Free Stuff To Do in Dallas

Here's a smattering of free stuff to do in Dallas and the surrounding area for Jun 26-Jul 2:

Thu, Jun 26

• 5 p.m.-10 p.m., Thursday nights during the summer are free at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. Take DART's Red Line or Blue Line to the St. Paul station.
• 5 p.m.-7 p.m., taste wines selected by a level 2 sommelier at Tivoli Wines (62 Main Street, near the intersection of Highway 26 and Glade Road) in Colleyville.
• 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., watch the Dallas Black Dance Performers at One Arts Plaza in the Dallas Arts District.
• 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., sketch works of art at the Dallas Museum of Art. Meet at the Visitor Services desk.

Fri, Jul 27

• 10:30 a.m., preschool children can listen to stories at the Interurban Railway Museum in downtown Plano. Take DART's Red Line to the downtown Plano station. Call (972) 941-2217 to let them know you're coming.
• 6 p.m.-8 p.m., listen to St. Paul's Jazz at One Arts Plaza in the Dallas Arts District.
• 6 p.m.-9 p.m., enjoy Celtic rock band the Killdares at Central Market (4651 West Freeway/I-30) in Fort Worth.

Sat, Jun 28

• noon-4 p.m., two bounce houses will be set up at Northeast Mall in Hurst near Fort Worth. One bounce house will be for bigger kids and one will be for smaller kids.
• 1 p.m., meet a real space explorer at the Museum of Natural Science and History at Fair Park in Dallas. Kids can meet Anousheh Ansari and learn from her what life on the International Space Station was like and how she achieved the dream of going out into space.
• 1 p.m.-3 p.m., get kids in the kitchen with the Simon Kidgits Super Duper Mini Chefs extravaganza at Grapevine Mills Mall. Kids get to cook miniature pasta and play with food-related toys. Kids are encouraged to bring a canned good for the food drive.
• 7 p.m.-9 p.m., be dazzled by magician James Munton at One Arts Plaza in the Dallas Arts District.

Sun, Jun 29

• 11 a.m., learn how to make ice cream at home at Williams-Sonoma and then take those basic ice cream flavors and make them unique.
• 2 p.m.-6 p.m., enjoy NorthPark Center's family Sunday Fun Day. Marionette shows start at 2, 3, 4, and 5 p.m. and there will be face painting, balloon art, jugglers, and clowns.

Mon, Jun 30

• 7 p.m.-9 p.m., listen to a performer from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at One Arts Plaza in the Arts District in Dallas.

Tue, Jul 1

• 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesdays are free admission days at the Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park.

Wed, Jul 2

• 10:30 a.m., toddlers can get into the spirit of the fourth of July with patriotic stories and activities, followed by refreshments at the Amon Carter Museum in the Fort Worth Cultural District.
• 7 p.m., listen to classical guitarist Francisco Hernandez at One Arts Plaza in the Arts District in Dallas.

Many theaters and groups around the Metroplex are sponsoring free summer films at various venues. Also, be sure to check out the summer concert series. Some cost money, but most are free and there's at least one nearly every night.

If you like independent film, consider signing up for the Angelika Film Center's email newsletter. A few times a month, they send out an email worth entry for two to a film. Print out the email and take it to the theater for first-come, first-served seating. Sometimes a director or actor attends the showing and is available for Q&A afterwards. There is an Angelika Film Center in Dallas and one in Plano.