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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Movie Review

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first but not by much

Blumhouse

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

Blumhouse Productions first made their name with the Paranormal Activity series, establishing themselves as a leader in the horror genre thanks to their relatively cheap yet effective movies. In recent years, they’ve added on “soft” horror films likeM3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s to draw in a younger audience, with both films becoming so successful that each was quickly given a sequel.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 finds Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) still recovering from the events of the first film, with Abby particularly missing her “friends.” Those friends just so happen to be the souls of murdered children who inhabit animatronic characters at the long-defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, children who were abducted and killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard).

A new threat emerges at another Freddy Fazbear’s location in the form of Charlotte, another murdered child who inhabits a creepy large marionette. Mike, distracted by a possible romance with Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), fails to keep track of Abby, who makes her way to the old pizzeria and inadvertently unleashes Charlotte and her minions on the surrounding town.

Directed by Emma Tammi and written by Scott Cawthon (who also created the video game on which the series is based), the film tries to mix together goofy elements with intense scenes. One particular sequence, in which the security guard for Freddy Fazbear’s lets a group of ghost hunters onto the property, toes the line between soft and hard horror. That and a few others show the potential that the filmmakers had if they had stuck to their guns.

Unfortunately, more often than not they either soft-pedal things that would normally be horrific, or can’t figure out how to properly stage scenes. The sight of animatronic robots wreaking havoc is one that is simultaneously frightening and laughable, and the filmmakers never seem to find the right balance in tone. Every step in the direction of making a truly scary horror film is undercut by another in which the robots fail to live up to their promise.

It doesn’t help that Cawthon gives the cast some extremely wooden dialogue, lines that none of the actors can elevate. What may work in a video game format comes off as stilted when said by actors in a live-action film. The story also loses momentum quickly after the first half hour or so, with Cawthon seemingly content to just have characters move from place to place with no sense of connection between any of the scenes.

Hutcherson (The Hunger Games series), after being the true lead of the first film, is given very little to do in this film, and his effort is equal to his character’s arc. The same goes for Lail, whose character seems to be shoehorned into the story. Rubio is called upon to carry the load for a lot of the movie, and the teenager is not quite up to the task. A brief appearance by Skeet Ulrich seems to be a blatant appeal to Scream fans, but he and Lillard only underscore how limited this film is compared to that franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first film, but not by much. The filmmakers do a decent job of making the new marionette character into a great villain, but they fail to capitalize on its inherent creepiness. Instead, they fall back on less effective elements, ensuring that the film will be forgettable for anyone other than hardcore Freddy fans.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 2 opens in theaters on December 5.

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