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Step inside the Upside Down at new Stranger Things experience in Dallas-Fort Worth

Stranger Things fans, prepare to enter the Upside Down: a new immersive experience based on the Netflix hit is premiering in Grapevine Mills mall.

According to a release, the Stranger Things Store will debut Saturday, May 21, and will include some of the show's most recognizable locations, "gnarly merch, and rad activities."

A description on the website reads, "Take a peek at the lockers of Hawkins High, answer the yellow phone at Joyce’s house, play games at the Palace Arcade, and pick up some bodacious threads. Just know that you might come face to face with a Demogorgon — don’t say we didn’t warn you!"

Avid watchers know a shopping mall is the perfect place for a Stranger Things shop, as the fictional "Starcourt Mall" is a favorite hang for the teenage stars and their supernatural monster-nemeses in the '80s-set show.

Stranger Things shops have been known to pop up in other places — like New York City — but Grapevine will get the first one in Texas. It's considered a pop-up shop, which means temporary residence, although an end date has not been announced.

For the uninitiated, Stranger Things debuted as a Netflix original sci-fi series in 2016 and quickly became a cult sensation for its supernatural elements, teenage drama, and quirky '80s nostalgia. The network describes it thusly: "Strange things are afoot in Hawkins, Indiana, where a young boy's sudden disappearance unearths a young girl with otherworldly powers."

It launched a cast of teenage actors to superstardom, including Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin.

The timing of the Grapevine store couldn't be more appropriate: The upcoming fourth season, Stranger Things 4, will be released in two volumes, Netflix says, with the first dropping on May 27 and the second on July 1.

"Grapevine Mills strives to create a family-friendly destination and continues to bring unique shopping experiences by welcoming entertainment and experiential elements to the property," says a news release. "The Stranger Things Store will not only create buzz in the community being the first-ever experience in Texas, but it will also transform the way consumers look at mall centers based on its immersive theme."

Reserve free tickets to the store and secure a spot in line here.

The first-ever Stranger Things Store will open at Grapevine Mills on May 25.

Facebook/Stranger Things Official Store

The first-ever Stranger Things Store will open at Grapevine Mills on May 25.

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Concert News

State Fair of Texas hosts full day of music featuring Fort Worth bands

Photo courtesy of TRVR?

TRVR? will be one of four Fort Worth musicians getting a special showcase at the State Fair of Texas.

For the very first time, the State Fair of Texas will welcome bands from a neighboring city to take over the stage for a day: Hear Fort Worth Day will spotlight Fort Worth musicians who will perform throughout the afternoon and evening on Monday, October 5.

According to a release, four Fort Worth music acts will get their own special showcase, performing on the Bud Light Stage (near Cotton Bowl Stadium) all day long, with sets starting roughly every two hours between 1 and 7:30 pm.

This marks the first time Dallas neighbor Fort Worth has its own day at the State Fair of Texas, which welcomes more than 2.5 million attendees over 24 days.

Kicking things off at 1 pm will be TRVR?, an independent artist known for introspective, relatable, and wholesome songwriting. Under his birth name, Trevor Douglas, TRVR? first found the spotlight at 16 with a Top 24 finish on American Idol.

Following him at 3 pm will be Mollie Danel, who was named Fort Worth Weekly’s 2026 Female Vocalist of the Year. Danel has developed a distinct voice and lyrical identity, with her recent EP, Sunshine Girl, confronting mental health, loss, and doubt with hard-won hope.

Third up at 5 pm will be Matthew McNeal, who has released five studio albums alongside longtime collaborator Andre Black, including HIGHLONESOME, which recently won the 2026 JAMBALOO Music Prize.

The day will wrap up with a performance by singer-songwriter .Marcel. at 7:30 pm. He pairs sultry R&B crooning with rapid-fire, rhyme-based prose, earning a reputation for slow-burning tracks of remarkable sonic depth.

The showcase is presented by the Hear Fort Worth Music Office, a division of Visit Fort Worth that is dedicated to amplifying the city's local music scene.

"It’s an honor to showcase our city’s sounds on one of the biggest stages in Texas, the State Fair,” Tom Martens, executive director of the Hear Fort Worth Music Office, says in the release. “This is a big opportunity to export our music to bigger audiences and promote tourism to our city.”

For more information, visit BigTex.com. Fairgoers are encouraged to beat the traffic by riding DART or, if traveling from Fort Worth, Trinity Metro.

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