October in McKinney: Fall Colors & Spooky Stuff

Grab a pumpkin and have a fun October in McKinney

Once again, we feel the hint of crispness in the air as our thoughts turn to all things autumnal –pumpkins, brilliant colors of changing leaves, and things that go bump in the night!

McKinney offers all these things and more. Check out the many activities in store for visitors and residents in McKinney in the month of October.

At the Heard Museum

October 2012 gets underway with the Oct. 2 opening of the annual Dinosaurs Live! exhibit at the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. T-Rex and his pals will be around until February, giving you plenty of time to see and hear these animatronic creatures, made right here in Collin County, by the way. Don’t forget the camera as family pictures with the dinos make great additions to annual holiday cards. (We know this first hand, as we at the McKinney CVB took our holiday picture with the T-Rex a few years back!)

Dinos return to the Heard Oct. 2

A little later this month at the Heard:

• Halloween at the Heard(Oct. 20, 6-10 p.m.) allows kids to trick-or-treat by flashlight along the nature trails, or take a detour to the “Haunted Forest” (not recommended for younger guests). There’s a costume contest (12 and under), concessions for purchase, and this year’s outdoor movie, “The Lorax.”  Tickets go on sale to members today (Oct.1) and to the general public on Oct. 8. Note: this event sells out fast!
• The monthly 2^nd Saturday Bird Walk (Oct. 13) allows bird and nature enthusiasts to explore the abundant bird life in the sanctuary. For more about birds and nature, watch this VIDEO.

Historic District Events

McKinney Community Band Free concert

Enjoy several entertainment options taking place in and around downtown McKinney this month:

• McKinney Repertory Theatre brings Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” (Oct. 5-6, 12-14) to the Courtroom Theater at the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC).
• A capella sensations Pentatonix(winners of the Nov. 2011 “Sing-Off” Season 3 on NBC) perform at MPAC this month (Oct. 18), but sorry, folks – this show’s already sold out!

• The McKinney Community Band honors Serenity High during their “After Ghoul Special” concert featuring bewitching music befitting the Halloween season. The concert is free, but tickets are needed as seating will fill up quick for this special night at MPAC. Get tickets HERE.
  

  Scare on the Square

• Kids will fill the square by the thousands for Scare on the Square (Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m.) featuring trick-or-treating, a costume contest, and the McKinney Fire Department McTown Klownz(performing at 6:30 p.m. in a free show at MPAC).
• Rocky Horror Picture Show (Oct. 19, 9-11 p.m) – The adults can enjoy some kid-free Halloween fun, too, as they rock along with this cult-classic. Bring your water guns, newspapers, toast, rice and more, or buy your Rocky Horror Kit when you buy your ticket to this late night event at MPAC.
• Vocalists are submitting videos now (through Oct. 11) for the McKinney Mash-Up with online voting starting soon (Oct.12-26). Contestants will be notified Oct. 29 with the event taking place next month at MPAC.

Over at Chestnut Square Historic Village, enjoy the following family-friendly events:

• Visit the last weekly Farmers Market (Oct. 13) Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon, before monthly markets start up.
• At Legends of McKinney Ghost Walk (Oct. 20 & 27), guests will learn about McKinney’s ghostly legends on a self-guided tour through McKinney’s purported haunted locales, including this year’s addition of a haunted trolley ride to Finch Park (additional fee applies).
• The city’s Parks department is hosting an outdoor showing of “The Hunger Games” at the McKinney Community Center (Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m.). You bring the lawn chair and/or blankets while the city provides the movie and free popcorn.

Jon Christopher Davis

McKinney At-Large

Fall fun isn’t just for the historic district. Check out these Fall events elsewhere in the city:

• Wales Manor Vineyard and Winery again welcomes Jon Christopher Davis and friends to the outdoor stage for Music Under the Stars (Oct. 6).
• Pumpkinville (Oct. 17-31) features a pumpkin patch, display of farm equipment from the Collin County Farm Museum, tractor-pulled hay rides (times vary by day), pumpkin decorating, games, picnicking, a toddler-sized hay maze, and more. Free admission with pumpkin sale proceeds benefiting McKinney Christian Academy.
• Visit Storybook’s Ghost Ranch and Pumpkin Patch (thru Oct. 31) for wagon rides, petting zoo, hay maze and more.

