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Word from the CVBs Fort Worth's "Hidden Treasures" May is National Tourism Month across the country, and this is a time to recognize some of our “hidden treasures” of Fort Worth tourism. “The Bull Ring” in the Stockyards is one of these special treasures in our community. It is an unlikely name for a historic building that houses one of the largest privately owned collections of Texas art. A.C. “Ace” Cook is the person who has assembled this great art collection in an old saloon building on East Exchange Street, across from the Stockyards Hotel. The art is part of what is called the “Hockshop Collection.” A.C. Cook owned successful pawnshops, and he became interested in Texas art and artists. His business successes and his great passion for Texas artists allowed him to put together an impressive array of art by Texas artists. Some of the art was displayed at the Texas Centennial exhibit and at many prominent Texas museums. He also has many original early photographs about the Lone Star State and numerous Texas advertising signs throughout his two-story building. Not only does he have a great Texana collection, but the Bull Ring also serves coffee, beer and sodas. The Bull Ring has a wonderful historic downstairs that makes for one of the most unique places to have a party. Fort Worth is a historic city known for its unique buildings, museums and love of history. The Bull Ring is one of those “most Texas places” in Fort Worth, a city known as “The Texas Most City.” NEW in Arlington for 2004! Welcome to SpongeBob SquarePantsTM 4-D (he lives in a pineapple under the sea) and soon will be entertaining millions in his own theater at Six Flags Over Texas! Based on the tremendously popular Nickelodeon cartoon character, the new, interactive world of 4-D will bring him and his Bikini Bottom pals to life. And you and your family and friends can only see him here-Six Flags Over Texas-the first Six Flags park in North America to install the Sim-Ex-Iwerks 3D/4D effects that deliver the delightful and wacky SpongeBob SquarePantsTM experience! Open for the weekends through May 9, May 14 signals the start of daily operation through the summer -come early, stay late and visit often! And how about those Rangers?! MLB’s Texas Rangers of course! Hitting, running, stealing bases, grit, determination and talent-these are the new, young Texas Rangers and they are fun to watch. Check out the Calendar of Events at www.arlington.org for home games and ‘come to play’-the Texas Rangers sure do! Also, get ready for the wildest, wettest fun when the TornadoTM blows into Arlington courtesy of Hurricane Harbor. Looping, swooping water action that ends in a tornado-like funnel-get swept away when Hurricane Harbor opens for the season May 28. Call us or log on at www.arlington.org just for the fun of it and don’t miss a minute of FUN CENTRAL Arlington, Texas this summer. Grapevine's Festival Fun is in the Air During May May means fun in Grapevine at the 20th Annual Main Street Days Festival - May 14, 15 & 16, 2004. Celebrating history is the theme of this annual Grapevine festival. Don’t miss the performances of the Grapevine Heritage Gunfighters, a one-hour ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s steam excursion train, an American Indian encampment, and the chuck wagons. Visit Borden’s “Elsie the Cow” and the Lone Star Fliers Club model train exhibit. In the FREE Children’s Village, kids will enjoy the interactive Radio Disney Raceland, a bounce house, slide, petting zoo, live entertainment and much more. Main Street will be filled with arts and crafts, street dances, exciting rides at the carnival, and six nonstop stages featuring entertainment from classic rock to country bands. Don’t miss The Bellamy Brothers on Friday night! Enjoy delicious festival food, beverages, beer and Texas and international wine, too! Tickets are $6 for teenagers and adults; $3 for seniors 62+ and children 6-12; children 5 and under are free. Hours are Friday, May 14 - 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 15 - 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; and Sunday, May 16 - 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Call 817-410-3185 or visit www.grapevinetexasusa.com for more information. Grand Prairie,
Right In The Middle of Dallas/Fort Worth May ushers in a whole of lot fun in Grand Prairie. The shores and beautiful water of Joe Pool Lake beckon campers, boaters, fishermen and sun bathers. Lynn Creek Park offers picnic sites, beaches, a driving range and a full service marina. Loyd Park offers campsites, hiking trails, off-road bike and equestrian trails, boat docks and a softball field. Tangle Ridge Golf Club, rated among the top courses in Texas by “The Dallas Morning News,” offers golfers an 18-hole championship course near Joe Pool Lake. Prairie Lakes Golf Course has great golf at affordable prices. Want more golf? Visit Riverside or Sunset Golf Courses or practice your driving at Practice, Practice. The walls of NOKIA Live at Grand Prairie will be rockin’ during May. May 1st features Slipknot; May 4th, P.O.D.; Alejandro Sanz is featured May 7th; Ruben Studdard on May 8th, Mary J. Blige on May 15th and A Perfect Circle on May 25th. Thoroughbred racing at Lone Star Park is in full swing. This year’s races will feature many top thoroughbreds preparing for the Breeders’ Cup in October. The excitement is growing with each race. Traders Village is always bustling with activity and May is no exception. Great shopping and crowd pleasing events are offered throughout the month. May 1 features an Amateur Boxing Tournament. May 2 is Dia del Nino. May 15-16 is the 8th Cajun Festival with all the crawfish you can eat. Log on to www.gptexas.com or call 1-800-288-8386 for more information. Historic Granbury Art Walk Granbury will host the second annual Historic Granbury Art Walk May 14, 15 and 16. George Hallmark and John Austin Hanna, both nationally known artists from Texas, will be in Granbury for the event. Over 150 local and regional artists will join Hallmark and Hanna during the Art Walk days. Hallmark has been selected by the Texas Legislature as an Official Texas State Artist and has received many awards during his career. Hanna’s diversity defines his art since he was a successful illustrator before becoming a full-time painter. The Historic Granbury Art Walk will have a full array of art in different mediums, styles and subjects. These fine art