Hit the Road

Tip your hat to Garland, where diversity and cowboy culture blend

Here's a fun fact for your next trivia night: If you own a Resistol or Biltmore hat, it was likely made in Garland, the cowboy hat capital of Texas.

You'll find more than 10-gallons here, though, thanks to a diverse community that pours its culture and history into not only unique shopping but also restaurants, arts, and a whole year's worth of fun festivals and cool celebrations.

Here's a glimpse at what else is waiting in this North Texas city:

The great outdoors
Take a stroll among the wildflowers at the Spring Creek Forest Preserve or cycle your way through the Rowlett Creek Bike Trails. Ready to try four wheels? Execute an ollie or a kickflip at The Jon Comer Skatepark.

For something less heart-pounding, perfect your swing on 63 holes of championship-caliber golf over three courses at Firewheel Golf Park.

Experience the ultimate in lake life — if even only for a day — at Lake Ray Hubbard, which spans 21,000 acres and is great for fishing, skiing, and boating.

Let's celebrate
No matter what time of year you visit, there's bound to be a festival or other special event happening.

The beloved Garland Guzzler 0.5K race and Oktoberfest happen on September 23, 2023.

In October, get ready to experience an unforgettable day of festivities at the grand opening of the Downtown Garland Square on October 14 from 10 am-9 pm. As the sun sets, prepare to be wowed by a special musical appearance from the one and only LeAnn Rimes. It’s a day of unity, culture, and fun, marking a new era for the beloved Downtown Garland Square.

Later in the month, stop by for the Wheels of Hope Car Show on October 21, 2023.

Honor departed loved ones on November 1's Día de Los Muertos, then usher in the holiday spirit with A Garland Christmas on December 7, 2023.

In the New Year, Big Art Day arrives on April 1, 2024, or enjoy some tunes when the heart of Downtown Garland Square comes alive with the vibrant rhythms of live music all year-round. Want more music? The Asian Music Festival is set for May 18, 2024.

Celebrate Black culture with the Juneteenth celebration on June 15, 2024, at Audubon Park and then America's birthday during the Star-Spangled Spectacular on June 30, 2024, at Firewheel Town Center.

Get ready to cheer on the DFW Asian American Soccer Tournament July 22-23, 2024, at Winters Park.

Get cultured
Located in the heart of historic downtown Garland, the Granville Arts Center complex includes two magnificent proscenium theaters: the award-winning Atrium banquet facility and the exquisite art deco Plaza Theatre, which is home to Garland Summer Musicals. All venues are city-owned and operated.

Let's eat (and drink)
The food scene here includes Pangea, a restaurant owned by chef Kev Ashade who raise to fame after beating celebrity chef Bobby Flay on his own TV show.

Ferah Tex-Med Kitchen dishes up “modern Mediterranean with a Texas twist,” and the Garland Pho Real Trail boasts more than 20 authentic, family-owned Vietnamese restaurants.

Newcomers include Latham Bakery, Scoop n' Boba, and Fortunate Son.

Take your pick from two breweries: Lakewood Brewing Co. is a pioneer brewery and one of the original breweries that came on board when craft beer first emerged. Intrinsic Smokehouse & Brewery, meanwhile, offers delicious barbecue and craft beer in downtown Garland.

Shop 'til you drop
Wear your walking shoes, because Firewheel Town Center provides premier outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment with more than 110 stores.

But there's also plenty of unexpected shopping to be found here, where you can find rare and one-of-a-kind products.

Fall in love with your beginner or vintage guitar at Jimmy Wallace Guitars. Visit The Frocksy and Karin Wiseman Collection to discover marvelous and quirky items for you and your home. Stop by the Best Cowhides showroom and find exquisite, genuine leather rugs and purses. Or put together the perfect vintage outfit at Boogie Nights Vintage.

Rest your head
The most affordable hotel rates in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are in Garland. Hotels here are dedicated to cleanliness and have convenient access to President George Bush Highway, I-635/LBJ Freeway, and I-30. Many hotels are also within walking distance of Garland’s many diverse dining options.

Plan your perfect Garland getaway here.

Photo courtesy of Visit Garland

Live music takes over Downtown Garland Square year-round.

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Hotel News

Edition boutique hotel and luxury condos to debut in Uptown Dallas

Courtesy rendering

New Chalk Hill mixed-use project will include residences and a hotel.

A new mixed-use project in Dallas with hotel and luxury condos is springing up on the former site of public media station KERA. Located at 3031 N. Harwood St., the Chalk Hill complex will include a 29-story building with hotel-plus-condominiums, and an adjacent 22-story office tower.

The hotel will be a branded Edition property, dubbed "the hottest hotel brand in the world" by Forbes magazine.

According to a release, it's expected to open in 2028.

The complex will occupy a 2.5-acre site where KERA previously resided for 60 years. In 2023, Dallas real estate developer Kaizen Development Partners acquired the property in 2023 with a deal to develop the project and relocate KERA to new smaller headquarters on the northern end of the site. An address for KERA's new HQ has not been identified, but ground was broken on March 3.

Hotel
Edition is part of Marriott International, who created the brand with Ian Schrager, founder of Studio 54 and known in the hotel industry for introducing the concept of the boutique hotel. The first Edition opened in Waikiki in 2010. There are now two dozen locations including New York, Miami, Tampa, and Los Angeles in the U.S., as well as international destinations such as London, Madrid, Tokyo, and Dubai.

The Dallas location will follow Edition's ethos with a hotel and residential designed for those who value "authenticity, architectural integrity, and service delivered with quiet precision."

The hotel will feature a restaurant and bar, ballroom and meeting spaces, pool deck, spa with hydrotherapy, holistic well-being center, and dedicated wellness concierge.

Interiors are conceived by Bonetti/Kozerski Architecture, the design firm behind several Edition properties worldwide.

Architecture is led by Boka Powell, whose previous projects include the Victory Commons office building in Victory Park, the renovation of Two Galleria Tower, and SMU Meadows School of the Arts.

Landscape architecture by SWA in collaboration with SCDA integrates biophilic design principles, drawing nature upward into terraces, gardens, and elevated outdoor spaces.

The condos
Called the Residences at The Dallas Edition, the condos are being framed as "luxury," with two-, three-, and four-bedroom units ranging from from 1,080 to 6,866 square feet, and prices starting at $1.5 million for one-bedroom units. Amenities include private elevator access, private individual terraces, 24-hour valet, resort-style pool, and gym.

The 29th-floor penthouse will span 6,866 square feet with more than 3,300 square feet of private outdoor space — crowning the tower as a glass pavilion in the sky.

"Chalk Hill reflects the remarkable evolution we’re seeing in Dallas residential development,” says Catherine Lee, president of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, in charge of leasing the space.

The offices
The office building will offer its own amenity package with fitness center, nearly an acre of green roof space, conference areas, multiple lounge spaces, and multipurpose executive board/dining room.

“The work we are doing with Edition is a tribute to the city’s evolution and the legacy we are helping shape,” says Kaizen Development Partners Managing Partner and CEO Derrick Evers in a statement. "By bringing Edition to Texas for the first time, we are creating a destination where global sophistication meets Dallas soul.”

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