See the lighter side of drones on Saturday.We have finally made it to spring, which gives everyone in Dallas a sort of cabin fever that's different from the one when you're cooped up in crappy weather. Now, everyone wants to get outside and enjoy the sunshine at temperatures that won't actually burn your entire face off. As such, that means that you should get out and see what your community is doing to help make this "world-class" city a more cultured place.
This week, there's everything from fancy shopping to drone fighting that can keep you occupied when you're not slaving away at your boring corporate job. Think of these six free and cheap culture events in Dallas as your way of flexing those creative muscles, even if you don't really have any. Besides, most of these places have beer.
Luxury Garage Sale Pop-Up Shop Mecox Dallas March 20-April 12 Free
If you're broke as hell and trying to be glam on a budget, the Luxury Garage Sale Pop-Up Shop might be a little too expensive for you. But if you've got a little cash to invest in a great statement piece from Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Hermes, plan to part with it here. Luxury Garage Sale, a Chicago transplant, will actually open later this year as a consignment shop, and you can get a taste of what they'll have on offer at this pop-up shop hosted in Mecox, a swanky home interiors shop in Uptown.
Arts & Letters Live: Huan Hsu Dallas Museum of Art Tuesday, March 31 $20
As we've mentioned before, the Dallas Museum of Art has been killing it with their programming as of late. The Arts & Letters Live speaker series has been no exception, and this weeks' talk with award-winning journalist Huan Hsu will discuss "The Porcelain Thief," a book that explores the history of Hsu's own family, starting in China with his great-great-grandparents. Hsu will discuss his own identity as a Chinese-American, and the "largely forgotten events that defined Chinese history in the 19th and 20th centuries." If you're looking for an out-of-the-box history lesson that you can't find anywhere else, look no further. Before the talk, you can tour the Dallas Museum of Art and Crow Collection's displays of Asian porcelain.
Black Academy of Arts & Letters Presents: Wading Home, An Opera Of New Orleans Dallas City Performance Hall Thursday, April 2 Pay What You Can
It seems almost impossible that Hurricane Katrina happened over 10 years ago, but here we are. To honor the anniversary of this tragic natural disaster and the havoc it wreaked in New Orleans, the Black Academy of Arts & Letters presents Wading Home, An Opera of New Orleans. Wading Home explores the challenges that a New Orleans family faces in the wake of the hurricane in a poignant way that only opera can. This performance is pay-what-you-can, and all proceeds go to benefit after-school music programs in New Orleans and the Bruce Foote Scholarship Foundation in Dallas.
Colossal Wyly Theatre Thursday, April 2 Pay What You Can
Theater and football are strange bedfellows, sure, but when you transform an entire theater into a football field, things start to get interesting. A winner of the Jean Kennedy Smith Play Writing Award, Colossal tells the story of a University of Texas football player navigating life after a traumatic spinal injury. This extremely intense, moving play is like no other that you've seen -- you'll actually feel like you're going to a football game. That is, of course, assuming that Colossal succeeds in this, well, colossal undertaking.
Deep Ellum Arts Festival Deep Ellum April 3-5 Free
Whether or not it is actually Dallas' most "progressive and eclectic neighborhood," Deep Ellum certainly has a lot going for it, all of which you can experience at the three-day Deep Ellum Arts Festival. Art, music, food and even a pet parade all come together to showcase the city's creative types and the work that they create. Our own Lauren Smart will host Speaker's Corner on Friday night, and there's plenty to do to keep you occupied throughout the festival.
Drone Wars Cavanaugh Flight Museum April 4, 2015 $10
Despite their scary military context, drones are really freaking cool. Thousands of hobbyists have purchased their own drones and are "flying missions" in their own backyards. At Saturday's "Drone Wars," drone fans of all types will battle their machines in precision races and obstacle courses, and winners will be awarded trophies and bragging rights amongst all their drone friends. If you're interested in participating, you can enter your drone for $35, or just watch the action for a measly $10.
