Do your resolutions for the new year include having more fun?
Goodbye and good riddance to the dumpster fire of a year that was 2020. Not to jinx it, but statistically speaking, 2021 can only get better, right? In Dallas, you can start the new year on the right foot with this list of 20 fantastic things to do in the city. [Featured image: @waterproofdallas]
1. Experience Enchanting Candlelight Concerts
You can still experience an absolutely magical (and safe) winter here in Dallas, and part of that is thanks to the amazing open-air spaces the city has to offer. Luckily, Fever Originals is bringing its wildly popular Candlelight concert series to two beautiful open-air venues for the season.
2. Create A DIY Masterpiece At This Boozy Workshop Bar
If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that free time isn’t the only requisite for completing all those home fix-up projects we pinned on our Pinterest accounts. If you need a little extra moral support – and some creative juices – swing down to Upstairs Circus for a little bit of both!
3. Down The Hatchet
People unwind in different ways. Some opt for the gentle path through yoga, painting, or fishing; while others blow off steam by going hard in the paint: be it boxing, hitting the bars, and/or pounding on a drum set. If you fall into the later category, or if you just like the idea of having a couple cocktails and hurling some axes, stop by Deep Ellum’s newest addition: Whiskey Hatchet.
4. Glamp In The Stars
New resident Texan, Elon Musk, promises that humans will land on Mars by 2026. If you can’t wait that long, you can spend a few nights at Basecamp Terlingua, an other-worldly glamping experience that integrates the future with the past, giving its visitors the impression of luxury camping in the cosmos.
5. Grab A Burger Straight Off Of Youtube
Youtuber extraordinaire, Jimmy Donaldson, has brought his internet hype to the real world with the opening of his restaurant: MrBeast Burger.
6. Defy Winter At This Funk Patio
Texas has never been known for its cold weather. But Texans know winter can bring with it quite a many nippy days and nights. Don’t let the cold keep you from enjoying the great outdoors this season. Drop by Toller Patio to grab a drink, fire pit, and some fresh air.
7. Visit The Spa Castle
Spa Castle in Carrollton is like the amusement park version of a spa, only instead of rides they have Himalayan salt rooms and hydrotherapy pools. The innovative spa blends together traditional Asian and European styles to create a fun and luxury experience all on its own.
8. Tickle Your Fancy
It’s not that we’re jaded, but having endured the whirlwind of events this year – not excluding the random appearance of a possibly intergalactic monolith – there’s not much left in store that can surprise us in 2020. That said, the opening of a Tickle Bar in Dallas did take us aback.
9. Peel Into Thunderbird Station
If you’re planning on cruising through Deep Ellum this week, park the car and refuel at the retro new Thunderbird Station, for a couple beers, a Texas Coke (aka Dr. Pepper), and maybe even a Frito pie.
10. Hop On A Luxury Jet To Houston
Travelers can streamline their commute from Dallas to Houston in luxurious fashion. Dallas-based startup, JSX is has launched their Simpli-Fly program that allows travelers to hop on a flight from Dallas to Houston for less than $100, with expedited boarding and de-boarding procedures.
11. Beat The High Score At This Retro Arcade
We weren’t around in the 80s, but that doesn’t stop us from being nostalgic for new wave-style synth pop, campy horror movies, fluorescent jackets, and an underground bustling arcade culture. If you want to wreck it like Ralph, grab your Walkman and head down to the National Video Game Museum in Frisco, home to their “Pixel Dreams” retro arcade.
12. Take A Trip To The Tiki Lounge
Summer ain’t for a while, but if you’re having a hard time reconciling with it, you can imbibe the warm wavy vibes of the beach at the upcoming opening of Dallas’ new tiki paradise, Swizzle Luau Lounge,
13. Get A Cocktail In A Galaxy Far Far Away
The pop-up first launched in Uptown Urban Market back in February. Since then, it’s paid homage to the George Lucas-created empire with themed cocktails, intergalactic decor, and studio-quality mannequins.
14. Dine Inside A Blanket Fort At This Cozy Cafe
Back in the heyday of childhood there was no sanctuary like a blanket fort. If the sheer mention of such fortress of youth was enough to trigger a nostalgic revery, you’ll be happy to know that you can enliven your whimsical childhood memories at Ida Claire bistro in Addison, where the indoor and outdoor eatery is fixed with a trailer adorned top to bottom in warm and fuzzy fabrics.
15. Spin Out In This Vinyl Lounge
The North Texas town of Denton is often overshadowed culturally by the larger metropolises of Texas. Austin is its musical capitol. Houston has its name written all over hiphop, and Dallas has claim to Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Chicks (formerly The Dixie Chicks), St. Vincent (and her sister’s taco shop), Roky Erikson, Erykah Badu, and many more.
16. Drink Tequila In A Tulum-Inspired Coctelería
Things are as they are, it’s quite a delight to see the number of businesses open in Dallas. Over the past few weeks, Deep Ellum has given rise to a series of bars and restaurants that’s added even more flavor to the alternative area. Recently, Dallas’s art-centric local has added a whiskey-fueled hatchet throwing lodge, world famous fried chicken house, and a retro gearhead-inspired libation station. With a soft opening this Thursday, Deep Ellum is adding yet another hideaway to the mix with the boho tulum-inspired cocktail lounge, Yellow Rosa.
17. Live La Dulce Vita In This Italian Marketplace
Given the circumstances, you might have had to cancel your vacation to Italy over the summer. Be that as it may, you can still get a taste of Tuscany with the arrival of the famed Italian market, Eataly opening at noon today.
18. Savor Deep-Fried Southern Flavor
Dallas’s food-and-art centric local, Deep Ellum, is the latest community to get a taste of the Tennessee-based Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken.
19. Pop Into The Pickle Emporium
Like all topics, ideas, and industries, controversy looms in the world of food. Does pineapple belong on pizza? Are muffins really just cupcakes? Is adding ketchup to steak utter barbarism? Amid the controversies swarming the industry is the pickle. Are they tasty? Are they cucumbers? Do they merit their widespread prominence in chicken sandwiches, bloody marys, and pickle shots? If you answered yes to any of those last three questions, you’ll elate to know that the pickle mecca has just opened up in Fort Worth.
20. Top Yourself Off In An Igloo
Winterproof at Waterproof is coming back to the hotel’s 19th-floor rooftop. The wintry oasis opened at The Statler just before Christmas and will take over the rooftop with decorations, frosty dining igloos, cheerful seasonal cocktails for a few more weeks!
21. Put A Little Fire In Your Belly At This Gourmet Whiskey Tasting
It’s cold outside, warm yourself up this winter with a little help from uncle whiskey. The Whiskey Spot is a one-of-a-kind tasting experience that helps develop the minds and palates of enthusiasts in the gustatory exploration of top-shelf whiskeys complimented with hand-curated bites.
22. Check Out This Fantastic Drag Show
Texas’ most entertaining and well-known drag show is seen on Saturday nights in downtown Fort Worth. Head on over to Red Goose Saloon and witness great costume, great music, and great performances coming together in one of the most highly-rated drag shows in the US. Join host Patrick Mikyles and unleash your inner diva at this extravaganza you just will not want to miss!