Summer is here, let’s celebrate!
Make summer in Dallas last by taking part in all the wonderful things to do around the city. From beachside pop-ups to rockin’ bars, and psychedelic experiences, Dallas is truly popping off this July. Read on to discover 66 splendid things to do this month.
1-6. Experience Enchanting Candlelight Concerts
You can still experience an absolutely magical season here in Dallas, and part of that is thanks to the amazing spaces the city has to offer. Luckily, Fever Originals is bringing its wildly popular Candlelight concert series to beautiful venues for the season.
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Queen and More
- Candlelight K-Pop: A Tribute to BTS
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift
- Candlelight: Sci-Fi and Fantasy ft. John Williams and Hans Zimmer
- Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles
- Candlelight: A Tribute to Adele
7. Party Like You’re Lost in Wonderland at the Mad-Hatter’s Gin and Tea Party!
Let a little storybook magic into your life at this Alice in Wonderland-inspired Gin and Tea party in Dallas. At this tipsy tea party extravaganza, you’ll join the Mad Hatter, Dormouse, and The March Hare, in a 90-minute long, cocktail-crafting session. Indulge in Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin cocktails as you enjoy an extravagant tea party in a curious setting! Why not try The Smoking Caterpillar. A sophisticated, smokin’ drink, served up with a Rosemary infused smoke bubble. With limited seats at the Mad Hatter’s table, make sure to book your tickets soon!
⭐️ Sponsored ⭐️ 21+ only, with valid ID. Dream big, drink responsibly.
8. Psyche Yourself Out at This Immersive Art Experience
Get ready for an awe-inspiring adventure through over 40,000 sq ft of storytelling with the Psychedelic Robot immersive art experience. See the exciting story unfold in an explosion of color featuring world-class art & design, interactive exhibits, augmented reality, and high-quality production. Narrated by a thousand-year-old dragon, Psychedelic Robot bends the genre of storytelling with a tale of despair, awakening, and wanting to belong… all common threads of humanity. Most of all, however, it is a tale about kindness and love. So, dreamers, what are you waiting for?
9. Venture into The Upside Down (Store)
Ready for a new adventure, nerd? Join us at Stranger Things: The Official Store for a journey into the show’s most iconic locations, where you’ll find plenty of gnarly merch and rad moments. Take photos in Joyce’s House, shop in the Starcourt Mall, explore the Russian Lab, play games at the Palace Arcade… Just know that you might come face-to-face with a Demogorgon—don’t say we didn’t warn you!
10. Swing For the Fences at This All Star Festival
Swing for the fences this summer at the All Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival in Arlington. On July 30 at Globe Life Field, festival-goers will have access to entirety of the Texas Rangers’ field, live music, as well as hundreds of beers, wines, and cocktails!
11. Channel Miami Vice at This Vintage Pop Up
Embrace all the vibes this summer at Hero in Dallas. The sports bar in Victory Park next to the American Airlines area has been completely transformed into a Miami Vice-themed paradise complete with beachy cocktails, coastal bites, and immaculate vibes.
12-13. Partake in Whiskey Wednesdays
Good drinks, fine hors d’oeuvres—all that’s missing to make it complete is you! Hosted by The Whiskey Spot, this Whiskey Wednesday is dedicated to sharing a selection of great spirits from around the world. Expand your drink knowledge with other whiskey enthusiasts, sample some fine food, learn about great whiskey pairings, and get a first-hand education in whiskey mixology. But it’s not just about the whiskey: you’ll also make connections that will live beyond that last taste of fine food and drink.
- Enjoy an exclusive tasting event! Learn more about the tricks of the trade in the world of whiskey with a talk through with experts. Taste an array of whiskeys, including premium whiskeys from around the world to limited edition craft whiskeys that you can’t find at your local liquor store. During the tasting, indulge in making a jarcuterie with premium meats, cheeses and vegetables. The best will be in with the chance of winning a prize!
