Mardi Gras in Dallas

Can't make it to New Orleans this year for Mardi Gras?

Never fear, the spirit of Mardi Gras lives on right here in Big D. It's nothing as elaborate as New Orleans-style Mardis Gras, but it promises to be a fun event nonetheless.

The organizers have been putting on this even for a few years now, but this year's event seems to be on a much smaller scale. What do you expect? We're in a recession.

For more info on how you can celebrate Mardi Gras on a budget here in Dallas, visit:

http://www.quickdfw.com/mystiqal/festivities.html

Cheap Date Alert #10: CityLights! Downtown Dallas November 14, 2008

Generally, I think that Christmas is a holiday for kids – the thoughtfulness of making a list, the preparation of cookies and milk to win the favor of the imaginary fat guy, the uncontrollable excitement that still is not enough to keep you from falling asleep on December 24th, and the ultimate rush of tearing through wrapping paper to see what the mystical fat man left under your tree (or leaning against the wall with a bow on it when I got the Pogo stick that year). Unfortunately, my sister and I are on track to becoming old maids so there are not any little people running around our homes necessitating that we decorate with wreaths, trees, and garland, and pipe endless Christmas music and the smells of vanilla and nutmeg through the air.

BUT this year I’m going to reclaim the holiday season for myself by attending CityLights! in Downtown Dallas Friday, November 14th at 6:30pm. I always cringe when people use New York City as their point of reference for an event/activity. I haven’t sipped the “NYC is the best city on Earth Kool-Aid.” However, in this case, it’s just easier. CityLights! is similar to all the festivities surrounding the lighting of the Christmas tree in NYC’s Rockefeller Center each year. During this year’s CityLights! event there will be live music, street performers, face painting, and other revelry in the immediate vicinity of Neiman Marcus on Main Street.

6:30PM – Festivities begin.

7:00PM – Lighting of Neiman Marcus store and unveiling of Neiman Marcus Christmas tree and holiday displays

7:30PM – Lighting of official downtown holiday tree at Pegasus Plaza

Area retailers and restaurants will keep their doors open later with holiday specials and other persuasive offers. Just because it’s still 73 degrees outside doesn’t mean that the holidays aren’t here. Hope to see you there.


TIP: The three Main Street District CityPark garages are offering $2 FLAT parking for the event.

Cheap Date Alert #9: FREE Theatre Tickets

If you have spent any time on this blog, then you know that Cheap Dates are one of my favorite things. I like to think of my “cheap date alerts” as my little way of encouraging men to practice the art of wooing women. The art of romance need not require a lot of money. It just takes a little research, a little creativity, and frequent visits to this blog if you live in Dallas.

This year Dallas is participating in Free Night of Theatre 2008. In 2005 Free Night of Theatre started its national campaign to attract new audiences to live theatre and to make theatre accessible to all by offering free tickets to the public. Over 600 theatres are participating throughout the country. Today in Dallas, more than 3000 (absolutely FREE) tickets were made available for reservation at 26 participating theatres throughout the metroplex. Tickets are available for shows October 16 – November 10, 2008. For a complete listing of participating theatres and show times please visit:

http://www.freenightoftheater.net/shows/

Update:
I have failed you, my dear readers. Though I learned of Dallas' Free Night of Theatre days ago, I did not alert you until just now. I thought nothing of this delay as tickets were not made available until 12noon, October 1st (today); however, I just checked the website to reserve my own tickets only to discover that ALL of the shows in Dallas were already "sold out." Apparently, good news travels fast.

Cheap Date Alert #8: Arts District Walking Tour

Learn more about Dallas's Arts District.

From http://www.artsdistrict.org/stroll/ :

Take the Arts District Stroll! Join us for the Arts District Stroll, your private guided tour of the history and architecture of Dallas' Arts District. Bring your friends, family and coworkers on a leisurely walk through the largest downtown area (19 blocks and over 68.4 acres) dedicated to the arts in the United States. Trained docents lead the hour-long, easy walk pointing out the architecture, the tradition, and the history of this unique neighborhood. While at the same time, they will be sharing with you the latest on Arts District entertainment, dining possibilities, and nightlife.

