, though its origins go back much further. Its roots go back to a courthouse tradition, in which city residents decorated the storied building with wreaths and ribbons more than 100 years ago.

State Fair

2008 State Fair of Texas

 Sept. 26 - Oct. 19 Where: Fair Park, a 277-acre entertainment and recreation complex owned by the City of Dallas, is located two miles east of downtown. The park is the year-round home of the Music Hall, Cotton Bowl and eight museums. Fair Park is a National Historic Landmark and boasts the largest collection of art deco exposition buildings in the United States. Hours: During the 24-day State Fair of Texas, the exhibit buildings are open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.Amusement rides: 70-75.

• 212-ft. Texas Star is the tallest Ferris wheel in North America.

• Livestock entries: approximately 8,000. • Creative Arts entries: approximately 7,000. • Food service locations: approximately 200. • Ride & food revenues: $26 million (2006). • The Texas-OU football game has been played during the Fair every year since 1929

. • Big Tex made his first State Fair appearance in 1952. • Corny dogs were invented in 1942 by State Fair concessionaires Carl and Neil Fletcher. • Since 1992, the State Fair of Texas Scholarship program has awarded more than $1.8 million in new and renewed college grants to eligible students.

Penguins are "Back in Black"!

Opening Saturday, April 12, Penguins make their big splash at the Zoo in their new home complete with a beach for the penguins and underwater viewing for guests.

Come out of your shell with Edventures in learning! Kids get up close and personal with elephants, otters, meerkats and more! In our activity-packed classes, they can be a part of the animal world and watch as prairie dogs burrow, elephants bathe and hippos wade.

 Space is limited. Register online today.  Tuition fee

That's not the wind howling - it's all the "spooktacular" fun you'll find at Fort Worth Zoo's 17th Annual Boo at the Zoo.

 Scheduled for Friday, October 24 through Wednesday, October 29, Boo at the Zoo is a safe, family-friendly fall event held at the Fort Worth Zoo for six wild nights. Check back often for additional event and ticket information.

Amphibian Productions presents "Dark Play or Stories For Boys" 09/18/2008 thru 10/05/2008

Sanders Theatre in the Fort Worth Community Arts Center 817-923-3012 http://www.amphibianproductions.org

Libraryfest

10/12/2008 Fort Worth Central Library, Downtown Fort Worth 500 West 3rd Street Fort Worth, TX 76102

Fort Worth Public Library Foundation Libraryfest is a free family-oriented festival that showcases the Library in a new and exciting way. Authors, storytellers, musicians and other interesting folks will be on hand in and around the Central Library to offer discussions, presentations, workshops and entertainment. Three-time Grammy-nominated Trout Fishing in America will be back to entertain children and adults alike.

The festival attracts a diverse audience from the North Central Texas area with an annual attendance that has exceeded 8,000 visitors. www.libraryfest.com

Historic Fort Worth, Inc. Charity Designers Showhouse

11/01/2008 thru 11/16/2008

5101 Cliffrose Lane, Fort Worth 76109 Historic Fort Worth, Inc. 817-336-2344 or www.historicfortworth.org The 2008 Charity Designers Showhouse is a collaboration between Historic Fort Worth, Inc. and Winterthur Museum & Country Estate. Kim Johnson and Justin Seitz of Johnson-Seitz Ltd. will coordinate the work of local and national interior designers who will create rooms that are inspired by the landmark rooms of the Winterthur mansion.The 2008 Chairty Designers Showhouse will be open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Thursday evenings, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 prior to November 1 and $25 from November 1-16. www.historicfortworth.org

2008 Lone Star International Film Festival

11/12/2008 thru 11/16/2008

 Downtown Fort Worth Sundance Square

 Kelley@lonestarfilmsociety.com 817-924-6000 The Lone Star International Film Festival, hosted by the Lone Star Film Society, is a year round series of programs culminating in a five day celebration of cinema in mid-November. The festival’s purpose is to showcase artistically and culturally significant films and provide educational forums in which filmmakers and enthusiasts can learn more about the art and business of cinema. After a hugely successful inaugural year, LSIFF 2008 promises to be one of the premier cultural events in Fort Worth. http://www.lsiff.com/

Lonestar Storytelling Festival

October 2008 - Exact date TBA

City Hall Plaza at Frisco Square Listeners will be spellbound by fables from ancient cultures, retellings of Native American legends, hilarious chronicles of childhood misadventures, and more. Featuring award winning storytellers, this truly entertaining and unique festival will offer two days and nights of family fun. In addition to concerts, puppet shows, folk arts and crafts and more stories ever told in one setting, the grand finale concert will leave you laughing all the way home. www.friscofest.org

