Big Kid News

Peppa Pig picks Dallas-Fort Worth for first permanent playdate in U.S.

Peppa's ready to play.

UPDATE: The Peppa Pig World of Play at Grapevine Mills will open at 10 am February 12, the mall has said. Regular hours will be 10 am-6 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am-7 pm Sunday. The last admission for entry is 90 minutes before closing. Admission is $20 for children and $5 for adults. Tickets are now on sale at www.peppapigworldofplay.com.

---

The preschool set's favorite loveable little piggy is coming out to play in Dallas-Fort Worth. The first U.S. location of Peppa Pig World of Play, a family-friendly indoor play center, will open at Grapevine Mills mall on February 12, 2019.

According to a release, the new permanent attraction will allow children to step into the world of Peppa Pig and her family in a special setting full of "oinktastic" activities. It "will take families on an unforgettable journey where they can join Peppa and her friends to explore and interact with instantly recognizable locations from the show in a number of colorful playscapes that have each been lovingly recreated from the hugely popular animated series," the release promises.

The attraction will include 14 Peppa-themed play areas for little ones. According to the release, highlights include:

Peppa’s Family House: where visitors can play inside the iconic living room and kitchen, have a conversation with a talking Polly Parrot and a photo opportunity with Daddy Pig.
Supermarket: children can have fun grocery shopping and helping Miss Rabbit on the cash register at the local supermarket where they can find items from Peppa’s family shopping list;.
Zoe Zebra and Daddy Dog at the Garage: an activity area where children can help Mr. Zebra deliver the mail and repair a truck at Grandpa Dog’s Garage.
Madame Gazelle’s School Bus: children can climb aboard Madam Gazelle’s school bus and sing along with Peppa and her friends on an exciting trip to the theatre.
Rebecca Rabbit’s Underground Adventure: little ones will love crawling through tunnels, exploring bedrooms and sliding into a big muddy puddle in the Rabbit family’s underground burrow.
Peppa’s Treehouse, George’s Fort, Muddy Puddles and George’s Dinosaur Discovery: imaginatively themed play areas that recreate key themes from the show for children to enjoy.
Sensory Garden: this interactive sensory garden features a duck pond, hen house, Grandpa Pig’s train and more.

There will also be a theater, gift shop, facilities for families to relax and play, and lots of photo opps. It is operated by global leisure giant Merlin under a licensing agreement with eOne, the owner of the Peppa Pig brand.

For those not familiar with what's captivating kids on screen these days, Peppa Pig is a British-based preschool animated TV series focused on the adventures of an anthropomorphic female pig named Peppa and her family and friends. Peppa loves to play as real kids play — swimming, jump-roping, riding bikes, and playing on the playground.

So a permanent Peppa playground makes perfect sense. (And is also a good tounge-twister for all ages.) Grapevine Mills Mall is also home to Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Grapevine Aquarium.

“The universally loved Peppa Pig brand offers us the chance to create a truly magical experience for our youngest visitors and families,” says Mike Vallis, Merlin Entertainments divisional director for new brands, in the release. “By giving fans a unique opportunity to step into the incredible world of this hugely popular little piggy and encouraging them to discover, explore and play, we are confident that Peppa Pig World of Play will become a popular destination for families in Texas."

families openings

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.

concerts state fair of texas music