Charitable Causes

Go to Pumpkinville at Tucker Hill & see their incredible fountain

• The 4th annual Wish 100 (Oct. 6, 8 a.m.) in which the city partners with The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of North Texas, McKinney Velo and Matrix Cycling for a 60-mile ride through McKinney and surrounding communities to raise funds to help make wishes come true for children battling life-threatening medical conditions.
• A special Sunday Brunch at Gather (Oct. 14) benefits CASA. Reservations are recommended and a photo booth will be on-site for capturing the fun with your friends.
• Walkers and runners can help multiple charities at the Stonebridge Racers’ Halloween Hustle (Oct. 28) which features 1K, 5K and 15K races.

This event list may look extensive, but our website calendar is full of many others, including Second Saturday art gallery openings, Third Monday Trade Days and Old Red Lumberyard, classes, FFA shows, garden workshops, Scouting badge days and more!  As always, check VisitMcKinney.com and the Destination McKinney Texas Facebook page for more event information.

And if you don’t have our Smartphone app yet (for iPhone, iPad or Android) by all means, go HERE now and get it! You’ll be glad you did.

Unique By Nature? Yes, We Are!

On the nature trails at the Heard.

“What’s unique about it?”

That’s a question we frequently get at the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau. Those of who live here, know: it’s that “special something” that brought most of us here, the reason we chose to call it home.

McKinney’s 2012 Honor!

And Money Magazine obviously gets it, too, considering they just named our city the #2 Best Place to Live in America, up from #5 in 2010 and #14 in 2008. (They publish the list for cities our size every two years, and it is practically unheard of for a city to make three consecutive lists, much less move up in ranking each time.)

So what is unique about McKinney? That’ll take several blog entries to explain, so today, we’ll start with a word that is in that description – our nature (which was even incorporated in our logo in the way of a tree). Most cities have trees and nature; we know that. But McKinney’s nature is different.

A predator bird presentation at the Heard amphitheater

Over the years, those who have sculpted McKinney into what it is today have worked diligently to incorporate and preserve nature in as many ways as we can. In this blog entry, we talk about one of those special places where visitors and residents can enjoy nature to its fullest and most pristine.

The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary

The Heard, which will celebrate its 45^th  anniversary on Sept. 30, offers so many cool opportunities to enjoy nature, we are devoting an entire blog entry to it. (We’ll cover other McKinney nature in our next blog entry.)

Wetlands Eco-Adventures at the Heard

This museum was the vision of McKinney native Bessie Heard (1886-1988) who donated the land and started the museum back in 1967 when she was 80 years old. The beautiful 289-acre wildlife sanctuary on which the Heard Museum sits features more than six miles of natural walking and hiking trails, some more hilly than others as they wind through woodlands, prairies, and grasslands. More adventurous guests can even call ahead and schedule an Eco-Adventure (a canoe tour of the wetlands) or for groups of 10 or more, challenge themselves on the high and low elements of the ropes course in the Heard’s deciduous forest tree canopy.

Inside the Heard’s butterfly house

A nature museum displaying native wildlife and special exhibits also houses a store that kids and adults alike will enjoy exploring for books, maps, science tools, toys, T-shirts, and do-it-yourself kits of all kinds. Also on the property, guests will find a beautiful outdoor amphitheater where concerts, bird and wildlife lectures, and other events take place throughout the year. In the summer, the Heard’s Native Texas butterfly garden and butterfly house are filled with brilliantly-colored winged creatures and numerous species of flowers.

We recommend you peruse the Heard’s website to learn of all the educational programs and events they offer, including children’s camps, night hikes, birdwatching and tagging, snake feeding, the Animals of the World exhibit, as well as Spring, Halloween and Christmas events, and many more. And their science building and other facilities are available for church gatherings, meetings, weddings and other events.

Watch out for the spitting dino!

