DFW Gourmet Food Festival Saturday

Tired of hunting for Dallas' food trucks? Celebrate because a herd of them will gather at Sigel's Beverages on Saturday, August 27.

Sigel's enthusiastically supports the local food trucks and promises to offer future events if this one is a success. So far, these noteworthy food trucks are on the roster:

3 men & a Taco
Crazysisters
Entice Ice
Gandolfo's NY Deli
Jack's Chowhound
Mr Cool Ice Cream
Nammi
The Bomb Fried Pies
Trailercakes
Ruthie's Rolling Café

The Bomb's fried guacamole sounds like an indulgent treat and Trailercakes' The King cupcake looks like the perfect August dessert, but the steamy dragon breath weather is enough to keep me indoors. Hopefully, heat-resistant people will crowd the improvised trailer park and secure future gatherings during cooler weather.

Free Beer and Wine Tasting
Sigel's is also hosting a free beer and wine tasting in the store. The selection of Sam Adams includes Octoberfest, Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Bonfire Rauchbier and Boston Lager. The Rahr selection includes Gravel Road Altbeir, LaGrange Farmhouse Ale, Ugly Pug Black Lager and Stormcloud IPA

The wine tasting includes Ninety Plus Cellars Coteaux du Langeudoc Rose 2010, Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2010, Malbec Argentina 2009 and Barolo Collector Series 2007.

DFW Gourmet Food Truck Festival
Saturday, August 27, 2011 6:00 p.m.
Sigel's-Greenville
5757 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, Texas
75206

Visit Sigel's.com for additional details.

Free Breakfast Entree at Chick-fil-A Sept. 6 - 10

Chick-fil-A breakfast bagel

Chick-fil-A is offering another registration-based freebie. This time it is for a breakfast entree. Woefully unfamiliar with the Chick-fil-A breakfast menu, I was surprised to see the diverse options, including pork sausage and bacon. (I guess that’s why cows, not pigs, encourage everyone to, “Eat mor chikin.”)

September 6 – 10, 2011, participating Chick-fil-A restaurants are giving away a variety of free breakfast entrées to customers who make a reservation online. To make your reservation, visit the Chick-fil-A breakfast website beginning Monday, August 29, 2011 and choose your preferred restaurant location, the date, time and breakfast entrée.

H&M NorthPark Opens in Time for Tax-Free Weekend

H&M frequently figures into those look for less style tips for women on TV shows and in fashion magazines, but the Swedish-based retailer offers affordable clothing and accessories for the whole family.

NorthPark is the site of the first Texas location, which opened earlier this week. The much-anticipated store will likely continue to draw crowds a la In-N-Out burger. Bring your patience because the impending first day of school and tax-free weekend will also lure shoppers.

Sales Tax Holiday
This year’s tax holiday is August 19 to 21. Most clothing, shoes and traditional school supplies (glue sticks, not hand soap or plastic baggies) priced less than $100 qualify for the exemption. Check out the complete details straight from the comptroller. 

Tax-Free Holiday Weekend Extended Hours
Like many metroplex malls, NorthPark is offering extended shopping hours this weekend. 
Friday, August 19:  9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday, August 20: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday, August 21: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
 

Name the Dallas Zoo Baby

The Dallas Zoo has new babies in the warthog, chimp, llama and giraffe areas.  They are hosting a contest to name the baby giraffe. The winner receives a family trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park in California. Get the complete contest details and see a photo for inspiration on the zoo's Facebook page. 

There are a few days left to submit your suggestion to the zoo. The mail-in forms must be postmarked by August 21 or you can stop by the parking kiosk, information station or giraffe feeding station to submit your entry in person. Download the entry form on the zoo website. 

The winner will be announced September 2.

Organic Cantaloupe Sale at Whole Foods Today

Whole Foods is having a one-day sale on organic cantaloupes. The melons are two for $3.

