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North Texas' celebration of St. Patrick's Day, one of the area's favorite holidays for merriment and gaiety, is making a comeback for 2022 after a pandemic-induced two-year layoff. The actual St. Patrick's Day falls on a Thursday, but for some restaurants and bars, the party is happening all week long. We're looking at St. Patrick's Day Week.

Although Dallas' Greenville Avenue Parade got all the buzz last weekend, there is plenty of hoopla to be found in Tarrant County this week, including big events in the Stockyards and Crockett Row, plus a host of individual celebrations, drink specials, and Irish fare. (And check out our list of the Best Irish Pubs in Fort Worth.)

Here's what's happening in the Fort Worth area for St. Patrick's Day Week.

Fort Worth

Cowtown Goes Green in the Stockyards
The biggest and most well-known St. Patrick's Day celebration in Fort Worth takes place in the Stockyards on Saturday, March 19. The day includes a Shamrock beer garden, armadillo races, cow milking, lawn games, the Cowtown Kids Rodeo matinee, live music, Irish dancers, and an Irish-Western parade (following The Herd trail drive at 4 pm). The whole family-friendly event, presented by Cavender’s, takes place 10 am-8 pm.

Shamrocks & Shenanigans at Crockett Row
The West 7th district will host a St. Patrick's Day festival on Saturday, March 19, featuring rides and photo opps with live green miniature ponies, face painting stations, balloon art, gift card giveaways, and live local DJs. Participating Crockett Row restaurants will also be serving fan-favorite green beverages and brunch and/or lunch specials, and a portion of restaurant sales will be donated to Cook Children’s Medical Center. It runs 11 am- 3 pm, and admission is free.

Third Thursday in Near Southside
St. Paddy's Day happens to coincide with the Near Southside district's Third Thursday event. From 5-8 pm Thursday, March 17, guests can enjoy visit participating businesses including Stir Crazy Baked Goods (featuring artwork by Joshua Crockett), SiNaCa Studios, The Holly Natural Wine Bar, Arcadia Coffee, The Table, and more. Bars along Magnolia and South Main are promising Irish Pub fun, and Fort Worth Bike Share will be on hand to offer bikes to bar hop. Don't forget to wear green.

Arlington

43rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Block Party at J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill
The Metroplex’s biggest day-of St. Patrick’s Day party happens Thursday, March 17 at this time-honored downtown Arlington bar and grill. Hundreds will visit throughout the day for the 43rd edition of this annual tradition. Arrive as early at 11 am for lunch or later at 4 pm when the fun begins outside under tents. There’ll be live music, green beer, and those famous Irish nachos that have featured on Food Network. Note that a cover charge of $6 begins after 6 pm.

Shamrocks & Shenanigans at Texas Live!
The Arlington entertainment complex will host a St. Patrick’s Day-themed party with live music, drink ticket packages, and gold coin giveaways on Saturday, March 19. Drink ticket packages start at $10 for two drink tokens and go up to $20 for five drink tokens, but expect prices to go up closer to the event. The party starts at 4 pm.

Mansfield

St. Paddy’s Pickle Parade & Palooza
Mansfield (where Best Maid pickles originated) touts itself as the pickle capital of Texas. The city will celebrate the title with two days of festivities — Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 — including a 5K, 10K and Kids 1K, live music, food, drinks, and the world’s only St. Paddy’s Day pickle parade, which will take place on Saturday. On Friday, runners can pick up their race packets and enjoy vendors and music. Saturday the real fun happens with the parade starting at 10 am, a concert by Kevin Fowler at 2:30 pm, and multiple contests including pickle juice drinking, pickle eating, and pie eating. Admission is free.

Keller

St. Patrick’s Day at Shannon Brewing Company
The Keller brewery with Irish roots will host its annual St. Patrick’s Day party on Saturday, March 19. It will feature live music and bagpipe performances, food trucks, and even cigar rolling. Admission is free, but drink card packages start at $25 in advance for a pint glass, pint glass koozie, and a drink card for six eight-ounce pours. Or purchase at the door for $30, but only until 4 pm. A la carte purchases also welcome. The party will run from 12-9 pm.

