Do Dallas (and Fort Worth and Denton and Plano and Ennis ...)
The Dallas-Fort Worth region is huge. Gigantic. Texas-sized, in fact. :-)
And as a result, there are loads of things to do here. This is part lensography of all my lenses that have to do with Dallas-Fort Worth area events and part listing of places you should go see if you're in DFW. Because there is so much to see and do here, this will be constantly changed and updated with current events and new locations.
Dallas-Fort Worth Resources
- Guidelive
- Events section of the Dallas Morning News.
- Entertainment
- Entertainment section of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram with events and reviews galore.
- Dallas Observer
- Entertainment calendar from the city's alternative paper.
What Do You Want to Do?
Making Travel Plans
Find airfare, hotel, cruise and package deals at Travelocity
One of my first steps in doing any travel planning is to get on Travelocity
Dallas Event Videos
Some Downtown Dallas Stuff
Here's what Yelpers have to say about Active Life in 75202
- State Fair of Texas (Dallas)

- "Tracey W, Jenn C and her DF and I went back Tuesday night to the fair and did the entire Food Fair in under 2 1/2 hours. We started with a plan and..." more
- The Dallas World Aquarium (Dallas)

- "Decided to take the squid to the DWA on Saturday. What did I see? Hmm, fish, bats, birds, monkey's, aligators and a cheetah. Wait, what?!? A cheetah,..." more
- Katy Trail (Dallas)

- "Love the KT and love to spot the hot men running on there. haha. you will also see: piles of doggie poop every so often moms with strollers sorority chicks..." more
- Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center (Dallas)

- "A couple of years ago I decided to start hitting the gym and get my flabby rear into shape. Since I work at Baylor, I was a member of Tom Landry...so I..." more
- Hank Haney Golf (Dallas)

- "Hank Haney is currently Tiger Wood's coach. Haney teaches the swing plane technique, which essentially tries to maximize your hitting power and minimizing..." more
Dallas Arboretum
Stuff Near the Galleria
Here's what Yelpers have to say about Active Life in 75240
- Cottonwood Park (Richardson)

- "I've grown up on this park. I remember as a kid before the rebuilt the park, it was just a little dirty creek, a playground and a pool. They dammed up the..." more
- Richardson Bike Mart (Richardson)

- "My wife and I came to this bike shop this past weekend to prep for her tri and came away absolutely impressed. She's been to bike shops in San Francisco..." more
- Telos Performance Center (Dallas)

- "High end fitness center that has it all. and I mean all. Three floors of hardcore fitness. From the outside it blends in perfectly to the surrounding other..." more
- LA Fitness (Dallas)

- "While on my trip to Dallas, had a couple of extra hours in the morning-- where I decided to jot into the gym--- and squeeze in about an hour's..." more
- Fretz Tennis Center (Dallas)

- "I have taken tennis lessons before in Plano but those are nothing compared to the lessons you get at Fretz. The instructors here dont just instruct you;..." more
Dallas Photos
So Who Has the Best Activities?
There's a lot of rivalry between Dallas and Fort Worth. Also a lot of working together on things for the North Texas region, but still a lot of rivalry as to which is the best town. Dallas is more metropolitan, Fort Worth more laid back, and this is reflected to some extent in the types of activities and events held there. What do you think?
Which has better events and activities - Dallas or Fort Worth?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byDallas all the way!
I'm a Fort Worth kind of person.
Christene says:
I've only been to Dallas & Fort Worth once so I'm not all that up on area attractions...but from what I did see I much preferred Fort Worth.
Posted July 18, 2008
Fort Worth Videos
Arts Festivals
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Dallas CityArts Festival
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Head on down to the arts district for the city's annual celebration of the varied arts available in Dallas. Check out the art museums for free, chomp on some carny food and listen to great bands play on the various stages. (Don't forget to come by t...
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Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival
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17th edition of one of the best art and music festivals in the area. The Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival began in 1993 as a small community event held in a local park in northeast Richardson, Texas. In just a few years, the festival has grown to be...
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Artfest | Dallas Festivals | Fair Park Events
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Signature fundraising event for The 500 Inc. in the Dallas area. Returns to Fair Park where it started more than 30 years. For 39 years, ARTFEST has featured hundreds of artists from around the country, food, entertainment, and a children's interact...
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Deep Ellum Arts Festival | Deep Ellum | Dallas Festivals
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Biggest weekend of the Year for the Deep Ellum Entertainment District. The Deep Ellum Arts Festival exemplifies everything that makes this eclectic area rock. April 4-6. 2008.
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Main Street Arts Festival | Fort Worth Arts Festival | Fort Worth, Texas
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The Southwest's largest, four-day visual arts and entertainment festival, four days of fine art, food, fun and festivities! Rated as the Number 1 Arts Festival in Texas, the 9th largest Arts Festival in the country as rated by the Harris List and the...
Fort Worth Zoo
At Local Attractions
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Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
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Return to the days of yore when chivalry reigned and knights roamed the earth! Too much? Well, go visit Medieval Times and you'll get a good dose of over-the-top entertainment. It's the kind of place that seems to take itself seriously, but you can't...
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Dallas Blooms | Dallas Arboretum | Largest Outdoor Floral Festival
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Hooray for flowers!! It's time again for the Dallas Blooms festival at the Dallas Arboretum. The 2008 theme is The Star of Texas, and one of the best things about our great state - the incredible beauty of the arboretum - will be highlighted througho...
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Dallas Roars | The Dallas Zoo | Events at the Zoo
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Welcome to Dallas Roars! Bring the family and enjoy six weekends of roaring good fun featuring special Dallas Roars! children's activities and entertainment. Now in its third year, the Dallas Zoo's annual festival includes children's activities, ente...
Music Festivals
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Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival
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17th edition of one of the best art and music festivals in the area. The Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival began in 1993 as a small community event held in a local park in northeast Richardson, Texas. In just a few years, the festival has grown to be...
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National Polka Festival | Ennis Texas | Polka Music
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42nd Annual National Polka Festival celebrating Czech heritage in Ennis, Texas Held annually on Memorial Day Weekend, the National Polka Festival offers an abundance of activities to be enjoyed by the entire family in the small town of Ennis, just s...
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Dallas International Guitar Festival & Musicfest | Dallas Music Events
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The Dallas International Music Festival celebrates 30 years of bringing musicians, guitar makers, collectors, celebrities and music enthusiasts.
Some Downtown Fort Worth Stuff
Here's what Yelpers have to say about Active Life in 76102
- Fort Worth Water Gardens (Fort Worth)

