The spring festival season soon will bloom, and most of the fun is right along the DART System. Get ready to break out the shades and your favorite sandals, and hop on board to these favorite springtime shindigs.

From March 8-10, North Texas shows its Irish streak with three days of fun and shenanigans at Fair Park. The North Texas Irish Festival has become a local rite of spring. With great music, dance, food, vendors and storytellers, it’s easy to see why. The festival is known far and wide as a premier venue for traditional Celtic music. And this year, the inaugural NTIF Fun Run will take place March 9 – registration starts outside the Magnolia Lounge at 7 a.m. To get your Irish on, catch the Green Line (of course) to Fair Park Station.

Still didn’t get the Irish out of your system? You’re in luck. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival – the largest in the Southwest – happens the very following weekend, on March 16. With around 90 floats and more than 125,000 attendees, the all-day blowout is a beloved tradition. As always, DART is the best way to the festivities. Lovers Lane and Mockingbird stations both put you right on the parade route; each is served by the Red, Blue and Orange lines.  The parade begins at 11 a.m. and travels along Greenville Avenue. Find out more at dallasstpatricksparade.com.

The free Deep Ellum Arts Festival is proof positive that North Texas rocks. On the weekend of April 5-7, six blocks of Main Street (2900-3400) will be lined with more than 200 juried artists selling and commissioning original works. Some of them will be creating art right before your eyes. And of course, it wouldn’t be Deep Ellum without music; something like 100 acts will perform on several stages. There are also lots of fun diversions, and plenty of food and drink. All in all, it’s an enormous, three-day street festival, packed with sculptors, muralists, jewelers, painters, leather and wood crafters, and more. To get there, take the Green Line to Deep Ellum or Baylor University Medical Center, and follow the music.

Spring is the time to appreciate Mother Earth. For a down-home Earth Day with great food and vendors, hit Oak Cliff Earth Day on April 14 at scenic Lake Cliff Park. Artists will display and sell their wares in the beautiful, historic setting, near both the Oakenwald Street and Sixth Street stops of the Dallas Streetcar. You can catch the streetcar just across the street from Union Station.

For a larger Earth Day experience, head to EarthX. The free, three-day festival in Fair Park is the biggest of its kind. On the weekend of April 26-28, springtime fun will be in the air, with live music, food and beer. You’ll also find environmental organizations, academic institutions and other subject-matter experts on hand to educate and enlighten. To get to the celebration of all things green, take (you guessed it) the Green Line to Fair Park Station.

On May 4, Haggard Park comes alive with the food, colors and culture of the East. At Plano AsiaFest, you can learn more about Asian languages, medicine, music and fashion. It’s a rich exposition of the various, distinct cultures of Asia – from Japan and Korea, to China, Vietnam and Nepal – and that’s just getting started. The Earth’s biggest continent is yours to explore, with cultural demonstrations, performances, and vendors. It’s all right next to Downtown Plano Station on the Red Line.

Every year, Homegrown Music and Arts Festival turns Main Street Garden into a vibrant hub bursting with music, art, vendors, food and beverages. On April 13, the tradition continues with 10 acts – and as in the past, the emphasis is on “local”: The Toadies, Tripping Daisy and Seryn perform, along with many more. Kids under 10 attend for free. The park is just three blocks from St. Paul Station in downtown Dallas. It’s served by all four DART Rail lines.

Wildflowers are the sure sign that spring’s arrived, and Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival is a three-day celebration where fun and frolic flourishes. From May 17-19, check out a bouquet of musical acts, as well as a profusion of exhibitors, vendors, kid’s activities and other stuff. This year’s headliners are Good Charlotte, Neon Trees, Quiet Riot and RATT. It all happens at Galatyn Park Urban Center, directly adjacent to the Red Line’s Galatyn Park Station. 

DFW Dragon Boat, Kite and Lantern Festival features spectacular kite flying, exciting dragon boat races, beautiful Asian dance performances, lion and dragon dances, plus food, arts & crafts, and educational activities. The event happens May 19 at Irving’s Lake Carolyn, near Las Colinas Urban Center Station.

A food lover’s paradise, Taste Addison features scores of restaurants there to tempt you – and with reduced prices, no less. There are also chef demonstrations, wine tastings and more. Music is also on the menu at Addison Circle Park from May 31-June 2. To get there, take one of numerous buses to Addison Transit Center.