Irving

St. Patrick's Day Celebration at Toyota Music Factory
Toyota Music Factory is celebrating St. Patrick's Day on Thursday, March 17 from 6-10 pm with music, festivities, and promotions at 20 restaurants and bars including Thirsty Lion, Yard House, Grimaldi's Pizza, Gloria's Latin Cuisine, Pacheco Taco Bar, and more. Play the Toyota Music Factory Saint Patricks Bingo game at participating restaurants and bars for a chance to win prizes. Cleghorn: America's Celtic Rock Band will perform on the Texas Lottery Plaza at 6 pm, and there'll be a costume contest on the plaza at 9 pm. Wear your green and take a picture with a Leprechaun. Entry is free, but RSVP here.

Food & drink specials around DFW

Here are all the bars and restaurants serving fish & chips, Irish whiskey, green beer, and more:

Andy's Frozen Custard has two limited-time treats: Mint Cookie Concrete with vanilla frozen custard, mint, and crumbed mint cookies; and the CrumbleMint Shake, with vanilla frozen custard, crumbled Oreo cookies, and mint.

The British Emporium in Grapevine is overflowing with Irish goodies for at-home celebrations. Stock up on treats and groceries from the Emerald Isle, including teas, Guinness chips, hot chocolate, mugs, soda bread, bacon, sausages, black pudding, marmalades, Kerrygold butter, and more.

Bar Louie is hosting a week-long celebration for St. Patrick’s Day from March 12-19, with Green Beer, $3 Jameson Sidecars, Irish Slammers, and pints of Guinness.

Big Shots golf-themed venue will offer green beer specials all day on St. Patrick's Day, plus Reuben sandwiches, Reuben nachos, Irish Mules, and Irish Old Fashioneds with Jameson Orange.

Blackland Distillery in Fort Worth's Foundry District has a green deal: Guests who show up wearing green on St. Patrick's Day will receive 17 percent off a whiskey bottle of their choice. They'll also be serving limited-time-only Irish-themed cocktails, including "Shamrock Shake-Nog" and "Buena Vista Blackland Coffee."

Chef Point's Colleyville and Watauga locations will be serving up traditional corned beef & cabbage and shepherd's pie for St. Patrick’s Day beginning at 4 pm Thursday, March 17 and on into the weekend until they sell out.

Chet's Dallas, the newly opened cocktail bar and Irish-American eatery in the West End Dallas, will celebrating from March 14-19 with Irish decor and drink specials that include $7 Guinness Pints, Green Beer, Irish Mule with Jameson Whiskey, Cucumber Jalapeño Gimlet with Zephyr Gin, and Luck of the Irish Shot with Bailey’s, Creme de Cacao, Creme de Menthe, plus food classics like Irish Stew and Shepherd’s Pie.

Corner Bakery is serving a special green apple flavored Shamrock Lemonade.

Dog Haus is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 with green beer on tap, $6 Jameson shots, and $7 Pickle Back shots.

Fort Brewery & Pizza in Fort Worth will be serving “Lucky Charms” green beer St. Patrick's Day, through the weekend, for $3. There'll also be Irish nachos and pizza on the menu, nightly live music, and more.

From Across the Pond, the family-friendly British pub in Colleyville, is offering Irish specials like corned beef & cabbage, colcannon, Reuben sandwiches, corned beef hash, and hearty beef stew — plus Irish whiskey drinks — all day Thursday, March 17 through the weekend, until they sell out.

Funky Picnic Brewery & Cafe is hosting St. Patrick's Day-themed trivia on Wednesday, March 16 at 7pm. On March 17, they'll serve a special smoked corn beef & cabbage dish and will release a new Dry Irish Stout. All week through March 17, they're offering the following drink specials: $2 Green Tea shots, $3 Jameson shots, $4 green beer (Kolsch), and $5 Green Goblin cocktails.

Harwood Arms, the British Isles inspired pub in Dallas' Harwood District, will host a St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17, with an all-day celebration beginning at 11 am. A traditional bagpiper will begin playing at 5 pm, followed by live music at 6 pm.

