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Photo by Casey Howes and Krystal Butler

There is quite the variety of events going on across Dallas this long Memorial Day weekend, with multiple outdoor events and celebrities of all different types. Choices include a (literally) major golf tournament, dance in a (sculpture) garden, two local theater productions, a horror convention, two big rock concerts, a classical concert, a unique musical performance, and an arts festival.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, May 25

Pilobolus in the Garden
Photo by Casey Howes and Krystal Butler

Pilobolus in the Garden will be at Nasher Sculpture Center on May 25 and 26.

KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
Major Championship golf is coming to Frisco for the first time with the playing of the 83rd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort. Twenty-five major champions will be part of the 156-player field, including John Daly, David Duval, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Pádraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Justin Leonard. Davis Love III, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, and more. The tournament takes place through Sunday.

TITAS/Dance Unbound presents Pilobolus in the Garden
Pilobolus in the Garden is a special TITAS-commissioned site-specific project created for, and in, the Nasher Sculpture Garden. The magical work involves the famed Pilobolus dancers performing with Booker T. Washington HSPVA’s student dancers, moving throughout the entire the Nasher garden landscape. The dancers, and audience, move quietly through the sculpture garden in an outdoor experience. There will be four performances through Friday.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents How the Other Half Loves
How the Other Half Loves follows three married couples whose lives are hopelessly, hilariously, entwined. Chaos ensues following the consequences of an adulterous affair between a married man and his boss' wife and their attempts to cover their tracks by roping in a third couple to be their alibi, resulting in a chain of misunderstandings, conflicts, revelations, and laughter. The production runs through June 17 at Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Carrollton.

Friday, May 26

Texas Frightmare Weekend
The annual Texas Frightmare Weekend, the Southwest’s premier horror convention, celebrates all aspects of genre films. The event features a variety of celebrity appearances, including filmmaker John Carpenter; filmmakers Sam and Ted Raimi; Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, and Dane DiLiegro from Prey; actor/dancer Amie Donald from M3GAN; and more. There will also be autograph signings, screenings, exclusive parties, and horror memorabilia vendors from all over the country. The event takes place through Sunday at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas.

Dead & Company in concert
Dead & Company comes to Dallas part of their final tour since forming in 2015. The band - Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, John Mayer, and Bob Weir, with Oteil Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti – will perform two sets of music drawing from the Grateful Dead’s historic catalog of songs. The concert is at Dos Equis Pavilion.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Liszt & Ligeti"
The final concert in Dallas Symphony Orchestra's 2022/2023 classical series will be "Liszt & Ligeti," featuring conductor Jaime Martin and pianist George Li. The program will include Ligeti's Concert Românesc für Orchester, Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, and Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra. There will be three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Bush in concert with Our Lady Peace
British rock band Bush is a rarity in the music industry, in that they've consistently been more popular in the United States than their native country. Their debut albums, 1994's Sixteen Stone, went to No. 4 on the Billboard 200, but only No. 42 in the UK, a trend that has remained the same throughout their career. They'll honor that special relationship with U.S. fans at this concert at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving, which is in support of their 2022 album, The Art of Survival. They will be joined by Our Lady Peace.

Richardson Theatre Centre presents No Sex Please, We're British
A young bride who lives above a bank with her husband, who is the assistant manager, innocently sends a mail order off for some Scandinavian glassware. What comes is Scandinavian pornography. The matter is considerably complicated by the man's mother, his boss, a visiting bank inspector, a police superintendent, and a muddled friend who does everything wrong in his reluctant efforts to set everything right, all of which works up to a hilarious ending of closed or slamming doors. The production runs through June 11 at Richardson Theatre Centre.

Jess Garland presents Luminescence
Part of AT&T Performing Arts Center's Elevator Project series, Luminescence is a performance featuring Jess Garland on a laser-harp created by frequent collaborator Eric Trich. The performance shows the connection between light, sound, and visual arts. There will be three performances through Sunday at Wyly Theatre.

Saturday, May 27

Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair
Taking the place of the now-defunct Deep Ellum Arts Festival, the inaugural Deep Ellum Community Arts Fair seeks to highlight the wide variety of artists, performers, and entertainers in the Dallas area. Taking place through Monday, the event will be filled with curated exhibits, concerts, and food showcasing the talent and businesses inside of the community. The layout of the fair will run down Crowdus Street to bring more foot traffic to Deep Ellum businesses.

Photo courtesy of Hari Mari

Dallas flip-flop brand Hari Mari takes next bold step with women's apparel

She wears short shorts

Hari Mari is helping women prep their summer wardrobes in more ways than one. The Dallas-based premium flip-flop brand is launching a line of ladies' shorts.

