Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival

Photo by Steven Ng

The 71st Annual Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival will feature an abundance of activities and live music throughout the weekend as well as a spectacular array of Texas bluebonnets across 40 miles of trails.

Festival activities include arts and crafts exhibitions, shopping, children’s activities, the railroad and cultural heritage museum and delicious food options. Visitors also can enjoy the beer garden or sample Texas wines at the Ennis Education Foundation Wine Wander.

There will be live music from King George on Friday, Slippery When Wet on Saturday, and The Windbreakers on Sunday, and fireworks will cap off Friday and Saturday night festivities.

Visitors can experience 40 miles of mapped bluebonnet trails during the entire month of April. These trails are the oldest known trails in the state of Texas. Along the route, visitors will enjoy tree-lined country roads, longhorn cows, horses, and bountiful fields resplendent with colorful wildflowers.

Visitors are encouraged to download the free Ennis Y’all app to get the best route for the specific day of their visit or check online at bluebonnettrail.org. The app also provides recommendations on the best places to shop, dine and stay. A current map and information will also be located at the Ennis Welcome Center.

Photo courtesy of Monster Truck Wars

Monster Truck Wars

Monster Truck Wars, America’s wildest monster truck show, comes to Dallas. The high-energy monster truck show will feature a superstar lineup, a real-life robot battle, a clown show, kid’s power wheel races, and more. Plus, kids can take a ride in a real monster truck.

Monster Truck Wars features giant, 10,000-pound monster trucks, including the world-famous Outlaw, legendary Equalizer, the unforgettable Shark Attack and Sheriff. These superstars will compete in non-stop, head-to-head competition. Their all-new Robot Battle is joining the action this year, where three-story-high transforming robots Galactron and Reptar battle on the arena floor.

Swiss Avenue Historic District

Swiss Avenue Historic District presents Mother's Day Home Tour

Swiss Avenue Historic District's Mother's Day Home Tour is a weekend-long tribute to Dallas' historic past that will feature a collection of the city's most fabulous early 20th Century homes. There will also be an open-air art fair, a vintage auto display, a children’s play area, live entertainment in Savage Park, free horse-drawn carriage rides, complimentary air-conditioned mini-coaches, and food trucks offering a variety of freshly prepared menu items, ice-cold beverages, and more.

Image courtesy of Lighthouse Immersive

Disney Animation: Immersive Experience

Disney Animation: Immersive Experience is an innovative celebration that takes visitors inside the greatest films of Walt Disney Animation Studios, from their very earliest, groundbreaking features to the beloved hit movies of today.

Imagine stepping into the Casita with Mirabel from Encanto, being at Pride Rock as Rafiki presents Simba – surrounded by the animal kingdom as the sun rises. Imagine hopping on a train with Judy Hopps and going into Zootopia or taking a magic carpet ride with Aladdin and Jasmine, and more….

Visitors will step into the art and legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios and celebrate the music, artistry and animation from the creators of Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Big Hero 6, and more.

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These are the 6 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

This week in gluttony

Lots of pairing dinners are on the schedule this week, including wine, whiskey, and local craft beer. There’s also an artistic way to enjoy happy hour at a local hotel and a kid’s cake decorating class with a bunny theme (Easter is less than two weeks away; here's help with dining plans). Lastly, make plans to eat a sub sandwich on Wednesday – 100 percent of all sales (not just profits) from a sub chain will go to a charity that fights kids’ cancer.

Tuesday, March 28

Cotarella Wine Dinner at OAK’D
In true Italian style, a four-course barbecue will be paired with Italian wines. The menu includes brisket and cheese cannelloni, smoked chicken parmesan on house-made garlic-tomato pasta, mini Wagyu sausage pizzas, and pear tarts with homemade vanilla ice cream. The dinner is $79, plus a small fee, and will run from 6:45-8:30 pm.