- "Yes the active pool is pretty cool in a weird "Am I in an outdoor shopping mall?" way. I thought... who decided that paving an acre of downtown metropolitan..." more
- Fort Worth Zoo (Fort Worth)

- "Okay, if humans were smart we wouldn't put animals behind bars and stare at them. Case in point the gorrilla at the entrance of the food had the patience of..." more
- Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth)

- "I'm so not a racing fan. My dad is definitely a car guy though, so yesterday we drove up to the Speedway for the 16th Lonestar Nationals Goodguys Rod &..." more
- Water Gardens Place (Fort Worth)

- "This cascading waterfall park is a must-see in Fort Worth. There are a multitude of water displays and climby things for the kids and pets to ponder. The..." more
- Larry North Total Fitness (Fort Worth)

- "I joined Larry North 2 weeks ago and so far, I am nothing but impressed. Here is a quick rundown on the highlights: - Free valet parking (Ft. Worth..." more
Fun For the Kids
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Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
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Return to the days of yore when chivalry reigned and knights roamed the earth! Too much? Well, go visit Medieval Times and you'll get a good dose of over-the-top entertainment. It's the kind of place that seems to take itself seriously, but you can't...
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Highland Village Balloon Festival | Dallas Events
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The annual 'Lion's Club Balloon Festival' is a great Highland Village tradition. This community event is sponsored by the Highland Village Lion's Club and other area Lion's Clubs. This annual festival includes live entertainment, skydivers, arts and...
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Day Out With Thomas | Thomas the Tank Engine | Dallas Railway Museum
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Day Out With Thomas is a family event that offers children and their grownups the opportunity to ride with classic storybook friend Thomas the Tank Engine at heritage railroads nationwide. The Day Out With Thomas experience will engineer miles of smi...
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Plano Balloon Festival
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Join the more than 70,000 people expected to show up this year for one of the biggest balloon festivals in Texas! The EDS Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival, a spectacular three-day event beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, September 19, will provide spect...
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Dallas Roars | The Dallas Zoo | Events at the Zoo
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Welcome to Dallas Roars! Bring the family and enjoy six weekends of roaring good fun featuring special Dallas Roars! children's activities and entertainment. Now in its third year, the Dallas Zoo's annual festival includes children's activities, ente...
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Butterfly Festival | Dallas Events
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Attendees will have the opportunity to explore a 600 square foot landscaped mesh tent populated with hundreds of individual Texas butterflies. Educational seminars detailing the life cycles of the different butterflies will be hosted by butterfly exp...
Food Events
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Taste Addison | Addison Texas | Food & Music Festivals
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More than 60,000 people are expected for this three-day festival highlighting all the great restaurants to be found in Addison.
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Dallas Wine & Food Festival | Wine Tastings | Dallas Events
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The annual event includes chef demos, food and wine tastings, seminars and entertaining tips. Runs April 23-27 this year. The annual Dallas Wine and Food Festival offers five days of exquisite meals, fine wines and tastings at various venues around...
Books on Dallas
Books on Fort Worth
Some Denton Stuff
Here's what Yelpers have to say about Active Life in 76201
- Denton Senior Center 50 (Denton)