The spring festival season soon will bloom, and most of the fun is right along the DART System. Get ready to break out the shades and your favorite sandals, and hop on board to these favorite springtime shindigs.

From March 8-10, North Texas shows its Irish streak with three days of fun and shenanigans at Fair Park. The North Texas Irish Festival has become a local rite of spring. With great music, dance, food, vendors and storytellers, it’s easy to see why. The festival is known far and wide as a premier venue for traditional Celtic music. And this year, the inaugural NTIF Fun Run will take place March 9 – registration starts outside the Magnolia Lounge at 7 a.m. To get your Irish on, catch the Green Line (of course) to Fair Park Station.

Still didn’t get the Irish out of your system? You’re in luck. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival – the largest in the Southwest – happens the very following weekend, on March 16. With around 90 floats and more than 125,000 attendees, the all-day blowout is a beloved tradition. As always, DART is the best way to the festivities. Lovers Lane and Mockingbird stations both put you right on the parade route; each is served by the Red, Blue and Orange lines.  The parade begins at 11 a.m. and travels along Greenville Avenue. Find out more at dallasstpatricksparade.com.

The free Deep Ellum Arts Festival is proof positive that North Texas rocks. On the weekend of April 5-7, six blocks of Main Street (2900-3400) will be lined with more than 200 juried artists selling and commissioning original works. Some of them will be creating art right before your eyes. And of course, it wouldn’t be Deep Ellum without music; something like 100 acts will perform on several stages. There are also lots of fun diversions, and plenty of food and drink. All in all, it’s an enormous, three-day street festival, packed with sculptors, muralists, jewelers, painters, leather and wood crafters, and more. To get there, take the Green Line to Deep Ellum or Baylor University Medical Center, and follow the music.

Spring is the time to appreciate Mother Earth. For a down-home Earth Day with great food and vendors, hit Oak Cliff Earth Day on April 14 at scenic Lake Cliff Park. Artists will display and sell their wares in the beautiful, historic setting, near both the Oakenwald Street and Sixth Street stops of the Dallas Streetcar. You can catch the streetcar just across the street from Union Station.

For a larger Earth Day experience, head to EarthX. The free, three-day festival in Fair Park is the biggest of its kind. On the weekend of April 26-28, springtime fun will be in the air, with live music, food and beer. You’ll also find environmental organizations, academic institutions and other subject-matter experts on hand to educate and enlighten. To get to the celebration of all things green, take (you guessed it) the Green Line to Fair Park Station.

On May 4, Haggard Park comes alive with the food, colors and culture of the East. At Plano AsiaFest, you can learn more about Asian languages, medicine, music and fashion. It’s a rich exposition of the various, distinct cultures of Asia – from Japan and Korea, to China, Vietnam and Nepal – and that’s just getting started. The Earth’s biggest continent is yours to explore, with cultural demonstrations, performances, and vendors. It’s all right next to Downtown Plano Station on the Red Line.

Every year, Homegrown Music and Arts Festival turns Main Street Garden into a vibrant hub bursting with music, art, vendors, food and beverages. On April 13, the tradition continues with 10 acts – and as in the past, the emphasis is on “local”: The Toadies, Tripping Daisy and Seryn perform, along with many more. Kids under 10 attend for free. The park is just three blocks from St. Paul Station in downtown Dallas. It’s served by all four DART Rail lines.

Wildflowers are the sure sign that spring’s arrived, and Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival is a three-day celebration where fun and frolic flourishes. From May 17-19, check out a bouquet of musical acts, as well as a profusion of exhibitors, vendors, kid’s activities and other stuff. This year’s headliners are Good Charlotte, Neon Trees, Quiet Riot and RATT. It all happens at Galatyn Park Urban Center, directly adjacent to the Red Line’s Galatyn Park Station. 

DFW Dragon Boat, Kite and Lantern Festival features spectacular kite flying, exciting dragon boat races, beautiful Asian dance performances, lion and dragon dances, plus food, arts & crafts, and educational activities. The event happens May 19 at Irving’s Lake Carolyn, near Las Colinas Urban Center Station.

A food lover’s paradise, Taste Addison features scores of restaurants there to tempt you – and with reduced prices, no less. There are also chef demonstrations, wine tastings and more. Music is also on the menu at Addison Circle Park from May 31-June 2. To get there, take one of numerous buses to Addison Transit Center.

