Gearing up

Party like a champ at CultureMap's big Dallas sports bash The Tailgate

Tailgating can be more fun than the actual games.

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CultureMap is getting fired up for the exciting return of The Tailgate, our all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit, presented by Verizon.

For the event’s 2024 edition, we’re partying at The Empire Room in the Design District. The Tailgate takes place from 6-9 pm Monday, December 9, and tickets are already on sale.

Attendees can look forward to sports-inspired bites from some of their favorite Dallas-area restaurants, premium cocktails, memorabilia from Texas legends, and plenty more game-day fun.

Popular Dallas restaurants and chefs will create tailgate-inspired dishes for attendees to sample and vote for their favorite. Participants include:

Anaya's Seafood
Cenzo’s Pizza & Deli
McRae's American Bistro & Cocktails
Le Rêve Gelato & Pâtisserie
JOA GRILL
Chef Will Salisbury
Postino
JW Marriott Dallas Arts District
Snuffers
The Omni Dallas Hotel
Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse

We’ll also soon be asking readers to vote for their favorite wing joint of 2024. Our editors have put together a list of 16 candidates that will go head-to-head in a bracket-style tournament, the Ultimate Wing Showdown. Your winner will be revealed at the party.

The Tailgate Dallas 2022 CultureMap last held The Tailgate in Dallas in 2022.Photo by Ashley Gongora

The event will also shine a spotlight on local sports organizations, including the 2023 World Series champs Texas Rangers, who will be raffling off an autographed baseball to fans. The Frisco RoughRiders' mascot, Bull Moose, will be on hand for fun giveaways. And Former FC Dallas soccer star Kenny Cooper will kick it with fans in a meet-and-greet.

Attendees can expect more revelry, games, and prizes courtesy of our event sponsors and local vendors, including Verizon, HOWDY, and more.

We'll keep you up to date on all things Tailgate-related in a special editorial series of stories leading up to the event.

A limited number of Early Bird tickets are on sale now at discounted rates of $35 for general admission (regularly $50) and $60 for VIP (regularly $75).

All tickets include bites by participating restaurants, complimentary premium beverages, and access to fun activities throughout the event. VIP tickets come with one-hour early entry, access to a dedicated VIP bar, a meet-and-greet with a top Dallas athlete, and more perks for an elevated experience.

Head here to buy your tickets now.

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The Tailgate is sponsored by Verizon, HOWDY, and more to be announced.

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Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

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