Shining a light

Dallas buildings will light up blue in nationwide tribute to healthcare heroes

Dallas buildings, including the Omni hotel, will be lit up blue.

Photo courtesy of Omni Hotels & Resorts

From applause from windows and balconies and passionate Youtube serenades, to gleeful donations and supply drives, Americans are anxious to pay homage to those battling on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic: healthcare and essential workers and first responders.

Now, Dallasites can join a nationwide salute to heroes during an event dubbed #LightItBlue.

On Thursday, April 9, at 8 pm, major city buildings and venues around Dallas will be lit blue to pay homage to the world’s essential workers and first responders. Dallas joins a host of major cities across the nation participating in the event.

More than 150 sporting and entertainment venues, landmarks and historic buildings, and civic and arts organizations from coast to coast will transform into “beacons of blue,” according to event organizers. Instantly familiar structures such as New York City’s One World Trade Center, Los Angeles’ Forum, and Chicago’s Soldier Field will be awash in the color.

Here are the buildings in Dallas participating in the #LightItBlue event:

AT&T Headquarters
Bank of America Plaza
One Arts Plaza
Dallas skyline
American Airlines Center
Cotton Bowl Stadium
Omni Dallas Hotel
FC Dallas Soccer Club
Dallas Sports Commission

Meanwhile, Dallas residents are encouraged to wear blue, decorate windows and doorways with blue, and share their own images or messages to essential workers with the hashtag #LightItBlue. Those interested can follow the movement on Twitter using @LightItBlue.

The #LightItBlue event originated in the United Kingdom as a volunteer #MakeItBlue movement and has since spread across the Atlantic. “We’ve been so inspired over the past few weeks by the cheers of our neighbors around the world — and we wanted to bring this collective gratitude to an even bigger stage here in the U.S.,” said lead organizer of the movement, Joe Zenas, CEO at Thinkwell Group, a design and production agency.

“This is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from those of us at home to those of us who are going to work each day to keep our country going.”

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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

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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.

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