Hotel Drover in the Fort Worth Stockyards is serving green beer and a green, Jameson whiskey-based cocktail called "Luck of the Drover" through Sunday, March 20 at The Lobby Bar, Veranda Bar, and 97 West Kitchen + Bar.

Hyatt Regency Frisco-Dallas will celebrate on March 17 at their lobby bar and lounge with a $7 green beer, the Karbach Horseshoe Pilsner for St. Patrick’s Day, as well as $8 Jameson shots and the seasonal feature, the Shamrock Shooter for $10, containing Irish whiskey, melon liqueur, and Irish cream liquor. Chef Bryan Patton has a seasonal special as well: the Copper & Steel Shepherd’s Pie.

Lochland's in Lake Highlands Dallas will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a day of live music, Irish dancers, bagpipers, corned beef & cabbage, and more traditional Irish fare, on Thursday, March 17.

Michaels Cuisine in Fort Worth is serving up special Irish cuisine all day on March 17. Dishes include Luck of the Irish (corned beef) soup ($9), Irish nachos ($15), Corned Beef & Cabbage ($24), Guinness Irish Beef Stew ($18), Corned Beef Sandwich ($16), and Ranch Reuben Sandwich ($16). Green beer and a Leprechaun champagne cocktail are available at the bar, too.

The Radler on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth is throwing a St. Paddy's Day Bash, with the kitchen open 12-10 pm. Drink specials include $10 green domestic steins, $6 green tea shots, and $8 Car Bombs.

Roots Market and Juicery will serve $5 green juices and smoothies on Thursday, March 17 including Maca Spice, Lean Greens, Super Greens, and Strong and Radiant. Green juices include Green Goddess, Greenology, Skinny Greens, and Go Green.

The Statler Dallas hosts Dublin Downtown, a three-day celebration with drink specials, live music, and festivities from March 17-19, starting at the Ballroom on March 17 with a performance by Emerald City at 8 pm. Tickets start at $19 and can be purchased at TheStatlerDallas.com/St-Patricks-Day. VIP seating is $59 and includes a hosted bar. VIP tables for four are $399 and include a bottle of Champagne. Scout at The Statler will host Boozin' Bingo on March 17 at 8 pm. From March 17-19, Scout will serve $3 pints of green beer and $2 Jameson Irish Whiskey shots, and Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge will serve $5 green margaritas, frozen or on the rocks. Hotel packages include a guest room, general admission tickets, and valet parking.

Stirr is serving $6 Irish Coffees, $6 Teeling Shots, and $6 baby Guinness shots on March 17.

Taco Cabana will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day from March 11-30 with a signature Leprechaun Margarita for $3 at all Texas locations. The margarita is a refreshing blend of Taco Cabana’s frozen Mango and Blue Curaçao margaritas, which creates its signature green color.

Thirsty Lion Gastropub in Irving and Euless is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a seasonal menu from March 3-17 featuring Irish inspired dishes and beverages including Scotch Eggs, Bacon Cheddar Potato Cakes, Shepherd’s Pie, Corned Beef Mac & Cheese, and an Irish Mule with Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey, ginger beer, and lime.

Trinity College Irish Pub in the Crockett Row at West 7th area is making a week of celebrating St. Paddy's Day. Festivities include live music from Keltik Clan and 5 Second Rule on March 17, a special Jameson Orange menu, green beer, and more.

Tulips FTW is hosting "St. Patios Day" on March 17, with $4 Green Tea Shots, $5 Guinness, $6 Frozen Irish Coffees, $9 Irish Car Bombs, and $12 Dew and Brew (shot of Tullamore dew and Guinness).

Twin Peaks customers get free Fried Pickles on March 17 with any $20 purchase.

Vidorra is serving $6 Green Whiskey-rita's, $6 Teeling shots, and $6 baby Guinness shots on March 17.

Velvet Taco's weekly featured taco is a St. Paddy's-themed Rueben, with grilled corned beef, swiss cheese, velvet sauce, house-made sauerkraut, and house-brined pickles on a flour tortilla ($5.50), available March 16-22 at all locations.

