DALLAS — If watching all of those Olympians do their thing is making you a bit restless, or feel like you should at least get off the couch, this weekend has plenty to do to get you moving and exploring all that Dallas-Fort Worth has to offer.
Whether you want to hit up a festival, partake in a bar crawl or float along while watching a movie, there's a good mix of events happening this weekend.
Multiple Days
Animal Connection Experience at Fritz Park
Get up close and personal with animals familiar and exotic alike at the Animal Connection Experience in Irving this weekend. The summer-long program ends Sunday, so if you want to check out the petting zoo and pony rides, along with other attractions, now is the time to do it.
Operating hours run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and then noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, click here.
Team Legacy Passport Challenge
Jump off the couch and head to Legacy West over the next two weekends to try your hand at a few Olympics-inspired activities, with the chance to win pretty sweet prize packs.
The shopping center's "Passport Challenge" has 20 different activities throughout the area, and each time you complete an activity, you get a stamp. If you collect enough stamps, you become eligible for the prizes. So just what's in those prize packs to make it worth it?
The "gold" includes a $300 shopping experience at Lululemon, a two-night stay at the Renaissance Hotel and a whole collection of other credits and gift cards that altogether is valued at $1500 at shops throughout the area. The silver and bronze have similar prizes, just downgraded.
Plus, on Saturday there will be a special Rock Wall Challenge. So, if this is all sounding like a winning combination, head to this link for more information on how to get your passport for your chance to win gold.
Thursday
Wine & Cheese Fest: A Dozen Rosè
Have you been to Eataly in Dallas yet? The marketplace opened in December, so if you haven't been, this event gives you the perfect reason to check it out.
Attendees will get to sample from 12 different Italian rosès, five different "chef-curated tasting stations" and a few red and white wines as well. And of course, there will be cheese and meat to taste, too.
Tickets are $49 and are either for 6 to 8 p.m. or 7 to 9 p.m. time slots.
Trace Adkins Concert in Forney
Fans of Trace Adkins, get excited. The musician will be playing at the Spellman Amphitheater in Forney this Thursday as part of his "The Way I Wanna Go Tour." Kylie Frey will also be a part of the performance. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets begin at $36.50. Click here to find out more.
Friday
Summer Music Series in Downtown Celina
Check out Downtown Celina as live music from Good N Gone, a country cover band, drifts through the air this Friday night.
The Chamber of Commerce will provide alcoholic beverages for attendees, and other food and beverages will be available on the city's Square. If you go, be sure to bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Enjoy the music from 7:30 to 9 p.m. For more details, click here.
Louis The Child at South Side Ballroom
If country music isn't your thing, how about Louis The Child? The dance duo will be in Dallas at the South Sie Ballroom, along with K.Flay and EVAN GIIA, on Friday night. The show starts at 9 p.m., with doors opening at 8 p.m., and it's age 18 and up. Tickets are general admission.
Saturday
Run for the Blue
This free running and walking event is all in support of fallen and injured police officers and their families. The event began after the 7/7 attacks on Dallas police in 2016. Participants can choose to either do a 5K or 1 mile course. Donations are encouraged, and the money will benefit the Blue Guardian Foundation, a Dallas-based non-profit that provides support for law enforcement and their families in case of loss of life or injury.
The event starts at 8 a.m. at Dallas City Hall. For more information and to register, click here.
The Collab Festival
Want to shop small? Local and small businesses are gathering at Four Corners Brewin Company in Dallas this Saturday for the first Collab Festival, a day where businesses will showcase their talents and goods. There will also be music, games and other refreshments as part of the fun from 12 to 6 p.m.
Admission and parking are free, and the event is kid-friendly. To find out more, head here.
Olympics Bar Crawl in Deep Ellum
Inspired to travel the world by the Olympics? How about drinking around the world? About 10 bars in Deep Ellum are participating in this bar crawl, and each one will be themed as a different country, with drinks to match.
Sports-themed outfits are encouraged, and the crawl starts at noon. It goes until 5 p.m., so it's a bit like the grown-up version of a darty. Check-in lasts from noon to 2 p.m. at Deep Ellum Distillery.
Tickets are $15.
Rockin' the River
You only have two more weekends to enjoy Rockin' the River at Panther Island in Fort Worth, so why not beat the heat by going for a float? If tubes, brews, bands and a bang (fireworks) sounds like your kind of scene this weekend, then make your way there anytime after the gates open at 1 p.m. The fireworks show is at 9:25 p.m.
Parking is $10 but the event itself is free. Click here to find out more.
33nd Annual Texas Black Invitational Rodeo
A rodeo in Dallas? Yep. Mosey on down to the Fair Park Coliseum this Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. to catch the 32nd Annual Texas Invitational Rodeo.
A grand entry parade kicks things off at 6 p.m. with about 300 Black cowboys and cowgirls competing in rodeo events from bull riding to barrel racing.
Hosted by the African American Museum, Dallas, the night promises to be full of family-friendly fun. Tickets cost $10. For more information, click here.
Jungle Night at 2021 Flick and Float
Grab the kids and head to Rowlett's Wet Zone waterpark to enjoy a movie under the stars while floating in the pool. This Saturday night's showing is Madagascar, with the theme being Jungle Night. Tickets cost $6 a person, but are free for season pass holders.
You can catch the film from a lawn chair or in the pool, and gates open at 8 p.m. Plus, the waterpark is offering up Chick-fil-A sandwich combos for $6, too. For more information, click here.
Sunday
80th Anniversary and start of National Farmers Market Week at Dallas Farmers Market
Want to know about where your food comes from and eat it too? This Sunday will be a special one at the Dallas Farmers Market as it celebrates its 80th anniversary with a look back at the farmers and ranchers that have made it over the years, including the ones who are there right now.
Plus, there will be giveaways and freebies for shoppers, so if you've been thinking of hitting up the market, this weekend is the perfect time.
The market is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Click here for more details.
A Cowboy Steak Dinner
Cook up the flavors of Texas with the help of Central Market at Lovers Lane in Dallas this Sunday during its Cowboy Steak Dinner.
Attendees will learn how to "cook a USDA Prime Texas steak to perfection." That steak? It will have a whiskey marinade and sweet onion relish, too. Plus, don't forget the sides: Spicy Sweet Potato Steak Fries, "Texas Caviar" and a dessert baked in cast iron.
Those 21 years and older will get to taste Texas wines alongside the meal. If your mouth is now watering, head here to buy a spot, with tickets at $75. The event lasts from 5 to 7 p.m.