Let Fun Bloom

Ready, set, go for all the fun spring things to do in Plano

Whether you're seeking spring break inspiration or are just ready to get out and enjoy the beautiful Texas weather, you don't have to travel far.

Plano is home to a host of adventures and activities for all ages, from horseback riding to crayon-making, football bowling to ziplines, and even a major festival celebrating all things Texas.

Here what you can get into this spring in Plano:

Let the games begin
You've heard of pickleball, but have you tried fowling? Fowling is the original football bowling pin game, where you throw a football at 10 bowling pins until someone knocks them all down. Of course, there are things such as Fair Ups, Overtime, Sudden Death, and more to make it even more interesting, but fowling is a simple and fun game for anyone to play.

And you can do just that at the recently opened Fowling Warehouse DFW, which combines reserved lanes with a killer menu of apps, burgers, flatbreads and pizzas, and even salads, along with a full-service bar. Find it at 1714 14th St., suite 300.

If you're more into techy fun, Farm + Feed merges a chef-driven restaurant and full bar with all the latest gaming technology, plus old-school board games. Rent booths for a group and try your skills at Xbox, PS5, Switch, and PC titles, or pay $5 for unlimited board games at the bar.

Farm + Feed occupies the former Gordon Biersch brewpub space at 7401 Lone Star Dr.

Nature now
While exploring the 800-acre Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve, swing into Go Ape!, which offers a canopy tour, five individual rope ladder sections, and 40 obstacles — all up to 28 feet in the air. There's even a 423-foot-long zipline that crosses Rowlett Creek.

Be adventurous a little closer to the ground at Southfork Ranch — yes, that famous Southfork Ranch. Saddle up and head out for a trail ride led by a professional wrangler, or sign up for horseback riding lessons to learn the finer points of equine etiquette.

A party as big as Texas
Come celebrate the food, music and culture of our great state at Texas Forever Fest, sponsored by H-E-B and organized by Plano Arts & Events. The free and family-friendly party is happening March 25 from 11 am-6 pm in Downtown Plano’s Haggard Park at 901 E. 15th St.

Expect live music, entertainment, activities, food, drinks, and shopping all influenced by Texas’ diverse culture and spirit.

Bands will play Texas country and Americana music all day, with headliner Casey Donahew taking the Main Stage at 5 pm (the full lineup will be announced soon).

Line-dancing lessons, mechanical bull rides, calf-roping, quick-shoot cowboys and a trick roper will offer entertainment for all ages. Attendees can burn off excess energy in the free H-E-B Zone for all ages and the free Wild West Corral for kids. Texas natives and those who just got here as fast as they could can learn more about our state’s history and culture in the heritage area.

Fletcher’s Corny Dogs, Plano’s own Ye Ole Butcher Shop, food trucks, and other vendors will offer festival-food favorites. The Spirits of Texas Tasting hosted by the friendly folks at Texas Whiskey Festival will allow guests to sample 10-plus Texas whiskeys with the advanced purchase of a ticket here. Beer will be sold at a cash bar, and nonalcoholic drinks will also be available throughout the fest.

For the kiddos
Color your world at the Crayola Experience inside The Shops at Willow Bend, where kids can name and wrap their own crayons, star in their own coloring page, and embark on a 4-D coloring adventure.

Ready to refuel
Take your pick from more than a thousand restaurants spanning all cuisine types, reflecting Plano's diverse culture. A must-visit is Legacy Hall, the dining mecca that brings everything from brisket to wine under one roof.

Make it a weekend
If you're hitting up The Shops at Legacy or Legacy West, then the Marriott at Legacy Town Center is an excellent nearby choice. Surrounded by scenic parks and water features, the luxurious hotel offers free guest self-parking Fridays and Saturdays.

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

Mark your calendar for March 25.

For slightly funkier digs, check into the NYLO Plano Hotel. Its industrial-chic decor and loft-style rooms are minutes from the Dallas North Tollway and Sam Rayburn Tollway. A free shuttle goes anywhere within five miles, including Dr Pepper Ballpark, Comerica Center, and Ford Center at the Star.

Side note: The hotels featured here are just a sampling and are not "preferred" hotels. See all your Plano accommodation options here.

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For a complete guide to Plano, head to www.visitplano.com.

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Comedy News

Rising star comedian Ralph Barbosa sells out 6 Dallas shows for Netflix special

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Dallas comedian Ralph Barbosa

A Dallas comedian who's a rising star is filming his own NetFlix special: Ralph Barbosa, whose laid-back yet hilarious style has won him multiple awards and national TV appearances, is playing six sold-out shows this week at the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff, where the special is being filmed.

The first two shows were on August 2, and the run ends on August 4.

Barbosa was the 2019 winner of the Funniest Comic in Texas competition, and the 2021 winner of the New York Latino Film Festival Stand-Up. His shows sell out at comedy clubs across the U.S.

His "Don’t Tell Comedy" set on YouTube, showcasing his delightfully droll delivery, has surpassed 4.4 million views. He's appeared on Comedy Central, HBO (HBO Max’s special "Entre Nos: The Winners 3," directed by Latina comic Aida Rodriguez), and made his late-night debut on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon in January 2023.

"Young Texas boy made it to the Tonight show," he posted on Instagram with a photo of himself on stage, and in June, he opened for Dave Chappelle at American Airlines Center.

(He also got an unintentional boost thanks to comedian George Lopez, who inadvertently helped elevate his profile further in February by stating on a podcast that no one had heard of him, a comment for which Lopez has since apologized.)

Barbosa, who graduated from Mesquite High School and currently resides in Oak Cliff, deliberately chose the Kessler as the site for the Netflix taping.

Kessler Theater artistic director and talent buyer Jeff Liles describes Barbosa as "awesome, really different. Not a typical set up/punch line guy."

"Ralph was a barber at the shop right across the street from the theater," Liles says. "When he got the deal to do the Netflix special, he wanted to do it here in his neighborhood. He has even done a couple of pop up shows at the barber shop."

Kessler booking agent Curtis McCary originally slotted Barbosa in for two nights, but had to keep adding more shows, because all the shows kept selling out.

"When his tickets went on sale for this Netflix night, both shows sold out in less than an hour," Liles says. "Then we added another two shows the night before, and they both sold quick, too. So we added two more the night before that, and they also sold out in an hour, too."

Liles says they've never seen anything like it, and it's not like the Kessler has not hosted comedy shows.

"It's actually a great room for comedy," Liles says. "In the past we’ve done shows with Sandra Bernhard, Tig Notaro, Pete Holmes, the Broad City girls, Amy Sedaris, John Waters, Elayne Boosler, Harland Williams, Paul Varghese and Linda Stogner."

"But in 13 years, no performer has ever sold out six shows in a row here. It's insane," he says.

NetFlix has a big commitment to comedy including a series dedicated to Latin stand-up comedy. When they film a special, they typically film a few nights at the same venue so they can choose the best reaction shots.

A few words from Ralph Barbosa on social media:

"I'm not very big on the whole social media thing either. People don't do strange things on there often but sometimes they get a little too social and I'm out. I'll pull the plug on Instagram. And it'll be normal stuff, but it'll just a little too weird for me. Like this guy messages me and says, 'Hey man I saw you posted some pizza and i wanted to ask you where'd you get that pizza at. I didn't say anything right away, so he sent a follow-up message. He was like, 'Hey man, I hope you're not planning on ignoring me.' I was like, 'I wasn't, but ...now that you sent the creepiest message, I'm deleting my Instagram.'"

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