March In McKinney…

Spring is definitely on its way, evident by the blooming trees and flowers everywhere … and by the spring-oriented events taking place in McKinney in March.

McKinney’s Great Outdoors: Spring months make us want to be outside, tending to the yard, planting gardens of flowers and vegetables, hiking on nature trails and taking to the roads for races.

Gardening: Learn about drought preparation, composting, tree maintenance, herbal gardening and raised garden beds at Soil Revival for Survival (March 3). Chambersville Tree Farms hosts this free conference where amateur and professional gardeners will demonstrate and discuss practical solutions for reducing water use and improving the health of your soil. Vendors will be on-hand, too, to share water-wise solutions for working in your yard and garden.  For more gardening information, visit the Collin County Master Gardeners Lawn & Garden Show (March 24-25) and the Earth-Kind Drought Management Conference (March 27), both at Myers Park.

Commune with Nature:  The Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary provides a wide range of activities for families in March, especially during Spring Break (March 10-17). Kids can try out mini-camps (March 12) where they’ll go behind the scenes with the Heard’s education animals, create nature art, explore rock and fossil collections, and more hands-on learning. Also at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of Spring Break week, families will learn about the animals in the continuing Animal Superheroes exhibit. Families will venture out onto the wetlands (March 3 & 15) for Family Canoe Try-It (reservations required). And learn about owls and their habitat during the Owl Prowl presentation and night hike (March 17; reservations required).

Enjoy Being Outdoors: Other outdoor activities this month include the Leaping Leprechaun 1K, 5K and 15K Race in Stonebridge (March 10), Classic Car Show at Tucker Hill (March 3), shopping at the last winter Farmers Market at Chestnut Square (March 17), and the monthly Third Monday Trade Days (March 16-18).

March Arts: As always, McKinney offers its fair share of concerts, plays, art gallery exhibits and lectures. The first winner of the McKinney Repertory Theatre’s Annual New Play Competition, Crossroads, debuts (March 2-3, 9-11) at the McKinney Performing Arts Center.  Also at MPAC, you can attend the “Silents on the Square” Film Festival featuring the Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ (March 17), Smiles Charity Concert featuring Craig Morgan (March 23), and the McKinney Community Band (free concert, but tickets/reservations required, March 31). (Tickets to all the MPAC events are available from the ticket office – 214-544-4630 – or online by clicking HERE.)

The Heard-Craig Center for the Arts hosts a free Art History Brown Bag lunch-time discussion (March 7) on Bierstadt`s Vision of the American West at the Carriage House (205-1/2 W. Hunt). And find your place in the spotlight by trying out for the upcoming McKinney Summer Musicals’ 2012 production of My Fair Lady (March 30-April 1). McKinney Community Concerts presents two shows in March – Shaken Not Stirred (March 3) and Mac Frampton (March 24) – both of which require season tickets, but individual tickets may be available by calling the day of the show.

Second Saturday on the Square: McKinney has become well-known for its Second Saturday events each month – art gallery exhibit openings, live music and late night shopping. The following are just a sampling of the artists with work on display this month:

• Garret Art Gallery: Lori Bongiovanni, a self-taught artist, who has evolved from a love of watercolors to a progression into oils and pastels. She is drawn to colorful local events and likes depicting county fairs, chili cook-offs, parades, etc. 111 E. Virginia St.
• Laura Moore Fine Art Studios: The four painters in this show, colleagues and friends through the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, are all interested in landscape as sources for their work. A free panel discussion takes place at 3 p.m. that day in the Heard-Craig Carriage House, but space is limited so register at lauramooreart.com. The opening night starts at 7 p.m. at LMFAS. 107 S. Tennessee.
• Orisons Art & Framing: The abstract images of photographer Ann Williams (pictured) will be featured at Orisons Art and Framing Gallery, with an opening reception on Second Saturday, 7-10 p.m. Williams’ images draw upon lines, shapes, and patterns in our everyday world, analyzed and reconfigured to tease our visual memories. 110 E. Louisiana.
• 2nd Saturday Magic Show: Head to Main Street Magic & Fun Company for a Cabaret Style Magic Show at 7 or 9 p.m. in our Magic Attic Theater. Tickets are only $10 and include a complimentary glass of wine for those 21 and older. Children are admitted to the 7 p.m. show. Seating is very limited so call 214-274-7802 to reserve your tickets. 211 N Tennessee Street.
• LaMisha Bistro: Local artist Becca Motley premiers her art at LaMisha this month.

Here Come the Brides: The Wells Hospitality Group (Rick’s Chophouse, the Grand Hotel and Sauce on the Square) will host a Bridal Open House (March 31).

Also in March: Crossroads Cowboy Church meeting at Myers Park (March 4) while Myers Park also hosts several dog agility shows this month (March 2-3, 9-11, and 31-April 1).

If you learn of something else going on in McKinney this month, please let us know. As always, you can learn more about McKinney’s events by visiting VisitMcKinney.com and by downloading our free Visit McKinney Texas Smartphone app. (For links to the Apple Store and Android Market, click HERE.)

Outdoor Weddings: Beating the Heat

McKinney has, for all intents and purposes, become the Wedding Capital of North Texas, due to our many non-traditional locations, from our unique historic venues to lush and scenic outdoor settings.

This bride at Myers Park chose to meet her groom at the altar by 4-wheeler.

Brides expect Texas summers to be  hot, so June, July and August brides often won’t plan much outdoors for fear of melting their wedding party and guests. However, this year, with weather forecasts showing no sign of an end to this heat, brides with September and October wedding dates may be a little nervous about record heat on their big days.

We asked McKinney wedding planner Wendy Kidd (Each & Every Detail) to provide a few tips to help brides with outdoor weddings deal with the heat:

“If your ceremony is outside, don’t forget about your guests’ comfort.  While they may not be out there long, the heat wave we’ve had is killer!  Sunscreen towelettes, programs in the shape of fans and customized water bottles are all great ways to help keep your guests cool.  If at all possible, position your outdoor ceremony so guests are sitting in the shade and not facing into the sun. If your wedding is in the early afternoon (the hottest part of the day), you may consider renting a tent for your outdoor space.  They can be less expensive than you think and many of the options for tents are not as necessary when used for just the ceremony.  Your guests will have a much better time if they don’t spend the reception recuperating from the heat!”

 –Wendy Kidd, owner and president of Each & Every Detail

And here is some information and a video, both from the Each & Every Detail blog, to show how special a McKinney wedding can be:

“Last year, Each & Every Detail donated its services to a little group called Collin County Event Professionals for a free wedding giveaway. The wedding package included almost everything from engagement photos to a horse carriage ride at the end.  We were so touched by how many other vendors donated their time and services. It was an amazing project to be involved in and we enjoyed every minute of working with Amy & Vic. The wedding was held on November 7, 2010, at the Chapel at Chestnut Square in McKinney, with the reception at the McKinney Performing Arts Center.  Each & Every Detail provided full wedding planning services, through lead planner Wendy Kidd.”

For more information about planning a wedding in McKinney, the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau staff can help you get started – free of charge – with room blocks, goody bags for your out-of-town guests, suggestions of venues based on guest list size, and more.  The certified wedding planner you choose can help you do the rest!

Call 214-544-1407 (or tollfree at 888-649-8499), email us at info@visitmckinney.com, or visit our wedding planning page online.

Special thanks to Wendy Kidd for her contribution to this blog entry!