If you've never seen a Muay Thai demonstration, you'll need to put the Thai Culture & Food Festival on your calendar. The world champion of the sport known as the "art of eight limbs" takes the stage of the two-day culture showcase, May 24-25 at The Buddhist Center of Dallas. In a delicious combination of food and fun, local Thai restaurants and artists come together for this free event. Rumor has it, even the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand plans to attend and I'm guessing your schedule is far less busy than his.

The Buddhist Center of Dallas is one of the city's best kept secrets. It's a stunning piece of architecture and on Sundays, you can track down some delicious Thai food there. During the festival the Thai marketplace will house a dozen local pop-up shops with everything from trinkets to fashion. In addition to the Muay Thai fights, there will be traditional cultural performances, dances and music. And if you can still walk after you gorge yourself on the chicken satay and fried bananas, there will be guided tours of the temple.

The Buddhist Center of Dallas is located at 8484 Stults Road. For a full schedule and more information, visit thaifestdallas.com.

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