Giving back

Dallas-area lavender farm takes on mission to support veterans while parks are off-limits

AJ and Lenda Fidelman, Fields of Fidelis lavender farm

AJ and Lenda Fidelman own Fields of Fidelis.

Businesses in North Texas are finding creative ways to lend a hand these days, and the owners of a local lavender farm are answering the call, too. Fields of Fidelis, a veteran-owned boutique organic lavender farm in Anna, about 40 miles north of Dallas, will host a day of volunteer activities as a form of outdoor therapy for about a dozen military veterans on Sunday, May 17.

The farm is partnering with nonprofit The Warrior’s Keep, whose mission is to provide free access to outdoor activities to help veterans reintegrating into civilian life — not as easy to do right now, when access to parks and other traditional nature excursions are more restricted due to coronavirus concerns.

“We are proud to support the mission of The Warrior’s Keep,” says Fields of Fidelis co-owner Lenda Fidelman. “Our hope is to provide a safe environment during this uncertain time for our brothers and sisters in arms to socialize outdoors, reflect on their experiences, and feel a sense of camaraderie while enjoying some good barbecue, cold beer, and great music.”

At Sunday's event, former service members and volunteers will plant and harvest organic lavender during a hands-on farming learning experience. Then they will sit down to a Texas barbecue lunch, cold beer donated by McKinney-based TUPPS Brewery, and live music from Texas musical duo Kerosene Drifters.

Fields of Fidelis also will donate $1,000 to The Warrior’s Keep organization in support of its ongoing programming for veterans. The nonprofit provides veterans with free access to outdoor activities to help cope with stress, anxiety, and depression.

To ensure proper social distancing and prepare for other COVID-19 precautions at Sunday's event, participants were pre-selected by The Warrior's Keep. But the Fields of Fidelis owners intend to hold similar events to support veterans in the future.

Army veterans and husband-and-wife team AJ and Lenda Fidelman founded Fields of Fidelis in 2016. A grant from the Farmer Veteran Coalition has helped them launch and nurture the farm, so they have always envisioned involving other veterans as a way to give back and support other former service members, they say.

As veterans themselves, the Fidelmans "understand the mental and emotional challenges active duty service members can experience when returning home — stressors that may be particularly heightened during a health pandemic," they say in a statement.

The farm is also a family affair. The Fidelmans have two sons, Lance (age 13) and Jon Pierce (age 7), who regularly help out, too.

Fields of Fidelis specializes in varietals of lavender that thrive in North Texas and can be used for essential oils, soaps, and baking. In the fall, they will host their second annual lavender festival. Last year’s event included lavender-infused drinks, barbecue, and a hayride through the fields before the fall harvest.

Currently, the farm is open for visits by appointment only. For more information on the farm, its products, visiting, and venue availability, follow their Facebook page.

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let loose dallas

Dallas earns a slot on new list of America's most fun cities

Photo by Mark Patterson on Unsplash

Dallas is a fun place to be, the study says.

Dallas' fun entertainment and nightlife scenes have helped the city improve in WalletHub's just-released ranking of the most fun American cities in 2025. Dallas now stands tall as the 26th most fun U.S. city this year.

WalletHub's "Most Fun Cities in America (2025)" study compared 182 U.S. cities across 65 metrics — spanning from the number of sports venues, music venues, and shopping centers per capita to the average cost for a restaurant meal — to determine how "fun" each city is. The metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

Las Vegas, Nevada continued its multi-year streak as the No. 1 most fun American city.

Across the three key dimensions, Dallas scored the highest for its nightlife and parties rank (No. 23), but its entertainment and recreation ranks (No. 35) and costs (No. 99) still have room for improvement. But overall, Dallas' level of "fun" is far higher than most U.S. cities.

Dallas' current "fun" status is five places higher than its 2024 rank as the No. 31 most fun American city.

Elsewhere in North Texas, Fort Worth ranked as the 60th most fun American city, while Arlington (No. 71) and Plano (No. 78) lagged farther behind.

Texas' most fun cities
Houston overtook Austin as the 6th most fun city in America and the No. 1 most fun Texas city for 2025. Austin, which ranked No. 6 last year, dropped two spots and now ranks No. 8 on the list.

Three more Texas cities that appeared in the top 100 include: San Antonio (No. 23), El Paso (No. 62), and Corpus Christi (No. 94).

"The decision of where to live could save or cost you a lot of money and fun, so it’s fair to wonder what makes a fun city," the report's author wrote. "In a city with enough variety, you won’t have to compromise with your friends, family, or even yourself about the next fun activity to do alone or together."

Surprisingly, both Chicago and New York City dropped out of the top 10 most fun American cities. Chicago now ranks as No. 11, and New York City ranks 14th on the list.

WalletHub's top 10 most fun U.S. cities in 2025 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 – Houston, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Austin, Texas
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Cincinnati, Ohio

rankings wallethub dallas