Filling Philanthropy

Soup's On! dishes out good eats and great works at inspirational 5th annual luncheon

Cloudy skies and light rain made it the perfect day for the fifth annual Stewpot Alliance Soup's On! Luncheon at Omni Dallas, because guests would soon warm up with gourmet soup. Upon entrance, the smell of savory goodness wafted through the hotel, taunting taste buds for the upcoming meal.

Before sitting down, guests admired and purchased artwork made by artists in The Stewpot Art Program. When the clock struck 12, they made their way to the ballroom, where the Booker T. Washington High School Wind Symphony and Varsity Choir performed inspiring songs such as "America the Beautiful," "Man in the Mirror" and "Love Can Build a Bridge."

Master of ceremonies Steve Blow, who volunteers at The Stewpot, reminded guests of 508 Park Avenue, the Stewpot's resource program to bring people together via education, music and art. After a brief introduction and many thanks to luncheon chairs Trish Weigand and Kay Lunceford and honorary chairs Joan and Elvis Mason, the soup was served.

Designated chef chairman Brian C. Luscher of The Grape rounded up 13 top local chefs to re-create their signature soups and share the recipes with attendees:

Randall Copeland of Restaurant Ava
Bruno Davaillon of Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
Omar Flores of Driftwood
Keith Hanks of Capital Grille
Abraham Salum and Al Havens of Salum
Jason Maddy of Oak
Danyele McPherson of The Grape
Chad Kelley of Cafe Pacific
Janice Provost of Parigi
Anastasia Quiñones of Komali
Nathan Tate of Boulevardier
Jason Weaver of Omni Dallas

Luscher thanked all of the chefs and commended all of the supporters who helped The Stewpot reach the milestone of serving its 5 millionth meal last July. Then keynote speaker Wes Moore — author, United States Army veteran, Rhodes Scholar and John Hopkins University alum — took center stage.

Moore, a self-made man, walked right past the podium and into the spotlight, in front of the hundreds of guests. He spoke of the experiences that led him to write The Other Wes Moore, sharing the struggles he encountered during his childhood living in a rough neighborhood in Baltimore and the turning point that enabled him to change his destiny.

"What changed was being surrounded by people who showed me that the world was bigger than what was in front of me," Moore said.

After a motivating and heart-wrenching speech, the whole audience — including Mickie and Mayor Mike Rawlings, Lane Evans, Jane Evans, Monica Smith, Sarah Nelson, Lisa Pearrow, Robyn Conlon, Beth Conlon, Courtney Luscher, Patti Jones, and Jana Rentzel — stood in applause.

In addition to the stack of recipe cards from participating chefs, guests walked away with soup bowls painted by kids in The Stewpot's Saturday School program and a special coin created by local sculptor Brad Oldham.

The annual Soups On! Luncheon supports The Stewpot Alliance, which spreads awareness about the Stewpot — the largest provider for meals at The Bridge, Dallas' homeless assistance center — and its impactful programs.

Gretchen Gerlach, Wes Moore, Kay Lunceford, Trish Weigand

Photo by Rob Wythe

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Have Some Pride

Here are all the ways to celebrate your Pride in Dallas-Fort Worth

Courtesy photo

The Dallas skyline is ready to rainbow.

The month of June is designated as Pride Month to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and various groups and businesses around Dallas-Fort Worth are showing their support in a multitude of ways.

Here's our list of the best ways we've found for members of community and allies to participate in Pride Month in style. We start with the festivities that are running June 3-4, followed by other celebrations that will occur all month long.

Dallas Pride Weekend
Start the month off right at the biggest official celebration taking place June 3-4 at Fair Park. This annual event, which used to be in the Oak Lawn area before moving to Fair Park in 2019, includes a music festival featuring headliner Allison Ponthier on Saturday; the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on Sunday; plus other activities celebrating the LGBTQ community.

Pride Day at Reunion Tower
June 3-4: The little ball in the downtown Dallas sky is celebrating Pride month, too. It'll kick off on June 3 with a splendid rainbow flag show that'll run all weekend long, and will continue to pop up during the month with dynamic rainbow displays on most Fridays and Sundays in June.

"Party with the Queens” Pride Brunch at El Chingon
June 3, 2-4 pm: El Chingon, Fort Worth’s “Bad Ass Mexican” restaurant, will host an exclusive “Pride Brunch” as part of its recurring “Party with the Queens” series. The brunch will feature live drag performances, mimosa specials, and more.