Whiskey Hatchet, the cocktail bar and axe throwing lodge in Deep Ellum, is serving $5 Irish Car Bombs, $5 Jameson, and $5 Green Draft Beer on Thursday, March 17.

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Celestina Blok contributed to this story. Got an event to add? Email stephanie@culturemap.com.

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Airbnb-style parking app aims to ease the race for spaces around Dallas-Fort Worth

Parking made easier

An app being hyped as the “Airbnb for parking” has driven into Dallas-Fort Worth. FanSpotz LLC recently introduced its peer-to-peer mobile parking app in DFW after launching in Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of the University of Arkansas.

The app helps drivers find reasonably priced parking spaces — in yards and driveways, for instance — being rented out by everyday folks during sporting events, concerts, holiday gatherings, rodeos, festivals, and other activities where parking is at a premium.

“FanSpotz can be used for any kind of event or location that experiences surges in event parking,” says Dallas native Steven Zapata, co-founder and chief customer officer of FanSpotz. “Growing up in Dallas, I remember parking blocks away from Lower Greenville in residential neighborhoods on busy Friday nights. If only there was a service like FanSpotz then, I would have used it.”

All parking payments are processed through the FanSpotz app using Stripe, a mobile payment service.

This is how FanSpotz works:

  • A property owner lists available parking spots and set prices.
  • A driver browses the app to hunt for parking and reserve a parking spot based on price and location.
  • The app directs the driver to the reserved parking spot.

Parking spots can be advertised, and spots can be booked weeks in advance of a big event. The FanSpotz app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

In North Texas, FanSpotz is looking for parking “hosts” around:

  • AT&T Stadium in Arlington
  • Texas Christian University’s Amon G. Carter Stadium
  • Fort Worth Stockyards
  • University of North Texas’ Apogee Stadium
  • LiveNation Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, Irving
  • Dallas Market Center
  • Bishop Arts District
  • Southern Methodist University’s Gerald Ford Stadium
  • Lower Greenville, Dallas
  • Uptown and Turtle Creek, Dallas
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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Surprise, DFW has a new theater company and its first show is this weekend

Welcome to Cowtown

What do Guiding Light, Bye Bye Birdie, and Oleanna all have in common? Arlington-raised actor, director, and producer Ryan Brown, who is one-half of Sweet Apple Productions with Jennifer Bangs.

Brown and Bangs first met at Shackelford Junior High School, where Bangs played Kim and Brown played Hugo in the school musical about an Elvis-type singer who visits a small town — that's where the name Sweet Apple comes from. Coincidentally, Brown is also the son of best-selling romance and thriller author Sandra Brown, who still resides in Arlington.

"I had such a crush on him in school, but we were never really that close," confesses Bangs.

Ryan Brown went on to book featured roles in two soap operas, Guiding Light and The Young and The Restless, while Bangs wrote, produced, and performed in two successful solo shows and still hosts a podcast.

The pair reconnected in New York City during the pandemic, thanks to a Facebook friend suggestion, and began a production company producing music videos and filmed podcasts. In the last 18 months, both found themselves back in Dallas-Fort Worth and ready for a new challenge.

"We thought, 'why not continue this partnership and expand into theater?'" says Brown.

Their first production is David Mamet's Oleanna, which runs March 30-April 2 in Stage West's performance space in Fort Worth.

The 1992 two-character play is a power struggle between a college professor and one of his female students, who accuses him of sexual harassment. Brown plays the professor, and Bangs directs.

"I studied film and drama at OU in the early ‘90s, and OU did the show while he was there," says Brown. "It was a new play at the time and its script really spoke to me. But what impressed me almost as much as the show was the talkback after — I had never seen an audience have such a visceral reaction, or be so split down the middle about whose 'side' to take. I thought how I’d love to do this play, but it’s an old guy and college-age girl — 30 years later, I guess I've aged into the role."

