Literary events like autumn leaves in Texas

 For some creatures, hibernation is a winter event. For Texans, it occurs during the deadly heat of late summer. But while I've struggled to keep my garden alive, other Texans have prepared an autumn-long list of state literary events. 

Note: Updates are now available for AuthorPalooza, Mayborn, Tulisoma and the Texas Book festival.

September 1: The Dallas Mystery Writers Laree Bryant Memorial Scholarship contest is this Monday. It's a contest dear to many Dallas-area writers, celebrating Laree's life and legacy. As I've posted previously, the rules are simple:

• Be on the DMW mailing list. It's free, by clicking on the link at the website.
• Don't have published fiction for the public (traditional or self-published) within the last five years
• Open to all genres. 

See the site for formatting details of your writing sample and a brief biography, sent to sandysteenwrites@gmail.com. The prize is a ticket to the DFW Writers Conference (see more below) valued at $500. The winner will be announced at the DMW's meeting September 6.

September 12-14: ArmadilloCon is Austin's convention for science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans, now in its 47th year. See the site for details and registration. Entries for the associated writers workshop are now closed, but I plan to attend. If you see me, say hi!

September 13: Trinity River Book Festival is a Fort Worth multicultural event with multiple books, authors, ad running. Yes, get your heart pumping with the run-to-read event. Free, but see the site for event schedule and to register for promotional giveaways, updates, and notifications.

September 16: Tickets (free!) for the Richardson Reads One Book event are now available. Or add a $35 luncheon ticket with Rowan Jacobsen, author of the 2025 RROB selection, Wild Chocolate, about the quest to revive ancient cacao and produce the world's finest chocolate. 

The deadline to purchase luncheon tickets is September 10, but space is limited. 

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. lecture are available (limited to 2 per order) on a first-come, first-served basis. Again, space for the event at First United Methodist Church Richardson, 503 N. Central Expressway in Richardson, is limited.

See the site for details or email richardsonreadstx@gmail.com for additional information.

Image by Carlos Villada for Pixabay

September 27-28: AuthorPalooza 2025 fills the Ley Student Center, 6100 Main St., Houston (on the Rice University campus) with favorite authors and books. Sponsored by the Houston Writers Guild. See the site for tickets and additional information.

Update: Houston Writers Guild reports AuthorPalooza 2025 was cancelled for reasons beyond its control. Ticket holders should have already received notification and full refund. For additional questions or feedback, contact the Guild.

October 4-5: The DFW Writers Conference returns to the Hurst, Texas, conference center 1615 Campus Drive, in Hurst. Events include keynote speakers Kelly Bishop (The Third Gilmore Girl) and literary agent Carly Watters, more than a dozen literary agents and editors (one complimentary pitch session with ticket) and classes and workshops galore.

See the site for details and registration.

October 24-25: Registration for The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference is now open. More details still to come. See the site or visit maybornconferenceinfo@unt.edu.\

Update: Registration for the Mayborn is due by October 13. Full conference pass to all events including $20 documentary film series day pass is $150. The film series pass may be purchased separately for $20. Full pass registrants may also add a $50 writers' workshop registration. Registration for the writers' workshop closes October 1, and materials must be submitted by October 3. See the site for additional information, including hotel accommodations.

November 7-8: The 21st Tulisoma: South Dallas Book Fair connects readers with Black authors, publishers, and storytellers from across the country. At the African American Museum in Dallas Fair Park, 3536 Grand Avenue. Free. See the site for details.

Update: Tulisoma hours are 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Events include workshops, more than 40 authors sharing their work, and featured speaker Dr. Linda Hall Searight, author of I Am God's Property, sharing insights that led to the creation of her award-winning choir in the 1990's. See the site under "events" for additional information. 

November 8-9: The 30th Texas Book Festival returns to multiple venues in and around downtown Austin and around the Texas Capitol. Check the site for ongoing details, including the author lineup to be unveiled later this fall.

Update: More than 300 authors are lined up for the November 8-9 Texas Book Festival. The festival is free but tickets may be required for some events and activities. Tickets to headliner talks are now available for purchase. Best sources of information seem to be the festival's social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Beyond the dog days – fall lit events coming to North Texas!

