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Hill Country festival throws eclipse party with camping and Texas bands

Music lovers will flock to Utopia to watch concerts and the eclipse in nature.

Plans are being laid across Texas to watch the eclipse occurring on Monday April 8, when the sky will darken and the sun will disappear except for a glowing backlight.

Utopia, Texas, 340 miles southwest of Dallas, lies right in the center of the eclipse path and will provide a ringside seat via UtopiaFest, the long-running 14-year-old music festival which in 2024 will capitalize on the eclipse with a specially-timed rendition taking place April 5-9. (Previous renditions took place in the fall.)

The five-day festival will be located at the Four Sisters Ranch, a 1000-acre countryside stay with hiking and camping facilities in the Hill Country between Garner State Park and Lost Maples State Natural Area.

The festival offers a variety of passes, ranging from a short three-day pass to the full five days. Every person attending needs one of the following passes:

Sunday-Tuesday, $350
Saturday-Tuesday, $400
Friday-Tuesday, $430
Sterling Pass, $600, spanning the full Friday-Tuesday stay with expedited entry, entrance for any vehicle, premium camp site, and access to Sterling lounge

All passes include free parking and tent camping, with available park-and-unload by campgrounds.

There are also passes if you want to drive in and "car camp" or if you want to bring an RV, with limited power hookups available, and separate passes for kids and teens ($20 to $40). Dogs are an additional $150.

The festival recently released its lineup of nearly 50 acts spread across two stages, dominated by Texas artists including Dallas band The Texas Gentlemen, who will perform on "eclipse day," Monday April 8, along with acts such as Ghostland Observatory, Phoebe Hunt, and The Mighty Orq.

In the U.S., eclipse "totality" will begin in Texas at 1:27 pm (and will end in Maine at 3:35 pm Eastern time, or 2:35 Texas time). Austin funk/soul ensemble Sir Woman gets the honor of performing during the magic moment, says Utopiafest co-founder Travis Sutherland.

This was meant to be the festival's last year, but the announcement hints that the camping festival may return. "We can't wait for one last Four Sisters Ranch party (for now)!" it says.

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Brianna Caleri contributed to this story.

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Airport News

DFW Airport seeks local restaurants to fill 14 new open slots

Manning

DFW Airport restaurants

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is seeking new restaurants who want to open a location on the premises. According to a release, the airport has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), inviting local brands and flavors to apply for 14 retail and dining locations across multiple terminals.

“As we build new gates, reimagine existing spaces and construct a new Terminal F, DFW Airport is committed to showcasing our region through our shops and restaurants so that when people travel through our terminals, there’s no denying they have arrived in the heart of Dallas and Fort Worth,” says DFW Chief Revenue Officer Ken Buchanan in a statement. “DFW serves tens of millions of travelers each year, and this is a chance for local businesses to help create an incredible sense of place within our terminals.”

The RFP is open for submissions now through February 2, 2026, and includes 11 food and beverage opportunities and three specialty retail locations across Terminals A, B, E, and F.

Concepts range from fast-casual, fast-food, and grab-and-go concepts to frozen treats, popcorn, cosmetics, and specialty retail.

All proposal submissions must be made through the Bonfire Procurement Platform.

DFW welcomed approximately 87 million customers in 2024, with continued growth projected to surpass 100 million passengers per year before 2030.

The latest RFP opportunity comes as DFW continues to make progress on its $12 billion capital improvement plan, DFW Forward, which is transforming terminals, expanding gate capacity and enhancing the customer experience across the entire airport. In addition to the new Terminal F, DFW is rebuilding Terminal C and expanding gate areas in Terminals A and C – projects that will introduce modern spaces, new amenities and a stronger platform for small and local businesses to grow inside one of the world’s busiest airports.

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