Halloween Parties for Adults: Texas Style

You say you need a drink on Halloween Eve?

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has a listing of Halloween parties held at popular nightclubs. Adults have a chance to join in the fun by wearing ghoulish costumes and getting wicked until the late hours of the night. In Dallas, Trees and Buddha 9 will hold parties from 8 pm until 2 am. For those who would like to party in Fort Worth, Scat Jazz Lounge will cater to your Halloween Eve dancing. Additionally, what better place to find free live music events than in Halloween theme parks themselves? Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, for instance, holds its yearly Howl-o-Ween top 10 countdown at the Fright Fest’s Majestic Theatre. They perform songs by Aerosmith, KISS, Kelly Clarkson, and other popular and classic rock bands. If street dancing is your thing, you can join Mr. Six Spectacular Street Party, where a mix of favorite Halloween party music will rock the night.

But it doesn’t have to be costume parties and late night drinking. You can get a whole lot of Halloween ideas by checking out Halloween Events 2009.

Family Friendly Halloween Events in Texas

So you have kids. You wish to celebrate Halloween in Texas giving your family the most fun without the wailing because they got so spooked out of their wits. Where is the best place to go? Theme parks are nice, but there are places even your brave side can’t handle. Here are a few kid-friendly Halloween activities you can share with your kids, and still have fun trick or treating:

Boo at the Zoo – In Texas cities such as Fort Worth or San Antonio, ordinary tourist attractions transform into scary but kid-friendly Halloween venues. Fort Worth, for example, holds its 18th annual Boo at the Zoo with puppet shows, mazes, live animal shows, and musical acts. The zoo promises six fun nights full of Halloween treats. You can purchase their tickets online or by phone when they go on sale on October 2.

Creepshow – The Kettle Art in Dallas holds it own Halloween art gallery exhibit starting October 24 until the 3oth. Admission is free. The Creepshow gallery will showcase Halloween masks and paintings and is located at the Deep Ellum area. You can check out their Halloween events website at http://www.kettleart.com.

Pumpkin Parties and Festivals – No denizen of the Dallas metroplex has lived in this area without having ever seen the freshest collection of produce in the Dallas Farmer’s Market. This Halloween 2009, they will hold the Annual Pumpkin Party on the 18th of October. The Dallas Arboretum is another eager participant for the Halloween season. Their own great Pumpkin Festival will last until mid-November.

For a list of all Halloween theme parks, parties, and haunted houses you can visit in Texas, check out Dallas-Fort Worth Halloween events 2009.

Texas’ New Driving Laws Against Text Messaging: Is it a joke?

Many Texans agree. Some don’t. When the Department of Public Safety issued new driving laws just recently, there is indeed a mix of emotions elicited from everyone of us. Personally, I think if people lived up to expectations, were rational all the time, and were more mature for their age, there would be no additional driving laws where even teenagers can get tickets for text messaging while driving. Nor should everybody in the car wear seatbelts regardless of where they are seated.  But in reality, people are not perfect, and majority of people are not smart enough to NOT use the phone while driving. In reality, car accidents are by far one of the top causes of death in the United States. So is there any argument against these new laws?

I know many teen students protest against these stringent rules. But our family has been a victim of an accident back when text messaging while driving wasn’t yet banned. You can read the whole story and comment at New Driving Laws Against Teenagers Text Messaging in Texas.

Texas in September: Wine, Hotdogs, Music, Party!

Okay, here’s a question: If you are spending September in Texas, what is there to do besides hanging out at the waterparks? (FYI: Texas has really the best waterparks in US, if you’ve never heard of Schlitterbahn). Anyways, I digress. It will still be hot at this time of the year, but you can beat the heat by checking out the events that rock in this corner of the globe.

First, the Marfa Lights Festival. Marfa may not be the biggest, most exciting town in Texas but it has its share of glory — in the form of out-of-this-world skylights that occur in September. Everybody in town celebrates with parade, music, barbecue, and good ol’ Texas partying. Labor Day weekend is usually the time the Marfan residents celebrate this event.

Then, there’s the Grapefest. How can you be in the Dallas area if you’ve never tried to join this world renowned event? Shame on you! And yet even non-Dallasites come around to be part of the grape stomping and a gazillion other contests. This North Texas event is hardly overrated — there are indeed so much good stuff to check out. Wines? Of course. Painting, golf, carnival, stage shows…and everything in between. Be warned it can get crowded, especially on Thursday and Friday (September 17-18) when admission is free.

If it’s music, music, and more music that you want, head south for Corpus Christi. On September 25th to 27th our folks from Southern Texas are celebrating the Bayfest. What’s better than hobnobbing by the shoreline listening to bands big and small with the sound of waves in the background? What’s nicer than a mere $7 ticket to get in? The Bayfest homepage can help you where to find a great hotel to stay at, where to park, food vendor information, and a guide to the musical performers throughout the week. Can’t wait to party?

Now, I’ve saved the best for last. Texas won’t be without the biggest event ever: the State Fair of Texas. Another one of those events Dallasites should be proud of. It runs from the last week of September to mid-October. Perfect time for the start of autumn, when the weather is starting to mellow down to eighties. Car shows, livestock exhibits, arts and crafts, wines, corn dog contests, ice cream, carnival…this is truly an event for the whole family. The Big Tex is waiting out there!

September is truly never a boring month for Texans and visitors alike. There’s plenty of stuff to do in the Lone Star state. Whether you live in the north, or on the south, there is one more room for your family in the events. It’s truly hot out here, with sizzling events even non-Texans can enjoy!