Local Singer Made Good

Fort Worth's Luke Wade wows coaches and nation on NBC's The Voice

Luke Wade and his band, No Civilians, have slowly but surely been making a name for themselves in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. But with Wade's widely praised audition on the season premiere of NBC's The Voice, he may just be ready for the big time.

Wade sang Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is," a good choice for the soulful singer who describes himself as "Ray LaMontagne with the showmanship of Bruce Springsteen."

Almost immediately, all four coaches — Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani — turned around their signature chairs to get a better look at the person behind the distinctive voice. After a standing ovation and a few minutes of playful arguing between the coaches, Wade ultimately chose Pharrell.

In a promo video, Wade says that he chose to go on The Voice to try and gain more exposure for himself and his Fort Worth-based band. He also hopes that a win on the reality show will allow them to travel to shows a bit easier instead of continuing to put 50,000-100,000 miles on his car every year.

As luck would have it, Luke Wade & No Civilians are scheduled to perform — for free, no less — at AT&T Performing Arts Center's Patio Sessions on Thursday, October 9, alongside Kirk Thurmond. They will also perform at the Magnolia Motor Lounge in Fort Worth on October 10.

Excavator News

Construction theme park developed with Dude Perfect digs into Grapevine

Dig World

Dig World

Dig World

A new kind of entertainment experience is bulldozing into Grapevine: Called Dig World, it's a construction-themed adventure park that will open at 2200 W. Grapevine Mills Cir. at Grapevine Mills.

According to a release, the park will open in early 2026.

This will be the second location of Dig World, following the first location in Katy, just outside of Houston, which opened in March 2022. It's not the only concept to turn construction into an amusement; a concept called Extreme Sandbox opened in Sachse in 2020, but they closed in 2023 with plans to reboot.

The park allows families to safely operate full-size construction equipment in a hands-on, kid-friendly environment. Their main attractions feature excavator digs, mini pond fishing, a UTV course, skid steer track, and a 40-foot boom lift.

The Grapevine Mills location also features exclusive attractions developed in partnership with Dude Perfect, the media brand known for their trick shot videos, including construction-themed trick-shot stations and interactive family challenges.

“Grapevine Mills has become a premier destination for immersive entertainment, from Meow Wolf to Legoland Discovery Center, to adventures at The Escape Game," says General Manager at Grapevine Mills Joe Szymaszek in a statement. "We’re thrilled to welcome Dig World to the mix as it brings a whole new level of hands-on, family-friendly fun to our center.”

Tickets for the park start at $30 for two hours, and there are annual pass memberships that start at $50.

Dig World was founded by Jacob Robinson, his college friend Rick Bennett, and Alex Carroll in 2022. Robinson’s son Pierce lives with significant special needs due to suffering from bacterial meningitis, and has always been mesmerized by construction equipment. That inspired Robinson’s vision of the park.

The founders were recently featured on Shark Tank, which put the company on a national stage and earned them a deal with one of the sharks: Robert Herjavec. Herjavec agreed to give Dig World a $200,000 investment in exchange for 10 percent equity.

“As a lifelong builder and entrepreneur, I couldn’t be more excited to launch Dig World in my hometown of DFW,” says co-founder Alex Carroll in a statement. “We’re combining real machinery, creative play, and the power of partnership with Dude Perfect to create an unforgettable experience for families.”

dig world dude perfect partnership grapevine mills openings parks shark tank feature

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