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.