14. Tantalize Your Taste Buds At This Dining In The Dark Experience
Imagine stepping inside a restaurant blanketed in darkness and being served a sublime three-course meal – the flavours and textures of which are intensified by your remaining senses. Sounds a little bit incredible, right? An experience that’s been backed by psychologists as an ‘amplified’ way to enjoy food, the enticing ‘Dining In The Dark’ event is now open in Dallas so you can “see” for yourself.
15. Hit the Beach in Bishop Lane
Just in time for the summer, a beachy new hangout has opened up in Dallas. Hospitality group, Exxir Capital – the design-forward thinkers behind some of Dallas’ most beloved establishments including Paradiso, Mermaid, Casablanca, Garden Shed, and more – have opened up their latest concept: a boozy shoreline along Bishop Lane.
16-17. Slay at this Drag Bingo Party
Enjoy the classic game of bingo, with a fierce and sassy twist! MyOhMy brings Drag Bingo to the forefront in a fun, engaging, and socially-conscious way every Saturday in downtown Fort Worth. Local drag entertainers from around the state perform in between games, while also calling numbers and co-hosting alongside Salem Moon. 10 bingo games are included, with prizes given out for every game!
- Come out every Saturday for the new MyOhMy Drag With Me Brunch! Your ticket includes a brunch meal with several exciting food options to choose from, along with the fantastic drag performances fans have grown to love and expect from MyOhMy.
- 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!
18. Take A Crack At This Beer And Cocktail Festival In Globe Life Field
Swing for the fences this summer at the All Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival in Arlington. On July 30 at Globe Life Field, festival-goers will have access to entirety of the Texas Rangers’ field, live music, as well as hundreds of beers, wines, and cocktails!
19. Go Chasing Waterfalls
There’s no understating the natural beauty of the Lone Star State. This season, head the call to adventure and venture out to the state’s most gorgeous waterfalls and the hiking trails that take you there.
20. Let The Good Times Roll At This Inventing Gaming Alley
Whether you’re young or an adult, games never get old. And while you can find a bowling alley in any given city in America, you’d be hard pressed to find pin toss anywhere else in the world (to our knowledge). Bowl Games in Dallas is a one-of-a-kind gaming bar that offers shuffleboard, foosball, and the aforementioned pin toss – a bowling and football hybrid that leaves no joy to spare.
21. Embrace The Sea Life
If watching ocean documentaries on TV feels like paddling in the shallows, dive into a deep blue world of marine wildlife at Sea Life Grapevine. Get immersed in close encounters with gliding sharks, graceful rays, crafty octopuses, colorful clownfish, adorable sea turtles, and lots more!
22-25. Sneak Into A Speakeasy
There’s something special about speakeasies. The secretive, vicarious forbidden feel of transporting back to the prohibition make imbibing cocktails all the more tantalizing.
- Hope you’ve been reading this quarantine, because you’re going to need your book smarts to get into the Rare Books Bar. In order to gain entry into this Frisco speakeasy, visitors must dial the librarian and ask for a classic piece of literature.
- The only sign post at this bar takes the form of two ambiguous As on a door in a crusty alleyway behind Henry’s Majestic. For those that can get past the initial sketch factor, however, a warm-lit cove of tantalizing libations await
26. Sip On Nitrogen-Infused Margaritas
Who knows who makes up these random holidays? There’s national sibling day, national donut day – there’s even a National Clean Your Desk Day – of which we’ve never celebrated not even once. But National Margarita Day, well that should’ve been something set in stone since the inception of this glorious country.
27. Pick the Perfect Peach
There’s nothing like a fresh peach in the summertime. You could take your chances getting handsy with the selection from H-E-B, Whole Foods, or otherwise, or you could go straight to the source at Ham Orchards.
28. Go Back To The Future
The 1980s are making a come back. Be it the nostalgia-saturated Stranger Things, kaleidoscopic fashion lines, or droves of new wave, synth-driven music flooding the sound waves. Travel back in time at McFly’s, the pub made in the image of what’s been called the most ’80s movie ever made.
29. Level Up at this Boozy Arcade
Some of weren’t around in the ’80s, but that doesn’t stop us from the feeling of vivid nostalgia we have for new wave hits, technicolored-patterned jumpers, and all the zaniness the decade had to offer. This season, Dallasites can blast back to the ’80s at the new FlashBack RetroPub in Bishops Arts District!