WC Barrel Select Pairing Dinner at Whiskey Cake
The Plano dining destination will share straight pours of barrel select favorite whiskeys during this five-course pairing dinner. The Southern-inspired menu includes smoky jalapeno Wagyu beef jerky, sage and wild mushroom bread pudding, roasted carrot hummus with fried garlic, chicken and dumplings, and pomegranate and hibiscus tart. Reservations are $100, plus tax and gratuity, and dinner begins at 7 pm.

Wednesday, March 29

Day of Giving at Jersey Mike’s Subs
Eat a sub and help a charity. On Wednesday, 100 percent of sales (not just profits) at all 71 DFW Jersey Mike’s Subs locations will be given to Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer. The fundraiser is part of the sub chain’s 13th Annual Month of Giving campaign, which originated in DFW and has raised more than $1.9 million for the charity. Find a list of DFW locations here.

Spring Beer Dinner at White Rock Alehouse & Brewery
The four-course beer pairing dinner will feature flavors of the season. On the menu: crawfish crostinis, spring salad, short ribs served Mexican-style, and fried strawberry shortcake. Each course will be paired with a different White Rock Alehouse beer. Arrive at 6:30 pm for a social beer before being seated for dinner at 7 pm. The cost is $50, plus a small fee.

Thursday, March 30

An Evening with Ebony Lewis at Elm & Good
The Kimpton Pittman Hotel restaurant will host Dallas artist Ebony Lewis for a live painting paired with cocktails. Visit between 6 and 8 pm to watch the artist at work and bid on the piece. Proceeds will benefit the Deep Ellum Community Center Artist Residency Program. While there, sip an Old Fashioned made with Uncle Nearest whiskey. The Kimpton is donating $1 from every Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned sold to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities as part of the Old Fashioned Challenge through March.

Sunday, April 2

Kids in the Kitchen! Bunny Cake Class at Farmers Branch Historical Park
Kids ages 7 to 15 can register for this hands-on cake decorating class to be held inside the Dodson House at the Farmers Branch Historical Park. Participants will learn buttercream techniques and fondant accents and will get to take home their own multi-layer bunny cake. The class is $50 and will run from 1- 3 pm.

Texas Rangers unveil brisket croissant and more snax for '23 baseball season

Stadium Food News

The 2023 season for the Texas Rangers is underway, and so is the new menu at their home base Globe Life Field in Arlington. Are you ready for a brisket croissant?

According to a release, that is but one of the new items rolled out by their food service partner Delaware North, who have also expanded the amenities to include mobile ordering available at all seats.

Let's get to the bullets:

Arlington Eats, located near Section 101, is a rotating concept featuring Arlington-based restaurants and they're adding two newcomers for 2023: The Tin Cup and Cartel Taco Bar. They join three from last year: Ella B’s Restaurant, Prince Lebanese Grill, and Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery. Arlington Eats is open for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday games, along with select premium matchups on weekdays.
Hurtado Barbecue, previously featured at Arlington Eats in 2022, is now the official barbecue partner at Globe Life Field with a standalone location at Section 141. Featured items include Brisket Elotes, Brisket Nachos, Brisket Sandwiches, and Beef Ribs.
7-Eleven will serve a variety of Slurpee flavors near Sections 101 and 205, along with its new Big Bite Pizza at Sections 133 and 214.
Express Grill features Amazon's Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One. Two outlets, located near Sections 108 and 124, have cheeseburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, sausage, corn dogs, packaged beer, spiked seltzers, soda, bottled water, chips, candies, and sundries.

pizza hot dog It's all the ingredients of a pizza, on top of a hot dog.Delaware North

New Food Items
New food items include an over-the-top hot dog that's two feet long, a hot dog version of pizza, and a vegan sandwich that's a twist on the ol' BLT.