The spring festival season soon will bloom, and most of the fun is right along the DART System. Get ready to break out the shades and your favorite sandals, and hop on board to these favorite springtime shindigs.

From March 8-10, North Texas shows its Irish streak with three days of fun and shenanigans at Fair Park. The North Texas Irish Festival has become a local rite of spring. With great music, dance, food, vendors and storytellers, it’s easy to see why. The festival is known far and wide as a premier venue for traditional Celtic music. And this year, the inaugural NTIF Fun Run will take place March 9 – registration starts outside the Magnolia Lounge at 7 a.m. To get your Irish on, catch the Green Line (of course) to Fair Park Station.

Still didn’t get the Irish out of your system? You’re in luck. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival – the largest in the Southwest – happens the very following weekend, on March 16. With around 90 floats and more than 125,000 attendees, the all-day blowout is a beloved tradition. As always, DART is the best way to the festivities. Lovers Lane and Mockingbird stations both put you right on the parade route; each is served by the Red, Blue and Orange lines.  The parade begins at 11 a.m. and travels along Greenville Avenue. Find out more at dallasstpatricksparade.com.

The free Deep Ellum Arts Festival is proof positive that North Texas rocks. On the weekend of April 5-7, six blocks of Main Street (2900-3400) will be lined with more than 200 juried artists selling and commissioning original works. Some of them will be creating art right before your eyes. And of course, it wouldn’t be Deep Ellum without music; something like 100 acts will perform on several stages. There are also lots of fun diversions, and plenty of food and drink. All in all, it’s an enormous, three-day street festival, packed with sculptors, muralists, jewelers, painters, leather and wood crafters, and more. To get there, take the Green Line to Deep Ellum or Baylor University Medical Center, and follow the music.

Spring is the time to appreciate Mother Earth. For a down-home Earth Day with great food and vendors, hit Oak Cliff Earth Day on April 14 at scenic Lake Cliff Park. Artists will display and sell their wares in the beautiful, historic setting, near both the Oakenwald Street and Sixth Street stops of the Dallas Streetcar. You can catch the streetcar just across the street from Union Station.

For a larger Earth Day experience, head to EarthX. The free, three-day festival in Fair Park is the biggest of its kind. On the weekend of April 26-28, springtime fun will be in the air, with live music, food and beer. You’ll also find environmental organizations, academic institutions and other subject-matter experts on hand to educate and enlighten. To get to the celebration of all things green, take (you guessed it) the Green Line to Fair Park Station.

On May 4, Haggard Park comes alive with the food, colors and culture of the East. At Plano AsiaFest, you can learn more about Asian languages, medicine, music and fashion. It’s a rich exposition of the various, distinct cultures of Asia – from Japan and Korea, to China, Vietnam and Nepal – and that’s just getting started. The Earth’s biggest continent is yours to explore, with cultural demonstrations, performances, and vendors. It’s all right next to Downtown Plano Station on the Red Line.

Every year, Homegrown Music and Arts Festival turns Main Street Garden into a vibrant hub bursting with music, art, vendors, food and beverages. On April 13, the tradition continues with 10 acts – and as in the past, the emphasis is on “local”: The Toadies, Tripping Daisy and Seryn perform, along with many more. Kids under 10 attend for free. The park is just three blocks from St. Paul Station in downtown Dallas. It’s served by all four DART Rail lines.

Wildflowers are the sure sign that spring’s arrived, and Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival is a three-day celebration where fun and frolic flourishes. From May 17-19, check out a bouquet of musical acts, as well as a profusion of exhibitors, vendors, kid’s activities and other stuff. This year’s headliners are Good Charlotte, Neon Trees, Quiet Riot and RATT. It all happens at Galatyn Park Urban Center, directly adjacent to the Red Line’s Galatyn Park Station. 

DFW Dragon Boat, Kite and Lantern Festival features spectacular kite flying, exciting dragon boat races, beautiful Asian dance performances, lion and dragon dances, plus food, arts & crafts, and educational activities. The event happens May 19 at Irving’s Lake Carolyn, near Las Colinas Urban Center Station.

A food lover’s paradise, Taste Addison features scores of restaurants there to tempt you – and with reduced prices, no less. There are also chef demonstrations, wine tastings and more. Music is also on the menu at Addison Circle Park from May 31-June 2. To get there, take one of numerous buses to Addison Transit Center.