According to the oh-so scientific minds at AAA, approximately 30.5 million Americans will be traveling this Labor Day weekend, which is down roughly 2 percent from last year. How do the guys at AAA figure this out? We don't know, and we don't care because we're not hitting the road this weekend. And if you're like us -- ready for a staycation that involves a few bottles of booze, cheap entertainment and some good food -- then you're in luck because it's shaping up to be one helluva holiday weekend.
You've got plenty of backyard barbecues and pool parties to go to, so why take it easy tonight and save that nasty hangover for Monday? Sounds like a solid plan to us, and that's why we're excited that one of our all-time favorite films is screening tonight. Hitchcock's thrilling masterpiece North by Northwest has everything you could ask for in a film: suspense, romance and a dapper Cary Grant. Plus who doesn't love the scene in which Cary and Eva Marie Saint try to outrun the bad guys on Mount Rushmore? Oh, Cary, you take our breath away. See the classic at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Palace Theatre in Grapevine. Tickets are $5. Call 817-410-3100 or visit grapevinetexasusa.com.
People Stylewatch Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in September at The Shops at Willow Bend If the faded 90s denim shorts and blech-colored shirt we're wearing today is any indication of our style, then we need to hop on over to The Shops at Willow Bend for People Stylewatch. In fact, we know we need People's help because the HR lady asked us if we're having a car wash later today. Yikes. We're getting our acid-washed behinds down to the mall for some help from a celebrity stylist who'll give tips on the latest fall fashions, footwear and beauty products. Need new jeans? The Denim Bar has the trendiest indigo from DKNY, Gap 1969, True Religion and Diesel. Need a new lipstick? Clinique consultants will help you find the right shade. The best part is that the consultations are free. Unfortunately, the lipstick is not. Visit stylewatchconcierge.com for more information.
The Invasion Car Show Saturday, September 3, on Elm St. in Deep Ellum There's something special about classic cars from the 50s and 60s. Maybe it's the purr of those engines that you just don't hear in modern cars, or maybe it's the fact that those relics were the greatest products of American automakers like Ford and Buick. Does anyone really associate Buick with coolness anymore? No, but they did decades ago, and now the vintage vehicles and hot rods of days past are on display at The Invasion Car Show. See dozens of cars, all made in or before 1964. We're sure booty-shaking on the rims is discouraged. Online registration is closed, but if you have $35 and a car we'd envy you can still show it off on Saturday on Elm Street in front of Trees. The show also features live music from Boys Named Sue and a pin-up contest for the ladies. Gates open at 2 p.m. tomorrow, and there's an after-party at Trees following the awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Visit theinvasioncarshow.com.
World Premiere of Don't Tell My Wife I'm a Cult Leader Saturday, September 3, at The Kessler Theater It sucks when you have to spend so much time keeping your secret life from your wife. Saywhat? That's exactly what Floyd Landers, the, um, protagonist in the animated sitcom Don't Tell My Wife I'm a Cult Leader, has to do. Floyd's a thirty-something college dropout who's married to PhD-toting Mandy, and while we're not sure how smart she is, he's managed to keep his secret life as a cult leader under wraps long enough to gain a cult following. Yeah, that pun was too easy. The show was created locally, and its Facebook page claims it's loosely based on co-creator Todd Steinberg's actual life. If so, be weary of any Kool-Aid that's passed around tomorrow night when the pilot premieres at 8 p.m. at The Kessler. Admission is free. The show doesn't have a network home yet, but maybe it'll be the mid-season replacement for Family Guy. We can only hope. Visit dont-tell.my/wife.
Bedford Labor Day Blues & BBQ Festival Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4, at Bedford City Hall Complex It wouldn't be a Labor Day weekend without barbecue, music and laser tag. Yes, laser tag. The city of Bedford knows how to throw it down right, and that's why they spend two whole days celebrating 'Merica and our time-honored traditions of competition, eating and buying stuff. The festival features vendors selling everything from jewelry to Scentsy, a carnival with a flight simulator and games for the kids and live music from Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang and more. The main attraction is the barbecue of course, and attendees will get to cast their vote for the best brisket and beans for the People's Choice awards. Bring your appetite and at least $5 because that's what it costs for one-day admission to the Bedford Labor Day Blues & BBQ Festival. Other ticket options start at $10. Gates open at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit bedfordbluesbbq.com.
