Kwanzaa is an often misunderstood holiday-celebration-week of atonement.
Here's your (and my) opportunity to learn more about it.
KwanzaaFest is on Saturday, December 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.and Sunday, December 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Automobile Building at Fair Park. Estimated attendees for both days exceeded 50,000 in 2007.
From http://www.dallasnews.com/ :
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price will present the annual community festival on Saturday and Sunday at Fair Park. It will feature performances by R&B artists, gospel singers, dancers, jazz ensembles, drummers and more. The lineup will include Jazmine Sullivan, Plies, Baby Bash, Play N Skillz and Mary Mary. Other activities will include a health fair with screenings and information booths, a high school debate competition and a vendor fair. – NANCY MOORE / Staff Writer
This year's KwanzaaFest is noteworthy because a new event has been added to the festival. Inspired by the movie "The Great Debaters," debate teams from Carter and Roosevelt high schools will battle it out Sunday, December 14th at 2pm on the main stage.
http://www.johnwileyprice.com/kwanzaa-main.html
Showing posts with label fun and games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun and games. Show all posts
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Play Date Dallas Part 2
I published my first post on Play Date Dallas September 23, 2008. Check it out for details regarding the Play Date concept. My first impression of Play Date Dallas was lackluster for a number of reasons, but I suspected that Play Date Dallas had potential so I determined to give it another chance. That second chance happened yesterday at Sankofa & Bar. I was not disappointed. I had a good time last night and here's why.
1) Taboo! - Need I say more?
2) A much better venue. My first experience with Play Date Dallas took place at Boston's restaurant. Boston's is a perfectly fine casual dining restaurant but is poorly configured for a night of mixing, mingling, and game playing (see my original post on September 23, 2008). Sankofa had a much better layout that worked well for the Play Date concept. It was easy to move in between tables to check out the action and to find opportunities to join in the fun. It was also easy for groups at adjacent tables to interact with each other. At Boston's, approximately 40% of the seating was high-backed booths which limited interaction.
3) Early arrival time. Play Date events begin at 8pm and end at 2am. If you truly want to play games, mix, and mingle in a low-key setting, arrive no later than 8:30pm and stay no longer than 10:30pm. At 10pm the laid-back vibe fades and the typical "club" vibe and all its usual patrons begin to emerge.
In the end, I am absolutely recommending Play Date Dallas to all who are curious. It is not special because of its novel concept, but because it offers the best of both worlds. If you want to have a good time without the pomp and circumstance of a nightclub, show up early. And if clubbing is still your thing, show up late and all is well.
TIP: Sign up for their e-mail list to receive advance notification of Play Date events. I haven't been spammed so far, but who knows if and/or when they'll sell my e-mail address to the highest bidder.
Monday, September 1, 2008
300 Dallas - An Upscale Bowling Experience?
3805 Belt Line Rd.
Addison, TX 75001
972.620.7700
I am not a huge fan of bowling. I do not have a problem with bowling. It is just not high on my list of fun ways to spend an evening. Still, I have bowled more than a few games in my lifetime. The games that I most enjoyed involved one or more of the following: a large group of people; consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol; or an upscale bowling experience that felt less like bowling and more like a night out. I was hoping for the third element when I patronized 300 Dallas ("300") on Saturday evening but that isn’t quite what I got.
300 is certainly an upscale bowling alley when compared to its down-scale competitors. As I walked through the entrance a reception area stood in the middle of the floor. To my left was a separate bar and billiards area with gleaming pool tables and a huge big screen TV tuned to ESPN (naturally). To my right was the shoe rental counter which, coincidentally, is also where you pick up your bowling ball.
My sister and I put our names on the waiting list. We were told it would be an hour to an hour and a half before a lane was available. That was fine with me as I was hungry and 300 has a full-service restaurant with more than your typical french fries, nachos, and hot dogs fare. Unfortunately, the “restaurant” is not so much a separate space as is the case with the bar/billiards area, as much as it is an open space between the reception desk and the bowling lanes. The “restaurant” was a mishmash of lounge-style seating arrangements, tables covered with table cloths and silverware, and more casual, uncovered tables. We picked a table at random and sat down.
I ordered Thai shrimp for my appetizer, a Caesar salad, and a cocktail. My sister ordered french fries, no drink. I will refrain from reviewing the food. I will say only that it was not worth the $36 I paid for it. That’s right. I paid $36 (tip not included) for food at what is essentially a bowling alley. Fortunately, our lane was ready soon thereafter.