Is it too early to talk about autumn? With temperatures here in Dallas still flirting with the 100-degree mark, the realization that fall’s abundance of literary events is around the corner, gives me an incentive to crawl out of my air-conditioned hibernation, beginning this weekend with:

August 24: The African American Museum at Fair Park, Dallas, hosts the Tulisoma Book Fair,10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – but stay for a Hip Hop Gospel Extravaganza on the museum lawn from 4-6 p.m.! The literary festival includes panels, author talks, book signings and more. This year’s guest authors include Caldecott Honor-winning Carole Boston Weatherford and author/journalist ReShonda Tate Billingsley. Free. See the site for details. 

September 5: Dallas Museum of Art taps author Salman Rushdie to open its Arts & Letters Live 2019-2020 season. Booker Prize-winner Rushdie’s most recent book is Quichotte, a Don Quixote for the modern age. Tickets (including book copy) start at $60 for the public, $50 for students. This opener will be held in the Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street, Dallas. 

Wondering how the rest of the Arts & Letters season can compete with Rushdie’s opening? How about appearances by Tracy Chevalier, former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Margaret Atwood, Ann Patchett, John Grisham, Tim O’Brien, and more!

image: Pixabay

Unless otherwise indicated, events will be in Horchow Hall of the DMA, 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas. Ticket prices vary for events. See the site for complete schedule.

September 20-22: FenCon, the science fiction/fantasy convention showcases a plethora of area and regional authors, at the Sheraton DFW Airport, 44440 W. John Carpenter Freeway, Irving. Programming includes gaming, panels, author talks and signings, costumery, and more. Weekend tickets online and by mail: $45 by September 1, $50 at the door. Discounted tickets available for children (ages 6-12) and young adults (ages 13-21). See the site for details.

September 24: Richardson Reads One Book features Texas author Attica Locke’s Edgar-winning mystery novel Bluebird, Bluebird, 7:30 p.m., in the auditorium of Richardson High School, 1250 West Beltline Road, in Richardson, Texas. Free tickets available at the Richardson Library, 900 Civic Center Drive, in Richardson, starting at 9 a.m. September 3. See the site for details.

October 4-5: Roanoke Writers’ Conference, Roanoke Public Library, 308 South Walnut Street, Roanoke, Texas. Keynote speaker is award-winning author Sanderia Faye. Keep your eye on the site for details and registration opening September 2.

October 8-November 7: Authors LIVE! opens its fall season at 7 p.m. with Stephen Harrigan’s presentation of his latest book, Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas, in Wesley Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. See the site for calendar and details. All programs are free or make reservations for an author’s reception at 6 p.m. for $30 (includes meal and signed copy of book). Register for the reception at stanfordr@hpumc.org.  

October 12-13: If you’re a writer (or wonder what they do when not pecking on a keyboard), hie thee to Writers in the Field for expert advice, demonstrations and activities in weapons, period clothing, military life, medicine, horse handling, crime scene investigation and more. Weekend passes $65, primitive campground available on site for $25 (payable at registration), or check into local hostelries for 21^st century comfort! See the site for details and tickets. 

October 26-27: The statewide bookapalooza, Texas Book Festival, features hundreds of nationally and critically recognized authors for adults and children, exhibitors, food trucks, family activities, and more. Most events are on the grounds of the State Capitol Building in Austin. The south entrance facing 11^th Street is the busiest, so consider trying the north, east or west entrances if lines on 11^th Street get lengthy -- they probably will!

Entrance to the capitol grounds is free, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. October 26; 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. October 27. Additional festival venues include The Contemporary Austin, 700 Congress Avenue, and First United Methodist Church Sanctuary at 1201 Lavaca Street. A Saturday evening Lit Crawl takes place in venues in and around East Cesar Chavez. See the site for details.

October 31-November 3: Bouchercon 2019 welcomes local and international authors of mystery, thriller, and crime writing to Dallas for its “Denim, Diamonds, and Death” presentation. At the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas. Registration is $175, with special hotel room rates available to attendees. Guest authors include James Patterson, North Texas writer Deborah Crombie, Sandra Brown, Charlaine Harris, and more! Check out the site for registration and details.

November 1-30: NaNoWriMo all month long! Write from your home or with friends. See the site for details in your area. 

November 11-12: It’s not often that a theological conference makes my list of literary events, but the annual convocation of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University is known to add literary figures to its list of keynote speakers. This year’s speakers include best-selling travel author Rick Steves, November 11, 7:30 - 9 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium on the SMU campus, 6405 Boaz Lane, followed by a book signing. Tickets for Steves’ lecture only are $15. A printed receipt is required for entry, and no payments can be accepted at the door. 

See the site for details, including other keynote speakers and complete schedule. 

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But, you ask, where are the writing contests? I’ll give them a post of their own – as well as tidbits from the recent ArmadilloCon and online Mystery and Thriller Summit.

Fall forecast: A whopper of a storm of literary events

The fall hurricane season has barely begun, but a storm of autumn literary events is scheduled to hit North Texas – right now! There’s so much going on, I’ll only track events through September in this post, with more to come later.

August 12: (Yes, that’s tomorrow!) Dallas’ newest indie bookstore, Interabang, hasn’t even had its grand opening, and it’s already launched a line of name brand authors, including today’s appearance by Will Clarke at 7 p.m. Clarke will read from his new novel, The Neon Palm of Madame Melancon. The store’s located at 10720 Preston Road in Dallas, in the shopping center at the northeast corner of Preston and Royal. Free, but with books available for purchase and signing.

image: Wikimedia commons

August 13: This is the 45^th anniversary year of Dallas-based Half Price Books, and the flagship store at 5803 E. Northwest Highway in Dallas, has been rolling out author signings  galore to celebrate. August 13, local authors Farahana Kassam and Wayne Peterson sell and sign their books from 1-3 p.m. at the flagship store. See the site and below for more Half Price events.

August 15: The Interabang action keeps rolling Tuesday, August 15, with an appearance by Joe Tone, author of Bones: Brothers, Horses, Cartels, and the Borderland Dream. 7 p.m., 10720 Preston Road.

August 15: Authors LIVE! presents Howard Merkel, author of The Kelloggs: The Battling Brother of Battle Creek, at 7 p.m. in Wesley Hall of Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Free, but books available for purchase and signing. Or RSVP at (?) for a 6 p.m. author’s reception for $30, which includes a signed copy of the book. See the site for upcoming authors – and more about that below.

August 17: Missed Will Clarke at Interabang (or just can’t get enough)? Catch him at the Wild Detectives bookstore, 314 W. Eighth Street, Dallas. See the site for more bookish events, including authors tours and book club discussions.

August 24: The Dallas Morning News partners with SMU Reads for  Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond. Join the online discussion August 21-25 at dallasnews.com/opinion and hear Desmond in person, 6 p.m. August 24 at SMU’s McFarlin Auditorium. The program is free, but signed books will be available for sale. RSVP at smu.edu/smureads.

August 24: New York Times bestselling author Andrew Gross visits Half Price Books, 5803 E. Northwest Highway, Dallas, at 7 p.m. to discuss and sign copies of his historical thriller, The Saboteur. Books available for purchase through the store while supplies last.

August 26: Celebrate African-American culture at the Tulisoma Book Fair, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with poetry, theater, book signings and more. At the African American Museum of Dallas, 3536 Grand Avenue, Dallas (inside Fair Park). Free admission and parking.

September 9-11: At last, the grand opening of Interabang bookstore climaxes with an appearance September 11 by guest of honor Ann Patchett. The author most recently of Commonwealth, Patchett is also co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, and an advocate for independent bookstores. Although information is not yet on the Interabang site, manager Jeremy Ellis tells me by email that Patchett will attend the grand opening party September 11 from 6-9 p.m. and speak briefly at about 7 p.m. Signed books will be available at the store.

September 24: The Dallas Museum of Arts opens its new Arts & Letters Live season as international bestselling author Ken Follett arrives to discuss the latest in his historical saga, A Column of Fire, 7:30 p.m. in First United Methodist Church of Dallas, 1928 Ross Avenue (across from the museum). Tickets start at $60 for the public (includes one copy of the book).  See the site for details and other ticket options. Other blockbuster authors on the lineup include Michael Chabon, photographer Annie Leibovitz, Dan Rather, Dan Brown, and more! See the site for specifics.

September 26: Richardson Reads One Book each year, and 2017’s is Sing for Your Life, by Daniel Bergner. Lecture and book signing at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson High School, 1250 W. Beltline Road, in Richardson. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Free tickets available at the Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Dr., Richardson, Texas, beginning at 10 a.m., September 5.

Did I say only events through September? Here’s one more I can’t resist mentioning:

October 4: Art Garfunkel appears at Authors LIVE! in partnership with Friends of SMU Libraries and Friends of the Highland Park Library, to discuss and sign What is All But Luminous. At Wesley Hall of Highland Park UMC, this one is requires a $28 ticket, which includes a copy of the book. A portion of the proceeds benefit the libraries.

Wordcraft – Reading ‘n’ writing ‘n’ fall literary events

School has started in North Texas, and autumn’s literary events are coming as fast as the falling leaves already littering my lawn. The literary leaves are heaped so high, I’ll take two posts to blog about them, starting with today’s events:

August 25: (Yes, that’s today!) This year’s SMU Reads book is Emily St. John Mandel’s bestseller, Station Eleven, dealing with the aftermath of fictional pandemic. Don’t let the subject scare you away from today’s panel discussion about emergency preparedness, followed by book discussions, a pop-up performance of King Lear (yes, there’s a connection), and culminating in the September 9 visit by Mandel at Southern Methodist University. See the Dallas Public Library for events, and be sure to reserve a free seat for Mandel's appearance September 9.

August 25: Monthly script reading by Dallas Screenwriters Association. Only members may have their scripts read by local actors, but anyone’s welcome to drop in for a free listen, at 7 p.m., in the community room of Half Price Books, 5803 East Northwest Highway, Dallas. Event repeats the last Tuesday (usually) of each month.

August 28 - 29: The Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair and Arts Festival, with most events at the African American Museum at Fair Park, 3536 Grand Avenue, Dallas. Events Friday (August 28), including the Tulisoma Heart and Soul tour, are free but require reservations. Events Saturday (August 29) are free, with no reservation required, beginning with the 10 a.m. Art Smart workshop on preparing children to learn. Author readings, entertainment, and discussions, continue through 4:20 p.m. Saturday. While you’re there, take advantage of the museum’s free admission to check out the galleries on black arts and culture in Dallas.

August 30: Don’t forget to contact points@dallasnews.com to reserve a seat for a free forum 2-4 p.m. at University of Texas at Dallas to discuss the Dallas Morning News Points Summer Book Club. This year's book is Being Mortal: Medicine and what Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande. A blog discussion is currently in progress.

August 31: Tickets for Richardson Reads One Book available at the first floor information desk of the Richardson Public Library, 900 Civic Center Drive, Richardson, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Free tickets are available for Richardson residents, but maybe a friend who lives there can snag you a ticket to hear author Laura McBride discuss this year’s book, We Are Called To Rise. McBride will appear September 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson High School, 1250 Beltline Road.

September 9: For SMU Reads, Emily St. John Mandel discusses her bestseller, Station Eleven, at McFarlin Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Lane, in Dallas. Free, but be sure you’ve RSVP’d for a reservation.

September 10: Deadline for the Young Author’s short story contest of fantasy/science fiction convention FenCon. No fee to enter, for authors in grades 3-12.

September 13: Dallas Arts & Letters Live continues its 2015 season with R.L.Stine and Marc Brown, author/illustrators of The Little Shop of Monsters, September 13 at 4 p.m. Horchow Auditorium, Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood, Dallas. Tickets for the presentation are $20 for the public, $15 for DMA members, $10 for students and children (under age 5).

September 15: Richardson Reads One Book: We Are Called to Rise, by Laura McBride. Author reading 7:30 p.m. at Richardson High School, 1250 Belt Line Road in Richardson. Did you remember to get your free tickets?

(Next Tuesday: Wordcraft continues its preview of autumn 2015’s literary events in North Texas)

Wordcraft -- Fall into autumn with literary events

School’s started¾ can fall be far behind? Not when the annual Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair and Arts Festival kicks off a new season of reading and writing events this weekend. Here’s a preview of what’s coming up on the literary horizon in North Texas over the next few months.

August 29-30: Tulisoma opens with a tour of historic African-American sites in Dallas, departing Friday, August 29, from the African-American Museum at Dallas Fair Park, 3536 Grand Avenue 10 a.m. The festival continues 3 p.m. August 30, with readings, panels, movies and music. See http://tulisoma.com for a complete schedule. And check out the museum’s exhibits on art and the historic Freedman’s Cemetery while you’re there.

September 4-November 13: Authors LIVE! Series continues through the fall. The series features, among others, authors Jan Karon, Jodi Picoult, Kathy Reichs and S. C Gwynne. At Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas. Free. See www.hpumc.org/authorslive for details

September 23: The 2014 Richardson Reads One Book is Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, who will speak at Richardson High School, 1250 West Beltline Road, at 7:30 p.m. Complimentary lecture tickets will be available at the Richardson Library, 900 Civic Center Dr., beginning September 2. See www.onebook.cor.net for more information.

September 26-28: FenCon science fiction and fantasy convention; at Crowne Plaza Dallas, 14315 Midway Road, Addison, Texas. Writing workshop (now filled), panels and author appearances. The con also includes a young authors’ short story contest, open to students in grades 3-12 as of the 2013-2014 school year. The contest is free but the entry deadline is September 10, so start writing now! See www.fencon.org/youngauthor.html for details. For general information, see www.fencon.org/.

October 10-11: North Texas Book & Paper Show, Grapevine Convention Center, 1209 South Main Street, Grapevine. Admission $5 for adults, free for ages 12 and under. Rare and collectible books, autographs, maps, ephemera. See
www.texasbooksellers.org/north-texas-book-paper-show for details.

October 21: Dallas Heritage Village partners with the Dallas Historical Society to present the Farina Lecture Series at the Village, 1515 S. Harwood, Dallas. Doors open at 6 p.m., followed by speaker Victoria Wilcox, author of Southern Son: The Saga of Doc Holliday (Book Two). Free. Register through events calendar at www.dallasheritagevillage.org/.

October 25-26: Texas Book Festival, Austin. All right, it’s not in North Texas, but it’s the big one! Events at the Texas State Capitol, Congress and 11^th Streets. Author lineup available the evening of September 10 at www.texasbookfestival.org/.

October 30: Literature + Medicine Conference, Fogelson Forum at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, 8300Walnut Lane, Dallas, 6-8 p.m. Free conference includes speaker Michael A. LaCombe, reception, and writing contest. Contest deadline is October 1, for essays, poems or short stories about healthcare experiences, including experiences as a patient. See www.texashealthcareconnect.us/LitMed for information and contest details.

November 7-9: Readers & Ritas conference, Hilton Garden Inn Allen, 705 Central Expressway. Dozens of romance authors, discussions, books for sale and trade. Registration at
www.eventbrite.com/2014-readers-ritas-registration-9231211803/.

(Next Monday, better dialogue in our fiction)

Wordcraft -- Fall literary events in (mostly) North Texas

It’s still the dog days in Texas, so why am I posting about literary events of the fall? Because they start this weekend! Chances to meet and listen to your favorite authors in person, attend discussions with other crazed reading and writing fans, check out a new writing contest -- for students only at this point. Sometimes there’s even great food.

August 29-September 2 -- WorldCon, Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, 200 E. Market Street, San Antonio. This is the big one -- the 71^st Annual World Science Fiction Convention. It’s the one where they hand out the Hugo Awards (which will be broadcast live September 1). Miss it, and you’ll have to fly to London to catch the 2014 convention. Walkup tickets still available, although online registration has closed.  For more information, directions, and program schedule, see  www.lonestarcon3.org/.

August 30-31 -- In Dallas, check out the 10^th annual Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair, with activities at the African-American Museum in Fair Park, 3536 Grand Avenue, among other venues. The Heart and Soul cultural tour of South Dallas historical sites is currently filled, but check out the museum’s exhibits, lots of authors, and entertainment. Many activities free or moderately priced. See http://tulisoma.org/.

September 10 -- Richardson Reads One Book features The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. The Richardson Reads program was designed to bring residents of this Dallas suburb together. Previously, tickets were free but limited to Richardson residents. I’m hoping the program’s new venue at First United Methodist Church of Richardson, 503 North Central Expressway, with seating beginning at 6:45 p.m., will be roomy enough to seat nonresidents as well, but I’ll have not yet confirmed that with the Richardson Library. The Book Thief has been very popular with young adult readers locally, with Zusak making an appearance earlier this year at the Highland Park literary festival. And there’s a movie, scheduled for release in December. See http://onebook.cor.net/.

September 10 -- Also this date, public events from the Friends of SMU Libraries, beginning with lecture and book signing by historian James Reston, Jr., whose new book, The Accidental Victim, proposes a new theory about the assassination of President Kennedy. Reception at 6 p.m. in the Hughes-Trigg Ballroom on the SMU campus, followed by lecture and book signing. Free. For additional Friends events, see
http://smu.edu/libraries/friends/events/.

October 4-6 -- FenCon, the annual science fiction/fantasy convention at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 14315 Midway Road, in the Dallas suburb of Addison. Family-friendly events, including those especially for kids; panels by many local authors. New this year, a young authors’ short story contest, with deadline extended to September 20. For information, see www.fencon.org/.

October 15 -- Dallas Authors Live fall series begins at Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park, 1515 Harwood, at 7 p.m. with Dallas author Kathleen Kent. Kent hit the best seller lists with historical fiction about the Salem witch trials. Her latest book is The Outcasts, set in nineteenth century Texas. Admission to her discussion is free through October 10, $10 at the door. For more information, see www.dallasheritagevillage.org/.

October 19 -- The fourth annual Literature + Medicine conference adds a poetry lecture, 5-7:30 p.m., in the Fogelson Forum at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, 8200 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas. Keynote speaker is National Poetry Series award winner Dr. Rafael Campo. See also --

October 24 -- Literature + Medicine Conference, 5-7:30 p.m. in the same location, with keynote speaker John M. Barry, author of books on the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and the 1918 influenza epidemic. Cost is $15 for the poetry lecture, $25 for the Barry conference, with special rates for health care professionals. I attended last year and thoroughly enjoyed the format. Plus, the pre-lecture buffet is great! See
www.texashealth.org/.

October 26-27 -- Texas Book Festival, various venues around the State Capitol in Austin. Preliminary schedule and list of authors should start coming online in September. See www.texasbookfestival.org/.

November 8-10 -- Readers & ’ritas conference, Hilton Garden Inn -- Allen, 705 Central Expressway. Meet dozens of romance authors, including some locals, hear their discussions on your favorite topics, bring books to trade and donate (proceeds benefit Plano Family Literacy). Good food and bags of swag! See https://2013readers.eventbrite.com/.

And by the way, today, August 26, is the third anniversary of this blog. Ten friends read my first post -- how they found it I’ll never know, since even Google couldn’t locate the URL. Hundreds of posts and nearly twenty thousand views since, more than a thousand of you drop by each month. Hope you’re having as good a time as I am.

Totally Texas -- Summer -- going, going, go!

Can there only be one more week of summer? The start of school August 27 leaves only one more week of fun. But with school clothes and supplies, even on sales tax-free weekend, how can we afford fun? Some suggestions, listed from the not very expensive to the absolutely, totally free!

Dallas Arboretum -- Okay, it’s not totally free, but the Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road in Dallas, has slashed daytime prices to $5 a person through August 31. The Chihuly glass sculptures are beautiful day or night. And with temperatures for the coming week forecast to stay only in the 90’s (practically a cold front for Texans), it’s a good time to get out during the day. Check the website, www.dallasarboretum.org/,for details.

Trinity Audubon Center -- Take a tour of the sleek, eco-friendly building and its indoor, interactive exhibits at 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way (formerly 6500 S. Loop 12) just outside Dallas, for $1 per person through August 31. Then go outside for a variety of hiking options and a play area. Wear sturdy shoes! See http://trinityaudubon.org/.

Interurban Railway Museum -- Electric trains are nothing new to North Texas -- before DART there was the Texas Electric Railway, memorialized at 901 E. 15^th St., in Plano (adjacent to a DART stop). The museum, with model trains and interactive exhibits, is open Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. Preschool story time, 10:30 a.m. Admission is free, but they’d love a dollar or two donation. See http://plano.gov/Departments/parksandrecreations/recenters/Interurban/ .

Family movies at the library -- Allen Public Library, 300 N. Allen Dr., screens Hunger Games this Saturday, August 18, at 2 p.m. For teens, ages 12-18. Free, bring your own snacks. Also, the library’s Elvis film series continues August 21 and 28. See www.cityofallen.org/index.aspx?NID=900/.

Tulisoma South Dallas Book Fair -- It’s August 24-26, at the African American Museum at Fair Park, 3536 Grand Avenue. Free, but some events require advance registration. While you’re in the museum, check out the galleries housing exhibits on the Freedman’s Cemetery and Fair Park sculptures, among others. See
http://tulisoma.org/ for details.

Spray parks -- Most public swimming pools are now closed for the season, but Dallas spray parks are open through September 4, for that last splash of summer. Free, of course. See www.dallasparks.org/Downloads/spraygroundschedule2012.pdf/.

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While you’re having fun, get the kids looking good with free children’s haircuts through August 31 at all JC Penney salons. Reservations strongly recommended because of high demand. Call 1-855-JCP-KIDS or go to www.jcpenney.com/FreeHaircuts/