When it comes to commercial galleries in Dallas, the Design District is the hotbed of the Dallas arts market and Dragon Street is the epicenter. But for the most part, the area presents fairly standard fare. Few galleries break the predictable mold while still retaining a reputation as a go-to gallery quite like Circuit 12 Contemporary. In this last year, they've added fashion programming to the docket and rearranged their space to redefine what the gallery can do. Muralists demonstrate the scope of their work on the white walls; conceptual artists disguise the gallery as a spaceship. And still the art you'll find in the gallery retains its bold, contemporary aesthetic.

A good retrospective walks you through the stages and phases of an artist's career, like a road map for a career's journey. A great retrospective takes you on the trip. The joint exhibition between the Nasher Sculpture Center and the The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth succinctly walked visitors through the career of David Bates, pairing early works with later iterations and telling a narrative of the artist's preoccupations with the Gulf Coast. His early work seemed almost prophetic when placed next to his series of paintings about Katrina that filled several rooms in the Modern. Then, a trip to the Nasher saw a man interested in rendering a canvas into something three-dimensional. His sculptures were a new story of a painter reinventing himself late in life to deal with something more corporeal. This collaboration didn't just shine a light on a Dallas-based artist's four decades of work, it also told an interesting story about one man's lifelong journey with artistry.

Does anyone else remember lock-ins? Those all-night gatherings that locked a bunch of elementary or middle school kids into a gymnasium or some other school-condoned space where kids would eat candy, play games and wreak havoc until their parents came to pick them up? This year for its 35th birthday, the Dallas Contemporary hosted an art lock-in, only this time you could come and go as you pleased. Oh, and there was booze. For 35 hours straight, the ultra-hip West Dallas art space hosted bands, comedy shows, temporary art pieces, performance art, early morning yoga and anything else they could dream up to keep a bunch of drunk arty adults occupied. The crowd ebbed and flowed, peaking around 11 p.m. and tapering off around 3 a.m. only to pick back up as the midday sunshine arrived Saturday. And no matter which hour you stuck around till, it was much cooler than the lock-ins of yesteryear.

Dallas is so overrun with festivals that it can be a little overwhelming. Picking and choosing is a necessity lest one suffer from a bout of festival fatigue. No matter how selective your list of must-attends is, though, Index Festival should be on it. The festival, which takes over Deep Ellum for the third consecutive fall this year, has grown to a three-day, 90-plus-band extravaganza that highlights the best of Dallas' best music neighborhood. Catch the big-name acts on the outdoor stages early, then stick around for the venue-hopping late-night fun that comes after. You never know what you'll find, but it won't be disappointing.

We know people who look down on big traveling art exhibitions, those money-makers larded with masterpieces that draw masses who line up to rent headsets for the audio tour. Well, screw those canape-nibbling hater snobs. We like the big shows. Take, for example the Kimbell's exhibition from earlier this year, The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from The Art Institute of Chicago. Now, the Art Institute is one of our favorite places on earth, but it's a long haul to Chicago, so the chance to drive to Fort Worth to see an expansive, sharply curated survey of Modern masterworks, plus get an informative lecture on the links between the artists and the development of styles, made for a wondrous day. The Kimbell, wide open, glowing with light, is the perfect place to take in a show like Modern Masters, which is why we're looking forward to Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from the Musée d'Orsay this October. Thanks, Kimbell, for delivering beautiful art on our doorstep and giving us such a magical space, especially the new Renzo Piano Pavilion. Walking through its mix of gentle curves, blond wood and translucent glass make you feel like you're aboard a sailing ship that floats on air and light.

The Continental Avenue Bridge spanning the Trinity River west of downtown reopened in June as a multi-million-dollar renovated park. It now offers playground equipment, a bocce court, spray fountains, incredible views of downtown and, most important, a walking path. While this may not have the pizazz or glamour of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, walking on Continental at least gives one a nice view of the former, and unlike Margaret, Continental is actually built for pedestrians. No cars are allowed.

In June, Dallas Police Department spokesman Major Max Geron messed up. He tweeted that Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was charged with public intoxication. NBC soon realized the name was wrong and corrected him; it was actually Yaqub Talib, Aqib's brother. Geron took to Twitter to say sorry. Not that the DPD should be giving out bad information, but the occasional wrong name is a minor price to pay for a DPD spokesman with a Twitter account that is entertaining and strangely human. "Where should you definitely not speed or commit any other traffic violation? (Besides everywhere you drive today)," he posted recently, linking to a DPD list of traffic enforcement locations. He posts a mix of standard crime news mixed with jokes aimed at his coworkers. But the account is most interesting for the news articles and posts he publishes that are critical of law enforcement. Recent stories he tweeted include a report about Texas officers getting in trouble for hazing and a Morning News editorial calling for police departments to develop less lethal measures on mental health calls. He added a commentary for the latter story: "It's unconscionable — mental health system is so bare bones that police officers are frontline mental health workers." Not exactly whistle-blowing or anywhere close, but he's at least willing to offer some commentary on working in law enforcement that's far more interesting than the usual "police good."

You take them in your car; in your place of business; in your bathroom (gross!). We're getting really tired of your lack of creativity. If you insist on showing us how green your eyes turn in the sunlight (#chameleon) or want our opinions on your new haircut (#unsure), could you please find somewhere more exciting to do your social navel-gazing? May we suggest downtown Dallas' Eyeball sculpture. The unwavering stare of artist Tony Tasset's larger-than-life eye is the perfect background for your #SelfieSunday. Oh, and you looked better without bangs #truthhurts.

Exposition Avenue is a strange little street filled with diversion and magic. No, really, magic. You'll know Confetti Eddie's magic parlor by the smaller-than-life dinosaur out front — an artifact of his own creation. Inside, you'll be welcomed into a show that is equal parts art and magic. He performs tricks with cinematic perfection, shrinking the unshrinkable and making permanent things disappear — like heads, for one. Working with his lovely assistant Karleena, he fills his magic show with marvels that will make your jaw drop. The next time you see one of his shows on the calendar, don't hesitate, grab those tickets. They disappear faster than Karleena's clothes, and you don't want to miss that trick.

If you must live outside of Dallas — maybe it's the fear of Dallas ISD, maybe the reality of being priced out of booming neighborhoods — live in Richardson. It has good schools, affordable homes, and, as part of Dallas' older, inner ring of suburbs, lacks the nouveau riche tackiness of a Frisco or Southlake. Dallas expats will be amazed by the functional library, public pools and recreation centers. And the city's diversity is a boon to anyone who enjoys the cosmopolitan feeling of sitting in Starbucks and hearing a half dozen languages being spoken around you, or cheap ethnic food.