The wood on the lanes shone in the dim lighting. The stripes on the lanes glowed light neon blue. There was a row of big screen TVs above the bowling lanes; each screen alternated between ESPN and a pre-programmed video channel which was piped through the sound system for our listening pleasure. There were approximately 40 lanes and in a far corner I could see an arcade for the kids.
By the time we left we had bowled three games and I had spent almost $100. Yep, I paid $100 for a night of bowling for two people. I keep emphasizing that it’s “just bowling” because I expected more from 300. It didn’t feel like a casual, yet upscale night out. It felt like a bowling alley, maybe a fancy bowling alley, but a bowling alley nonetheless. If all I am getting is “bowling” I can get it at a fraction of the cost with the same amount of satisfaction at my standard AMF.
300 has potential. It has all the elements of a casual, yet upscale social scene alternative. It just needs to tweak the elements a bit. Firstly, I shouldn’t see kids after 9PM on the weekends. Nothing ruins an upscale experience faster than kids. Secondly, the restaurant needs to be a completely separate space. As it stands, there is nothing separating the restaurant from the bowling area. I’m not suggesting a wall, but there needs to be some kind of design element creating a distinction between the two spaces. Doing so would create three separate entertainment zones: bar-billiards, restaurant-lounge, and bowling alley. Then 300 would attract not just people looking for a game of bowling, but also people looking for a place to have dinner, or a place to have drinks and people watch, or a place to shoot pool – in essence, a greater number and cross-section of customers. That’s what would make 300 worth the steep prices and that’s what would make 300 an upscale experience and more than just “just bowling.”
Addison, TX 75001
972.620.7700
I am not a huge fan of bowling. I do not have a problem with bowling. It is just not high on my list of fun ways to spend an evening. Still, I have bowled more than a few games in my lifetime. The games that I most enjoyed involved one or more of the following: a large group of people; consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol; or an upscale bowling experience that felt less like bowling and more like a night out. I was hoping for the third element when I patronized 300 Dallas ("300") on Saturday evening but that isn’t quite what I got.
300 is certainly an upscale bowling alley when compared to its down-scale competitors. As I walked through the entrance a reception area stood in the middle of the floor. To my left was a separate bar and billiards area with gleaming pool tables and a huge big screen TV tuned to ESPN (naturally). To my right was the shoe rental counter which, coincidentally, is also where you pick up your bowling ball.
My sister and I put our names on the waiting list. We were told it would be an hour to an hour and a half before a lane was available. That was fine with me as I was hungry and 300 has a full-service restaurant with more than your typical french fries, nachos, and hot dogs fare. Unfortunately, the “restaurant” is not so much a separate space as is the case with the bar/billiards area, as much as it is an open space between the reception desk and the bowling lanes. The “restaurant” was a mishmash of lounge-style seating arrangements, tables covered with table cloths and silverware, and more casual, uncovered tables. We picked a table at random and sat down.
I ordered Thai shrimp for my appetizer, a Caesar salad, and a cocktail. My sister ordered french fries, no drink. I will refrain from reviewing the food. I will say only that it was not worth the $36 I paid for it. That’s right. I paid $36 (tip not included) for food at what is essentially a bowling alley. Fortunately, our lane was ready soon thereafter.
The wood on the lanes shone in the dim lighting. The stripes on the lanes glowed light neon blue. There was a row of big screen TVs above the bowling lanes; each screen alternated between ESPN and a pre-programmed video channel which was piped through the sound system for our listening pleasure. There were approximately 40 lanes and in a far corner I could see an arcade for the kids.
By the time we left we had bowled three games and I had spent almost $100. Yep, I paid $100 for a night of bowling for two people. I keep emphasizing that it’s “just bowling” because I expected more from 300. It didn’t feel like a casual, yet upscale night out. It felt like a bowling alley, maybe a fancy bowling alley, but a bowling alley nonetheless. If all I am getting is “bowling” I can get it at a fraction of the cost with the same amount of satisfaction at my standard AMF.
