Greenville Ave News

St. Patrick's Day block party on Dallas' Greenville Avenue: officially on

You can't have the parade without the block party.

St. Patrick's Day revelers have already received the good news that the annual Dallas St. Patrick's Day Parade is returning in 2022 after a two-year hiatus, and now the other shoe drops: Its companion block party is back on as well.

The Vanderbilt to Vickery Association is welcoming back the return of its annual Lower Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Block Party, the largest one of its kind in Dallas, on Saturday, March 12.

According to a release, the Block Party will run from 9 am-5 pm on Lower Greenville, between Vanderbilt and Vickery Boulevard. Guests must be 21 and older, and are encouraged to dress in green, and come prepared for a day full of music, beer, and St. Patrick's Day cheer.

There's a separate concert starring the Toadies at Energy Square, at 4925 Greenville Ave., which begins at 10 am, and features 40 Acre Mule, plus food trucks and four bars.

The parade was canceled in 2020, just as COVID-19 was starting to surge and local health leaders declared a state of emergency in Dallas, then canceled again in 2021, due to the pandemic.

A spokesman for the Block Party notes that it has been a tradition on Lower Greenville for more than 30 years.

"This celebration is legendary. Bars and restaurants on Lower Greenville will take part in this all-day, St Patrick’s Day party that fills the streets with music, food, and drink," the spokesperson says. "Our goal is to make sure every party-goer has a great time in a fun environment, with free shuttle service helping everyone enjoy St. Patrick’s Day responsibly."

Entry to the Block Party is $15, cash only, and includes access to the event's three music stages, positioned near the participating bars. They'll install ATMs at each entry point and throughout the event grounds.

The seven participating bars include:

Stan's Blue Note, which the release says is the oldest bar in Dallas
The Dubliner, Dallas' oldest Irish pub
Dodie’s Reef
Blue Goose
Terilli's
Halcyon
Christies, a relative newcomer to the Greenville Avenue scene

Residents should plan for various street closures in the area. Travel to the event will be provided by a free shuttle, which will run from 11 am-4 pm from the Mockingbird Station directly to the block party.

Attendees must be 21 and must provide a valid ID. No backpacks, large purses, containers, or coolers are allowed; nothing can be brought in or out of the event.

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Meteor News

Best time to see the Draconid meteor shower in Dallas this week

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Meteor shower

A meteor shower will be visible from most of North America, including Dallas, during the week of October 6-10.

The Draconid meteor shower – also called the Giacobinids – is predicted to produce the most meteor activity on the night of October 7 and through the early hours of October 8. The peak is expected to occur at 12 am on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

But there will still be sightings on subsequent nights, stargazing experts say, with the overall duration of the shower extending from October 6-10.

According to EarthSky, a cool website devoted to all things starry, the Draconids will be visible right after it gets dark, rather than the more common early morning hours most meteor showers are visible.

The best time will be just after sunset, until around midnight. Viewers won't have to stay up until the crack of dawn.

Helping to make the meteor even more visible is a waxing moon, barely a crack — only 27 percent illuminated — which will cast less light and keep the sky darker overall.

EarthSky says that the meteors are radiating from two stars known as the Dragon’s Eyes, called Eltanin and Rastaban, found in the constellation Draco. Which is located in between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.

However, the meteor shower will be visible across the sky.

The shower is dubbed a "sleeper" in that it produces only a handful of meteors — 10 per hour. But they move slower, so the duration of each streak of light sometimes lasts longer — one to two seconds, rather than a rapid flash.

Meteor showers consist of debris left behind by comets and asteroids, which throw off bits of rock and ice as they orbit the sun. The Draconids are the result of Earth passing through this trail from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The comet completes an orbit of the sun about every seven years, and according to CNN, the last time got this close to Earth was in September 2018.

The best way to see it is to find a place that's far from artificial light, then lie on your back and look up at the sky with a wide view. No special equipment is needed.

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