Festival News

Check out these 28 festivals hitting Dallas-Fort Worth in spring 2023

There are a lot of things that spring brings to Dallas-Fort Worth, and at that top of that list are festivals.

Moderate temperatures provide the perfect setting for people to gather outdoors, even more so in the post-pandemic world (although DFW loves its festivals so much that there are indoor versions, too). In April, it seems like there's pretty much a festival every day.

They cover a wide range of categories, from film to nature to food to music to the environment, giving everyone a chance to get on the festival bandwagon.

Below are 28 of the best festivals taking place throughout the remainder of spring in Dallas-Fort Worth, arranged in chronological order:

Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival
Taking place April 14-16 in Ennis, the 71st Annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival features an abundance of activities and live music throughout the weekend, as well as a spectacular array of Texas bluebonnets across 40 miles of trails.

Fort Worth Tattoo Arts Festival
Taking place April 14-16 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, the Fort Worth Tattoo Arts Festival will feature dozens of tattoo artists and tattoo contests, entertainment, and special guests, including various contestants from the reality competition show Ink Master.

Festival of Joy
Taking place on April 15 at Klyde Warren Park, Festival of Joy is a fun-filled day of bright colors, flowers, traditional street food, and a free vegetarian feast, along with music, dance, and interactive holistic living and cultural activities.

Syndicate Smokedown
The Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate's 2nd Annual Smokedown is Cowtown's premier music festival and BBQ competition. Performers at the one-day event will include Josh Abbott Band, Kevin Fowler, Bri Bagwell, Jacob Stelly, Randy Brown, and Clayton Mullen.

Big Texas Beer Fest
Taking place on April 15 in the Automobile Building at Fair Park, the Big Texas Beer Fest will feature 100+ breweries and 500+ beers, ciders, hard seltzers, hard kombuchas, meads, and more. There will also be local food trucks and vendors and performances from local bands.

Dallas Festival of the Arts
Taking place on April 15 and 16 at Reverchon Park, Dallas Festival of the Arts (formerly known as Turtle Creek Spring Arts Festival) is a fine art outdoor festival featuring approximately 125 local and regional painters, photographers, sculptors, metalwork, glass artists, jewelers, and more.

USA Film Festival
Taking place April 19-23 at Angelika Film Center, the USA Film Festival is the first of two big film festivals in Dallas this spring. Highlights include opening night films Chevalier and Judy Blume Forever, Flamin' Hot, Little Richard: I Am Everything,The Pod Generation, and Master Gardener. The festival will also present its Great Director Tribute to Lasse Hallström.

Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival
Taking place April 20-23 in downtown Fort Worth, the Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival showcases 215 jury-selected visual artists, live music on two stages, local cuisine, the family-friendly “TCC Makers Zone,” craft beer, wine tastings, and more across 18 square blocks,

Dallas Art Fair
Taking place April 20-23 at Fashion Industry Gallery, the Dallas Art Fair offers collectors, arts professionals, and the public the opportunity to engage with a rich selection of modern and contemporary artworks presented by leading national and international galleries.

EarthxExpo
Taking place April 21-23 at Fair Park, EarthxExpo features hundreds of exhibitors with products and solutions focused on benefitting humans and the planet. There will be hands-on activities and crafts for children, an adult playground, an XR installation, a fuel car show, and eight stages packed with speakers, panel discussions, short films, and more.

City of Grand Prairie presents Main Street Fest
Taking place April 21-23 in downtown Grand Prairie, the City of Grand Prairie Parks, Arts & Recreation Department will present the annual Main Street Fest. The event will include live music performers, carnival rides, arts & crafts, food & beverage gardens, a Kidzone, and more.

The Range Vintage Trailer Resort presents Bluebonnet Food + Wine Festival
Taking place on April 22 at The Range Vintage Trailer Resort in Ennis, the inaugural Bluebonnet Food + Wine Festival will feature a wide range of flavors from talented chefs, paired with a selection of wines. The festival will also feature tours around the resort, music, a resort-style pool, ponds for fishing, and outdoor games.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden presents Japanese Spring Festival
Taking place on April 22 and 23 at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Japanese Spring Festival features performances by Taiko drumming groups, traditional dances, karate experts, displays of bonsai trees, demonstrations in Origami, Calligraphy, and Japanese Games, and more.

Ubbi Dubbi Festival
Taking place April 22 and 23 at Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth, the annual Ubbi Dubbi Festival will feature an expanded festival site and a new fourth stage. There will be performances by over 40 electronic music artists, including Adventure Club, Bonnie x Clyde, Fairlane, Kaskade, Slushii, and more.

Dallas International Film Festival
Taking place April 28-May 5 at Violet Crown Cinema in West Village, the Dallas International Film Festival will screen more than 100 feature films, documentaries, and shorts. The full lineup has not yet been revealed, but the first 17 films include a number of films with local connections.

Southlake Women's Club presents Art in the Square
Taking place April 28-30 in Southlake Town Square, Art in the Square will be a weekend of art, music, food, spirits, and children’s activities. The artwork of 200 juried renowned, emerging, and high school artists will be showcased, and there will also be entertainment from schools, performing art studios, dance groups, and more.