Kurt Thomas Invitational Gymnastics

January 9-11, 2009

 Dr Pepper StarCenter www.kurtthomasinvitational.com

Don’t miss the excitement of this gymnastics competition for Levels 7 through Elite at the Dr Pepper StarCenter in Frisco! You could just be watching a future Olympian at this event that is fun for the entire family Call 214-387-4707 or visit

Murder Mystery Dinner “Missed Fortune”

Greedy Granbury Green, the town’s big shot banker, has been bumped off and Marshal Jim Courtright may need a crystal ball to figure out who done it. Could it be Dusty Muddwater, the fastidiously clean and directionally challenged prospector with gold in his future? Or Tatyana, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Gypsies, who read more than Mr. Green’s palms. Then there’s Clarice Green, wife of the dearly departed, who may have taken her horse training skills a bit too far. Or maybe Mortimer Morton, the local undertaker, had an extra casket to fill. All predictions indicate chaos and laughter in the immediate future as you help the Marshal read the signs and solve the crime.

NOTE: Due to frequent sell-outs, reservations are strongly recommended. Call 817-778-2215 for reservations today or purchase online! Dates: Friday and Saturday nights Cost: $55.00 Dinner & Show (includes dinner, show, tax, gratuity, and self-parking)

November 14, 2008 - January 3, 2009

Book your Lone Star Christmas Package online now!

Back again and better than ever, Gaylord Texan's fourth-annual Lone Star Christmas event, featuring the awe-inspiring ICE! Exhibit, provides a winter wonderland full of festive holiday events, activities, and displays for those of all ages to enjoy.

 Beginning November 14, 2008 - January 3, 2009, Lone Star Christmas at Gaylord Texan will dazzle visitors with magnificently decorated resort atriums featuring over 1.2 million holiday lights, electric train displays, a life-size Gingerbread House, and 15,000 sparkling holiday ornaments... just to name a few. Special guests of Lone Star Christmas will include Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus with live reindeer, and a variety of strolling holiday entertainers and much more! Book your Lone Star Christmas Package

October 2-4 – Tommy Alverson Family Gathering #11, Loyd Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie.

Enjoy Texas Country Music star, Tommy Alverson. The Gathering, a showcase of Texas music, brings together the veterans and new talent alike to form a music festival that appeals to a large, diverse audience yet still retaining the feeling the "Texas Music Family." Admission fee.

 Contact 817.467.2104.

December 1-31, Prairie Lights, Lynn Creek Park, Grand Prairie.

 Prairie Lights features scores of HUGE lighted Holiday Displays including the World’s Largest Tunnel of Lights! Brought to you by Wonderland and the City of Grand Prairie. Admission fee.

There is also a Concessions and Prairie Lakes Store. For more information, call 972.237.8100 or visit www.gptx.org. December 6 – Winter Wonderland, Lynn Creek Park, Grand Prairie

History and Future of Nash Farm

Thomas Jefferson Nash purchased 110 acres of farmland in Grapevine in 1859. Nash family originally consisted of Thomas, wife Elizabeth, their six children and Thomas’s brother William. Their first home, a log cabin, was replaced by the current two-story structure around 1880. A barn was added nearby in 1905. Nash Farm was used to raise cash crops such as corn, wheat and cotton in addition the usual subsistence crops. Farm livestock included cattle, hogs, sheep,horses, oxen, mules and chicken. The 5.2 acre Nash Farm is located near historic downtown Grapevine.

The farmstead consists of the original house, the original barn and a family cemetery. Nash Farm is owned by the Grapevine Heritage Foundation, a private non-profit entity.

The Grapevine Heritage Foundation will restore Nash Farm to reflect the life and times of the early farmers and settlers who established Grapevine. The facility will offer educational programs, interpretive exhibits and historical perspectives on a disappearing part of our heritage. It will also be used as a family entertainment facility.

October 18: 11th Annual Butterfly Flutterby

Historic Downtown Grapevine FREE Admission -- Calling all kids- come to Grapevine to celebrate the migration of the Monarch Butterfly from Canada to Mexico. This fun-for-the-whole-family event includes releases of butterflies and a Gossamer Parade.

Christmas Capital of Texas Grapevine is fast becoming the "Christmas Capital of Texas" and as such, Historic Downtown Grapevine and surrounding areas in the city will be converted to a winter wonderland this holiday season.