Watermelon is the favored melon of summer, but cantaloupe is an especially convenient option because it is so easy to slice and remove the seeds.

The Whole Foods blog has a variety of serving suggestions, including grilled cantaloupe.

Whole Foods
8190 Park Lane, Suite 351
Dallas, Texas
Phone: (214) 342-4850

Whole Foods has multiple locations throughout the Dallas area.

Genghis Khan Conquers Irving

No, not that restaurant where you stuff a bowl full of raw foods. Genghis Khan the warlord. The Irving Arts Center has an impressive exhibit with a variety of complementary activities and speakers.

3 Reasons to Visit the Genghis Khan Exhibit

1. See the other side.
As much as we like to classify historical figures as good or bad, the truth is far more complex. The exhibit at the Irving Arts Center explores Khan's life and highlights the dichotomy of the ruthless warrior and visionary leader.

Khan has direct ties to modern innovations and comforts, including the hamburger. His army's raw meat version helped pave the way for today's fast food.

2. Escape the heat.
Princess Giant Mummy likes it cool and everyone knows princesses get their way. The exhibit is a nice escape from the sweltering summer heat.

3. Free admission for military families.
Thanks to a generous program available through Labor Day, active duty military members and up to five immediate family members (spouse and children) can see the exhibit for free. Get the details here.

Standard tickets are reasonably priced.
Adults: $12
Art Connection Members: $8
Children (18 years and Under): $8
Senior (55 years and Older): $8
Children (2 years and Under): Free

Genghis Khan: The Exhibition is open through September 30.
Irving Arts Center
3333 North MacArthur Blvd.
Irving, Texas 75062
(972) 252-7558

Sneak Peek
The display covers the history and science in Khan's life but also explores Mongolian culture. This video from the exhibit's San Jose stint provides a generous sneak peek.

Dallas and Ft. Worth Welcome Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

The circus is in town just in time to nibble at your family's precious back-to-school budget. I attended with a large group that ranged in age from infant to adult. Everyone, including the solemn-faced teens, loved it.

The train theme employs a creative use of Segways.

This year's theme told the story of the circus train. As the performers arrived, a lightshow showed a train image and displayed their names.

Barnum Bouncers

The show included plenty of clowns, music and punny humor. Some portions seemed tailored to the little ones. The Barnum Bouncers hail from China and perform a high-bouncing act using huge trampolines and aerial rings. Their bright, fringed costumes reminded me of the Doodlebops from Nickelodeon.

But older kids and adults had their share of entertainment with the daredevil antics. One unforgettable highlight was the Torres Family who rode motorbikes inside the Globe of Steel.

Circus Ticket Prices
The performers did a great job of playing to all sides of the arena, but it was hard to get a clear view of the whole show. The middle/lower seats toward the center of the arena looked really good, but I'm not so sure about the super expensive Circus Celebrity seats ($100ish) because they are so close it seems as though it would be hard to see the show instead of focusing on one detail. The celebrities got to move to bleachers on the circus floor for part of the show.

One of the main viewing problems was the $12 cotton candy that comes with a thin felt top hat. Cotton candy must be popular because the audience became a shadowy sea of hats blocking the show. 

The cheap seats have one perk.

The Cheap Seats
The most inexpensive seats are way up in the top left section of this photo. I wondered how much of the circus those ticketholders could see. Toward the end of the circus, it looked like they had the best seats in the house to watch a motorcycle and tightrope walker ascend on a 45-degree wire. The performers disappeared into the scaffolding, but it looked as though they were playing to that section of the audience.

All-Access Preshow
All ticketholders are welcome to the preshow that takes place one hour before the show. Everyone can walk around the arena floor and see the performers up close. It is a good way to make the most of your ticket purchase.

There was a free temporary tattoo station and they were handing out red clown noses. There were a variety of mini shows and the elephant showed her painting skills. 

