This week's hot headlines

New McDonald's spinoff leads this week's 5 hottest Dallas headlines

The first CosMc's in Texas has opened in Dallas.

McDonald's

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. McDonald's opens first Texas CosMc's beverage spinoff in Dallas. McDonald's is spinning off a new concept called CosMc's focused on beverages, and is opening its first location in Texas in Dallas. According to a release, the "small format beverage-led concept" opened at 6033 Campbell Rd. on March 19.

2. Canadian doughnut king Tim Hortons to open 2 locations in Dallas-Fort Worth. A major name in coffee and doughnuts is making its debut in Dallas: Tim Hortons, a doughnut and coffee shop chain from Canada, will open two locations in the DFW area in 2024, first in Coppell, and then in Denton.

3. Upscale Southern restaurant spreads Dallas wings to Cedar Hill center. A Southern-styled restaurant from Addison is opening a second location: Spatch Kitchen + Cocktails, which serves American cuisine and cocktails with a Southern touch, is opening a location at Hillside Village, an open-air regional retail center at 305 W. FM 1382, in Cedar Hill, south of Duncanville.

4. Revered French restaurant St. Martin’s reopens in new east Dallas space. Venerable French restaurant St. Martin’s Wine Bistro is back. The restaurant, which closed its longtime location on Greenville Avenue in 2023 after 46 years, has resurfaced at a new location in East Dallas.

5. Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 must-try new restaurants in March. This edition of Where to Eat, CultureMap's monthly list of top restaurant recommendations, is all about fresh new restaurants that have opened in the past month or so. They're an especially varied lot both in cuisine and location, ranging from a family-run trattoria in Frisco to an upscale Indian restaurant to Las Colinas to a casual-sophisticated Asian concept in the center of Dallas.

Free Fair Fun

State Fair of Texas adds dazzling drone show and more free events in 2026

State Fair of Texas Ferris wheel at night

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

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Spending money at the State Fair of Texas is easy to do, so it's nice to know that there's also a long list of free activities for visitors each year, including music, performing artists, educational exhibits, and more.

A number of new free entertainment options are also on the docket for the 2026 event — running September 25-October 18 — including a dazzling new drone show among other highlights, according to a release.

Stars of the Fair, a three-night drone show on October 2-4, features images of Big Tex and other State Fair icons lighting up the sky. Created by Coppell-based Sky Elements, each of the three nights will feature two shows, beginning at approximately 8:15 pm and 9:15 pm.

Drone show at the State Fair of Texas A drone show will be one of many free entertainment options at the 2026 State Fair of Texas. Photo by Kevin Brown

Other new entertainment choices include Wacky Chad, who delivers an action‑packed, interactive stunt comedy show; daily fountain shows at The Esplanade of State, running every 30 minutes from 1-5 pm; two new exhibitions at the Hall of State; Texas in the Saddle, an innovative and educational horse show; and more.

Music and more free performances
As previously announced, the State Fair’s live music lineup will include nearly 100 artists performing across four stages, with the newly reimagined Chevrolet Main Stage now located inside Fair Park Coliseum.

Main Stage headliners will include Clint Black, La Alianza Norteña, Bowling for Soup, Paul Wall’s Fall Ball, Kansas, 3OH!3, Gym Class Heroes, and more.

Other performers include “¡Fiestas de Marionetas!,” in which a small village of more than 85 handmade marionettes come to life to celebrate a fiesta of color, culture, and creativity; and World of Magic, featuring award-winning illusionists and futuristic elements.

Free fun for the kids
The new children's area called Little Lone Stars Land will feature a variety of kid-friendly entertainers, including Wacky Chad (September 25-October 6), USA Breakdancers (October 7-18), and strongman Mighty Mike.

Visitors should be on the lookout for State Fair-inspired inflatable characters like Little Big Tex, Amy-Dillo, and Champ, who will entertain guests with their wild antics.

Other free fair favorites
At night, the Starlight Parade will light up the Fair Park skyline, featuring over-the-top spectacular floats. The parade wanders through the fairgrounds all 24 nights of the Fair, bringing a colorful assortment of floats, life-size puppets, animated characters in ornate costumes, and more.

Car lovers can get their fix in two different ways: At the Texas Auto Show, where auto enthusiasts can browse the latest and greatest models; and Chevrolet's brand-new take on its Ride & Drive event, allowing qualified drivers the chance to get behind the wheel of the most anticipated vehicles of the year.

The fan-favorite Pig Races will return to Chevy Park Plaza, as piglets dressed in racing silks run the course four times a day.

All of the above and more are in addition to interactive experiences, photo opportunities, games, product samples, giveaways, and more offered by State Fair of Texas partners.

A full lineup of entertainment options can be found at BigTex.com/Attractions.

animals fairs-festivals families free events kids music state fair of texas theater