KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter
|
|
|
|
Sat, Jun 6: Denton County Farm Heritage Day Thu, Jun 11: The Magic of Mermaids Fri, Jun 12: World Soccer Festival & Watch Party
Sat, Jun 13: Pride in Bloom
Fri, Jun 19: Opal’s Walk for Freedom
Sat, Jun 20: Father's Day Fiesta
Sat, Jun 20: Father's Day Fishing Tournament
Sun, Jun 21: Czech Out Mansfield
Sat, Jun 27: Trinity Pride Fest
Sat, Jul 4: Arlington Independence Day Parade
Sat, Jul 4: Liberty By The Lake
Sat, Jul 11: Parker County Peach Festival
Fri, Jul 17: Parktopia
Sat, Jul 18: Hot Wheels Legends Tour Comes to Dallas |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: "The best thing about your newsletter," said a reader who met me in person at an event last June, "is the sheer number of things to do, and the fact that they're just packed in there, all in one handy place." "Thanks!" I said. I may have glowed a little. "And the worst thing about your newsletter," she continued, "is the guilt trip. I know
you don't mean to lay that on us. We can't do it all, so it means we read about so much we can't do. Especially in summer." She was right, in one sense, of course. June and July are the most packed months of the calendar: Kids are out of school, families are ready for fun, and our communities respond. Each local organization gets to post its own events on our calendar for free, and many are featured in this newsletter, so what's happening is right there in front of
you. But I get it! And I hereby remove the guilt. Ego te absolvo. Of course, good families try to expose their kids to great things, but no one has the time, money, or energy to do it all. This stuff needs to be spread out over a childhood, not packed into a single summer, much less a single weekend. So make a family bucket list for Summer 2026. An easy way to do that is to take our annual survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids, which is open through June 20; it has dozens of places to have fun this summer, even though you only vote for your top 3! And you should also use our 50 Ways to Love Your Summer article for ideas that require zero technology, zero travel, and zero dollars. Above all, go easy! Remember, summer is no time for grades! The only prize is the summer that's right for your family.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse
Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
|
|
|
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. |
Please click through to our 2026 survey to vote for your top 3 places to take kids... it will be used to compile our 2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Fort Worth area. Voting is live through June 20; believe me, winning a place on the Top 20 list matters to the people who
create amazing family-friendly experiences. Take 3 minutes to choose your favorites as your way of saying thank you... and use the list to build your summer bucket list at the same time! |
|
|
|
Make a splash at SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium during this magical limited-time Mermaid event! Watch real Mermaids swim alongside sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles in Texas’ only 360° Ocean Tunnel. Meet a Mermaid on land, snap a photo, and hear enchanting tales inside the Mermaid Grotto. This immersive experience is included with general admission on select dates: June 11–15 and June 18–22. Be sure to select an event date when booking to dive into the fun!
|
|
|
|
The Denton County Office of History and Culture is hosting its annual Denton County Farm Heritage Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 6 at the Denton County Historical Park, 317 W Mulberry Street. At the FREE event, learn more about agricultural history, activities include tractor displays, petting zoo, crafts, Butter Churning Demos, Hand Weaving and Spinning demos, and Farmers Market
|
|
|
|
The Memphis Soul concert originally scheduled as the Encore for NRH Art Fest has been rescheduled to June 5, 2026. Memphis Soul, DFW's Premiere Motown Band, will take the stage for a special 90-minute concert at the NRH Centre Plaza on Friday, June 5. Gates will open at 6 p.m and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets for seating on the lawn at the NRH Centre Plaza, 6000 Hawk Ave. There will be food trucks with yummy cuisine on-site, or you are welcome to bring your own picnic, but please NO glass containers.
|
|
|
|
Grab your lawn chairs and join us for Neighborhood Movie Night on Friday, June 5! Bring the whole family out for an evening of movies, food trucks, a mobile library, and fun in the neighborhood. The event kicks off at 7:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 8:30 p.m. under the stars!
|
|
|
|
Come dig up some dinosaur bones with us as we kick off our summer Fun Friday parties with a Dino Party! We will be celebrating the summer reading theme - Unearth a Story - which features lots of dino friends! This party will have lots of dinosaur crafts, games, activities, and snacks!
|
|
|
|
Get ready for tail-wagging excitement at Puppy Pals Live at Arlington Music Hall on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Puppy Pals is a high-energy, family-friendly performance featuring adopted and rescued dogs performing spectacular stunts and breathtaking feats. Watch as these talented pups race through obstacle courses, leap through the air, and wow the audience with impressive tricks — all while showing off their playful personalities.
|
|
|
|
Do you remember the excitement of field day as a kid? Now imagine it revved up and reimagined as a racetrack adventure you and your son(s) complete together as a team! Buckle up for Father–Son Field Day: Raceway Rumble, where dads and sons become a driver-and-pit-crew duo, racing through a series of fun, high-energy challenges inspired by a classic racecourse. Each station represents a “lap” on the track—testing speed, teamwork, balance, and problem-solving as you work together to cross the finish line.
|
|
|
|
Summer starts HERE! Join us on Saturday, June 6 from 6–10 PM at the Aledo Commons for Summer Blast, a FREE, family-friendly evening full of food, music, fireworks and more right in the heart of downtown Aledo. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a night designed to bring the community together. This year’s live music features crowd pleasers Graceland Ninjaz, delivering a high-energy show packed with mashups of greatest hits spanning five decades of rock & roll, dance, hip hop and soul.
|
|
|
|
Join Texas Equal Access Fund and PRIDENTON for our annual community sidewalk chalking event for the whole family to celebrate Pride! We'll start at 8 am and chalk on the sidewalk around the Denton Courthouse Square. Meet us on the Hickory St. side to grab the chalk, and connect with us. Local band, Fishboy, will be there to supply some live tunes and a local face painter will be providing free designs! Don’t forget to bring a hat, sunscreen, and water. We will have limited water and snacks. Don’t forget to bring a hat, sunscreen, and water!
|
|
|
|
Each year Texas Parks and Wildlife allows one day when people of all ages can fish without a license. This year that day falls on June 6. To celebrate this fishing holiday, we will provide fishing gear so that everyone can participate in the fun. Each family will receive 1 fishing rod & bait to use during the time slot. *Spaces are limited so registration is required! Notes:
|
|
|
|
Bring the whole family out for Ohana Night at Hawaiian Waters The Colony! Enjoy an evening of slides, waves and lazy river time as the sun sets—with the park open late until 9 PM.From splashing in the wave pool to relaxing under the stars, it’s the perfect way to make tropical memories with your Ohana!
|
|
|
|
Make this summer movie season magical by joining us between June 7 and Aug. 13, 2026, for a series of family favorites! We'll play a different movie each week for only $3 (+tax), so grab the family and we'll see you at the theatre.
|
|
|
|
Come to the library and practice reading to Luna, our therapy dog! The target audience is elementary-aged children and younger. This program uses therapy dogs as reading companions for children. Often, reading for children involves overcoming fear. The dogs offer a method to help alleviate the fear associated with reading by serving as non-judgmental, attentive listeners.
|
|
|
|
Come on out to Riders field to cheer on the RoughRiders! The Frisco RoughRiders are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Fort Worth 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!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens. Here's where you can pick fruit with your family:
Strawberry picking, cherry picking, blueberry picking, raspberry picking, peach picking, and other pick-your-own opportunities in the Ft.
|
|
|
Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
|
|
