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 -- 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 -- 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.