The pièce de résistance at the Heard, though, would have to be the Dinosaurs Live! event happening annually from fall into winter. (The animatronic dinosaurs will inhabit the sanctuary starting Oct. 2 this fall until Feb. 3, 2013.) Walk the nature trails to find them hiding along the paths, moving and making noise in natural settings. Their Halloween at the Heard event is especially thrilling for youngsters as they trick-or-treat along the nature trails at dusk, watch an outdoor movie and compete in a costume contest. But be careful – there is usually a water-spitting dino among them, always a favorite with the kids! Bring the camera to capture poses with the 46-foot T-Rex and his friends, who are all made right here in McKinney by Billings Productions.

The 46-foot tall T-Rex is a favorite among kids.

Whether you’re visiting us in McKinney, or that “special unique something” has caught you, too, and you’ve decided to call McKinney home, there is a little piece of nature for everyone.

More examples of how you can enjoy nature in our city will come in this blog entry’s sequel next week.

Visit McKinney Texas: Where to find us!

Remember “everything McKinney” is always at your fingertips with our Smartphone app. Links for downloading it to iPhone, iPad and Android can be found HERE. And if you need to check out McKinney on your computer, you can find us at our website or on Facebook and Twitter. We’re even working on growing a Pinterest page! And if you’d rather pick up the phone, you can contact the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau at 214-544-1407 or tollfree at 888-649-8499.

McKinney Loves Dogs!

One thing’s for sure – the people of McKinney sure do love their dogs. And they extend that love to visitors who love their dogs, too.

Krewe of Barkus Parade (Downtown McKinney)

People and their pups saw no better example of McKinney’s love for dogs than this past weekend at the annual Krewe of Barkus dog parade in downtown McKinney. The event in 2012 was the 10th year for the Art Institute of McKinney (AIM) to put on this Mardi Gras celebration, organized by McKinney artists and Louisiana natives Blynda Christian (pictured at left with her dog, the parade grand marshal Lady Godiva) and Amanda Kelly.

The parade is held the Sunday before Fat Tuesday each year with roughly 200 dogs and their owners dressing up in costume based on a theme.  Entrants decked out in their patriotic finery or as historic American figures (four-legged Betsy “Ruff,” the Statue of Liberty, George and Martha Washington and Uncle Sam, among others) paraded around the historic square with prize baskets going to those best entries meeting this year’s theme, “All American Barkus: A Salute to Presidents, Pioneers, and Pawtriots.”

Parade entrants threw candy and Mardi Gras beads to many of the 3,500 or so spectators while some even threw mini-dog treats to the couple hundred or more dogs who were just there enjoying the outing with their owners. Bowls of water sat on the sidewalk outside many stores sporting signs “Dogs Welcome – People, Too!” signs in their windows as many of the parade attendees and their pets lingered around the square, enjoying the beautiful warm day and blue skies.

After dispersing all the prizes, Blynda announced next year’s theme and date, expressing hopes for another glorious, unseasonably-warm February day.

“Mardi Gras falls early next year, on February 12, so our parade will be on Feb. 10. That’s pretty early and it’s been pretty cold a couple of  years, so everyone start praying now for another day like today,” she said. She then challenged participating dogs and families to start thinking about comic books, cartoons, superheroes and the like for a very animated Krewe of Barkus 2013. That should be a really good one – we can’t wait!

Dog Agility Competitions (Myers Park)

McKinney’s love for dogs isn’t reserved the one parade each year, though. Many weekends throughout the fall, winter and spring months, dogs are running through obstacle courses during scheduled agility trial competitions.  (The summer months are too hot for these shows as the arena isn’t air conditioned.) Some of these events are breed-specific while others are open to any breed of dog affiliated with a dog enthusiast or sporting group hosting competitions on a given weekend. Dallas Agility Working Group (DAWG), Gazehounds in Texas (GIT), Dallas Obedience Training Club, Happy Hounds and others host weekend-long events at Myers Park & Event Center that are open to spectators free of charge. (Click on the calendar on the Myers Park website for details.)