300 has potential. It has all the elements of a casual, yet upscale social scene alternative. It just needs to tweak the elements a bit. Firstly, I shouldn’t see kids after 9PM on the weekends. Nothing ruins an upscale experience faster than kids. Secondly, the restaurant needs to be a completely separate space. As it stands, there is nothing separating the restaurant from the bowling area. I’m not suggesting a wall, but there needs to be some kind of design element creating a distinction between the two spaces. Doing so would create three separate entertainment zones: bar-billiards, restaurant-lounge, and bowling alley. Then 300 would attract not just people looking for a game of bowling, but also people looking for a place to have dinner, or a place to have drinks and people watch, or a place to shoot pool – in essence, a greater number and cross-section of customers. That’s what would make 300 worth the steep prices and that’s what would make 300 an upscale experience and more than just “just bowling.”
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Mardis Gras comes to Dallas!!!
Get ready for Mardi Gras 2008 in Victory Park! The city seems to be committed to making Dallas the "NYC" of the South. 1st it was New Year's in Victory Park and now this. I'll be there. What about you???
From the website: http://www.quickdfw.com/mystiqal/
MystiQal is all about the true New Orleans Mardi Gras with a Quick twist in Victory Park.
MystiQal will be a night parade with beads and baubles featuring pre- and post-parties along the parade route, live music and loads of fun activities with food and drink that celebrate everything that is Mardi Gras.
All activities will kick off at 5pm with the opening of the street festival, located on High Market between Victory and Houston Streets, in the heart of Victory Park. The Mardi Gras Run will begin at Houston Street and Continental. The Grand Parade will begin at 7:30pm, so pick your spot behind the barricades, anywhere along Victory and Houston Streets, and get ready to catch beads and baubles. Live entertainment on the stage and street festival activities will continue until 11pm.
We are not planning any children's activities as MystiQal will be an authentic Mardi Gras experience in Dallas on Saturday, February 2, 2008. Now is the time to book your babysitter and join us at MystiQal.
All content contained on this website is for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice, so please check back for updates.
From the website: http://www.quickdfw.com/mystiqal/
MystiQal is all about the true New Orleans Mardi Gras with a Quick twist in Victory Park.
MystiQal will be a night parade with beads and baubles featuring pre- and post-parties along the parade route, live music and loads of fun activities with food and drink that celebrate everything that is Mardi Gras.
All activities will kick off at 5pm with the opening of the street festival, located on High Market between Victory and Houston Streets, in the heart of Victory Park. The Mardi Gras Run will begin at Houston Street and Continental. The Grand Parade will begin at 7:30pm, so pick your spot behind the barricades, anywhere along Victory and Houston Streets, and get ready to catch beads and baubles. Live entertainment on the stage and street festival activities will continue until 11pm.
We are not planning any children's activities as MystiQal will be an authentic Mardi Gras experience in Dallas on Saturday, February 2, 2008. Now is the time to book your babysitter and join us at MystiQal.
All content contained on this website is for informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice, so please check back for updates.
Friday, July 13, 2007
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
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
Monday, June 11, 2007
Celebrating Juneteenth (Freedom Day)
Juneteenth has a special place in my heart because its origins are rooted in Galveston, TX.
Though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, and though Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 (ending the Civil War), word of the freeing of the slaves did not reach Galveston until June 19, 1865. June 19 (Juneteenth) has since become known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. What started out as a regional holiday (Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma) has become a national day of celebration and remembrance.
For general information about Juneteenth check out:
http://www.juneteenth.com/
Upcoming Events…
Juneteenth Celebration at Valley Ridge Park
June 16, 2007
4pm – 10pm
Valley Ridge Park
2850 Park Ridge Drive
Cedar Hill, TX
The cities of Lancaster, DeSoto, Cedar Hill and Duncanville have joined together for the 4th Annual Best Southwest Juneteenth Celebration. There will be food, vendor booths, children’s activities, gospel and general entertainment for adults, and much more. FREE admission.
For more information call 972.230.9651. or visit
http://www.duncanville.com/juneteenth/
Real Men Cook for Charity
June 17, 2007
3pm
Gilley’s of Dallas
1135 South Lamar
Dallas, TX 75215
$20/adult; $10/child
From DallasBlack.com:
A fun-filled, all you can eat food tasting event! A celebration of men, fathers and families. Celebrities will include 2005 Host Darius McCrary “Eddie Winslow”-Family Matters; 2005 Host Darrin Henson-Soul Food; Rockman Dunbar-Soul Food, Prison Break & Girlfriends; Hill Harper–NY CSI. Real Men Cook is committed to the positive promotion and support of men in the community.There will be on-site kids activities to provide children with a hands-on opportunity to showcase mentoring and the dispensation of smiles for their fathers or the real men in their lives. Sponsors: Real Men Cook for Charity, Bounty and Southwest Airlines Contact Information
http://www.realmencook.com/
realmencookdallas@ yahoo.com Terry Allen, Dallas Event Manager, 214.376.6530 Info Line 214.231.5671
Celebration of African and African-American Art
June 19, 2007
6pm - 9pm
McKinney Avenue Contemporary
3120 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
214.953.1212
Suggested donation: $10 or $15
This event is not explicitly intended to commemorate Juneteenth but it does celebrate the freedom of artistic expression which we now enjoy.
