Her Name Is Sarah

Plano food hall premieres concert venue with headlining Dallas singer

From Jimmy Kimmel to a Plano food hall.

Plano's Legacy Hall food hall has a new kind of opening in the works that does not directly involve scarfing food: Called the Box Garden, it will be the a beer garden and entertainment venue that hosts live music, and it will open in May.

With the venue nearing completion, a grand opening celebration is being plotted for May 17-20, with a live performance on May 18 by Denton's own singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe.

Tickets are $25, and go on sale on Prekindle.com on March 2. Other performances and details of the four-day event are still to be released.

Jaffe is the singer-songwriter whose records have earned praise from Rolling Stone and others, and who has toured with acts such as Norah Jones, Lou Barlow, and the Old 97's. She's done a performance at Austin City Limits and also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jaffe will also be part of a commissioned performance piece in partnership with New York performance artist Jen Ray making its world premiere on April 11 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. The piece will open the 2018 Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Soluna International Music & Arts Festival, which is part of the Dallas Art Fair.

Located on the east side of Legacy Hall at 7800 Windrose Ave., the Box Garden is an outdoor beer garden and entertainment venue located at ground level adjacent to the food hall. Its name derives from the reclaimed shipping containers that comprise the majority of the structure.

The space will hold up to 1,500 people and will house food and beverage options for visitors that include Carlton Provisions BBQ, a tiki bar, a stillhouse lounge, the Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co. Outpost, and two rotating pop-ups along with a Hawaiian shaved ice stand.

Its centerpiece will be a 600-square-foot event stage and LED screen, in a sprawling courtyard that will host concerts, festivals, holiday parties, and culinary events.

concerts music

Fun in the Trees

Go Ape Adventure Park to bring ziplining and treetop thrills to Cedar Hill

Rendering of Go Ape Adventure Park in Cedar Hill

Image courtesy of City of Cedar Hill

The new Go Ape Adventure Park in Cedar Hill brings ziplining and more to the treetops of the Dallas suburb.

A new Go Ape Adventure Park is swinging into the Midtown district of Dallas suburb Cedar Hill. The Cedar Hill City Council approved the new park during its meeting Tuesday, August 25 meeting, according to a release.

The adventure experience, known for its ziplines, rope bridges, tree houses, and canopy walks, currently has one other DFW park, in Arlington (a Plano location is closed for repairs this season). There's also one location in the Houston area and locations in eight other states.

Designed to offer a range of experiences for people of all ages, the Cedar Hill location will pair Go Ape’s most popular attractions with new, site-specific adventures inspired by the city’s unique terrain and natural landscape, the release says.

While many details of the Cedar Hill location are still TBA, if it's anything like the Arlington park, guests can expect a Treetop Adventure, a three-hour, high-ropes course with eagle-eye views of the terrain below; and a one-hour version called Treetop Journey. The Arlington park also has a range for outdoor axe-throwing.

People at Go Ape Walk among the treetops at Go Ape!. Photo courtesy of Go Ape!

Construction is expected to begin before the end of 2026, with the goal of opening in spring 2027.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Cedar Hill to bring these new aerial amenities to life," said Tony Holt, CEO of Go Ape, in a statement. "From design and installation through ongoing operations, our goal is to create exceptional experiences that residents and visitors can enjoy for years to come, while adding a new dimension to the city’s recreation and visitor experience."

Midtown is an emerging district in Cedar Hill, designed to be a connected, walkable destination for retail, dining, entertainment, office, hospitality, and mixed-use development.

Go Ape will join the already-existing Library in a Park, Government Center, and Cinemark movie theater in the Midtown district.

adventure park cedar hill families kids sports-fitness ziplines