Visitors or residents looking for a fun way to spend an hour or two of relaxed fun may want to head north of University/380 to Myers Park. It’s a beautiful area of our county just on the northern edge of McKinney with rolling hills, open spaces, and plenty of parking. Bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy with the family near the shores of the pond at the park, or opt for snacks at the concession stand inside the arena with its packed-dirt floors.

Dog lovers will get a kick out of watching small and large breeds alike running (or sometimes walking, as dogs newer to the sport sometimes do) through the courses as fast as their little legs can carry them. Jack Russell terriers, border collies, labs, retrievers and even chihuahuas seem to be especially well-suited to these types of competitions, but other breeds can surprise you. Even a low-to-the-ground dachshund can finish in good time! Basset hounds might be a little different story, being typically a little slower than most when it comes to running, but they are not entirely strangers to the dog agility arena. After the races, some dog owners even treat their pooches to a doggy massage (a massage therapist is often on-hand at these events) or buy them a new toy or treat from the doggie-oriented vendors set up at the event.

McKinney Businesses  Go to the Dogs

Like many cities, the parks and neighborhood sidewalks are filled with people taking their dogs for daily exercise. This holds true for McKinney as well. The historic downtown square is especially dog-friendly with several shops, an art gallery or two, and the sidewalk dining areas of some of the eateries welcoming dogs.

Some of the business owners even bring their pups to work with them. If you stop in at Stone Wood Creators, make sure to scratch the ear of Tom Lavy’s pup, Tater. Or if handling bicycling business at Cadence Cyclery, say “hi” to Ridley (pictured at right). And if you’re lucky, you may even see a sweet little schnauzer peek out from under his owner’s desk at The Book Gallery.

McKinney even has its own pet treat bakery, the Canine Cookie Company, just a half-block off the downtown square proper. Dogs are always welcome here, since everything sold there is meant for them – healthy homemade dog treats, toys, leashes and collars, and even birthday cakes (available by special order). Click HERE for a video produced by the city’s television station, McKinneyVision, that explores this special downtown business.

New Year, New Opportunities

We hope 2012 is off to a great start for you and, we want to challenge you to try something new this year. Sign up for a class to learn a new skill, attend an event you’ve never attended, or try that restaurant you’ve always wanted to try, but have never managed to step in the door.  We see the new year as a chance for new opportunities, and we plan to relish in them and take them on! Now here’s what you have to look forward to in this first month of 2012.

Learn Something New!
January is chock full of opportunities to try something new or take on new hobbies, so why not challenge yourself!

• Adults can consider Intuitive Painting (ongoing), crazy patchwork quilting (1/16) and more at The Artist’s Loft on the downtown square.
• Kids in grades 1-8 can take part in free weekly dance classes, presented by Chamberlain Performing Arts, at the Boys & Girls Club while those 7-14 can take a Discover Art class (1/6) at the McKinney Community center or a variety of “Discover” classes including art, African culture, and modeling at Old Settler’s Park Rec Center.
• Also at Old Settler’s every Saturday at 10 a.m., ages 10 and up are invited to be part of the hand drum circle where they’ll learn the art of hand drumming; drums are provided for those who don’t have them. The sponsoring organization, Drums Not Guns, also hosts a Fourth Friday Night Drum Circle in Mitchell Park (Church/Louisiana) from 7-10 p.m. each month.
• Learn how to be “green” at the Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop ($50 each; 1/21) offered by the city’s Office of Environmental Stewardship and AgriLife Extension office; participants will make their own rain barrel for use in collecting and using rain water.

Claim the Spotlight
Those craving the spotlight have the opportunity to audition for three stage productions this month:

•  ”Hairspray” and “Dear Edwina,” (McKinney Youth Theatre, 1/13-21); productions are later this spring.
• “Crossroads,” (McKinney Repertory Theatre, 1/13-14); production is in March.

Or pretend to be an Olympic ice skater while twirling on the ice during the Winter Blast at the Dr Pepper Star Center (1/28).

Appreciate the Arts...and Animals
Performance and visual art enthusiasts can take in an art exhibit opening, a musical or a night of comedy during this first month of 2012.