Called the Ladies BantamKnit Shorts, they're made with a custom cotton blend for extreme comfort, the company says. The performance fabric, they say, offers increased breathability with four way stretch. The shorts also feature a three-inch inseam, stretch-lined pockets, elastic waistband, and a drawstring closure. They're made in the USA.

“We as a brand will always focus on flip-flops and sandals, but when you’re known for making the most comfortable flip-flops on the market, your customers ask for more, and it’s exciting to be launching our first ladies' shorts as part of that demand,” says co-founder Lila Stewart.

Hari Mari has always sold hats, tees, and sweatshirts that were unisex, but the new ladies' shorts line is the company's first intentional apparel item designed specifically for women, Stewart says.

"Our men's shorts line has performed really well, so if the ladies' do as well, which is trending that way, we hope to continue to add small lifestyle pieces to our apparel collections in the coming years," she says.

Women's joggers are coming soon, she adds.

The Women’s BantamKnit collection comes in two color options - Heathered Navy and Honey - in sizes small to XL. They retail for $68, available exclusively on HariMari.com.

Since it was founded in 2012, Hari Mari has built its reputation not only on quality, fashion-forward flip-flops (and other kinds of shoes and apparel), but also on its sustainability and philanthropic efforts, which are a part of the company’s DNA. Hari Mari gives 1 percent of sales to support kids battling cancer through its called Flops Fighting Cancer initiative.

Courtesy rendering

Toys R Us to open its first airport store at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

Airport News

Global toy store chain Toys R Us is opening its very first location in an airport, and guess which airport that is: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)! Yay.

According to a release, the store will open in Terminal A, and is slated to open in time for holiday season 2023.

This is good news both for Toys R Us, which has been in the toy business for more than 70 years but has had some rocky times in recent years, as well as for airline travelers who need to pick up a toy.

Founded in 1957 in Rockville, Maryland, Toys R Us - which seems to like the quote-ridden format Toys"R"Us - was a toy, baby, and clothing retail store in its heyday, but started to see a decline in sales and filed for bankruptcy in 2017, before executing a massive closure of every location in 2018.

In 2021, the company was acquired by WHP Global, whose efforts have included a national rollout of outlets inside all Macy's stores.

The company is also launching the brand in Mexico, India, and the UK.

For the airport venture, they're partnered with Duty Free Americas the largest duty-free retailer in the Americas, operating approximately 200 stores in airports, border crossings and seaports located in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and other international locations.

"We are thrilled to partner with Duty Free Americas to introduce the to introduce the first-ever Toys R Us airport store, an exciting new concept that we believe could roll out in airports around the world," saus WHP Global chairman & CEO Yehuda Shmidman in a statement.

The new airport store will strive to bring a fun experience that caters to gift buyers on-the-go and parents traveling with children. It will feature a life-sized 3D sculpture of Geoffrey the Giraffe, its beloved mascot, as well as:

  • a selection of toys and games from popular brands
  • demonstration tables for hands-on play
  • iconic brand elements throughout the space

"We are excited that WHP Global selected us to introduce a new retail concept to the travel industry," says Duty Free Americas CEO Jerome Falic. "Toys R Us is a globally recognized brand beloved by millions of families, and we are confident that the store at DFW will become a must-visit destination for travelers."

Photo courtesy of Visit Garland

City of Garland presents Asian American Heritage Festival

Boasting the 14th largest Vietnamese population in the United States, the city of Garland will be celebrating the talent, creativity, and diversity of Asian Pacific American communities at the Asian American Heritage Festival.

The festival will feature cultural performances from a variety of nationalities, including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Korea, Japan, Hawaii, Indonesia, and more.

The talent of Asian Pacific Americans will be showcased with craft stalls, art performances, the Colorful World Nation Parade, and a lion dance.

Photo courtesy of Bachendorf's

You could win $1,300 in The Plaza at Preston Center's Mother's Day IG giveaway

Sip, Shop, Surprise

Got a hard-to-shop-for mom? Let her pick out the perfect presents herself with the Mother's Day giveaway sponsored by The Plaza at Preston Center.

One lucky winner will receive a $750 gift card to Bachendorf's, a $250 gift card to Apples to Zinnias, a $200 gift card to Cos Bar, and a $100 gift card to il Bracco.

That's $1,300 to spend on jewelry, flowers, skincare, and Italian cuisine at this premier Dallas shopping center, and a guarantee that every single item will be exactly what she wants.

Here's how to enter:

You must be following @theplazaatpreston, @bachendorfs, @applestozinnias, @ilbraccoparkcities, and @cosbar.

Like this post, and then tag your mom or a friend in the comments and tell everyone why they're special. Each comment counts as one entry, and there's no limit to how many comments you can leave.