Clowns and stiltwalkers posed for pictures with the kids. There were also a couple of displays of ringmaster jackets for kids to try. Most of them looked worthy of the circus, but there was a turquoise one that would have worked for a country singer as well.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has one more day at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The August 7 schedule includes three showtimes.

The circus will be at the Fort Worth Convention Center from August 10 through 14.

Celebrate Crayfish and Cake Balls on August 19

IKEA invites you to celebrate summer the Swedish way with all-you-can-eat crayfish. Join the annual kräftskiva celebration on Friday, August 19. Tickets are $9.99 for adults and $2.49 for kids under 12. 

The menu includes assorted salads, breads, cheeses, salmon, meatballs and more. Check the IKEA website for complete details and ticket info. 

IKEA
7171 Ikea Drive
Frisco, Texas 75034
(972) 712-4532

My homemade cake truffle.

August 19 is also The Cake Ball Company's birthday. More than 15 flavors of cake balls will be available for $1 each. Beautiful flourishes adorn the cake balls, adding a thoughtful finish. Neiman Marcus and the Gaylord Texan feature the Dallas-made treats.  

To celebrate its five successful years, the shop will reward every fifth "party guest" with a door prize, ranging from free cake balls to company t-shirts.

The Cake Ball Company also ships its sweet treats across the country. It will unveil a new website design and offer a 25% coupon on the 19th. 

The Cake Ball Company
10230 East Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas 75238
(214) 559-5788

Fuel City Discount on Groupon

If you are looking to buy some street tacos and/or get your car washed, Fuel City has it covered and Groupon's deal of the day means you can get your gas station taco fix/car wash at a discount.There are three offers available:

• For $2, you get two medium cups of corn (a $5 value).
• For $3, you get four tacos (a $6 value).
• For $5, you get a Ranch Special car wash (a $15 value).

Visit Groupon for complete details. Here's my referral link.



Fuel City
801 S. Riverfront Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75207

Lt. Shannon Stone Memorial Fundraiser on 8/14

Noteworthy Dallas businesses are sponsoring a fundraiser for Lt. Stone, the Brownwood firefighter who died earlier this month after falling from the stands at a Texas Rangers game. A $30 ticket includes dinner, drinks and entertainment on Sunday, August 14.

Here's the description from the ticket seller's website:

"Pecan Lodge Catering and Lockhart Smokehouse were so moved by the tragic death of Lt. Shannon Stone at the Rangers Game that we wanted to help out his family and son. 
We cooked up the idea for this fundraiser. Your ticket price includes a BBQ dinner, drinks, music and live auction. We have great items on the block that will be announced soon... 

Co- hosted by Pecan Lodge Catering & Lockhart, other sponsors include Dallas Farmers Market, Texas BBQ Posse, Il Cane Rosso, Edible DFW, Crave DFW, Deep Eddy Vodka and US Foods." 

Tickets are available from Eventbrite. 

Chill Out at Salvation Army Cooling Centers

This shaded bench isn't the cooling station.

With the ongoing heat wave and string of heat advisories, the Salvation Army Cooling Stations and similar programs provide an important service to the community.

Dwayne Neal credits a Salvation Army Cooling Station for saving his life by recognizing his symptoms and calling paramedics. Last summer, the veteran mail carrier experienced progressive heat-related symptoms, but did not immediately realize he suffered a heat stroke on his delivery route.



Escape the Heat
The Salvation Army operates numerous cooling stations which serve cold drinks and give people a place to cool down. Click here for a list of locations and to learn how you can donate bottled water or funds.

If there is not one in your area, check your neighborhood community center for similar programs. Call 211 for additional resources.

The public library is another free option. Locations throughout the Metroplex routinely offer free programs, such as story hour and puppet shows. Dallas public libraries are also participating in the Mayor's Summer Reading Program. Through August 13, kids can log their weekly reading hours to earn prizes.

