April is a great month to get out and enjoy the many festivals Dallas has to offer. If you have younger kids, you might prefer the kid-friendly festivals. While most of these festivals welcome children, the kids might not find them interesting.
North Texas Jazz Festival
Apr 2-4. Over sixty jazz groups will perform during the three-day festival. The North Texas Jazz Festival will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Addison.Dallas Auto Show 2008
Apr 2-6. Wed and Thu 4 p.m.-10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission costs $11 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, and it is free for children twelve and under. The Dallas Auto Show is being held at the Dallas Convention Center at 650 S. Griffin Street in downtown Dallas. Parking is available (PDF parking map), but it's easier to take DART's Red Line or Blue Line to the Convention Center station, underneath the Dallas Convention Center.Deep Ellum Arts Festival
Apr 4-6. Deep Ellum's annual arts festival features more than sixty-five bands performing on four stages. A complete list of musicians is available on their MySpace site. The Petropolitan Pooch Parade starts on Saturday at noon. Admission is free.Scarborough Renaissance Festival
Apr 5-May 26 (Saturdays and Sundays and Memorial Day Monday), 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Step back into the past at this sixteenth century recreational festival. Watch knights on horseback joust, birds of prey hunt, swordplay, drama and comedy, music, and lots and lots of shopping and food. Scarborough Renaissance Festival is located at 2511 FM66 (Take I-35E to Waxahachie). Discount tickets can be purchased online. One-day admission costs $19.99 for adults and $6.50 for kids ages 5-12 and a season pass costs $70 for adults and $15 for kids ages 5-12. Children four and under get in free.International Week 2008: Celebration of World Cultures
Apr 7-10. Enjoy four days of food, parades, talks, and shopping to learn about world cultures, culminating in the Festival and Fashion Parade from 7 p. m. to 9 p. m. in the Main Auditorium at the University of North Texas, I-35E at North Texas Boulevard in Denton. Events are free.Blessing of the Vines and New Vintage Wine & Gallery Trail
Apr 11, 17-19. Grapevine wineries team up to bring a weekend of wine tastings and entertainment. This year, the jazz train will travel both Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th evenings, leaving the station at 7 p.m. and returning at 9 p.m. Tickets for the jazz train are $55 per person and require reservations. The Blessing of the Vines lasts from 11 a.m. until noon at Delaney Vineyards and is free. The New Vintage Wine Trail stops at each of Grapevine's tasting rooms with a complementary shuttle. The whole festival starts off with food and wine pairings at the Grand Hyatt DFW on April 11 at 7 p.m. and at the Gaylord Texan on April 17 at 7 p.m.Downtown@Sundown
Apr 12, 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.