• The McKinney Youth Theatre presents the “Wizard of Oz” at the Heard-Craig Performance Hall (1/13-22).
• Second Saturday (1/14) features a new exhibit opening of Elizabeth McDonald at Laura Moore Fine Art Studios, while the Garret Art Gallery holds over their popular miniatures exhibit and sale from December. Orisons Art & Framing features the wildlife portraits of K.D. Hafley (pictured). Live musical performances are on tap at the eateries and wineries on the square and over at Hank’s Texas Grill.
• Also during Second Saturday, enjoy the sounds of two bands – “The Patient Patient” and “Taylor Thrash” during the Winter Jam, a fundraiser for New Life Church of McKinney’s College Ministries (at MPAC, 1/14).
• The Four Funny Females (pictured right) return to the Courtroom Theatre at the McKinney Performing Arts Center for the first of three early 2012 shows (1/21).
• The McKinney Community Concert Association presents the 3 Inspirational Tenors at Faubion Middle School (1/7). These are annual membership performances, but call 972-542-2960 prior to the show to see if any tickets might be available.
• And don’t forget! The dinosaurs are still stationed along the nature trails at the Heard Natural Science Museum through Jan. 29. While there, check out the Animal Superheroes indoor exhibit as well.

Here Comes the Bride
McKinney Performing Arts Center will host its second “Walk Down the Aisle of History” Bridal Show (1/21) featuring a wide variety of the vendors and venues that help make McKinney the “Wedding Capital of North Texas.”

Unique Shopping
McKinney’s monthly shopping opportunities are back, of course, with TreasureSpotters being open 1/7-8, and Third Monday Trade Days taking place 1/13-15. (Old Red Lumberyard will not have a January market.)

Go, Dog, GO!
Myers Park & Event Center starts off the year with a full calendar including a livestock show and a handful of dog agility shows. All are free for spectators and a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon with the family, especially those with kids who love animals!

• Collin County Livestock Show (1/4-7)
• Happy Hounds Dog Show (1/14-15)
• Alamo Area Whippet Dog Show (1/21-22)
• Lone Star Poodle Club Dog Show (1/21-22)
• Texas Kennel Club Dog Show (1/28-19)

For more information, visit the Myers Park calendar.

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.)

Unique by Nature, Unique by Design

Greetings from McKinney, Texas, and welcome to our first VisitMcKinneyTexas blog! We’re a fast-growing community situated 30 miles north of Dallas. We pride ourselves on our unique qualities: a well-preserved and quite large historic district (over 1400 buildings, both commercial and residential), our parks and open spaces, our “green” initiatives, and our Texas hospitality.

A scene from McKinney's Hometown July 4th parade around the historic downtown square.

From the quaint historic downtown square (complete with courthouse in the center, circa 1875) on our east side to the healthy living and athletic-oriented Craig Ranch area on the west side, McKinney truly offers something for everyone.

Through this blog, we’ll be sharing aspects of our community from the people who know it best – shop owners, wedding planners/venue management, “green” experts, arts community members, restaurateurs, historians, and more. Watch for new entries at first every couple of weeks, and building to weekly as our following grows. Look for upcoming information on McKinney as:

• A growing & thriving arts community including our art galleries, stage productions and live music.
• An eclectic shopping & dining center.
• The wedding capital of north Texas.
• A health-conscious community encouraging personal fitness, athletic competition, and healthy living.

We’re also open to suggestions, so if there is a topic you’d like to see covered in our blog that relates to McKinney, to Texas, or any related topic a visitor to our area would find interesting, please submit it to us and we’ll see what we can do to get the topic covered in the near future.

Thank you for stopping by our new blog, and we look forward to providing you with some information that’ll both inform and entertain you… that’ll help you understand why McKinney isn’t only “Unique by Nature,” but also “Unique by Design.”

For more information about McKinney, go to VisitMcKinney.com.

You can also download a free Smartphone app for iPhone, iPad or Droid by clicking this link: http://tinyurl.com/VisitMcKinneyApp.