Fort Worth Aviation Museum presents Hops and Props Beerfest
Taking place on April 29 at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum, Hops and Props Beerfest will feature local brewers, live music, food, family-friendly vendors, airplane rides, games, activities, and more. The event is the annual fundraiser for the museum, with proceeds supporting their educational and preservation programs.

Mayfest
Taking place May 4-7 at Trinity Park in Fort Worth, Mayfest features four days of live music, festival food, carnival rides, performing arts, pet adoptions, more than 60 Art and Gift Market vendors, children's activities, special attractions, and more.

Dallas International Guitar Festival
Taking place May 5-7 at Dallas Market Hall, the Dallas International Guitar Festival is the largest and oldest guitar show in the world, blending musicians, fans, collectors and celebrities together into one huge musical extravaganza. There will be over 50 live performances, including ones by headliners Eric Johnson, Orianthi, and Philip Sayce.

Create Arlington presents West Main Arts Festival
Taking place on May 6 along Main Street in Arlington, the West Main Arts Festival will be a six-block street scene that includes over 100 art/vendor booths, 12 food trucks, and food vendors. There will also be an interactive kids area, four stages featuring 30 local bands, and buskers playing along West Main.

The Other Art Fair
Taking place May 11-14 at Dallas Market Hall, The Other Art Fair is a global art event dedicated to showcasing independent artists. It will feature a mix of 130 local and internationally-based independent and emerging artists. Visitors can meet artists in person and discover thousands of original artworks and limited edition prints across various media.

H-E-B presents Allen Food + Wine Festival
Taking place on May 13 at The Village at Allen, the Allen Food + Wine Festival will feature wine tastings, craft beer, cuisine, live music, shopping with local boutiques, photo ops, and more. Wineries will be set up at the festival and throughout the local shops at The Village at Allen.

Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival
Taking place May 19-21 at Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson, the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival features live performances by national, regional, and local bands, including headliners X Ambassadors, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt-a-Whirl Band. There are also a variety of other family-friendly activities.

39th Annual Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience
Taking place May 19-21 in Historic Downtown Grapevine, Main Street Fest: A Craft Brew Experience features a carnival, artisans, shopping, food, craft brews, and live music will from a variety of bands, including headliners Vertical Horizon and Little Texas.

City of Carrollton presents Chalk Art Festival
Taking place on May 20 at Mary Heads Carter Park in Carrollton, the Chalk Art Festival features talented contestants turning sidewalks into works of art. The event will feature music, food, games, and lots of chalk, with awards given to the best chalk artists.

Tacos & Tequila Festival
Taking place on May 20 at Panther Island Pavilion, the Tacos & Tequila Festival will feature some of Dallas-Fort Worth’s best taco chefs, Lucha Libre wrestling, an exotic car showcase, and more. In addition, there will be a huge live music showcase, including performances by Flo Rida, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Bones Thugs-N-Harmony, and more.

Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair
Taking place May 27-29 in Deep Ellum, the Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair — a grass-roots event replacing the now-defunct Deep Ellum Arts Festival — will be a weekend filled with curated exhibits, concerts, and food showcasing the talent and businesses inside the community.

Taste Addison
Taking place on June 2 and 3 in Addison Circle Park, Taste Addison is a celebration of food, music, and fun that includes national music artists, Addison eateries, wine and spirits tastings, special performances, family activities, and more.

Photo courtesy of Wildflower! Festival

The Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival takes place May 19-21 at Galatyn Park in Richardson.

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Charged up

Magical Plano Elf Town to compete on ABC's Great Christmas Light Fight

Elf Town, Loders, Deerfield Plano, Great Christmas Light Fight

Photo courtesy of David and Melissa Loder

David and Melissa Loder's Elf Town is in on Pembroke Court in the Deerfield subdivision of Plano.

A family from one of Dallas-Fort Worth's most famous Christmas-light neighborhoods is stepping into the national spotlight: Melissa and David Loder, who present a spectacular "Elf Town" display in Plano's Deerfield subdivision, will compete on ABC's holiday competition show The Great Christmas Light Fight on Thursday, December 18.

The Loders will be one of three U.S. families battling for a trophy, $50,000, and major holiday-light bragging rights; co-host Taniya Nayak is the judge.

Photo courtesy of David and Melissa Loder

David and Melissa Loder's Elf Town is in on Penbrook Court in the Deerfield subdivision of Plano.

The episode will air at 9 pm (CDT) on ABC stations, but unfortunately for local viewers, WFAA will pre-empt it for the Dallas Mavericks basketball game. Light Fight will stream on WFAA+ channel 8.2 at 9 pm and later on WFAA / Channel 8 at 3:11 am. It will be available to stream on Hulu beginning Friday, December 19.

"[Filming the show] was surreal at times, but we also knew we had created something special with Elf Town," says Melissa Loder.