pieces will be featured in over twenty-five locations including local businesses, galleries, and City Hall. Demonstrations by the artists will be held at many of the locations. Paint your weekend from a palette of numerous activities beginning with an opening reception with the featured artists on Friday evening from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at City Hall. The Spring Lake Granbury Art Association Membership Show will open during the event and host a reception open to the public, Saturday, May 15 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. The Granbury Association of Bed & Breakfasts will offer a tour of homes on Sunday, May 16. The tour will include guest houses, cottages, new Victorian inns and historic homes. The Granbury Opera House and Granbury Live will feature live performances during the three day event. And shopping opportunities are always available on the historic downtown Square. For additional information on accommodations, restaurants, shopping, and event schedules, call 1-800-950-2212. Rivers Are Ready for Tubes, Canoes & Kayaks The rivers are up and the creeks are rising, but that is a good thing around Glen Rose. It makes for great conditions as visitors hit the Brazos and Paluxy rivers in tubes, canoes and kayaks. The Brazos River is the largest river between the Rio Grande and the Red River. It has a total length of about 840 miles from the source of its longest fork. Around Glen Rose the Brazos River is very scenic, flowing through heavily vegetated rolling hills covered with cedar, live oak, and post oak. The river does not run swiftly, but meanders leisurely over sand and rocks. Several limestone outcroppings are present, particularly in the vicinity of the Paluxy River. The Paluxy is a tributary of the Brazos and is a small but picturesque river. Most of the Paluxy River is too shallow for canoes or kayaks, but that doesn't stop the fun. Most of the river has a solid bottom and is shallow, so that makes for great wading and splashing for the youngsters. Parts of the river are deep enough for swimming and The Blue Hole in Dinosaur Valley State Park has been named one of the top 10 swimming holes in the state by Fox 4 News in Dallas. Dinosaur Valley State Park is a great place to gain access to the Paluxy River since it flows through the park. Another great location to get in the Paluxy River is at Big Rocks Park in Glen Rose. Located on Barnard Street and across from Oakdale Park, Big Rocks has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors alike when the weather warms up. Several companies offer tube and canoe rentals in the Glen Rose area and even one that offers guided kayak trips on the Brazos. For visitor information on Glen Rose and the surrounding area call 1-888-346-6282 or www.glenrosetexas.net Denton Hosts “Grrrrrrrrrrrreat” Family Event Don’t miss Denton’s Main Street 11th Annual Dog Days of Summer Celebration in downtown Denton Saturday, June 5, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. This original festival is ALL about dogs! Dogs can have their “Glamfur Shot” taken, get their paws read by the Great Barkini who will “fore-tail” their futures and socialize with thousands of other dogs and their people. More than 70 booths with games, contests, arts, crafts, fun festival foods, pet information and animal adoptions are available. Dogs and their people can strut their stuff in the dog parade led by Sparky the Fire Dog, or compete in the stupid pet tricks contest, a dog singing contest or the official 2005 Spokes Dog Pageant. The “Heinz 57” dog show also gives Fido the chance to compete in prestigious categories such as Curliest Tail, Best Pedicure and Most Caninely Challenged. Returning this year as headliner is the world-famous Chicken Dog and her world-class juggler, Darren Peterson. Peterson and his talented canine have been featured on the David Letterman show, MTV, Animal Planet and other venues.Admission is FREE. Dogs should keep their people on a leash at all times. For more information, visit www.dentonmainstreet.org or call the visitor hotline toll-free at 866/DENTONTX. Cars, Crashes & Competition Get your motors running for the 2nd Annual Waxahachie Lions Club Mini Grand Prix Race on Saturday, May 15, 2004 in historic downtown Waxahachie. The race will wind around the streets of the famous Ellis County Courthouse square area starting at 9 a.m. The two-day Mini Grand Prix will kick-off with a big race preview party and street dance on Friday, May 14 starting at 7 p.m. Sonny Burgess is scheduled as the featured musical entertainment for a night of fun designed for the whole family. This year’s event features more cars, more things to do and more hairpin curves that will provide even more racing thrills. Over 35 teams composed of employees from local businesses will race NASCAR-styled go-karts for fun and for community bragging rights, rain or shine. Admission to the race is FREE to the public. General admission for the race preview party on Friday night is $5 per person, with free entry for children under 12 years of age. The Waxahachie Lions Club Mini Grand Prix is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America. All proceeds from the event will benefit improvements to the downtown corridor and the Waxahachie Boys & Girls Clubs. For more information, contact the Waxahachie Chamber of Commerce at 972-937-2390 or visit www.waxahachiechamber.com. Stay Awhile in Weatherford Weatherford. It’s like stepping back years in time. Come stay a while and experience Weatherford’s wonderful accommodations. While you are here explore our newly renovated Historic Courthouse. Shop in beautiful downtown while enjoying the majestic view of the courthouse; enjoy Victorian era homes, a medieval castle, one of our parks, or First Monday Trade Days. Find all your favorites at the Farmer’s Market. Explore our rich Western Heritage. Weatherford is the burial place of Oliver Loving and Bose Ikard, who were the inspiration for Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove characters, Gus and Detes. Come attend one of our many events. June 16-19, 2004 is the Annual Sheriff’s Posse Rodeo. And be sure to make plans to attend the annual Peach Festival, Saturday, July 10th. Enjoy more than 200 vendors, live entertainment, and more. For more information call toll free 1-888-594-3801, 817-596-3801 Metro, or visit us virtually at www.VisitWeatherford.com. Current
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