Dallas Book Festival bigger and better than ever

Last year I was amazed at the huge change for the better in the annual Dallas Book Festival. Dozens of wonderful authors in multiple genres, thousands of enthusiastic readers, even food trucks. My only gripe – I had to leave early because the Dallas festival was scheduled for the same day as the also-fabulous North Texas Teen Book Festival.

This year, the Dallas Book Festival reigns supreme tomorrow, April 29, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the J. Eric Jonsson Central Library (link) , 1515 Young Street. OK, it does share the date with the Dallas Festival of Ideas at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Both events are free. For those who can’t make up their minds which to attend, it’s only a few blocks of walking in between.

I’ll stick with the Book Festival, and I’ve already made a list of which writers/panels I want to hear, which will only require me to clone myself a few times to cover.

Jeff Chang

Headliners listed on the festival site (link), include Jeff Chang (Who We Be), Jeff Guinn (Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson), Greg Iles (Natchez Burning), Eric Litwin (Pete the Cat series), Kristen Radtke (Imagine Only Wanting This), modern quilt designer Denyse Schmidt, Wade Smith (Smitty Tackles Bullying), and Andrew Solomon (Far and Away: Reporting from the Brink of Change).

There will be storytelling, panels featuring dozens of local and Texas authors in all genres, musical and theatrical performances, children's activities, meditation, bookbinding, quilt designing, photography, and more – even baby chicks (along with a discussion of urban chicken keeping appropriate to this Year of the Rooster). Some authors may have books for sale and signing.

Denyse Schmidt

Now about getting there. A limited number of places in the library’s parking garage will be reserved for drivers with disabled placard/license plate only. The rest of the parking garage will not be available to the public. Otherwise, parking is available at surface lots on Harwood, Griffin, Wood and Jackson Streets, as well as parking meters in the area. Parking lot costs vary.

Considering the crowds last year – which I anticipate will be even bigger this year – I recommend, and personally plan to arrive via the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. The Akard DART light rail station is the closest to the library, at about seven blocks. It’s a lovely walk in fine weather, perhaps not so fine if Saturday’s forecast for rain is fulfilled. 

Wade Smith

Besides bringing umbrellas, a couple of DART vehicle add-ons will help you get closer, drier. The free pink buses of the D-Link system are accessible within a block of the Akard Station, and stop within about a block of the library. D-Links stop at all Dallas bus stops, every 15 minutes, from 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Or consider taking light rail to the West End Transfer Station and catching a southbound No. 2 bus to within a block of the library. When you’re ready to leave, a northbound No. 2 will take you from Ervay Street on the library’s east side back to West End. Please note that fares are required to ride both DART and standard buses. A basic all-day local pass good on both buses and DART light rail is $5. See the DART site for information on ticket purchases and discounts.

Totally Texas -- Going all out for the green

Once a rowdy stagger down aptly named Greenville Avenue, in this, its thirty-fifth year, the annual St. Patrick’s parade is all grown up. Rebranded as Dallas St. Patrick’s Parade & Festival, it’s become a family friendly way to spend the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day.

This year, that’s tomorrow, March 15, starting at 11 a.m. The parade travels south on Greenville Avenue starting at Blackwell (a block behind HalfPrice Books) to the finish line at SMU/Yale Boulevard.

Thanks to sponsorship by the Dallas Mavericks, the 2014 event, as befits the “festival” addition to its name, will include a family area outside the Meadows Building between Milton Street and University Avenue. Kids, maybe even adults if we’re good enough, can get our faces painted, meet Mavericks’ mascots and cheerleaders, play games, and catch performances by the dancing Mavs ManiAACs during the festival’s 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours while watching the parade’s array of floats, bands, strolling and skateboarding participants. I predict even a Weather Channel forecast of scattered thunderstorms Saturday won’t be able to dampen parade goers’ spirits.