Weekends of November 28 - December 21, 2008

 Fridays - 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

 Saturdays - 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

 Sundays - 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Visit with Santa Claus Take a complimentary horse drawn trolley ride Join Ellie the elf, Frosty the Snowman and a Santa stilt walker for children's activities and "reindeer games" Enjoy complimentary KettleKorn Strolling entertainment in period costumes along with Rudolph, a talking Christmas tree and Frosty the Snowman

Weekends of November 30 - December 22, 2008

Tickets for the 2008 North Pole Express will be available on September 22, 2008.

Parade of Lights illuminates Historic Downtown Grapevine

 December 4, 2008 7:00 PM

 Thousands of merrymakers will witness an enchanting display of more than 100 colorfully lighted floats that will pass through Historic Downtown Grapevine. Rolling to the tune of numerous marching bands playing holiday music, the Grapevine Parade of Lights is North Texas’ largest lighted Christmas parade. The at Main St. and Vine St. and heads north on Main St. to Wall St.

The parade is free and open to the public.

June 29 - November 2, 2008

Some of the most celebrated and iconic works of the great Impressionist painters are coming to the Kimbell Art Museum next summer! The loan of about 90 paintings from Chicago’s world-renowned Impressionist collection is possible because of an ambitious reinstallation and expansion project at the Art Institute that includes extensive renovation of the galleries and the construction of a new Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano—the architect recently chosen by the Kimbell to design its own second building. The Art Institute’s Impressionist collection has never before left Chicago in such a large group, and it will be shown exclusively at the Kimbell.

Texas Dinosaurs

NOW OPEN in MNS Science Building! New Texas Dinosaurs - Fossil Dig exhibit

Have you ever wondered how dinosaur fossils wind up in museums? Join us in a contemporary tale of discovery that begins right here in Texas. It takes a team to find a fossil, unearth it and transport it to a lab for preparation, study it, and finally display it in a museum.

Our team includes paleontologists, students and teachers, engineers, artists, computer scientists, and many others. Each contributes unique skills and enthusiasm to this adventure. Museums are places for sharing, where scientists share the results of their work with the community. Museums are also nurturing places, home for many scientists. Here their research is conceived, funded, supported, and realized. Museums help make discovery possible. Imagine that you are the first to see something that has not seen the light of day in over 60 million years. On the field expedition, in the new MNS Texas Dinosaur - Fossil Dig, you are the explorer. All of the fossil casts you can find in this dig have been unearthed over the past four decades in Big Bend. Now it is your turn… come and explore. 3535 Grand Avenue and 1318 S. 2nd Avenue in Fair Park Phone: 214-428-5555 FAX: 214-428-4356

Hall of Texas Birds

 The Hall of Texas Birds at the Museum of Nature and Science presents wildlife dioramas of several avian species that are native to Texas. From the Attwater Prairie Chicken exhibit, to the Wintering Geese exhibit, there is much to see and explore.

Hall of Texas Wetlands

The Hall of Texas Wetlands presents wildlife dioramas of several lake, river and marshland habits and their respective wildlife. From the American Alligator exhibit, to the Wood Stork exhibit, there is much to see and explore.

Bison Hall

Vernon & Florence Bailey documented the biological diversity of Texas at the turn of the 20th Century. Their story is now told at the Museum of Nature and Science's Bison Hall.

Hall of texas mammals

the hall of texas mammals at the museum of nature and science presents wildlife dioramas of several mammalian species that are native to texas. from coyotes to white tail deer, there is much to see and explore.

The Museum of Nature & Science houses the only public planetarium in Dallas County.

Recently, we upgraded our planetarium to exploit cutting-edge 21st century technology featuring the state-of-the-art digital system, Digistar 3. Digistar 3 system uses powerful graphics hardware and software to generate immersive images, scanned with twin DLP projectors on the interior surface of the overhead dome

Tour the world in downtown Plano at the 4th Annual Plano International Festival

Saturday, October 4, 2008 11:00am – 5:00pm Haggard Park

Come celebrate Plano’s rich tapestry of cultures at this free family event. You won’t just learn about other cultures—you’ll experience them!

Heart of Texas Arts and Craft Show – Plano

A THREE DAY SHOW!!

October 17, 2008 (3pm-8pm)

October 18, 2008 (9am-5pm)

October 19, 2008 (11am-5pm) Plano Centre Plano, Texas (location map) Admission: Adults $4.00, Kids 12 and under are FREE

We are extremely proud to be a three-time winner of the "Facility of the Year" Award from the DFW Chapter of Meeting Professionals International, and of our reputation for creating memorable events with innovative flair and style.

