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March Festivals

By Heather Carr, About.com

Spring is finally here. The festivals begin to pick up with an Irish festival, bluegrass, chocolate, gardens, and a wine and food festival.

North Texas Irish Festival

Feb 29-Mar 2. Fri 6 p. m.-11 p. m., Sat 10:30 a. m.-11:30 p. m., Sun 11:30 a. m.-8:30 p. m. All things Celtic are represented at the North Texas Irish Festival, including music, arts and crafts, and food and drink. Dress in ethnic Celtic garb--or not. Dogs are allowed, outside food and drink is not allowed, and the entire thing is handicapped-accessible. Several options are available for tickets: Fri $10, Sat or Sun $15, two day pass (Sat and Sun) $25, weekend pass $30. Children eleven and under are free and seniors and students receive $2 off. Tickets for dogs cost $1 and the money will be donated to the Dallas SPCA. The festival will be held at the Esplanade, Automobile Building, and Centennial Hall at Fair Park in Dallas.

Butterflies in the Garden

Mar 1-30. Entry every half hour starting at 10 a. m. with the last entry at 4 p. m. Thousands of tropical butterflies fly free inside the Conservatory at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $6 for children 3-12, and $8 for seniors. Kids two and under are free.

Savor Dallas

Mar 7-8. Savor Dallas bills itself as an international experience of wine, food, spirits, and the arts and it lives up to that billing. Friday night starts off with a wine tour of the Dallas Arts District followed by a tasting in Victory Park featuring foods from the Victory Park restaurants. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to watch the free movie afterward. On Saturday, six wine seminars cover topics as varied as wine makers, cocktails, and champagne. The weekend finishes off with two tastings and a chef's after party. The wine tour is $50 and the seminars are $40-$75. The reserve tasting on Saturday night costs $135, the grand tasting $125, and the chef's after party $25. An all access pass is available for $350.

Chocolate Festival

Mar 7-8. Fri 7 p. m.-10 p. m., Sat 11 a. m.-3 p. m. Grapevine's Chocolate Festival features chocolate, wine, snacks, and live jazz on Friday evening at La Buena Vida Vineyards and more chocolate and live jazz as well as cooking demonstrations and art exhibits on Saturday at the Palace Arts Center in downtown Grapevine.

Argyle Bluegrass Festival

Mar 7-8. Fri 6 p. m.-10:45 p. m., Sat 10 a. m.-10:30 p. m. More than a dozen bluegrass bands converge on Argyle each year. The festival is held indoors, so no worries about the weather. Food and drink is not allowed inside. A food court will be available. Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost $25-$50 for a two-day pass. They can be purchased online, by phone, or by mail.

Fear Fest

Mar 7-9. Fright fans can find plenty to do here. Classic horror films, such as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Fright Night", will be screened and followed by Q&A sessions with cast and crew. Robert Englund (Freddie Krueger) will be there. Fear Fest is being held at the Westin Park Central hotel. Ticket prices range from $25 to $130, with the latter prices including VIP activities and special appearances.

Downtown@Sundown

Heather Carr
Mar 8, 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. The second Saturday of each month from March through October, downtown Plano stays open late. Bands play, booths have arts and crafts for sale, local stores and restaurants have specials. Beautiful Haggard Park is nearby for those who have kids or just need a quiet(er) place to stroll. Take the DART Red Line to the Downtown Plano station or drive. To drive, take I-75 (Central Expressway) north from Dallas and exit at 15th street. Go right on 15th and continue about a half mile. Downtown Plano is between J and K Avenues.

Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum

Mar 8-Apr 13. Dallas Blooms kicks off the spring season with hundreds of thousands of bulbs and spring-blooming flowers. This year's theme is "Star of Texas" and the festival will showcase Southern cuisine, artists, and entertainment. The Dallas Arboretum is located at 8525 Garland Road in Dallas. To get there from I-30, take the Grand Avenue exit and go north. The Dallas Arboretum is about two miles down and on the right.

Greater Tarrant County Auto Show

Mar 13-16. Thu and Fri 1 p.m.-10 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $9 for everyone over twelve, $4 for children 6-12 years old, and free for kids under six. The Greater Tarrant County Auto Show is being held inside the Fort Worth Convention Center at 1112 Houston Street in downtown Fort Worth. The convention center has parking lots and one parking garage open, but it's easier to take the TRE to the Fort Worth ITC and walk one block.

St. Patrick's Day

Mar 14-17. Enjoy the wearing o' the green with parades, live music, and traditional Irish food and drink at various venues around town.

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