And of course, there’s beer, although that last option is only available for grownups. From my observations, Dallas police develop seasonal blindness to displays of public drinking during the parade. But let’s be responsible, and place our empty bottles, cans and cups in the numerous trash containers along the parade route.

One thing we won’t be able to do on parade day is cross Greenville Avenue or any of the adjoining streets along the parade route after 10 a.m. Maybe not even earlier. And most of us won’t be able to drive. Not because of the beer, but because all available parking lots will be filled hours before hand.

If we’re lucky enough, like me, to live within a mile of the parade, we’ll put on our walking shoes. Otherwise, our best bet is to take DART. The DART light rail stations at Lovers Lane and Park Lane deposit parade goers on the west side of Greenville Avenue where we get the closest view of the parade. It’s actually possible to get good overhead views of the parade simply by riding DART back and forth between the stations, making sure to get window seats facing Greenville. If you’re coming from the east side of Greenville.

The Lovers Lane station is within a convenient block of the Meadows Building, site of the family area, which includes food trucks and, yes, a beer garden.

Take the family, take an umbrella if necessary, and wear green. May the luck of the Irish be with you!

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Can’t wait till Saturday for the weekend? Try the free spring break block party along Flora Street in downtown Dallas, tonight, March 14. It combines events at the Dallas Museum of Art until 9 p.m. and at the Nasher Sculpture Center and Crow Collection of Asian Art from 6 p.m. until midnight. For more information, see “What I did on my spring break” at this site, http://crowcollection.org/, and www.dma.org/.

(Next Friday -- follow Tyler’s Azalea and Wildflower Trail)

Totally Texas -- In the pink with Dallas D-Link

When I first noticed the shorter than usual, bright pink buses last fall hanging around Dealey Plaza, I feared they were short-term solutions to the influx of visitors for the JKF assassination commemoration. After all, the new buses looked a lot like the old, pink, bunny-eared hop-a-buses that Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s board long ago decried as “undignified.”

Fortunately, wiser, perhaps less dignified voices prevailed. The bunny buses, renamed D-Link and minus their ears, are back to stay. And they traverse not only downtown but hop across the Trinity River to North Oak Cliff.

One of my complaints about DART has been the long walks needed to get from the rail stops in downtown to some of my family’s favorite venues, the Arts District, Klyde Warren Park, and the West End museums. And getting to the newly-trendy Bishop Arts District and historic movie houses in Oak Cliff? Forget about it, except by driving or doing some serious poring over DART bus routes. Now there’s only route number to remember--722, labeled in pink at local bus stops.

And only one scheduled time to remember--15. Yes, only fifteen minutes between buses at any stop between 11 a.m. and late night (after 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the area). Most bus stops have pick-ups until midnight. Or text 41411 plus the route number listed on each stop’s signs and get a return text telling you when the next bus will arrive.

Buses run Monday through Saturday. They don’t run on Sunday yet, but we can always hope.  Because of their round trip loops, each bus goes twice through downtown and Oak Cliff. If in doubt which bus to hop aboard, point yourself in the direction you want to go and stay on the right side of the street.

I found that if I was even in the vicinity of a stop (especially with a confused expression on my face) D-Link drivers pulled over and offered help getting me to the right place. Or plan a trip at
http://dart.org/dlink/dlink.asp/.

The downtown route goes by Main Street Gardens, Belo Gardens, Klyde Warren Park, The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, and the Old Red Museum, among other attractions.

In Oak Cliff, buses go by the Bishop Arts District, the historic Kessler and Texas theaters, and independent bookstore, Lucky Dog Books.

I had a DART ticket out of my pocket, from the train I’d deboarded at the Pearl Street station downtown, but I didn't need to show it. Jaunts on the D-Link buses are free, always my favorite price.