One winner will be randomly selected on May 12 and will be contacted from the @plazaatpreston account with a DM.

Good luck to everyone who enters, and don't forget to spoil all the mothers in your life this weekend and year-round.

---

The Plaza at Preston Center does not have additional giveaways or accounts. This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.

Bachendorf's jewelry

Photo courtesy of Bachendorf's

You could win your mom $750 to spend at Bachendorf's.

Photo courtesy of Art Inspired Healing Festival

Art Inspired Healing Festival: A Celebration of Healing

The 2nd Annual Art Inspired Healing Festival: A Celebration of Healing featuring show headliner Sa-Roc. Guests will enjoy vendors, workshops, food vendors, artists, a children's space, and more.

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CultureMap Emails are Awesome

DFW's dismal ranking among best places to live leads this week's 5 most-read headlines

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Dallas-Fort Worth no longer a top 100 place to live, declares U.S. News & World Report. Dallas-Fort Worth has fallen from grace in a closely watched annual report of the best places to live in the U.S. The Metroplex appears at a dismal No. 113 (out of 150) in U.S. News & World Report's Best Places to Live ranking for 2023-2024. Last year, DFW landed at No. 32; it was No. 37 in 2021. Here's (sort of) why it plummeted in the rankings.

2. Sliders restaurant from Detroit shimmies onto Dallas' Greenville Ave. A slider concept from the Great Lakes State is expanding to Texas, and that includes a high-profile location in Dallas: Called Savvy Sliders, it's a young fast-casual concept founded in Flint, Michigan, and it will open its first Dallas restaurant at 4818 Greenville Ave., in the space recently vacated by vegan chicken restaurant Project Pollo.

3. New lagoon-waterpark with lazy river dives into Dallas-Fort Worth. A long-awaited waterpark in Cedar Hill is debuting Memorial Day weekend with two of Texas' favorite splashy attractions: a lagoon and lazy river. The Lagoon at Virginia Weaver Park will open Saturday, May 27 after more than a year in development.

4. Happy Hippie Brewing to bring peace, love, and beer to new HQ in Richardson. A craft beer brewery is opening a splendid new facility in Richardson: Happy Hippie Brewing Company, a small brewery specializing in Belgian-style beers, is opening an an 11,000-square-foot brewery and taproom at 500 Lockwood Dr., in the Lockwood area within the city's evolving CORE District.

5. Asian restaurant Howard Wang's shutters location in Uptown Dallas. A Chinese restaurant in Uptown Dallas closed: Howard Wang's Uptown Grill, one in a family-owned chain, closed its location at 3223 Lemmon Ave. #103, with the final day of service on May 21. The restaurant had been at that location for 12 years.

21 North Texas museums offer free admission to military families this summer

Giving Back

Nearly two dozen Dallas-Fort Worth museums are honoring active duty military personnel and their families with free admission through the Blue Star Museums initiative, May 20-September 4, 2023.

Established by the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the U.S. Department of Defense, the Blue Star Museums program annually provides military families free access to 2,000 museums nationwide throughout the summer. The program begins yearly on Armed Forces Day in May and ends on Labor Day.

Free admission is extended to personnel currently serving in the U.S Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard (including those in the Reserve), and all National Guardsman. Members of the U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps are also included in the program.

Those who qualify can use their military ID to bring up to five family members - including relatives of those currently deployed. More information about qualifications can be found here.

There is no limit on the number of participating museums that qualifying families may visit. Admission for non-active military veterans, however, is not included.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts website, the initiative was created to help "improve the quality of life for active duty military families" with a specific focus on children. The site states 2 million have had a parent deployed since 2001.

"Blue Star Museums was created to show support for military families who have faced multiple deployments and the challenges of reintegration," the organizers say. "This program offers these families a chance to visit museums this summer when many will have limited resources and limited time to be together."

In Dallas-Fort Worth, participating institutions include well-known art, science, and history museums, as well as smaller museums outside the city limits. Here's a look at all the museums in North Texas that are participating in the Blue Star Museums initiative this year.

In Dallas:

In Fort Worth:

In Garland:

In Irving:

In Mesquite:

In Cleburne:

In Krum:

In Sanger:

More information about Blue Star Museums and a full list of participants can be found on arts.gov.

These are the 7 best most intriguing hot dogs in Dallas right now

Hot Dog News

Editor's Note: In prior stories, CultureMap contributor Lila Levy has sussed out the top bagels in Dallas, and tried pretty much every lavender latte in town. Now she's ready to offer her take on that summertime classic: hot dogs.

Portillo's hot dogs
Portillo's
portillo's hot dogs

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Hot dogs are the quintessential summer food and an item that nearly everyone loves. They're simple, flavorful, easy to make at home, and affordable if you dine out.