Free Veggie Zinfandel Pasta @ Cafe Brazil Today

Do you ever see one of those Cafe Brazil promotions and feel disappointed because it is only at certain location? Well, not this time! All Cafe Brazil locations, from Addison to University Park, are participating in today's special offer. Present a copy of the coupon located here either on paper or show the website on your fancy interweb device (SmartPhone, laptop, etc.). Remember to bring your own copy because there is no coupon sharing. As usual, the offer doesn't apply to take-out and there are no substitutions.

The Veggie Zinfandel Pasta sounds like an airy summer entree. Here's the company description:

“So, what is Veggie Zinfandel Pasta?” you might be asking yourself? It is comprised of Portobello Mushrooms, Sundried Tomatoes, Red Bell Peppers, Spinach and Onions lightly tossed with Rigatoni Pasta and Low Fat Zinfandel Vinaigrette and topped with Feta Cheese, served with Homemade Garlic Toast.  This is one of four new menu items we just introduced and we’d love for you to try it out. Hopefully it will be one of your new favorite dishes!"

Free Brain Freeze Today

July 11 is 7-Eleven's birthday and that means free 7.11-ounce Slurpees. The pitstop is celebrating it's birthday all month long with specials on food and drinks. The Birthday Donuts, 2 for $3, have a Yuletide vibe with the red and green sprinkles.   

Marble Slab Creamery is getting in on the 7/11 freebie fury by offering red heads a free scoop of red velvet ice cream. Is that bordering on cannibalism? The fine print specifies no mix-ins, one per customer and participating locations only. Visit Marble Slab Creamery for complete details about Red Head Appreciation Day.

Dallas Marble Slab Creamery Locations
Preston Center
6130 Berkshire Lane
Dallas, Texas 75225
Phone: (214)369-5566

Marble Slab Creamery
4937 Belt Line Road
Dallas, Texas 75254
Phone: (972)503-7522

Galleria Mall
13350 Dallas Parkway Suite 3265
Dallas, Texas 75240
Phone: (972)991-1900

Marble Slab Creamery
3001 Knox Street
Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: (214)219-0300

$10 Dipped Fruit Boxes at Edible Arrangements

Photo Courtesy: Edible Arrangements

It's National Dipped Fruit Week! (Isn't that printed on your desk calendar?) Edible Arrangements is celebrating by again offering a discount box of chocolate-covered fruit. From July 10-17, shoppers can purchase a 12-piece box of fruit $10 instead of the usual $25. The selection includes the store's choice of sliced oranges, bananas, pineapples and/or apples. Online ordering is available, but this promotional offer is only available for store pick up. Visit the Edible Arrangements website to find the nearest location.

Edible Arrangements
6833 Snider Plaza
Dallas, Texas 75205
Phone: (214) 361-8600

Mon-Fri: 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sat: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sun: 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Freebirds 2 for $10 Special

Now through August 14, burrito fans can share the love and buy two Freebirds for $10. The Freedom Salad is also on special for $5 throughout July.

The line tends to move slower than most as the burrito-builders create custom orders, but the newest Freebirds location on N. MacArthur Park Blvd. in Irving is still drawing crowds. Freebirds converts can browse an online menu to help narrow their options and avoid uhm-itis at the counter. To find a PDF of the fax menu, go to the Freebirds website. Choose a location and click "View Details." The next page has a menu option just below the driving directions.

North Texas Freebirds World Burrito Locations
Old Town
5500 Greenville Avenue, Suite 209
Dallas,Texas 75206
Phone: (214) 265-9992

MacArthur Park
7601 N MacArthur Park Blvd
Irving, Texas 75063
Phone: (972) 869-3500

Belt Line (Addison)
5000 Belt Line Rd
Dallas, Texas 75254
Phone: (972) 788-1828

There are additional locations in neighboring cities, including Arlington, Hurst, Richardson and Ft. Worth.

Duff Goldman Visits Ft. Worth's Paris Coffee Shop

Duff Goldman of "Ace of Cakes" fame is doing a TV show where he travels around highlighting America's best and most unique desserts. (Yes, it sounds and looks a lot like "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" without the hair dye.) The new show, "Sugar High," premieres Monday, August 8 at 9:30 p.m. on Food Network.