Totally Texas -- State Fair's Big Tex rises from the ashes

State Fair of Texas

Fair Park, 1121 First Avenue, Dallas

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The State Fair’s Big Tex continues to pull surprises out of his way more than ten-gallon hat. Last year he went up in flames. This year, he unveiled himself a day early, thanks to strong wind gusts. While I’d hoped the new Tex might be better looking than the old one, the features are still recognizable, although a little browner, perhaps a Hispanic Big Tex, ethnically appropriate for the state’s population in the twenty-first century.

To my eyes the new version’s expression looks a little anxious. Possibly because of the life-changing experiences he undergone. Possibly because he’s worried his new jeans make his now recognizably protruding butt look big. (Note: when you’re fifty-five feet tall, it’s all big, Tex.) He’ll still get an official unveiling at 2 o’clock this afternoon, opening day of the State Fair of Texas.

Pictures of Big Tex burning on the final day of last year’s fair will probably be featured in a new exhibit, “The Life and Times of Big Tex,” in the Hall of State this year.

Although the fair opens at 10 a.m. today, the opening parade is at noon, on Main Street from Houston to Good-Latimer in Deep Ellum. The artificial hill in the new Belo Garden park will be a great parade viewing site. DART riders should be aware that some downtown buses will be rerouted from 9 a.m. until after the parade ends.

The parade, of course, is a chance to see fair events for free, but not your only chance. I was appalled last year to learn that friends had paid full price for their tickets, when so many discounts abound. Besides the days local students get free admission (October 11 and 18) for Dallas ISD, fair goers age 60 and over get in free every Thursday (October 3, 10, and 17). Local Kroger stores sell tickets for $1 off.  For an assortment of other daily discounts, see About.com Dallas at http://dallas.about.com/.

Parking at the fairgrounds is $15 per vehicle, which makes sense if you cram your car full of visitors. But after years of parking and walking miles from the lot to the fairgrounds, I’ve sworn off any means of transportation to the fair except DART. Take the Green Line trains, usually labeled “FAIR” straight to the front gate. And while we’re talking about discounts, don’t overlook DART’s discounts, at
www.dart.org/fares/fares.asp/.

Use the money you save to spend inside the fairgrounds, maybe sampling some of the truly weird fried foods that are hallmarks of the fair. My daughter insists on consuming a Fletcher’s Corn Dog every year, but I’m curious about the likes of the Fried Thanksgiving Dinner, said to come with a cranberry dipping sauce. For a downloadable schedule and map of fair events, see www.bigtex.com/.

Although Big Tex returns, sadly, the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps doesn’t, kept away by worries about the federal budget. I may have to down a Fried Nutella to drown my sorrow.

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Need more entertainment this weekend? Dozens of museums in Texas will join 1,400 Smithsonian affiliates to offer free admission Saturday, September 28, for Museum Day Live!  For more information and a list of participating museums, see
www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/.

Totally Texas -- Ding, ding, ding goes the trolley

I’ve mentioned the McKinney Avenue trolley system in Dallas as a way to get to attractions on the edge of downtown and uptown. To be sure these posts are kid-tested and approved, my daughter and I took the boys for a trolley ride during a school holiday.

How would six-year-olds already blasé about air travel react to nineteenth century-style transportation?

They loved it. Approved of the leisurely pace and wide windows that let them take in Uptown’s bustling scene. Took to the conductor-drivers who love the cars and love seeing other people enjoy them. Got a thrill out of dropping a bill or two into the collection boxes. (Run by the nonprofit McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, the trolleys are free of charge, but expressions of gratitude, monetary or not, are always appreciated.)

Maybe most of all, the boys liked getting dropped off close to other places they love -- the Dallas Museum of Art and Klyde Warren Park.

The trolleys run daily, with separate weekday and weekend and holiday We took a DART train to the CityPlace station, which connects with the trolley line through either Red or Blue DART lines, and waited at a nearby covered bus stop. Although the trolley is free, normal fees apply to DART tickets. Trolleys leave from their McKinney Avenue Plaza starting point at approximately fifteen minute intervals from 7 a.m. to 9:35 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 10:50 p.m. Fridays. For information, see  www.mata.org/.