Pride Pool Party at Adolphus Hotel
June 3, 7 am-11 pm: Pool Adolphus at Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas will host an all-day Pride Pool Party, featuring colorful cocktail specials, rainbow Jello shooters, and a local DJ.

Lakewood Brewing Co. presents Pride Vendor Fair + Yas Queen! ReleasePride Vendor Fair + Yas Queen! Release
June 3, 12-4 pm: Lakewood Brewing Co. will host a party at its taproom with Wandering Roots Markets celebrating the release of Yas Queen, a taproom-exclusive Raspberry Wheat ale. There will also be Pride Vendor Fair featuring local artists and vendors, as well as on-site flash tattoos.

Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum presents “Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas”
June 7, 7 pm. The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is hosting “Voices of LGBTQ+ Dallas,” a special exhibition program for Pride Month highlighting trailblazers in the Dallas area LGBTQ+ community. The program featuring speakers such as Chris Luna and Naomi Green is already sold out, but the Museum’s current special exhibition, Rise Up: Stonewall and the LGBTQ Rights Movement, is on display through June 18.

Arttitude presents OutLoud: A Night of Pride
June 8, 6 pm: OutLoud: A Night of Pride is an inclusive event where artists and performers can fearlessly share their stories and experiences. The event will include poetry, burlesque, and a music performance by special guest Gina Chavez. Tt Latino Cultural Center.

Dallas Wings Pride Night
June 9, 7 pm: Pride Night for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. They'll be taking on the Phoenix Mercury, who feature Brittney Griner as their star player. All attendees at College Park Center in Arlington will receive a special rally towel for the occasion.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents Pride in Bloom
June 10-11: Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will highlight Pride Month with its second Pride in Bloom celebration, featuring a full weekend of LGBTQ+ artisans, entertainers, chefs, and small businesses. Visitors can shop items at the vendor market, pack or purchase a picnic, listen to live entertainment, and enjoy Gary Lee Price’s Great Contributors’ bronze exhibition. Admission to the Children’s Adventure Garden will also be free.

Dallas Arts District presents Pride Block Party
June 16, 6 pm: The Pride Block Party in the Dallas Arts District features a variety of activities at the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Crow Museum of Asian Art, and throughout the district. Activities include gallery tours, drag performers, comedy, dancing, and a fashion show.

Dallas Comedy Club presents "Stand-Up for Hope"
June 17, 5 pm: Stand-Up for Hope is a stand-up comedy show featuring all-LGBTQ performers and benefiting Dallas Hope Charities, which helps provide food, shelter, and services that instill dignity, stability, and Hope For All. Hosted by Stefan Newman, host of Queer Factor, the event will feature performances by Kim Wadsworth,Kerry Day, Charlotte Parker, Lucia Hardaway, and Jamie Zeske.

Ride for Pride
June 24, 9 am: Ride for Pride is a four-mile bike ride down the Katy Trail and back, starting at Reverchon Recreation Center. There will also be Health and Safety fair from 10 am-2 pm.

Monthlong celebrations

Pride Month screenings at Rooftop Cinema Club
Rooftop Cinema Club on top of the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in downtown Fort Worth will screen a variety of films with LGBTQ+ themes or characters throughout the month of June, including Mamma Mia!, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Birdcage, Moulin Rouge!, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Devil Wears Prada.

Special Pride drink from Gong cha
Gong cha, which has seven stores in the DFW area, will donate a portion of every purchase of their special Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea to the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) in name of #Equalitea. The special Pride drink is a sweet and tart Lemon Ai Love Yu bubble tea with white pearls and (edible) glitter for some extra festive sparkle. The limited time promotion will run through June 30.

Luckys Pride Celebration
A Dallas institution off Oak Lawn Avenue for more than 35 years, Luckys has long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community. They'll celebrate Pride Month throughout June with a special commemorative T-shirt and a celebratory cocktail, the Pride ’Rita, featuring El Jimador Blanco tequila blended with Chambord, lime juice, and agave nectar.

Electric Shuffle Pride Brunches
Every Sunday in June starting at 12 pm, Electric Shuffle in Deep Ellum will host a Drag Brunch and donate 10 percent of those brunch sales to DIFFA. There will be big-name performers, a Drag Race Royalty special guest, high-tech shuffleboard, live DJs, and more. Additionally, $1 of each purchase of their new summer cocktail, the Prickly Pear Margarita, will be donated to DIFFA.

lgbtq festivals brunch event-planner

Filling Philanthropy

Soup's On! dishes out good eats and great works at inspirational 5th annual luncheon

Have Some Pride

Here are all the ways to celebrate your Pride in Dallas-Fort Worth

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