- "Tai Chi at the Denton Senior Center The style taught is the "Simplified 24 Form" also known as the "International Form." A search of the web will reveal..." more
- Holiday Lanes (Denton)

- "CLOSED DOWN. OPENING UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT SOON! i miss my seedy little dive bowling alley. R.I.P. LONG LIVE BUDDY STAFFORD!" more
- The Dojo - Traditional Japanese Martial Arts (Denton)

- "The real deal; in business in Denton since 1996. They offer classes in: Aikido, Iaido, jodo, and Uechiryu karate. The schedule of classes is on the..." more
- Bodywise Studio (Denton)

- "Scaravelli yoga is taught here by Karin Ricketts. Scaravelli is ideal for someone who finds the more popular styles of yoga to be too high-impact. She..." more
- Colonna Pat (Denton)

- "Pat Colonna pioneered yoga in Denton. She teaches Sivananda style. She is now semi-retired and takes private students only. To make an appointment, phone..." more
Restaurants
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Breakfast in Dallas
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Dallas has quite the wide variety of restaurant options and I love going out to try new places. Figuring out a good place for breakfast to meet friends or colleagues or clients has always been a bit of a challenge, however, if you want to step out of...
Around North Texas
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National Polka Festival | Ennis Texas | Polka Music
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42nd Annual National Polka Festival celebrating Czech heritage in Ennis, Texas Held annually on Memorial Day Weekend, the National Polka Festival offers an abundance of activities to be enjoyed by the entire family in the small town of Ennis, just s...
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Scarborough Renaissance Festival | Medieval Festival | Renaissance Fair
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Spend the day in the 16th century and have the time of your life at this year's Scarborough Renaissance Festival down in Waxahachie. 2008 dates were April 5 through May 26. But if you're looking to extend the renaissance fun with a costume for Hallo...
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Bluebonnet Trails Festival | Texas State Flower
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The 57th annual salute to the state flower, sponsored by the Ennis Garden Club, includes free maps for self-guided driving tours of about 40 miles of bluebonnet trails along country roads (good for use throughout April). At the festival, expect arts...
Other Special Events
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Plano Balloon Festival
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Join the more than 70,000 people expected to show up this year for one of the biggest balloon festivals in Texas! The EDS Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival, a spectacular three-day event beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, September 19, will provide spect...
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AFI Dallas International Film Festival
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Time for the AFI Dallas 2008 International Film Festival!! The stars will be hitting the town as various indie films make their world premieres and others are screened for the first time in the U.S. There are 15 films on the list for 2008 for screeni...
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Quilt Celebration | Dallas Quilt Show | Quilters Guild of Dallas
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Quilt Celebration is an annual quilt show put on by the Quilt Guild of Dallas. The theme for the 2009 show is Playful Pinwheels. It runs March 13-15 and is a great place to learn with lectures and demonstrations, as well as be inspired by all the bea...
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Texas Scottish Festival & Highland Games
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Let the wee bit of Scot out in you at the 22nd annual Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games. Watch the caber toss, catch the Scottish fiddlers, scarf down some haggis. This three-day festival is a Scottish delight.
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Real. Texas. Festival.
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Three days of country music and cowboy fun in Mesquite, the Real. Texas. Festival. includes live country music, a marketplace featuring made-in-Texas arts and crafts, children's activities, Old West shootout re-enactments and a car show. It's three d...
Traders Village
Host to a ... host of festivals throughout the year and a darn good flea market the rest of the time.-
Traders Village | Grand Prairie Texas | Dallas-Area Festivals
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Traders Village is centrally located in Grand Prairie - halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth. The grounds play host to a huge flea market and a series of festivals, one of the most unique being a Native American celebration and pow wow.
Will We Be Seeing You in DFW Any Time Soon?
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jshore
What a great read! Go Texas! Posted September 04, 2008 |
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ecovicki
Nice lens. I see that you have many on the Dallas area. I've enjoyed working on mine for Denton Posted June 16, 2008 |
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thrivingmom
Great lens. You have a ton of information on this page. You might want to spread it out on multiple lenses. Also, don't forget the Omni Theater in Ft. Worth. As a kid I used to look forward to going there every summer. Posted June 05, 2008 |
All My Lenses
Want to see more lenses by me? Here's my complete lensography.-
SusanVillasLewis
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Well, probably for my mom and my husband. But I guess the rest of you won't love me just for existing. So here's more about me, links to my various lenses, thoughts on future lenses and just the general randomness that is Susan. This will forever be...




