Although Dallas had many streetcars from the late nineteenth through early twentieth
centuries, the lines fell into disuse as automobile traffic increased. Interest in the trolleys revived with the discovery of original rails in the 1980’s, and the present McKinney Avenue service began on July 22, 1989.

The McKinney Avenue trolleys are all of early twentieth century vintage, although equipped with modern amenities of heating and air-conditioning. We rode Car 369, nicknamed Matilda, built for an Australian system. Car 186 “The Green Dragon” and Car 363 “Petunia,” however, are original Dallas streetcars -- The Green Dragon built in 1913 and Petunia in 1920. More than half a dozen additional cars are being restored, or await restoration.

On our trip, we got off at the corner of Ross and St. Paul, about halfway through the trolley’s route and across the street from both the Dallas Museum of Art and Klyde Warren. Extension of the trolley system further into downtown, with additional DART connections, are under construction for this year through 2014.

Totally Texas -- Tower of Thanks-Giving

Thanks-Giving Square

1627 Pacific Street, Dallas

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In the days when I worked in downtown Dallas, the DART train I rode chugged every day past a mysteriously-walled park. A white spiral tower rose at one corner, a trio of bells at another. I finally became curious enough to walk over there. It was Thanks-Giving Square, one of the curious little oases of the heart of the city. One of the things Dallas actually does right.

Philip Johnson (also the architect of the Dallas memorial for President Kennedy), designed the park’s pathways to slope below ground level, concealing it from the sight of surface traffic. Its buildings are understated. Its waterfalls mask traffic sounds. When I walked in, Dallas felt a million miles away.

There’s a sheet of water, some understated buildings, trees and grass. From the park level, that’s it. It’s easy to underestimate the importance of water and shade and quiet. Unless you live or work in the heart of the ninth largest city in the United States, one which prides itself more often on bigness than humanness.

The park’s main entrance features a trio of bells, a multi-racial mosaic expressing the scripture, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and a gold-leafed ring large enough to step through with ease. At the other end of the park, the Thanks-Giving Tower rises in a spiral of white marble aggregate smaller than, but not dwarfed by, the surrounding city skyscrapers. It houses the a small, multi-faith chapel and the stained-glass Glory Window.

The window is the culmination of sixty-seven panels designed by Gabriel Loire of Chartes, France. The abstract designs of the windows spiral around the tower, their colors becoming brighter until they reach the apex. A booklet from the park invites viewers to lie on the floor for an unforgettable view of the design. (There are also chairs from which those less nimble may view the windows.)

In the center of the chapel, below the window, is a seven-ton marble altar supporting a glass bowl where visitors may place expressions of thanksgiving.

Although it is not longer possible to ascend the spiral, the abstract nature of the designs makes it accessible to those of any -- or no -- religious persuasion. Christian and Muslim worship services are scheduled regularly.

The park is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, according to its website, www.thanksgiving.org/ , and easily reached from the St. Paul or Akard DART stations. An exhibition of the works of the Thanksgiving Expressions winners is on display through January 2, 2012.

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Also this week: Trains at NorthPark, through January 1, on level two near Barney’s New York. Tickets $6 for adults, $3 for children and seniors, free for age two and under. Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald’s House. See YouTube for video highlights from last year, www.rmhdallas.org for hours and details.

Tuesday, November 22, is dollar day at the Dallas Zoo. All admissions are $1 (regularly $12 for adults, $9 for kids and seniors), free for children age two and younger. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $7 parking fee, or take DART for a $4 day pass. See www.dallaaszoo.com for information.

　

Totally Texas -- State forecast: Sunny and Fair

State Fair of Texas

Fair Park, 1121 First Avenue, Dallas

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It was the opening weekend of the 2011 State Fair of Texas, and the question at the forefront of all inquiring minds was: what, in the name of sanity, is fried bubblegum?