One of the inaugural episodes features Fort Worth's Paris Coffee Shop. The highlights appear to include coconut cream pie piled with a mountain of meringue, dessert crepes and Swirly Sandwiches (some kind of whoopie pie-like dessert?).



Strangely, the episode is being hyped as featuring Dallas. (Courtesy of Food Network, the slideshow captions mention Dallas.) Using Dallas as a broad label is understandable when mentioning small, neighboring cities or referring to a general area. It usually is not a big deal considering the meandering boundary lines, but Fort Worth is a huge city worthy of numerous episodes of "Cops." To see a travel show refer to it as Dallas is perplexing. Throwing an extra city name--Paris, Dallas, Fort Worth--into the mix is confusing as well.

Acclaimed by various media outlets--including Bon Appetit magazine--and family-owned since the 1920s, the restaurant has a strong flow of customers. "Sugar High" will likely drive a new stream of sweet fiends to the restaurant. If you are planning a maiden voyage, consider going before Duff shows everyone else in the Metroplex why they should stop by Paris Coffee Shop.


Here is restaurant owner Mike Smith preparing a custard pie for a 2010 episode of "Good Morning Texas."

Paris Coffee Shop
704 West Magnolia Street
Fort Worth, Texas
Phone: (817) 335-2041

Flippin' Out Crepes Finally Open

Chef Scott Hoffner

Flippin' Out Crepes & Coffee in Addison opened on July 2. The service is excellent and the selection includes many novel creations. The online menu lists all the flavors, $3 to $8, so you can decide if you want to try the breakfast menu or lunch/dinner crepes.

Of course, Nutella is available 'round the clock as a desserty breakfast or breakfasty dessert.

Nutella crepe, $4.90

The Nutella crepe delivers chocolatey goodness just as expected. Filled with Nutella, strawberries and bananas, it comes doused with a gentle sprinkle of powdered sugar and surrounded with additional sliced bananas and strawberries. The crepe itself resembles a thin, airy pancake. Although a knife and fork accompany this crepe, it is possible to eat it like a delicate tea sandwich without making a mess.

Chef Dan's iced coffee, $1.90

 The drink menu alone warrants repeat visits. The frozen espresso, iced teas, coffee, lattes and lemonade are tasty summer chillers, but the white hot chocolate is begging for a cool day worthy of its rich warmth.


Flippin' Out Crepes & Coffee
4021 Belt Line #303
Addison, Texas
75001
Phone: (972) 385-6183

The Dallas Zoo Honors Military with Free Admission

The Dallas Zoo is celebrating the Fourth of July by giving active and veteran military members and up to three family members free admission to the zoo on July 2, 3 and 4. Be sure to bring a valid military I.D. or VA card.

The festivities include ceremonies and vendors. There is also a cookout buffet available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this weekend. The cost is $10.99 (plus tax) per person and includes hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, potato chips, watermelon and a beverage.

Celebrate Freedom Weekend
July 2-4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dallas Zoo
650 South RL Thornton Freeway
Phone: (469) 554-7500
Get Driving Directions on Bing

Watch 'Robocop' at Dallas City Hall on July 1

So what if it is a billion degrees outside. Jumpstart your Fourth of July holiday and head to Dallas City Hall Friday night for an outdoor screening of "Robocop." Bring your own blanket or chair to enjoy the show. The movie begins at 8:30, but food trucks will set up shop at 7:30. I could not find a list of vendors, but scoured the websites of some of Dallas' favorite food trucks to see which ones are heading to City Hall. So far, it is Nammi. Watch your favorite food truck's Facebook and Twitter accounts to see if it is in.

Nammi Crusin Vietnamese Fusion serves Vietnamese sandwiches, tacos, spring rolls and a few extras.

