This week's hot headlines

New Trader Joe's in the works tops this week's 5 hottest Dallas headlines

Trader Joe's is back in the business of opening stores again.

Photo by T. Rudick

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Trader Joe's grocery chain has new Dallas-area location in the works. A new location of cult favorite grocery chain Trader Joe’s is being plotted for Coppell, its first Dallas-area store opening in more than eight years. The new store will be located at 120 S. Denton Tap Rd., at the intersection of Sandy Lake Road, in a former Natural Grocers store which closed in 2023 (and was previously a Tuesday Morning store).

2. BBQ restaurant from Houston's Pappas family closes location in Plano. A handsome BBQ smokehouse in Plano from a famed restaurant family has closed: Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse, an upscale barbecue restaurant from Houston-based Pappas Restaurants (Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Pappasito’s Cantina), has shuttered its location at 3916 Dallas Pkwy. after nearly five years.

3. What will happen with the solar eclipse in Dallas if it's cloudy that day. Last Friday, the countdown was on for the total solar eclipse on April 8. The eclipse-themed cocktails had been created, the parties planned, the free glasses procured. But the big question remained: what would happen if no one could see it? Fortunately, clouds parted to reveal a glorious sight across DFW.

4. Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 just-opened restaurants in April. This April edition of the monthly CultureMap Dallas Where to Eat column, offering recommendations on restaurants to check out, is an easy one. This is because the theme is places that have newly opened, and there are plenty to choose from.

5. These 23 spring festivals in Dallas-Fort Worth will bring oodles of fun. With this past winter in Dallas-Fort Worth barely happening at all, spring got an early start in the area. But mid-April is typically when spring festival season kicks into high gear, and we're here again to let you know about all of the best options.

World Cup fever

Snap a pic with a 20-foot Lionel Messi inflatable in Dallas this weekend

Courtesy photo

That is one tall Messi.

With North Texas about to become a major hub for international soccer, Dallas fans can get an early taste of the excitement with a giant inflatable of superstar Lionel Messi at a popular park.

From May 15-17, a 20-foot-tall inflatable of Messi will be standing tall at Klyde Warren Park. The display is free to visit and open to anyone who wants to stop by and take photos.

The event comes ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which will put the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the global sports spotlight. Nine matches will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including a semifinal.

Messi, the Argentine superstar who captained his country to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, is widely considered one of the greatest soccer players in history. He currently plays for Inter Miami CF and is one of the sport’s biggest international stars.

The Messi installation at Klyde Warren Park is a promotion for home improvement store Lowe's. According to a release, visitors can scan a QR code at the installation to sign up for MyLowe’s Rewards, which will provide early access to purchase a limited-edition 10-foot lighted Messi lawn inflatable, which would be the ultimate way to tell neighbors you're really, really into the World Cup.

The inflatable decoration goes on sale to loyalty members on May 18 at 9:10 am through Lowe’s website. The release says a limited quantity will also be available at more than 200 Lowe’s stores in tournament host markets beginning May 20.

Dallas is one of four cities selected for the oversized Messi inflatable, along with Atlanta, Miami, and New York.

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