Adults Only

What to do, eat, and see during your kid-free summer weekend getaway in Plano

The kids had their time in March with Spring Break, but now it's your turn to let loose and have some fun. Even if you only have a weekend to spare, spend it enjoying all that Plano has to offer — sans kids.

From mouthwatering food to live music, adventurous activities, and unique shopping, here's an idea of what you can expect to explore:

Taste of Plano Foodie Pass
First thing's first: Sign up for this free, mobile-friendly "passport" program that showcases more than 80 Plano eateries offering special discounts and other perks.

Simply filter by cuisine type or browse the entire list of participating restaurants for a tempting variety of food and special offers that can be redeemed when ordering. Once you arrive at your chosen eatery, check in on your mobile phone using the saved passport link.

Accumulate points for checking in at participating restaurants and redeeming coupons, then cash in your points for awesome prizes provided by Visit Plano, such as tote bags, coolers bags, drink tumblers, T-shirts, and stickers.

After checking in to 20 restaurants, you'll be automatically entered into the Fit for a Foodie sweepstakes:

The first place winner will receive a certificate for a charcuterie board-making class for six led by the executive chef at the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West and $500 in restaurant gift cards.
The second place winner will receive a one-night weekend stay at the Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park and $250 in restaurant gift cards.
The third place winner will receive a one-night weekend stay at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center and $100 in restaurant gift cards.

Fowling Warehouse
It started as a one-lane mashup of football and bowling while tailgating at the 2001 Indy 500. Today, fowling is quickly turning into a national sensation.

Here, you can reserve a lane, join unlimited open play, or book the entire VIP lounge if you're feeling fancy. On Friday and Saturday nights, the warehouse is reserved exclusively for those 16-and-up.

Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course
Go Ape in Oak Point Park takes scenic to new levels — literally. Navigate 40 crossings more than 27 feet up and fly from treetop to ground on one of the four ziplines, one of which crosses over Rowlett Creek.

The high-ropes adventure course takes 2-3 hours to complete and is located in Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve, Plano’s largest park. It's all within easy driving distance from anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Legacy Hall + Lexus Box Garden
Legacy Hall is a large food hall that offers 20 artisanal food vendors to satisfy your appetite. These restaurants range from old-fashioned Texas barbecue to vegan eateries.

While the food at Legacy Hall is the obvious draw, the Lexus Box Garden is an outdoor venue that will elevate your experience to the next level. This al fresco concert hub is a focal point for various events, including live music performances, movie screenings, and community gatherings. You can find everything from big game-watch parties to local and national artists to special “mix tape” nights featuring talented DJs.

Legacy West
Located in the heart of Plano, Legacy West lets you shop all your favorite brands and dine at more than 20 delicious restaurants.

Besides labels like Coach, Fabletics, Golden Goose, Tumi, Vuori, Johnny Was, and West Elm, and eateries than range from Shake Shack to Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, you'll often get to enjoy live music, pop-up shops, and more.

Legacy North + Plano House of Comedy
Still hungry? Cross the Tollway to Legacy North, where Mexican Sugar, Seasons 52, RA Sushi, Ebb & Flow, and more await.

Stop in at the Plano House of Comedy for the best in stand-up comedy from performers who have appeared on Netflix, Comedy Central, HBO, and more.

Spa Habitat
Three locations — Legacy North, Downtown Plano, and West Plano — give you triple the opportunity to grab some R&R at this truly organic spa.

Take your pick from relaxing massages, beneficial facials, luxurious body wraps and scrubs, and safe and efficient hair removal, all in a relaxed and down-to-earth setting.

Downtown Plano Arts District + McCall Plaza
Once a traditional business area, this dynamic destination offers an array of art galleries, event venues, unique shops, and specialty service providers such as dance studios, tattoo parlors, salons, and spas. There are also plenty of restaurants, which include seafood, barbecue joints, pizzerias, and other exciting flavors.

McCall Plaza is an outdoor performance space located in the heart of the Downtown Plano Arts District. This venue is conveniently located among the various bars and shops in the area, as well as immediate walking distance from the downtown DART station.

Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel
Make it a true weekend away by booking a room at this design-forward hotel, which is within walking distance of top dining and shopping options and is just minutes away from the best of North Dallas and West Plano.