Elf Town, Loders, Deerfield Plano, Great Christmas Light Fight The Elf Town Depot, with mayor Elfus standing guard.Photo courtesy of David and Melissa Loder

Exploring Elf Town
The Loders, who moved to Deerfield in 2008, have been creating and evolving Elf Town since 2011. They use it as a platform to raise money for the Susan G Komen Foundation, an organization especially dear to Melissa, a breast cancer survivor.

They call Elf Town "a place where holiday elves live, work, and play."

"Like any town, we have a Main Street with a school, shopping, a bakery and a tavern all leading to a mega tree in the town center," Melissa says. "New this year is the Elf Town Museum that has photos of the evolution of Elf Town."

"We also have industry - the toys travel via train, and there is a train depot for the elves to get their tickets and wait for the train," she adds. "We also have an entertainment area with a Ferris wheel and a disco for the elves."

Standing guard over it all is The Mayor of Elf Town, a 20-foot elf named Elfus. And for the show, they created an all-new special feature: Santa's Spa in the backyard - "an area where no elves are allowed," she says.

David and Melissa, who call themselves the "head elves" of Elf Town, work all year on their DIY display. "Woodworking, welding, painting, design and installation," they say, "are all done on site by our little band of elves," which include their daughter and son-in-law Alex and Joel Loper and their grandsons, Kade (8) and Tristan (5); nieces and nephews Sophie Polma (25), Maxine Polma (23), Beckett Polma (21), and identical twins Marlowe Polma and Julian Polma (19).

"We also have amazing friends who materialize when we are putting up and taking down the display," they say. "Additionally, friends Roger and Rita Reynolds made guest appearances [on the show] as a famous couple from the North Pole."

Getting on the show
The Loders light their display up nightly for the public each holiday season. They were "discovered" by The Great Christmas Light Fight when a casting producer tracked them from a stranger’s TikTok video in spring 2022.

Dallas-Fort Worth is a popular location for the show. The Loders now join the ranks of other Light Fight-famous homes, including the Burkman Holiday Home of Frisco (2021); the Ward family of Sky Elements Drone Shows in Keller (2023); the Hugheses' "Stay in the Light" in Rockwall (2024); the Joules-Cornettis' "Gift of Light" in McKinney (2024); and the Mach Christmas Display in Ennis (2024).

"Of course we had seen the show from its first season, but since our focus is less about just lights and more about creating a magical world, we didn’t think we were a fit," Melissa says.

Elf Town, Loders, Deerfield Plano, Great Christmas Light Fight The Loders have been presenting Elf Town since 2011.Photo courtesy of David and Melissa Loder

They shot an audition video in 2023 and soon found out they made the cut. The show filmed at their house over three days in November 2024.

"The process was three very long days of filming with a very sharp learning curve," Melissa says. "Our on-site producer was an amazing asset in the process. Her tips and tricks helped us all embrace the process, relax in front of the cameras, and hopefully come off well in the show; it was a whirlwind but so much fun.

"I think the best part of filming was getting to learn so much about another industry that was so foreign to us. I am a clinical psychologist in private practice, and David is in sales with Porsche Plano, so we aren’t 'performers.'"

Fighting on
The Loders can't reveal whether they won the Great Christmas Light Fight, of course. (They'll be watching Thursday at a big party at Legacy Social Room.) But they can say with certainty that their display will continue to aid in the fight against breast cancer.

"We participate in the 3 Day 60 Mile walk each year and the money donated goes to our 3 Day fundraising accounts," Melissa says. "Collectively, our little family of elves have raised over $180,000 to help fund vital cancer research and contribute to patient care and advocacy."

Elf Town will light up daily from 5:30 pm to midnight through New Year's Eve 2025, with special nights offering hot cocoa, candy canes, or photos with Santa. While it's free to view and experience, visitors are invited to donate via fundraising links on their Facebook page and through Melissa's Susan G. Komen 3 Day fundraising page.

"I think the most important part of our display is that David and I do this together as a hobby and a gift to the community," she says. "We love that we were able to do The Great Christmas Light Fight, but our true motivation for the time, energy, and money that we pour into the display comes from the stories we hear year after year of families who count on us to be part of their tradition."

She says those include visitors finding the display as solace in hard times, along with marriage proposals, baby's first visit with Santa, and more.

"We have even been brought to our knees by a woman who brought her infant daughter and took photos all around the display because she had a terminal cancer diagnosis and wanted her daughter to have 'magical' pictures with her so 'when she was an angel,' her daughter 'will know I believed in magic,'" Melissa says. "All of these stories and so many more are part of the legacy of Elf Town. These are our 'why' to the question we are often asked 'Why would you do this?'"

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The Great Christmas Light Fight will air at 9 pm December 18 on ABC and will stream December 19 on Hulu. Find Elf Town at 4641 Penbrook Ct., in the Deerfield subdivision of Plano. It's open nightly, 5:30 pm-midnight, through December 31. Follow the Elf Town Facebook page for updates. Visitors are encouraged to park on a less busy street, or at the elementary school off Quincy, and walk through the neighborhood.

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