The list:

The Boomstick Burger: A new take on the iconic 2-foot-long hot dog, this variation features a 2-foot Nolan Ryan Beef patty topped with Texas Chili Company Chili, Rico's Nacho Cheese and Jalapenos, and Onion Rings on a brioche bun. Designed to feed up to four. Available at the Texas 24" stand at Section 132 for $34.99.
Brisket Croissant: Nolan Ryan beef brisket rolled between layers of croissant dough and baked, then topped with Sweet Baby Ray's donut-style glaze. Available at the Sweet Baby Rays stand at Sections 3, 123, and 230 for $9.99.
Corn Ribs: Corn on the cob split into "ribs," tossed with lime crema, and coated with cotija cheese and tajin spice. Available at the concession locations at Sections 3, 121, and 230 for $9.99.
Flamin Hot Cheetos Pretzel: A Bavaria-style sourdough pretzel dipped in Flamin Hot Cheetos Cheetle and coated in crushed Flamin Hot Cheetos. Available at the concession locations at Section 3, 12, 121, 208, and 233 for $8.99.
Pizza Dawwg: A Texas Chili Company All-Angus Beef hot dog topped with marinara, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni, then baked. Available at the concession locations at Sections 3, 133, and 214 for $11.99.
The PLT Sandwich: A vegan twist on a classic sandwich featuring a balsamic-glazed, grilled portabella mushroom topped with bibb lettuce and tomato. Served on vegan bread with vegan mayo. Available at the Visiting Vegan Stand at Section 101 for $14.99.

Mobile ordering
New for 2023, every seat in Globe Life Field will have access to mobile ordering with delivery via the MLB Ballpark app. Fans can order hot food items, snacks, and beverages through the mobile ordering section of the MLB Ballpark app, and items will be delivered to your seat. Available food and beverage selections may vary by seat location.

"We are continuously evaluating our operations and customer insights to understand how we can add even more variety – including with local partners – and bring new levels of convenience for fans at Globe Life Field,” says Casey Rapp, Delaware North’s general manager at the ballpark. “Between the culinary offerings, bolstered retail selection, and new fan-facing technology, there’s a lot to be excited about for the upcoming Rangers season.”

Busy Dallas hard rock music venue Amplified Live to close this week

Closure News

A Dallas live music venue is shutting down: Amplified Live, which has been one of the city's most popular venues for live rock music shows for the past decade, is closing its doors.

According to a staffer, it'll close down at the end of March, with the final show on March 31, featuring Exciter and Night Cobra.

The venue is closing because the building, at 10261 Technology Blvd., has been sold, and will remain a live music venue but will no longer host rock shows.

As a mid-sized stage with a capacity for 1,200, Amplified Live filled a valuable niche, by hosting major touring acts that were too big for small clubs but not quite big enough for arenas.

It represents a loss to the local live music scene, an increasingly shrinking realm, and did not close for lack of business, with many shows selling out (and some, such as a recent show starring WASP, so packed that it was shut down by fire marshals).

The venue opened in 2021, in the former Gas Monkey Bar & Grill space in Northwest Dallas, which had been there since 2013, following the departure of former co-founder Richard Rawlings. (Rawlings is currently working on opening two new venues, one in the Mercer Boardwalk development and another restaurant, bar, and entertainment destination in Lewisville.)

Armed with a renovated interior, improved audio system, and new menu, Amplified Live picked up where Gas Monkey had left off, hosting metal and heavy bands such as Murder Junkies, Cold, and Suicide Commando -- popular bands for whom live stage options are slim.

It also had unique assets including having an outdoor stage, which became especially valuable during COVID-19, but off the beaten path and therefore not subject to ordinances for sound or having to be done by a certain time.

Many a band commented from the stage over the years that this was the only outdoor venue they'd performed at while on tour, and how much they liked it.

Employees began to hint that change was in the air in mid-March, and some acts such as Cold, who were scheduled to play at the venue on April 25, were informed in mid-March that their shows were being relocated to other venues. In their case, the show was moved to Trees, although other acts will be moved to the Granada.

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Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival