Dallas weekly e-newsletter |
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Fri, Mar 13: Spring Break in the Park 2026 at Klyde Warren Park
Sat,
Mar 14: Frisco Festival of Colors at Independence Practice Field
Sat, Mar 14: St Paddy’s Day Dash 5K at Central Market-Dallas
Sat, Mar 14: 2026 Dallas St. Patrick's Parade & Festival
Sun, Mar 15: Wizard of Oz on Ice Presented by the Coppell Arts Center
Fri, Mar 20: Hello Kitty and Friends Party at Allen Public Library
Fri, Mar 20: Jurassic Quest x
Brick Fest Live @ the Tri-State Fairgrounds
Thu, Mar 26: Disney On Ice presents Jump In! at State Farm Arena
Fri, Apr 17: Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival
Sat, Apr 18: DeSoto Public Library Everything Teen Expo 2026
Sat, Apr 25: 2026 South West Black Art Show at African American Museum of Dallas
Sat, Apr 25: Arbor Day at Hawaiian Waters |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a teenager, I had a teacher who became a mentor without ever knowing he was one. He was aware I’d been going through some difficult times, and was glad to hear I was almost on the other side. “Some people aren't lucky enough to have dealt with hard things when they're young,” he told me. Then he added the phrase that has echoed in my head for decades: “Remember the
rocks.” Life, he explained, was always going to toss boulders into my path. The trick was to recognize, early, that even if it was painful or scary, I was capable of getting around, or over, or through them. Remembering how I’d managed would help me trust myself more when the next, bigger ones appeared. As a parent, I think about that often, about how the only way to become someone who does hard things is… to do hard things. It’s tempting
to rush in and smooth every unpleasant obstacle our kids encounter. When we email the teacher, mend the friendship, rescue the forgotten homework, eliminate every discomfort, we may feel helpful in the moment, but in fact we’re quietly removing the practice stones they need. Resilience doesn’t come from being told “You’re strong”; it comes from evidence that only they can gather, from working through manageable challenges and thinking, That was hard. And I handled it. We don’t need to
manufacture their challenges—being a kid is difficult enough. And we don’t abandon them to do it all on their own, either. We just learn to pause, to weigh advice against intervention, and to let them see what they can manage. The goal is that later in life, when something truly difficult lands in our children's path, they won’t just hope they can manage it, they’ll know. Now, many years later, when I encounter something daunting, I think back to my mentor and
remember the rocks. "I do hard things," I tell myself. And it works.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
Discover the Best of Texas & Beyond Want to stay in the know on the best places to go, things to do, and experiences worth exploring? The Lone Star Low Down from Texas Lifestyle Magazine highlights top travel destinations,
family-friendly outings, local events, dining, and exclusive giveaways. Whether you’re planning weekend adventures, road trips, or looking for inspiration close to home, this is your go-to source for discovering the best of Texas and beyond. Sign up here to receive the Lone Star Low
Down. |
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Train-A-Palooza #12 model train show will be held at the Grapevine Convention Center located at 1209 S. Main St., Grapevine, Texas March 14 & 15, 2026. Model train layouts will display various gauges of trains.
Choo Choo Express trackless train will be providing train rides in the parking lot.
Admission is for both days and the Lone Star Hi-Railers huge three rail O guage model railroad layout inside an actual 70-foot-long baggage car, located in the historic Grapevine Railyard area. Show hours are Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Grapevine Shuttle for attendees is free.
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Get ready for an exciting adventure this March with Magikid spring break STEM camps with the Time Travellers theme. Students journey through history as they build, code, and create hands-on projects inspired by Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern
times. From constructing ancient wonders with robots and cracking medieval ciphers to exploring Renaissance inventions and steampunk-era machines, campers blend engineering, robotics, coding, and creativity every day. This immersive camp encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and finishing what you start-bringing histoory to life through STEM.
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Be the VIP of your next birthday or group outing when you book & host your event by May 1st to receive Double Your Fun on arcade game play and allow your guests to enjoy more games and more play. Lock in your date now! Offer available at any Houston or
Dallas/Fort Worth Main Event Location. Call the Main Event nearest you or Book Now at www.me.com. Mention Code: KOAA.
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Welcome to OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark, where 404 suites, 14 food and beverage outlets, arcade, spa, and more await you. Located in Downtown OKC, OKANA curates experiences just for you, we’re far enough away from home to feel like a real escape but
close enough to home to be accessible, affordable, and almost certainly your new favorite weekend getaway ;-). Switch it Up and spend Spring Break at OKANA: Use promo code SPRING when you book and save an extra 20% on your stay. And since we recently eliminated resort fees from our bookings, too, there’s never been a more affordable time to visit. Make your Spring Break iconic - make it OKANA.
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Feel the rush of the game as you test your reflexes, measure your kicking power, and explore the brain-body connection that drives top performance. Packed with interactive challenges, real-world science, and behind-the-scenes innovations, this experience
shows how curiosity, creativity, and teamwork make the world’s favorite game possible.
With FIFA World Cup 2026™ bringing global attention to North Texas, Soccer: More Than a Game celebrates soccer’s power to connect cultures, inspire innovation, and unite communities around the world.
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Our version of Shark Week just got bigger. Watch our new nurse sharks put their powerful jaws to work at feedings throughout the day, then dig for real shark teeth of your own – because yes, they’re as cool as they sound.
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Tens of thousands of people will come from across Texas and other parts of the country to visit one of the largest Irish festivals in the U.S., a family-friendly event that features live music, dancing, storytelling, chef demonstrations and more on 13
stages throughout Fair Park. Attendees will also enjoy horse shows, sheepherding demonstrations, beer and whiskey tasting, genealogy research opportunities, shopping, animal rescue groups, child-friendly entertainment, and free arts and crafts for the kids.
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Tulipalooza is back for its eighth year blooming! Join us at Getzendaner Memorial Park for this magnificent springtime celebration filled with flowers, friends and fun. All to benefit our favorite local charities.
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Mini Millionaires is back for another meeting! Get ready to build money smarts and confidence with Mini Millionaires, a youth-led financial literacy non-profit that makes learning about money fun and hands-on.
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Read a story and enjoy a walk with your family! The Storybook Trail is a self-led activity in which pages of a children’s storybook are placed in kiosks along the trail located outside the Terrell Recreation Center at 1680 W. Exchange Parkway.
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March 7, 2026: Yeehaw! Bring your boots and buckles for a Texas-style celebration in Carrollton, y'all! This exciting event features a beer garden with local craft brews, live Texas music to get everyone’s toes tapping, a mouthwatering food village to
satisfy every Texas craving, and photo ops with an iconic live longhorn. It’s a Lone Star experience not to be missed.
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Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda JR. is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.
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Join Family Music Theatre for one of Disney’s most magical musicals! Set in the enchanting kingdom of Arendelle, the story follows sisters Anna and Elsa as they navigate fear, love, and the power of embracing who you are. Featuring unforgettable songs such
as Let It Go, Love is an Open Door, and Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, this enchanting family-friendly production is filled with wonder, heart, and hope.
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Experience two amazing attractions for one incredible price! We’re thrilled to introduce an all-new Circus experience coming to the Epic Central lawn—and the best part? Your Epic Waters admission includes FREE access to all the big top excitement!
The Epic Circus Spectacular is Included in Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark Admission! One ticket. Two unforgettable attractions!
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Engage with your little one as we explore stories, songs and activities that help enhance muscle development to rock, roll, crawl and walk!
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The all-new 2026 Camp Invention® program, Spark, is coming to curious kids in your community this summer! Rising K-6 campers will collaborate with friends to tackle hands-on, open-ended challenges. They’ll team up with robotic capybaras, ride the waves of
entrepreneurship, uncover the power of protecting their ideas and build a DIY space rocket! Each experience is designed to spark confidence, build persistence and create unforgettable summer memories. Visit invent.org/save/camp to secure your spot! Register using CIFUN25 by 3/31 to save $25 or CIFUN20 by 4/28 to save $20 when you register. Interest-free payment plans are available, making camp affordable for all families.
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iD Tech: The World's #1 STEM Summer Camp! BattleBots® Camp? You can only get it here. Roblox Camp? We've got that and more in our Summer '26 lineup. Register today at the top-rated tech camp for 25 years and counting! iD Tech is the very best
experience built around your child—their interests, their skill level, their goals for the future. Trusted by 75+ of the world’s top universities and over 1,000,000 parents, iD Tech is where kids and teens learn from the best—coding, game dev, robotics, and more. The future starts at iD Tech!
Click here for more information about your local iD Tech opportunities! Virtual camps are also available!
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- Summer Camp Preview (Roblox) | March 6th - 580 South Denton Tap Road suite 121, Coppell, Friday, March 6th 6PM - 7PM
- Wiggle and Read Storytime - Greenville, Friday, March 6, 10:30-11:30 am
- Book Babies - Grand Prairie, Friday, March 6, 11-11:45 am
- Preschool Storytime - Nicholas P Sims Library, Waxahachie, Friday, March 6, 10-11 am
- TEXFest 2026 - Carrollton, Sunday, March 7, 3 - 9 pm
- Bilingual Storytime / Hora de cuentos bilingüe - Dallas West Branch Library, Dallas, Sunday, March 7, 10:30-11:30 am
- Saturday Morning Kids -
Richardson Public Library - Richardson, Sunday, March 7, 10:30 - 11 am
- Pokémon Gym Badge Challenge - Richardson, Sunday, March 7, all day
- Free First Saturdays at the Nasher Sculpture Center - Dallas, Sunday, March 7, 11 am- 5 pm
- Saturday Make & Take Crafts - Coppell, Sunday, March 7, 9 am
- Cuentos & Stories - DeSoto Public Library, DeSoto, Sunday, March 7, 10:30-11 am
- IntelliChoice K-12 Math Tutoring - Fretz Park Branch Library, Dallas, Sunday, March 7, 10:30 am- 12 pm
- Family Movie Matinee - White Rock Hills Branch Library, Dallas, Sunday, March 7, 1-3 pm
- Family Storytime at Lewisville Public
Library - Lewisville, Sunday, March 7, 11- 11:30 am
- Mini Millionaires
Finance Workshop - Melissa Public Library, Melissa, Sunday, March 7, 11:30 am- 12:30 pm
- Showtime
Saturdays at Galleria Dallas - Galleria Dallas, Dallas, Sunday, March 7, 11:30 am
- Chess
Club - Bachman Lake Branch Library, Dallas, Sunday, March 8, 1-3 pm
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Dallas area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our
guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Dallas area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
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Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Dallas area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping a
spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
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Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
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Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Dallas area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
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Every May and June, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. This is the page where we showcase the Dallas-area winners for 2025. (Click here to see the full list of nominees.)
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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