Entertaining does indeed take on a legendary meaning at Southfork. A wide variety of ballrooms, full-service catering, impressive decor and entertainment amenities and a special touch of Texas hospitality, make Southfork a distinctive option for event and meeting planners. Creative event themes and a full staff of event planning professionals make planning effortless and enjoyable.

Southfork is a renowned Texas legend and landmark that is home to more than 1,400 events each year and we love what we do! 

We would love to have your event as part of our legendary "Dallas" history.

Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive Happening daily at 11:30 a.m. and again at 4:00 p.m.

The Cattle Drive travels through the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards on E. Exchange Avenue in front of the Fort Worth Livestock Exchange Building and then back to the holding pens behind the Exchange building for viewing.

 Best Places To View The Herd Any Stockyards Station Restaurant with Outdoor Seating. Standing on the curb of Exchange Avenue in front of the Stockyards Visitors Center. The lawn in front of the Livestock Exchange Building.

LEGENDS OF TEXAS SUMMER GUNFIGHT SHOWS - FREE

Every weekend beginning May 17th inside Stockyards Station in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards!

 Saturdays & Sundays 11:45 a.m. & 4:15 p.m.

"Legends" was founded in 1981 in Fort Worth, Texas and its members are currently all located in the Fort Worth - Dallas metroplex area. The primary goal of the group is the preservation of the rich Western heritage which Texas and surrounding states have inherited from the hard work and determination of our forefathers. The Legends of Texas is an organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of that portion of American History between 1835 and the early 1900's - the true western days of our country.

The newest attraction in the Fort Worth Stockyards is the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, which pays tribute to 72 of the top cowboys and cowgirls in Texas. The museum is located in Barn A, in what was once the horse and mule barns in the Stockyards.

 Visitors see three exhibits for one low admission fee. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame honors Texas men and women who have excelled in the sports of rodeo and cutting.

Each booth contains photographs and memorabilia; and many of the booths also have video, depicting the honorees’ careers in their respective events. (Learn about the nomination process)

Also included in the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame are the Sterquell Wagon Collection and the John Justin Trail of Fame. The Sterquell is billed as “the world’s largest lifestyle wagon collection” and features more than 60 antique wagons, carriages and sleighs. Included in the exhibit: A Sicilian cart dating to the 1750s, with dramatic painted scenes and intricate iron work A Welsh funeral hearse, complete with beveled glass windows, gold leaf paint, and plumes The John Justin Trail of Fame

Kennedy: Home Movies From Dallas; Special exhibit in the 7th Floor Gallery opens November 12, 2007 ________________________________________________________________________________________________

The SmartHouse Exhibit, created by AMX for The Women's Museum, makes "going green" hands-on this year at the State Fair of Texas. Interact with the newest "green" technologies, from energy-saving thermostats and water heaters to security systems that turn the lights on when you get home.

Try out other cutting-edge energy-saving solutions, including:

Thermostats that communicate with utility companies and adjust for weather conditions Sunlight-detecting lights and shades Heat-sensing window awnings Self-adjusting sprinkler systems Tankless water heaters and re-circulating water pumps

In addition, you can watch videos, visit interactive kiosks, and learn how the women engineers of AMX are helping to build the household of the future.

Partisan Pieces: Quilts of Political and Patriotic Persuasion

 November 6, 2008 – March 29, 2009 Part of Quilt Mania II

The Sorcerer's Apprentice October 31 - November 2

November 7 - 9

All Friday performances are held at 11:00AM. All Saturday performances are held at 11:00AM & 2:00PM. All Sunday performances are held at 2:00PM.

Heart of Texas Arts and Craft Show – Waxahachie

A THREE DAY SHOW!!

November 14, 2008 (3pm-8pm)

November 15, 2008 (9am-5pm)

 November 16, 2008 (11am-4pm) Waxahachie Civic Center Waxahachie, Texas (location map) Admission: Adults $3.00, Kids 12 and under are FREE.

Western Currency Facility Tour and Visitor Center

 (817) 231-4000 (local)

You'll see millions of dollars being printed during a tour of the BEP. The tour features the various steps of currency production, beginning with large, blank sheets of paper, and ending with wallet-ready bills!

As the U.S. Government's security printer, the BEP is responsible for the design, engraving and printing of all U.S. paper currency. A world leader in printing technology, the Bureau also produces portions of U.S. passports, materials for Homeland Security, military identification cards, Immigration and Naturalization Certificates, White House invitations, Treasury obligations and other U.S. securities.