Dallas City Hall Plaza
1500 Marilla Drive

Dress Up for Free Chick-fil-A Food on July 8

A herd of calves graze together. Photo Courtesy of Chick-fil-A

July 8 is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Dress as a cow from head to toe to receive a free breakfast, lunch or dinner complete with an entree, side and beverage. Wear a little something bovine and receive a free entree. Be sure to take photos if you plan to enter the Best Cow Costume Photo Contest.

The Cow Appreciation Day website has all the details and a printable cow costume.

The Running of the Cows July 6
Chick-fil-A also has a Facebook event planned for Dallas. RSVP for the latest details.

"On July 6th, the cows will stampede through the streets of Dallas, traveling via the McKinney Avenue Trolley to give out FREE Chicken Sandwiches, bovine-themed headbands and other fun prizes! That night, find them at the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, as they cheer for the team alongside Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy."

Straw Hat Pizza Open on Arapaho Road

I must have missed the fanfare, but Dallas has another pizza chain. The Straw Hat Pizza on Arapaho opened on June 16 in the Hillcrest Village Shopping Center. It boasts California-style pizzas with a layered, crispy crust. This location has a party/meeting room, arcade area for the kids and bar with premium beer and wine for the adults.

The menu includes the standard fare, such as pizza, wings, sandwiches and breadsticks (twists) with a salad bar and interesting sides, including fried green beans and potato wedges. Straw Hat Pizza offers small gluten-free pizzas. There is also an all-you-can-eat salad bar for $4.99 and weekday lunch buffet with soft drink for $6.99. Check out the online menu.

Additional Straw Hat locations will soon open in Plano, Dallas and Fort Worth.

Straw Hat Pizza
6959 Arapaho Road
Suite 104
Dallas, TX 75248
Phone: (972) 458-9500

Hours:
Sun. - Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

'Shark Tank' Casting in Dallas

Do you have a business or idea meaty enough to hook the Sharks? Make your pitch this weekend at Victory Park. Run the numbers carefully and prep for plenty of questions because these investors are a tough crowd. Those who make it on the reality show have a chance of introducing their product to a national audience.   

Get complete details and the application at the ABC website.

"Shark Tank" Casting at Victory Park

Saturday, June 25

3030 Olive St.
Dallas, Texas 75201
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Mavs Win, Flippin' Out Crepes Opens Soon

The NBA Playoffs delayed the opening of Flippin' Out Crepes. The crepe shop's chef, Chef Scott, also works as Tyson Chandler's personal chef and kept the Dallas Mavs player properly fed instead of opening the new restaurant on May 28 as originally planned. (Maybe Mark Cuban can give him some honorary championship bling for his efforts.)

The North Dallas restaurant is set to open at the end of June, but as of today, the small florescent orange building looks like a lonely snow cone shack waiting for summer to begin.

The Flippin' Out Facebook page is the best source for the latest info about the impending opening.

Flippin Out' Crepes
4021 Belt Line #303
Addison, Texas

FOX 4 News Demonstrates Illegal Use of Train Horns

After receiving complaints of a vehicle using a train horn, the FOX 4 Street Squad investigated the new trend of adding train horns to automobiles. The report showed YouTube videos of drivers using the horns to frighten pedestrians and highlighted the potential danger as people jumped and startled skateboarders fell because of the unexpected horn blast.


Don Christensen of Moonshadow Automotive Shop sells the horns and has a truck equipped with eight train horns and four air compressors. He said he uses the horns for car shows and off-roading. During the report warning Texans about the dangers of misusing these horns, Christensen honked a train horn in the store's parking lot near Loop 12 and Buckner Blvd.

Street Squad: Train Horns on Trucks: MyFoxDFW.com

Local Sports Legends Rally Mavs Fans

Sports greats from Texas Rangers' manager Ron Washington to Troy Aikman came together in an effort to inspire Mavs fans. Although local fans probably are not the ones who need a pep talk, it is a fun video.

