Gateway to Opportunity Luncheon
September 7 at 11:30am
Featuring Keynote Speaker Laura W. Bush HOT TICKET! Not only do you get to hear the First Lady of the United States (2001-2009), Laura Bush, share her passion for human rights, literacy and education, but also all funds raised benefit Family Gateway, the nonprofit organization founded by Mayor Annette G. Strauss in 1986, to give stability and life-changing supportive services to children and families affected by homelessness.
Where: Omni Hotel Dallas
Cost: Tickets start at $300
More info: www.familygateway.org/events
Oktoberfest at Watters Creek
September 8 – September 10
Put on your lederhosen, raise your beer steins and say “prost” (cheers)! It’s time for Oktoberfest fun and festivities at Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm in Allen presented along with The Lion & Crown Pub and the Allen Arts Alliance. Enjoy 18 different styles of Oktoberfest beers and offerings from local craft breweries along with live music, DJ, vendors and festive activities! In addition to a stein hoisting, traditional keg tapping and live music, German dancers dressed in authentic German garb will perform Saturday and Sunday. You will also find pretzels, potato cakes and bratwurst. On Saturday and Sunday, a tent on Village Green Drive will feature local craft breweries. Every hour, representatives from different breweries will be on hand to educate people about their beer. “Prost,” indeed!
Where: Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm, US 75 at Bethany
Cost: Free Admission. Food and beverage merchants accept cash or credit cards. Free Parking.
More Info: www.watterscreek.com or 972.747.8000
Plano Balloon Festival
September 22 – September 24
Full of hot air…in a good way. This year marks 38 years of ballooning in Plano. Join in the celebration at the InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival, a spectacular three-day event featuring entertainment, Saturday evening spectacular fireworks show, sky divers, an enormous variety of food to tempt your taste buds and of course, the incredible hot air balloons. The balloons will launch Friday at 6pm, Saturday at 7am and 6pm, and Sunday at 7am and 6pm (weather permitting).
Where: Oak Point Park 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway
Cost: $5 for one-time entry | $1 Off for Senior’s 65 and over
More info: www.planoballoonfest.org
Texas State Fair
September 29 – October 22
Toss your diet out the window and prepare to celebrate decades of decadence and all things Texan–agriculture, education, music and more. Sure, there’s a killer Midway, a legendary TX-OU rivalry game and a gargantuan Ferris wheel, but what we really come for is the food. This year’s Big Tex Choice Awards fare includes Deep Fried Froot Loops, Beer Battered Beef Jerky and Deep Fried Chicken Noodle Soup On A Stick (we kid you not).
Frisco Arts Walk at HALL Park
October 7, 12pm – 7pm
There’s a HALL lot of fun in store at the Second Annual Frisco Arts Walk at HALL Park’s Texas Sculpture Garden–a free, immersive arts experience celebrating Frisco’s citywide art. Under the incredible vision of art aficionado and business leader, Craig Hall, the Texas Sculpture Garden is the largest private collection of Texas sculptures ever assembled and made available to the public. Frisco Arts Walk will feature interactive performances, street musicians, artists-at-work, pop-up food truck park, face painting and new this year, the Steinway Piano Red Carpet Performances hosted by Steinway Hall Plano. Steinway will provide a grand piano on a red carpet where amateur musicians may sign up for a 10 minute performance experience of a lifetime.
Sign up for the Steinway Piano Red Carpet Performances: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054dabaf2bab9-steinway
Where: HALL Park, 6801 Gaylord Parkway, Frisco
Cost: Free admission, activities and parking. Food trucks and vendors accept cash or credit. Paid valet available.
More info: friscoarts.org/frisco-arts-walk or 972.810.1028
Texas Legends Draft Party
October 21
Catch the pre-season G-League action at the Texas Legends Draft Party. Check texlegends.com for start time and other details.
Where: Strikz Entertainment, 8789 Lebanon Rd., Frisco
Cost: Free
More Info: www.texlegends.com
Young Frankenstein at North Texas Performing Arts
October 27 – November 4
Prepare to laugh yourself silly at the North Texas Performing Arts’ production of Mel Brooks’ iconic musical comedy, Young Frankenstein, and be the first to see their new digs at the Willow Bend Center of the Arts in Plano–a 25,000 sq. ft, complex at the Shops at Willow Bend, which will also house the Plano Children’s Theatre.
Tickets: Will go on sale one month before opening night
More info: www.northtexasperformingarts.org/event/2017-pct-frankenstein
The 14th Annual Bulb & Perennial Mart
October 14 8:30am – 3pm
While autumn is ushering in cooler temperatures and gardens are resplendent with colorful mums and pansies, now is the time to learn more about and purchase the best selections of bulbs, iris, perennials and small shrubs for North Texas.
During this much anticipated event, CCMGA will be offering a selection of hard to find heritage bulbs and drought tolerant perennials. The perennials offered at the sale are proven winners in the international award winning Earth-Kind ® Research and Demonstration Gardens at Myers Park. These Texas-tough plants will add color and beauty to the garden throughout the year.
Returning this year is a limited selection of Tall Bearded Iris that were chosen for their beauty, and “wow factor.”
Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the benefits of these nutrient rich products, and best practices on how and when to apply them to the garden.
Sponsored by Whole Foods, The Bulb & Perennial Mart is an indoor event so come rain or shine for a day of fun, education and to share the joy of gardening with Master Gardeners who will be on hand to answer questions.
Where: Myers Park & Event Center, McKinney
Cost: Event is free and no sales tax. Cash or check, Visa, MasterCard and American Express accepted.Proceeds from the sale benefit community outreach programs, and horticultural and water conservation education throughout Collin County.
More Info: www.ccmgatx.org or call 972.548.4232
PARTERS CARD Shopping Extravaganza
October 27 – November 5
Now in its 25th year as the signature fundraiser for The Family Place, PARTNERS CARD gives you all the more reason to shop til you drop! Chaired by Brynn Bagot and Allison Smith, Partners Card 2017, presented by Bank of Texas, invites cardholders to shop, dine and save with a 20 percent discount at more than 750 participating retail locations and restaurants throughout DFW. Partners Card has helped raise more than $17 million for The Family Place. Since 1978, The Family Place has counseled more than 225,000 clients in residential and outreach programs and has provided life-saving shelter to more than 22,000 women and children and answered more than 550,000 calls for help.
More info: www.partnerscard@familyplace.org
