Beto begins

Here are 5 places in Dallas to watch Beto O'Rourke launch his 2020 campaign

Beto O'Rourke kicks off his 2020 presidential campaign March 30 in El Paso.

Photo by Charlie Gross/HBO

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke officially jumps into the race for the Democratic nomination for president with a launch rally in El Paso March 30, and individuals and businesses around the state are hosting parties to watch livestreams of his rollout.

O'Rourke, who announced his candidacy on March 14, gained a massive following during his campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, with highlights that included comments on civil rights and athletes kneeling during the national anthem that went viral, traveling to all of the state's 254 counties, and livestreaming just about every moment of his campaign. O'Rourke also raised a record-breaking $80 million in his race.

It wasn't enough to win, though. The congressman lost by just less than 3 percent of the vote, in a midterm election that drew the highest voter turnout in Texas in almost 50 years. O'Rourke, though, came away with victories in Texas' largest counties, winning 74 percent in Travis County, 66 percent in Dallas County, 59 percent in Bexar County, 58 percent in Harris County, and 50 percent in Tarrant County.

Within 24 hours of announcing his presidential bid, O'Rourke broke another record by raising $6.1 million.

Here are five hot places in Dallas to catch O'Rourke's launch rally:

Resource Center Dallas: 5750 Cedar Springs Rd. at 11 am
Strangeways: 2429 N. Fitzhugh Ave. at 11 am
Buzzbrews Lakewood: 5815 Live Oak St. at 11 am
Nova Restaurant: 1417 W. Davis St. at 11:30 am
Slater’s 50/50: 2817 Greenville Ave. at 1 pm

There are numerous other locations around Dallas-Fort Worth, including many private residences. To find more watch parties, go to O’Rourke’s campaign site here and search by ZIP code.

politics texas

Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

dance clubs fun cities nightlife parties recreation wallethub

Beto begins

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024