Tiff's Treats on Groupon

If you are fortunate enough to live within the delivery area for Tiff's Treats, you can have a warm box of fresh cookies delivered right to your door. The delivery menu includes brownies, milk, soda, Frappucinos and ice cream. You can also upgrade your order to celebrate a special occasion with a decorated box or mini mylar balloon.

Tiff's Treats has three locations in Dallas with a new one opening in West Plano (near Ikea) this July.

This weekend's $10 Groupon offer buys $20 worth of cookies. Unlike some Groupons, this offer works similar to a giftcard and you can spend your $20 over multiple visits before the expiration date. Here's my referral link for Groupon.

Free Mavs Watch Party at Dallas-Area Studio Movie Grill Locations

DFW Studio Movie Grill locations are hosting free watch parties for the NBA Playoffs. Cheer on the home team will fellow Mavericks fans and enjoy the game on a huge screen.


Studio Movie Grill
11170 North Central Expressway
Dallas, Texas 75243
Phone: (214) 361-2966

Watch the Dallas Mavericks on the big screen at Studio Movie Grill on Sunday, June 5 at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, but advance purchase of a food and beverage coupon for $6 or $12 earns reserved seating. The theater serves a variety of foods, drinks and alcoholic beverages.

All metroplex Studio Movie Grill locations are playing the home and away games on the big screen. For complete details and to purchase tickets online, visit studiomoviegrill.com.

Free Outdoor Movie Screenings at Half Price Books

Half Price Books on Northwest Highway is showing free movies in the parking lot this summer. Despite the recent miserably hot and humid Texas weather, the evenings are usually cool enough to enjoy being outside.

Beginning on June 4, the store will show a movie every other Saturday night. The family-friendly movie schedule includes "Hook," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One," "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial," "Sherlock Holmes," "Star Trek," "The Incredibles" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."

Bring a chair and enjoy the show at dusk.

Half Price Books
5803 East Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas 75231
(214) 379-8000

Father's Day Barbecue on the Star at Cowboys Stadium

Celebrate Father's Day a day early at 105.3 The Fan's Father's Day Barbecue on the star. Walk the iconic field, imitate your favorite player, snag a few autographs, pose on the star and enjoy a barbecue meal. 

Tickets cost $49 for adults, $25 for kids ages 12 and younger. There is no charge for kids 3 and under. Free parking is available for this event.


105.3 The Fan Father's Day Barbecue 
Saturday, June 18 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cowboys Stadium
1 Legend Way
Arlington, Texas
(817) 892-4000

'The X Factor' Auditions Come to Dallas May 26, 2011

Simon Cowell's new talent competition is coming to Dallas on May 26. Unlike Simon's old show, "American Idol," this competition does not have an upper age limit. Solo singers and vocal groups ages 12 and up are welcome to compete for a $5 million contract.

The audition is actually a two day process. Applicants will have to register and pick up a wristband the day before the audition. "The X Factor" Hotline, 1-855-345-5678, and website have updated details.

"The X Factor" Auditions
Dallas Convention Center
650 South Griffin Street
Dallas, Texas
75202

Dallas Iron Fork Competition April 27, 2011

Whole Foods and the Dallas Observer are hosting the Iron Fork competition on April 27. Chef Scott Romano of Charlie Palmer will face Chef John Tesar of The Commissary Iron Chef style as the two compete to prepare dishes from a surprise selection of ingredients. (There's no word on whether or not the competition will include billowing smoke spewing from fog machines.)

Abacus, Cafe Brazil, Torchy's Tacos and Mozzarella Company are just a few of over 30 Dallas restaurants serving food and spirits.

Tickets are available to adults 21+. VIP tickets cost $50 and include early admission. General admission is $25 in advance or $35 at the door. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes.

Iron Fork 
Fashion Industry Gallery
Wednesday, April 27
 6 to 7 pm VIP Reception
 7 to 10 pm General Admission