Hannah Steiner
Have Your Date and Eat It Too.
Welcome to Perfect Date Night, a new weekly feature that acts as your spirit guide for going on a perfect date in what is objectively Texas' best city, Dallas. Each week, we'll give you a night's worth of suggestions for a date night in a specific neighborhood, complete with recommendations for bars, restaurants, concerts, art shows, sporting events or, well, anything, really. Just make sure you include an emoji or two when you text your crush to invite them out.
Date Details.
• When: Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
• Duration: Up to you!
• Number of Stops: One per day.
• Modest Estimated Budget For Two: $20.
• Ballin' Estimated Budget For Two: $300.
• Ideal Partner: Your foodie crush.
• Romance Scale: 2.5 out of five hearts.
Food festivals are what I live for. I make an annual trek around the state for barbecue festivals and try to go to as many as possible here in town as my stomach and wallet can handle. Date-wise, they're the perfect event to take your favorite person to as they've got the food and entertainment aspects on lock. Shouts to Taco Libre here in a couple weeks.
Fortunately for you, we've also got a few festivals this weekend, too. Even better, I've rounded them up for y'all right here in this very post. So take your pick and make a day date out of it — or, hell, if Friday goes well, maybe your new beau will want to hang around all weekend.
Friday: Grapevine Chocolate Festival (1209 S. Main St., Grapevine). Saturday: 19th Big Mamou Cajun Festival (111 S. Hall St., Dallas). Sunday: Songkran Festival (8484 Stults Rd, Dallas).
Grapevine Chocolate Festival is in its 12th year and going strong. Dallas' dessert scene has been experiencing a boom with talented chocolatiers like Kate Weiser making waves, and this festival brings together the best of the best for you to enjoy. Their Friday night event is especially popular, called “An Evening of Chocolate and Wine,” and definitely wins the title of most romantic food festival date choice for this weekend. Be sure to get tickets early though, it usually sells out and this isn't something you want to miss.
Son of a gun, New Orleans may be fun, but for those of us that don't have time for a getaway there's always the many Cajun festivals happening around us this time of year. Before you complain about going to Grand Prairie, think about all the shrimp etouffee, crawfish, gumbo, and piles of boudin waiting for you. Add in free admission, $4 parking, and some good ol' Zydeco music and you've got your own little piece of Cajun heaven, without the mandatory hangover that comes with a visit to NOLA.
Little did you know, this weekend is actually the Thai New Year, which means you get to put away your troubles for a little bit to revel in celebration. The local Thai Buddhist temple is opening its doors for a day of traditional ceremonies, music, and delicious homemade Thai food. The perfect way to spend your Sunday is definitely strolling the grounds of a beautiful temple with your S.O., munching on pad Thai and watching classical dances.