For more information:



http://www.artsdistrict.org/stroll/index.asp

Cheap FAMILY Date Alert!!!!

What: Prairie Lights (Christmas light display)

Where:
Lynn Creek Park at Joe Pool Lake
5700 Lake Ridge Pkwy
Grand Prairie, TX 75052

When:
Nov 22-Dec 31 Sun-Thu 6-9 pm Fri-Sat 6-10 pm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 6-10 pm

Cost:
Mondays through Thursdays: $12 per car
Fridays through Sundays: $15 per car
Prices vary for larger vehicles such as limos and small buses
10-minute holiday theater light show: $2 for adults, $1 for kids

Contact: 972-237-4569

From DallasNews.com:
Illuminated drive-through theme park features two miles of holiday exhibits with 3 million lights. Make a stop at the holiday village for refreshments, souvenirs and a 10-minute holiday theater light show (for an extra charge).

http://www.prairielights.org/

Cheap Date Alert #7

What: The NOTcracker (modern dance performance)
When: December 8, 2007 @ 3pm
Where: Dallas Museum of Art (Atrium Cafe), 1717 N. Harwood Street, Dallas, TX 75201
Cost: FREE (but you may still have to pay museum admission $10/person; call ahead to verify)
Contact: 214.922.1200

From DallasNews.com:

No snow falls on the Barefoot Brigade's NOTcracker, and no mice invade, either. Resolutely opposed to anything remotely like The Nutcracker, these modern dance companies celebrate the season in their own style. Kimberly Bland from Chiaroscuro Dance Company, for example, performs To the Sea: Metamorphosis of an Ice Sculpture, described as the "odyssey of an ice sculpture as she melts, evaporates into the atmosphere, and rains down into the ocean." Muscle Memory Dance Theatre goes in for "abstract tutus" in Embellish. Other groups include Armstrong/Bergeron Dance Company, Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth, BecklesDancing Company, Dallas Dance Company, 3/A Modern Dance Company and Phase 2 Dance Ensemble. The performance takes place at the DMA's Atrium Cafe. – MARGARET PUTNAM / Special Contributor

Cheap Date Alert #6

FREE concerts, oh how I love you. Let me count the ways...

Symphonic Saturdays (8pm - 10pm)

Esplanade Park
5044 Addison Circle Drive
Addison, Texas

Picnic in the park or dine in at one of Addison Circle's many great eateries as you enjoy soothing symphonic music from the Richardson Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Wind Symphony.

DATES:
August 4 - Richardson Symphony Orchestra
August 11 - Dallas Wind Symphony
August 18 - Richardson Symphony Orchestra
August 25 - Dallas Wind Symphony
COST: Free

Cheap Date Alert #5: Weekly Wine Events at Grand Tastings LLC

What: Weekly Wine Tastings
Where: Grand Tastings, 4430 McKinney Ave, Ste , Dallas, TX 75205
When: Daily (as well as a calendar full of special events)
Time: 10am - 10pm Fri; 10am - 11pm Sat; 2pm - 7pm Sun
Cost: varies $12-$30/person depending on the event
http://www.grandtastings.com/

I've already waxed on poetic about the virtues of a wine tasting as a cheap date, particularly a first date. Here's the quick version: it's cheap, it's impressive (all those crystal glasses and wine swirlings), and the consumption of wine helps loosen everybody up for conversation. What I like particularly about Grand Tastings is that they host a variety of wine events in their store - Champagne Fridays, Wine and Chocolate Pairings, and etc. Plus, they have a very light menu of nibbles to accompany the day's wines. I participated in a tasting on a Saturday afternoon and the day's menu (things like fruit and cheese, desert samplers, and finger sandwiches) ranged in price from $8 to $15.

What I like almost as much as the food and wine is the fact that Grand Tastings has its own parking lot which makes parking positively painless.

Give me Grand Tastings a try and tell them that the Lady of Leisure sent you. Be forewarned, however, that they will look at you with puzzlement and confusion as they have no idea who I am.

Cheers!

Cheap Date Alert #4: Taste of Dallas 2007

July 13-15, 2007
West End Historic District
Fri - 11am - midnight
Saturday - 11am - 1am
Sunday - Noon - 8pm
Admission: absolutely FREE !!!