At the time of Oleanna's debut, America was glued to the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings. Now, the #MeToo movement has gathered steam, Harvey Weinstein is in jail for sexual abuse, and former President Donald Trump is supposedly about to be indicted for his illegal payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

"It struck me as odd that Mamet, who just last year wrote a short story objecting to social media moderation of right-wing politicians like Donald Trump, decided to tackle a subject like this," says Brown. "And even more interesting, he didn't take a stance with this play. The ending doesn't declare who is right or wrong."

Bangs points out that Mamet has now banned talkbacks from his plays. To help audience members who may want their opinions to still be heard, the Sweet Apple website has a section titled "Which Side Did You Take?" that leads to a poll. (Interesting side note: A popular tagline for the play is "Whatever side you take, you're wrong.")

"On one hand he’s an artist creating something, and on the other hand he's censoring it," Bangs reflects. "We're all watching the same thing play out in real time, but it's fascinating how differently everyone sees it."

There are no immediate plans to announce a full season, but Brown and Bangs say they are already eyeing their next possible production.

"We're considering doing Children of a Lesser God, and would be really excited to work with the local deaf community and actors who sign," says Bangs.

"It's another play that's on my bucket list," says Brown. "What really pushed us to explore it was receiving a self-tape from a deaf actor who signed her audition for Oleanna. We've already been speaking to her about the possibility of working with us, and it's really something we want to explore."

Another reason to hold off on an official season is that the duo don't want Sweet Apple Productions to be limited to theater.

"We're presenting ourselves as an alternative production company," says Bangs. "When COVID hit, everything shut down but we did not. We want to continue making art no matter what."

Tickets for Oleanna range from $25-$35 and can be purchased here.

Sweet Apple Productions presents Oleanna
Photo courtesy of Sweet Apple Productions

Sweet Apple Productions presents Oleanna March 30-April 2.

One Fort Worth restaurant makes list of James Beard Award finalists

Awards News

An unprecedented number of DFW chefs and restaurants, including one from Fort Worth and five from Dallas, are in the running for a prize from the James Beard Foundation, which has selected finalists for its annual Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The awards recognize chefs and other culinary professionals in a wide range of categories, ranging from Outstanding Chef to Best New Restaurant. These finalists emerged from a pool of semifinalists announced in January.

Candidates from Dallas-Fort Worth who are in the running for national awards include:

  • Best New Restaurant: Don Artemio Mexican Heritage, Fort Worth
  • Best New Restaurant: Lucia Dallas
  • Outstanding Bakery: Kuluntu Bakery, Dallas
  • Outstanding Bakery: La Casita Bakeshop, Dallas
  • Best New Restaurant: Restaurant Beatrice, Dallas

Don Artemio has been on a winning streak. It's been nominated for Best New Restaurant in CultureMap's 2023 Tastemaker Awards, and also made the latest list of Best New Restaurants by Texas Monthly.

In addition to the DFW nominees, three other Texan restaurants and chefs are in the running for national awards:

  • Best New Restaurant: Tatemó, Houston
  • Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program: Nancy’s Hustle, Houston
  • Outstanding Bar: Las Ramblas, Brownsville

Texas also gets its own regional award in the category of Best Chef: Texas. The finalists are:

  • Reyna Duong, Sandwich Hag, Dallas
  • Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston
  • Emiliano Marentes, Elemi, El Paso
  • John Russ, Clementine, San Antonio
  • Ernest Servantes and David Kirkland, Burnt Bean Co., Seguin

Notably, all of this year’s finalists for both the national categories and Best Chef: Texas are new. None received nominations in 2022.

Last year, Texans did well in the awards, with Houston cocktail bar Julep winning Outstanding Bar Program, Austin chef Edgar Rico (Nixta Taqueria) winning Emerging Chef, and Austin chef Iliana de la Vega (El Naranjo) winning the first ever Best Chef: Texas.

In addition, two Texans won media awards — Austin chef Jesse Griffiths (Dai Due) for his cookbook, The Hog Book: A Chef’s Guide to Hunting, Butchering and Cooking Wild Pigs and Texas Monthly taco editor Jose Ralat for his Tex-Mexplainer columns.

The Foundation will reveal its Restaurant and Chef Award winners at an awards ceremony on Monday, June 5 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Media Award winners will be announced on June 3.