30. Let Your Colors Out at This New Concept Bar
iPhones at the ready, Dallas, for a new selfie sanctuary has come to town with the opening of Austin-based Wonder Bar. While the quirky, IG-ready watering hole has teased their opening for a while, the bar has finally opened.
31. Warm Up on this Foodie Adventure
Come and enjoy a lovely picnic spread for 2 in this Winter Warmer date package experience. Take part in games and conversation starters, and do the recommending walking routes provided. You will be met with a stunning picnic spread, filled with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options as well. A date night with a twist this winter!
32-33. Sweetin’ Up at Dallas’ Best Bakeries
Treating yourself in the pandemic has become something of a lifestyle rather than a once-in-a-blue-moon event. If you need a sweet pick-me-up, or want to share the love, these Dallas bakeries have got all the goods.
- Withdraw for the Sprinkles Cupcakes’ ATM – Sprinkles is a small-batch bakery that whips up everything from decadent cupcakes to delicious ice cream.
34. Enjoy a Drink on the Patio
Enjoy the cool, crisp temperatures while you can, Dallas. Get out and about this southern winter at the city’s many great patios! Be it a sprawling, boot-stomping backyard or a rooftop vista with a view, there is a swell of wonderful outdoor venues to savor the season.
35-36. Sing (and Drink) From the Rooftops
Nothing quite says “living the highlife” like clinking glasses on a city rooftop. Touch the sky this season with a brunch, evening, or nightcap on the most jaw-dropping rooftops in Dallas.
- New York-based RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, has opened its first Texas outpost with a luxurious three-story establishment complete with a glass-encased rooftop restaurant.
37. Visit this Dazzling New Bohemian Cafe
A brand new oasis has opened in Dallas. Located in the back alley behind Tejas in the heart of Bishop Arts, Casablanca is a vibrant cafe transporting patrons to the Silk Road with its unparalleled ambience and dazzling variety of craft cocktails and shared plates.
38. Go on a Culinary Journey from Bangkok to Bali
From the alleyway to the table, bar, and lounge, and back again, Elephant East in Harwood feels like a multi-sensory excursion to a faraway land and experience that you won’t want to miss!
39. Satisfy Your Sugar Cravings At This Sweet Cocktail Bar
If you like your drinks as cute and sweet as you are, the Sweet Tooth Hotel is your boozy new sanctuary. Yesterday, the offbeat art venue and bar launched their new Stay Sweet Candy Bar, with a cocktail program influenced by the likes of Starburst, gummy bears, and all your favorite candies.
40-41. Take Your Sweetheart To The Most Romantic Restaurants In Town
If you’re looking for somewhere sultry to dine out or have a drink this season, these local establishments will set the mood.
- The hidden speakeasy behind a dumpster – much less sketch than you think.
- A darkly romantic Tulum-inspired coctelería – Deep Ellum oasis with mezcal-mixed libations and serious mood.
42. Visit Llama Castle
Tucked in the North Texas countryside is the charming town of Royse City. There dwells a castle. It is no ordinary castle, mind you. In this Irish replica castle abides a fellowship of frolicking llamas, who await travelers and enthusiasts alike, to take them on hikes and learn of their llama ways.
43. 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.
44. Enter a Xmas Explosion at This Tex-Mex Restaurant
There’s no such thing as having too many holiday lights. Neither is there such a thing as having too many fajitas. Do Christmas, but make it Tex-Mex at Campo Verde in Arlington for the most festive fajita experience you’ll have all year.
45. 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.
46. Eat The Best Tacos In Town
47. 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.
48. Do Yoga with Adorable Baby Goats
Like meditation, yoga is a practice of centeredness and concentration. It’s a discipline of balance in the face of stress and adversity — that which may be difficult to do when resisting the urge to snuggle one of the herd of baby goats bouncing around.