Okay, maybe it was the question at the forefront of my mind. And despite a momentary flinching, I persevered to find an answer. Of all the concession booths in all the fairs in Texas, I had to walk into the only one that offers it. Actually, I had to consult page 12 of the free guide book available at information booths in the fair to locate it. It was site number four on the Big Tex Choice Awards Finalists’ map, near Gateway Plaza. I was headed for Gateway Plaza anyway, to see Cirque Shanghai, whose Chinese acrobats, from the looks of them, seldom consume fried foods. Much less fried bubblegum.

It didn’t look the way I thought it would. Fair foods seldom do. Okay, they’re often encased in fried dough. But it seemed so innocent and cookie-like, I forgot all the advice I ever heard about not swallowing your gum. Beneath the sopapilla-like dough was a center of pink goo that smelled and tasted like the Double-Bubble of my childhood. And then, quicker than a pig race, it slid down my throat and was gone.

It might be fair to say it was more fun to eat than yummy. And at nine coupons ($4.50 in real money), a little pricey. But that buys you three gobs. Share with friends.

One other epiphany: it’s been a few years since I went to the Fair, before DART’s Greenline trains stopped at the front gate. For somebody brought up on a culture of parking in people’s front yards or walking what seemed like miles to get from public parking to the fair, this was a revelation. Despite previous problems with the relatively new Fair Park Station, this year’s transportation was a dream.

A few words of warning. If you buy the Fair entry/DART combo at Kroger’s, you may have to prompt the clerk to give you the $17 package (which would otherwise be $16 for a Fair ticket and $4 for a DART day pass). And if you change trains downtown, as I did, you need to look for those labeled “Greenline, Buckner Station” to get to the fair. Some trains are labelled “Fair”. Some aren’t. Ignore anything labelled “Special.” When you leave the fairgrounds, look for “N. Carrolton” trains to get back to downtown. And follow the advice of DART employees to move to the front of the stop. Front of the train cars were virtually empty, while those close to the gates were packed.

After several hours of pounding the fairgrounds, there was one other attraction I had to sample -- a foot massage chair. It was only a quarter (half a coupon in Fair money), but I’d give it a thumbs down. Maybe that should be a toes down. Save your money for the fried bubblegum.

The State Fair continues through October 23. Check http://www.bigtex.com/ for daily information.

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Other ongoing attractions in North Texas:

-- Autumn at the Arboretum, Dallas Arboretum, 8617 Garland Rd., Dallas. Through November 29. See www.dallasarboretum.org/

-- Animatronic dinosaurs at the Heard Natural Science Museum, 1 Nature Place, McKinney. Through January 29, 2012. See www.heardmuseum.org/

Totally Texas -- Under the sea in Dallas' West End

Dallas World Aquarium

1801 N. Griffin St.

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Sometimes we just need places where we can hide for hours from the heat. For my family, one of those is the Dallas World Aquarium. It’s not the cheapest excursion on our list, but it's worth the splurge. My daughter can count on her five-year-old twin boys getting their daily dose of exercise as they wind through the repurposed warehouses near Dallas’ West End. Add a ride on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system that drops us within a couple of blocks, and it’s an all-day event, with the trains and big exotic animals the kids love.

The boys’ current favorite animals are the Antillean manatees. The aquatic mammals, reaching ten feet in length in their native Caribbean habitat, are first visible swimming in the open pool of Orinoco rainforest exhibit. Then the boys rush to the aquarium-level viewing windows where they can get a closer, underwater view of the manatees pirouetting with surprising grace.

The Dallas World Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums cooperates with a number of conservation organizations including a project in Peru to protect endangered Acobian manatees.

But there’s more to see than manatees. On our last visit, people crowded the forty-foot long shark tunnel. Visitors inside the transparent tunnel can watch sharks and rays gliding alongside and overhead. Was it a sight of the cool fish or just a chance to sit on the benches lining the tunnel that drew them? For those who can’t get enough of sharks, there’s a daily feeding at 4:30 p.m. on the upper and lower level Mundo Maya exhibit, whose simulated cenote opens onto the shark pool.