Some cities like Chicago have a long-standing tradition with hot dogs, and while Dallas is not Windy-City-level quiet yet, we've seen an influx of some exciting new hot dog concepts come to town, joining a few locals who've been dishing out memorable hot dogs all along.

Here's the 7 most interesting hot dogs you can find in Dallas-Fort Worth:

Portillo’s in the Colony, Chicago-style hot dog, $4.50
Chicago-based fast casual brand known for its hot dogs and other favorite Chicago fare, has expanded to Texas, with its first restaurant in The Colony, which opened in January 2023. Chicago-style hot dogs are my favorite kind, and Portillo's does it right. Their basic hot dog comes with "everything": mustard, relish, celery salt, chopped onions, sliced tomato, pickle, and sport peppers on a steamed poppy seed bun. I loved the condiments, especially the peppers and relish. My companion thought the bun was too soft, but it was fine for me. Their hot dogs have a snappy casing with a robust tangy flavor.

Hunky'sHunky Dog, $4.25
Cedar Springs pioneer has been serving hamburgers, fries, and malts, since 1984. They're known for their burgers but they also do a trio of hot dogs including the classic "Hunky Dog," a hefty quarter-pounder with relish, onions, and mustard. I've been here before and know it's best to ask for the hot dog to be grilled extra, to give it that additional "burnt hot dog" cookout flavor. At $4.25, it's a bargain and their presentation is cool: They split the hot dog down the middle and place the onions and relish on top, and they toast the edges of their bun.

Fletcher's Original Corny DogsMake Mine Texan, $10
No story on hot dogs is complete without Fletcher's, famed purveyor of the classic corny dog. You used to have to wait for the State Fair of Texas to get them, but now that they have a food truck, you can find them camped at venues such as the Dallas Arboretum, and they're also at Klyde Warren Park Tuesdays-Sundays. They've expanded their lineup of flavors so I ordered their most recent invention: Called Make Mine Texan, it's a hot dog made of beef and brisket, with smoke seasoning that adds a heartier Texas flavor.

Dog Haus in RichardsonTooo Chi, $8
California hot dog chain takes a gourmet approach with jumbo hot dogs, veggie dogs, vegan sausages, and 40+ toppings including some you might not expect, such as arugula. I ordered the Tooo Chi, their version of the Chicago hot dog, which they brag is a hormone- and antibiotic-free beef hot dog, with tomato, pickle, neon-green pickle relish, mustard, diced onions, sport peppers, and celery salt. Their cooking added a nice char that emphasized the grilled flavor. It made me nostalgic to the days when my parents would grill hot dogs in the summer outside. Their point of distinction is their bread: sweet rich King's Hawaiian rolls, which they butter and grill, for a nice contrast of soft roll and crisp edges.

Angry DogAngry Dog, $8.95
Deep Ellum staple had hot dogs on the menu long before hot dogs became the foodie sensation they are today, and they offer a simple plain hot dog on a bun as a nod to those humble days. But everyone gets the signature Angry Dog: a kosher dog, split in half and grilled, placed on a toasted open-faced bun, then topped with chili, grilled red onions, mustard, and shredded cheddar cheese. It's more of a chili casserole than a hot dog, a knife-and-fork kind of deal where the bun gets soggy underneath the mountain of toppings, and you almost lose track of the hot dog. But unbeatable for a hangover cure or a big cheat meal.

Globe Life Field, Ballpark hot dog, $7
In recent years, the Texas Rangers' food service division has been jazzing up its ballpark menu, introducing new items, some of them crazy like the Boomstick 2-foot-long hot dog. I stick to the basic ballpark hot dog, with the only option being that you can get grilled onions at no additional charge. It's a standard six-inch hot dog, with self-serve mustard, ketchup, and relish, on a soft, nondescript bun, with a nice snap, the prototypical hot dog you eat while cheering on the hometown team.

Frank Seoul, Potato hot dog, $5.49
Korean hot dogs, also known as Korean corn dogs, are a Korean street food that started showing up in Dallas a few years ago, via Korean-born chains such as Two Hands and K-Town. Frank Seoul was one of the first and has locations in Carrollton and Frisco. Their specialty is hot dogs coated in a batter and deep-fried, like a corny dog but with a batter made from flour or rice flour, and additional ingredients such as the coating of diced potatoes in the potato hot dog that I ordered. They have a wild variety like a "cream cheese dog" — literally cream cheese on a stick &mdash and prices are all $6 or less.

This is not the place for a hot dog purist. The hot dog itself was lackluster, but the "shell" of crispy fried potatoes was magnificent, like a wonderful hash brown, and great on its own, didn't need the mustard I added a bit.