SPRING BREAK 2023

Dallas spring breakers escaping to this ski playground more than any other destination, report says

Dallasites really love Mt. Crested Butte in Colorado, per the new report.

Griggsortho.com

It's spring break week for most Dallas-area families, and many are escaping the bustling city for the crisp Colorado air and ski resorts.

Where are they going most? In the latest report from vacation rental specialist Key Data, more Dallas spring breakers have set off for Crested Butte (specifically Mt. Crested Butte, at the base of the ski area) than any other destination. No wonder hop-on jet service JSX has launched new flights there.

Key Data determined their rankings based on the average nightly rate, the number of nights sold, the total accommodation cost, and the length of stay by travelers from Dallas who made bookings in the month of March.

Coming in at the No. 2 spot for the top destinations for Dallas spring breakers is a city in the sunshine state: Watercolor, Florida. Three other ski resorts in Colorado - Breckenridge (No. 3), Steamboat Springs (No. 4) and Mountain Village (No. 5) - round out the top five.

For the curious minds wondering how much the average spring break stay is for the ski resort in Crested Butte, Key Data’s figured it out. The cost of the average 4.8-day accommodation at the resort adds up to $550 per night, or $2,643 total.

For those looking to venture to the warm and humid Florida beach, you’d be surprised to learn you’re not saving much money. Visitors will spend $1,045 per night, or $6,820 total for accommodations in Watercolor for the 6.3-day average stay.

In a press release, Key Data’s executive director of data insights Melanie Brown says the city’s spring breakers are divided into two categories this year: vacationers looking to see the mountains and embrace the snow, and those who want to catch some rays at the beach.

“While snowy Colorado mountain destinations are the most popular, there’s a portion who plan to spend their break on the beach in Watercolor, Florida, perhaps to escape the bustle of the city,” she says.

The top 5 destinations for Dallas spring breakers is:

No. 1 – Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado
No. 2 – Watercolor, Florida
No. 3 – Breckenridge, Colorado
No. 4 – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
No. 5 – Mountain Village, Colorado

Key Data also determined that 11 million nights for this year’s spring break week have been booked through online vacation rental marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo. That’s up 22 percent from last year, which accounted for 9.4 million nights.

Didn't make it out of town for spring break? Don't worry - there's still plenty to do this week in DFW. Here's a list of 10 cool new events and attractions to hit on a DFW spring break staycation.

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Shopping for a cause

Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms spreads its wings with 2 DFW Airport stores

DFW Airport

Bonton Farms stand at DFW Airport

South Dallas nonprofit Bonton Farms is going international without straying too far from home. The organization is debuting two storefronts at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: one that just opened and another coming this fall.

The larger Bonton Farms marketplace, a 2,895-square-foot space in Terminal A, quietly opened in mid-August.

A second, smaller 551-square-foot newsstand near the A-Pier will open in October, when the airport's A-Pier expansion is scheduled to open, a spokesperson says. (Exact date is still TBA.)

The shops are called, simply, "Bonton Farms" and are operated by Marshall Retail Group, a subsidiary of WHSmith North America, which is partnering with Bonton Farms on the airport concept.

According to a release, both stores will sell Bonton Farms products such as locally made honey, handmade jam, and goat-milk soap, along with apparel, merchandise, and products made by "Bontonpreneurs," the local entrepreneurs supported through the nonprofit's business-development programs.

Bonton Farms' goods are now sold at DFW Airport Terminal A. Photo courtesy of Bonton Farms

The stores will also offer fresh grab-and-go food, including sandwiches, wraps, salads and sweet treats, as well as travel essentials and souvenirs and gifts.

The airport project was first announced in 2024 as a partnership between Bonton Farms, WHSmith, and DFW Airport. The plan called for Bonton Farms products to be sold alongside goods from other North Texas businesses, including Fort Worth's Sons Coffee, Lettuce Cook, and Pearl Honey Spreads.

Bonton Farms began in the Bonton neighborhood with a small beekeeping operation and has grown into a nonprofit farm, market and community hub. Its operations now include two farm sites, a coffeehouse, farmers market, preservatory and farm-to-table Market/Café, along with programs focused on workforce development, education, health and wellness, economic opportunity and access to fresh food.

"This opening represents an exciting milestone for Bonton Farms and the community we serve," says Mark Jones, President & CEO of Bonton Farms, in the release. "For the first time, our products and our story will reach travelers from around the world. Through this partnership with WHSmith North America, we're creating new opportunities to share the mission of Bonton Farms while generating additional support for programs that help our neighbors thrive."

The airport shops are designed to introduce Bonton Farms to travelers who may not otherwise encounter the organization or its products.

"This store isn't just retail space, it's a front door to our mission," says Kendra Charisse Smith, Director of Operations at Bonton Farms, who oversaw execution of the partnership. "From sourcing and packaging our products to meet the demands of a whole new scale of distribution, every step was about making sure Bonton Farms shows up authentically in one of the busiest airports in the world. This launch reflects the same care and intentionality we put into everything we do in South Dallas.”

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