Photo by @TravelingNewlyweds

You don't need to share your food on this getaway.

Rent a cabana at the rooftop pool or gather with friends for light bites and libations at Whiskey Moon bar. Then sink into your pillowtop bed, look out the floor-to-ceiling windows, and enjoy a great night's sleep.

---

See all that Plano has to offer and start planning your next visit here.

vacation festivals concerts parks sports hotels spas promoted

Movies for Kids

Kid-themed film festival at Angelika Dallas will be free to all

Photo courtesy of Viva Kids

The 42nd annual KidFilm will feature screenings of The Pout-Pout Fish and other new animated films.

A family-friendly kid-themed festival is coming to Dallas that'll be free for all: The 42nd Annual KidFilm Family Festival, the oldest and largest children-themed film festival in the U.S., will take place on January 17 and 18, 2026 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas with film debuts, animated films, and an appearance by a renowned children's author.

KidFilm is an annual outreach program of the USA Film Festival/Dallas, a 56-year-old nonprofit dedicated to film and the arts.

The big highlight of this year's KidFilm is a salute to children’s book author Deborah Diesen, who will appear in conjunction with a screening of Viva Kids’ new animated feature film, The Pout-Pout Fish — based on Diesen's 2008 book, which started a series that has now reached 20 entries.

The film — about Mr. Fish, a pouty introvert, and Pip, an energetic sea dragon, who embark on a daunting quest to find a legendary fish to grant their wish to save their homes — features a star-studded voice cast with familiar names like Nick Offerman, Miranda Otto, Jordin Sparks, and Amy Sedaris.

Free copies of the new book, The Pout-Pout Fish Movie Storybook, will be distributed to families (while supplies last), and Diesen will sign books for the kids.

The festival will also include screenings of other new animated feature films:

Leon Joosen's The Land of Sometimes, a musical which follows twins Alfie and Elise who get more than they bargained for as they are whisked away to a magical world after summoning a mysterious Wish Collector.
Mark Risley’s Flower of the Dawn, a fairy tale that follows a princess who has been turned into a nightingale by a vain sorceress whose only hope is to attain an elusive, magical flower.
Reza Memari’s The Last Whale Singer, an adventure which features a self-doubting teenage humpback whale who must face his fears and embark on a perilous journey with his friends in order to discover his own song and save the ocean from a monstrous creature.
Caroline Origer’s Spiked, which follows a young, orphaned hedgehog and overextended rabbit father who experience the adventure of a lifetime.
Vincent Bal & Wip Vernooij's Miss Moxy, a comedy which features a domestic cat who gets lost during a vacation and must find her way back home through the South of Europe with the help of the most despicable creatures a cat can imagine: a comical dog and an old, wise bird.

Additionally, the festival will include several new live-action feature films:

Gregory Alan Williams’ Paw Paw & Dayja, which follows the adventures of a Bigfoot obsessed 10-year-old who, with the help of her grandfather, learns that each of us see the world a little differently but everyone’s view has value.
Neven Hitrec’s The Second Diary of Paulina P., which follows a fifth grader who uses her charm and imagination to navigate a strict teacher, her first bully, and the new dynamic with her grandmother who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Tord Danielsson’s The Crown Prince and the Return of the Tyrant, a fantasy film that follows a young Crown Prince who will soon become king, just as he has always dreamed, when his suspicious grandmother returns to the kingdom.

Finally, there will be 22 short film presentations featuring animated and live-action short films from around the world, including works from Belgium, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Serbia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and U.S. (including two films made by Texans).

The event is free thanks to support from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the Festival’s Season Sponsors which include the Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Sidley Austin LLP, Headington Companies, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Mary Fox & Laura Fox, Moody Fund for the Arts, Dallas Film Commission, Angelika Film Center Dallas, Wildworks PR, DFW Child, and Spracklen Film and Video. The USA Film Festival is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The full schedule of KidFilm programs can be found at usafilmfestival.com. Tickets for all shows are free for both children and adults, but tickets are required for admission.

Advance tickets for most programs is available online through January 14 at eventbrite.com. Any unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Theater box office on the day of show only.

movies kids families festivals film