From the DallasNews.com:
An opening reception June 19 at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary for "Art & Culture for Seeds: A Celebration of African and African American Art" celebrates the works of eight artists, including Radcliffe Bailey and Sherlock Artis. The reception also benefits nonprofit organization SEEDS (Sports for Education and Economic Development in Senegal) and includes live music and refreshments from the Cape restaurant. – BINDU VARGHESE / Staff Writer
Juneteenth Celebration - City of Plano
June 23, 2007
8am – 10 pm
Douglass Community Center
1111 H Avenue
Plano, TX
The City of Plano Douglass Community Center will host the 2007 Juneteenth Celebration. Join in the observance and enjoy a day of community service, family fun and games, live music, celebraty sporting event, a carnival atmosphere and food vendors. For more information contact the Center at 972-941-7174.
Though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, and though Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 (ending the Civil War), word of the freeing of the slaves did not reach Galveston until June 19, 1865. June 19 (Juneteenth) has since become known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. What started out as a regional holiday (Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma) has become a national day of celebration and remembrance.
For general information about Juneteenth check out:
http://www.juneteenth.com/
Upcoming Events…
Juneteenth Celebration at Valley Ridge Park
June 16, 2007
4pm – 10pm
Valley Ridge Park
2850 Park Ridge Drive
Cedar Hill, TX
The cities of Lancaster, DeSoto, Cedar Hill and Duncanville have joined together for the 4th Annual Best Southwest Juneteenth Celebration. There will be food, vendor booths, children’s activities, gospel and general entertainment for adults, and much more. FREE admission.
For more information call 972.230.9651. or visit
http://www.duncanville.com/juneteenth/
Real Men Cook for Charity
June 17, 2007
3pm
Gilley’s of Dallas
1135 South Lamar
Dallas, TX 75215
$20/adult; $10/child
From DallasBlack.com:
A fun-filled, all you can eat food tasting event! A celebration of men, fathers and families. Celebrities will include 2005 Host Darius McCrary “Eddie Winslow”-Family Matters; 2005 Host Darrin Henson-Soul Food; Rockman Dunbar-Soul Food, Prison Break & Girlfriends; Hill Harper–NY CSI. Real Men Cook is committed to the positive promotion and support of men in the community.There will be on-site kids activities to provide children with a hands-on opportunity to showcase mentoring and the dispensation of smiles for their fathers or the real men in their lives. Sponsors: Real Men Cook for Charity, Bounty and Southwest Airlines Contact Information
http://www.realmencook.com/
realmencookdallas@ yahoo.com Terry Allen, Dallas Event Manager, 214.376.6530 Info Line 214.231.5671
Celebration of African and African-American Art
June 19, 2007
6pm - 9pm
McKinney Avenue Contemporary
3120 McKinney Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
214.953.1212
Suggested donation: $10 or $15
This event is not explicitly intended to commemorate Juneteenth but it does celebrate the freedom of artistic expression which we now enjoy.
From the DallasNews.com:
An opening reception June 19 at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary for "Art & Culture for Seeds: A Celebration of African and African American Art" celebrates the works of eight artists, including Radcliffe Bailey and Sherlock Artis. The reception also benefits nonprofit organization SEEDS (Sports for Education and Economic Development in Senegal) and includes live music and refreshments from the Cape restaurant. – BINDU VARGHESE / Staff Writer
Juneteenth Celebration - City of Plano
June 23, 2007
8am – 10 pm
Douglass Community Center
1111 H Avenue
Plano, TX
The City of Plano Douglass Community Center will host the 2007 Juneteenth Celebration. Join in the observance and enjoy a day of community service, family fun and games, live music, celebraty sporting event, a carnival atmosphere and food vendors. For more information contact the Center at 972-941-7174.
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