49. Smash the Champagne Button and Ferris Wheel Cupcakes
Stylish, glitzy, and vividly pink, the XOXO Dining Room in Dallas offers one of the most dazzling and photo-ready dining experiences in town. Whether its the cupcakes served in Ferris Wheels, striking pop-art, twinkling chandeliers, or bright XOXO wall, the dining room and lounge is Dallas’s go-to place to smash that champagne button – seriously, XOXO has champagne buttons.
50. Dine Royally
Savor the high life this fall at Monarch Restaurant. Perched on the 49th floor of The National, Monarch is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, giving restaurant-goers the chance to dine on their wood-fired Italian dishes with an epic view of the city.
51. Stroll Through Graffiti Alley
When strolling through Cowtown, if you’re going to make any detours, be sure to wander into its beautiful, larger-than-life Inspiration Alley – a gallery painted with wall-size murals that will make your jaw drop and eyes pop!
52. Go On a Mystery Picnic Date
This self-guided food adventure by Amazingco is the perfect way to explore Dallas’s best neighborhoods and avoid the crowds! Starting with a picnic basket, have fun solving personally-curated clues and riddles sent to your smartphone that’ll take you on a journey to collect your special gourmet picnic food bit by bit.
53. Go Buckwild at This Rodeo-Themed Bar
Nostalgic Dallasites will remember the Rodeo Bar’s previous incarnation. Opened back in 1981, the iconic bar was renowned as an authentic, laidback hangout where one could drink ice cold beers and grab a bite without a fuss. After 40 years, the bar is back on the scene with its original grit, albeit, with a modern vibe.
54. Tee Off At This Eclectic Mini Golf Course
Everyone has their one go-to nostalgia activity. Whether its ski-ball, go-karts, bowling, or mini-golf, there’s a game all of us play every once in a while to bring us back to simpler times. If mini golf is that game for you, you can experience that childhood glee with all the perks of being an adult at Another Round in Dallas.
55-56. Find Some Time To Frolic
The sun is shining, the flowers are in bloom, and al fresco brunch is calling our names. All of this could only mean one thing: spring. This year, stop and smell the roses at five of our favorite gardens in Dallas!
- Polish off your vases Dallas, for Texas Tulips in Pilot Point has reopened for the season, allowing visitors to saunter through their gorgeous fields and take their pick of tulips!
57. Dine Inside A Blanket Fort
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.
58. Cozy Up In The Nooks Of This Bookish Coffee Shop
For all the people out there who have ever been shushed at a library – this place for you. At the Funny Library Coffee Shop, guests are encouraged to crack up as much they are to crack open one of its many books.
59. Snag Some Bling At The Bar
The City of Dallas is filled with countless gems. Everywhere you look, there’s a precious neighborhood, business, or boutique. The Trove in Bishop Arts is a literal a gem, wherein the cocktail lounge doubles as an upscale jewelry store.
60. Create A DIY Masterpiece At This Boozy Workshop
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!
61. 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.
62. Capture The Moment
Dallas is full of flourishing neighborhoods, fantastic city views, and gorgeous natural settings. If it’s been a while since you and bae shot a cute pic together, these Dallas sites will offer a backdrop as precious as the subject: you.
63. Pay Homage To Salt Bae
Internet meme and salt sprinkling extraordinaire, Salt Bae (AKA Nusret Gökçe) has just opened his Downtown Dallas steakhouse at the corner of Pearl Street and Woodall Rodgers Freeway.
64. Wander Into A Sea Of Bluebonnets
Starting next Friday, April 1, the town of Ennis is celebrating 69 years of their legendary bluebonnet trails. Home to the Official Bluebonnet Trails of Texas, the town is showcasing their fairytale trails to the public as part of the 2021 Ennis Bluebonnet Festival.
65-66. Burlesque After Dark
The MyOhMy family of drag shows is proud to present Burlesque After Dark, easily the best burlesque show in Ft. Worth! Not to be confused with the earlier show, this special Late Night edition is sure to be unique and different from the afternoon show. Get ready for a wild ride! Food and drink will be available for purchase at the bar.
- Not to be confused with the late night show, this evening edition is sure to be unique and different from the night show. Get ready for a wild ride! Food and drink will be available for purchase at the bar. Enjoy a night of pure entertainment with a great atmosphere for everyone! Get your tickets now!