The Dallas World Aquarium is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily through August 31 and from 10 until 5 beginning September 1. You’ll need to add tax to the admission prices of $20.95 for adults and $12.95 for children between ages 3 and 12. The aquarium houses three restaurants. And of course my family must make an excursion through the gift shop.

For more information about exhibits, see www.dwazoo.com/ For information on the manatee conservation project, visit http://acobia-dwazoo.org

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Note to readers of Wednesday’s Wordcraft -- She Writes’ site for its new novelists contest states entries must be received by midnight Pacific Standard Time August 16. Call me confused -- it sounded like 2400 hours August 16, but I got an email from the site referencing midnight August 15.  Haven't gotten confirmation, but just in case, send the night of August 15.  For information see www.shewrites.com/group/we-love-new-novelists/ Entrants must be members of She Writes, but to answer the question Jason asked at our critique group -- yes, you can join even if you’re a guy!


(Next Monday: Totally Texas visits another watery site -- Fountain Place, I.M. Pei’s crystalline building set in an oasis of fountains and trees.)

Totally Texas -- CityArts festival at Fair Park

As my family went museum hopping at Dallas’s Fair Park recently, strolling the paved walkways and watching the boys play on the imaginative sculpture in the lagoon, I complained that the only things wrong were the lack of concession stands and the museum admission fees. Those problems disappear this coming Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, during the CityArts festival. 

 Will there be artists galore at the ArtFest portion, returning to an outdoor setting? Check. Performing artists, children’s activities and an “art car” painting demonstration? Check. Concession stands? Check and double check, when foodies over age 21 can sample offerings from some of Texas’ best chefs, with tastings of craftsmanly wine, tequila and vodka.

In addition, Fair Park’s eight museums will offer free admission during the weekend. See www.cityartsfestival.com/ for a full schedule of events and times.  CityArts is free, although there is a $10 fee for parking within the gates. Or take the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Green Line trains to the Fair Park station. DART charges $4 for a local day pass. Accompanied children under age five generally may ride free.

CityArts festival runs from 6-10 p.m. this Friday, May 27, from 11 a.m. -10 p.m. Saturday, and from noon- 6 p.m. Sunday.  And give the kids some time to play on the lagoon.

Totally Texas -- Electrifying trains

Interurban Railway Museum
901 E. 15th St., Plano
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The boys love anything large and noisy -- especially trains!  From the time my daughter's twins were still small enough to require a special bag -- called the diaper bag but actually packed with clothing changes, wet wipes, sippy cups and snacks -- to travel anywhere, their greatest delight was riding the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) trains.  When it was too hot to play outside and their mom needed some quiet and a chance to sit down and rest the diaper bag, we'd catch the train, preferably outside rush hours, and ride.  It didn't matter where.  DART allows children under age five to travel free (with some limitations) and the cost of adult tickets in the air-conditioned cars seemed a small price to pay for delighting little boys on a hot day.

And because they always wanted to know more about trains, we'd visit the Interurban Railway Museum (free even for grownups, although donations are appreciated).  The museum is located in Haggard Park near downtown Plano, a few steps away from a DART station.  A restored depot houses historical and scientific exhibits dealing with the Texas Electric Railway that ran from Denison to Dallas from 1980 until 1948.  There's a working model of the train system, and demonstrations dealing with generation of the electricity the trains used.  Grownups may need to give smaller kids a hand and some explanation of the process -- then watch as light bulbs light up.

Outside the depot, Car 360 demonstrates the combination of passenger and mail service the train system provided.  The museum's normal hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with preschool story time at 10:30 a.m. Fridays, and from 1-5 p.m. Saturdays.  However, because 2011 is the hundredth anniversary of Car 360, this coming Saturday, May 21, the museum will celebrate with special events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Festivities will include trackless train rides and other activities for children.