From DallasNews.com:
With an anticipated attendance of more than 300,000 people, the 21st annual Taste of Dallas might live up to its billing as Texas' largest free festival. The three-day celebration showcases the area's culinary prowess with fare from about 40 area restaurants. There'll also be children's activities, as well as a live entertainment lineup that covers folk rock, blues, country and other genres. Friday night's highlights include a recipe contest featuring finalists in four categories (appetizer, entree, sides, dessert). One of the judges is Taylor Parks, who plays Little Inez in the movie Hairspray, opening July 20. Good to know: Food samples at the event, presented by West End Events LLC, generally cost about $2 to $4 each. – BINDU VARGHESE / Staff Writer

Cheap Date Alert #3: Choco-Late Nights

NOTE: The men who read this blog should absolutely LOVE me at this point. I know the courtship process can get expensive; it's my pleasure to offer up some events that won't break your banks.

CAUTION: I have not attended this event and I don't see myself doing so in the near future. I don't eat a lot of sweets and when I do, I'm pretty particular about it. Thus, even at the low, low price of $10/person, I still wouldn't get my money's worth. For those of you who do enjoy the decadence of chocolate and more, keep reading.

What: Choco-Late Nights
Where: Xocolatl Room, 2817 Howell Street, Dallas, TX 75204
When: Fridays, April 13 - June 29
Time: 8pm - 10pm
Cost: $10/person

Sample a variety of desserts such as petit fours, chocolate apricot cream cake, cappuccino cake, mousse cake and chocolate cheesecake every Friday through June. From what I understand, the samples are unlimited (but don't hold me to that).

Cheap Date Alert #2

Chase presents Jazz Under the Stars

Bring your captain's chairs, your coolers, and the entire family for an evening of music under the stars in downtown Dallas.

What I liked best about this event: it's absolutely FREE! It's casual, no need to dress up. It's just as fun for a couple (I saw one couple with a small table set up with candles and wine, how romantic is that?) , a group of friends (I saw a spades game going on - gotta love that), or the entire family (and don't forget the family pooch).

TIP: If you're early, you're on time and if you're on time, you're late. Show begins at 8pm but people start arriving as early as 7pm to get a spot in the grass. No worries though, I was camped out on the sidewalk and it was just as nice.

Hurry, there's only one more concert left in the series, June 14, 2007. For more info:

http://dallasmuseumofart.org/Dallas_Museum_of_Art/Experience/Special_Events/SecondaryPage_Special_Events?useSecondary=true

Cheers!

Cheap Date Alert!!!

Saturday Wine Tastings at Crush Wine Shop (formerly known as Best Cellars) on Knox St.

I read about this event on dallasnews.com. According to dallasnews.com the event is free, but according to my experience on Saturday, June 2nd, the event is $10/person. In defense of dallasnews.com, a gentleman that I met at the event informed me that this had been the first weekend that the owners charged for the event. Still, even at $10/person it’s a cheap date.

$10 gets you samples of the wines they are showcasing that day, a full glass of the wine you most enjoyed, and a food sample from the day’s featured chef (emphasis on the word sample; don’t plan on getting full). Each week the culinary work of a different chef is showcased. Last week it was the head chef of York Street restaurant. That’s all. Nothing more and nothing less.

Crush Wine Shop is a quaint little wine shop with a good amount of seating given its size. You can stop in for a glass or a bottle depending on your desires and you are invited to linger for as long as you like as you savor your purchase(s). It’s perfect for a first date. It’s a low pressure environment. You can make it last as long or as short as you desire; and there’s a little (or a lot) of wine to help put everyone at ease.

Before you automatically choose Starbucks as your informal first date headquarters, give Crush Wine Shop a chance.

Crush Wine Shop (formerly Best Cellars)
3205 Knox Street (at Cole)
Dallas, TX 75205
214.252.9463

By the by, I feel compelled to say that I am not affiliated with any of the places that I review and/or support in this blog. I don't get any kickbacks (i.e. money), no free food/drinks, nada, zip, zilch.