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Carlson, Paula Clark, Marty Flynn, Bethany Hart, Richard Lin & Faruk Sabbagh.
8
20 THE CULTURAL ARTS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
24 KELLIE RASBERRY & ALLEN EVANS: BLENDED FAMILY AND DECOR STYLE
27 BEST OF CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
28 DELENA NEGUSE ON THE MIC DROP REBRAND
31 PLANO’S SUPER SENIORS
PLANOMAGAZINE.COM | editor@planomagazine.com sales@planomagazine.com | 214.560.4205
PRESIDENT Jehadu Abshiro | COO Alessandra Quintero
EDITOR Alyssa High | COLUMNIST Delina Neguse
DESIGNERS Jynnette Neal | Lauren Allen
SALES Frank McClendon | Linda Kenney | Brandon Rodriguez| Kennedy Cox
Dear readers,
At the heart of our city is a movement — or a series of movements. It’s a children’s ballet. A comedic musical. A TikTok-ified opera. The cultural arts scene is as diverse as the city itself, so we’ve taken the time in this issue to celebrate just some of the ways we take in the arts in our city. We’ve also presented our Best Of Culture and Entertainment winners, voted on by you, our readers.
Arts in the news: The Cultural Arts Comprehensive Plan will be presented to the City Council soon, with a date TBD.
-Alyssa High, editor
Upcoming arts events:
May 3 - Plano
AsiaFest is returning to Haggard Park with family-friendly performances, vendors and demonstrations of Asian artistic traditions like calligraphy, martial arts, origami and fashion.
May 17 - PSO will bring orchestra to Red Tail Pavilion for a BYOB event with food available from Cousins Maine Lobster.
May 31-September 7 - Williams High School students’ interactive exhibit will be on display at SPARK! in South Dallas.
June 20 - Legally Blonde the Musical is coming to the Courtyard Theatre from the Repertory Company Theatre.
With only two seasons to go before shifting into emeritus status, Guzmán has several major goals he’d still like to hit, including PSO’s first international concert, a professional recording and finding his successor.
GREAT MUSIC SURVIVES
Maestro Héctor Guzmán has conducted Plano Symphony Orchestra for nearly half a century story by Alyssa High | photography by Ethan Good
By the time Héctor Guzmán steps down from his position as music director of the Plano Symphony Orchestra at the end of the 2026-2027 season, he will have led the ensemble for more than four decades. The first music director of the orchestra, Guzmán has not only seen the growth that the organization has had over the nearly 50-year tenure, he’s facilitated it.
“It’s been a good ride, a good journey,” Guzmán says, seated in the Plano Symphony’s headquarters, a building the orchestra now owns — a far cry from its modest beginnings. “I will probably be involved with [PSO] for the rest of my life. I live five minutes from here. My kids grew up here. I now have two grandchildren, and they live pretty close.”
Music has been central to Guzmán’s life as long as he can remember. His father and grandfather were musicians, and his early life was surrounded by it. When Guzmán was 5 years old, his father moved the family to Mexico City, recognizing his music talent and enabling him to pursue formal music education.
Guzmán began playing piano at age 6. The organ once he was tall enough to reach the pedals. By 17, he was already conducting.
After studying at the Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, he moved to Texas to study under the musical idol, Anshel Brusilow, who was the director of orchestral studies at the University of North Texas at the time. He earned his degree in organ performance while working on his conducting skills at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under thenConductor Emeritus Eduardo Mata.
When Brusilow accepted a teaching position at Southern Methodist University, Guzmán followed him, working on a master’s degree and seeking out opportunities to conduct.
It was then that Brusilow encouraged him to apply for a newly-created Plano Chamber Orchestra. And the deadline was that day.
After a long application process, Guzmán became the music director at only 26 years old.
“It was difficult, but I didn’t know it,” Guzmán says. “I made some mistakes along the way, but I’ve learned from them. It was a very exciting time in my life.”
Now, over 40 years later, he’s watched the city of Plano change and helped the orchestra grow along with it.
The Plano Chamber Orchestra had 35 musicians, a three-concert season and a small community to serve.
Today, the now-called Plano Symphony Orchestra has over 75 musicians, around 12 concerts per season and an audience beyond the nearly 300,000 people that call Plano home today.
“Plano has seen tremendous growth, and so has the Plano Symphony Orchestra. Our budget, the first year, was $1,500 a year. I didn’t get paid,” Guzmán says. “Nowadays, our budget is almost $3 million a year, which makes us a regional orchestra as far as the budget is concerned.”
While many things have changed for the orchestra, some problems have remained the same. Without a dedicated space, the orchestra has operated “like nomads.”
First, they played at Fellowship Bible Church North, then the Eismann Center and now the Plano ISD Robinson Fine Arts Center.
are declared and invited to perform with the full orchestra at a concert.
“We hope that these kids would not only play or become professional musicians, but also become our audience because they’ve been nurtured since very young,” Guzmán says. “We want to nurture not only future musicians, but future audiences because if we don’t we won’t survive.”
Recently at a local restaurant, Guzmán was approached by a man in scrubs. He asked if he was Maestro Guzmán and recalled how he’d been a winner of the youth competition decades ago. Now, he’s a heart surgeon, but he still attends the orchestra.
“He said, ‘Thank you for that because that helped me in my career.’ He introduced me to his kids and thanked me for the opportunity,” Guzmán says. “I felt like what I’ve done is worth it. That made it worth it. Forty years of sacrifice and you see somebody like that and you go, ‘You’ve done good.’”
WE WANT TO NURTURE NOT ONLY FUTURE BUTMUSICIANS, FUTURE
AUDIENCES
BECAUSE IF WE DON’T WE WON’T SURVIVE.
“The acoustics are fabulous, really wonderful, so when we moved from the Eismann to the Robinson, that really made a huge difference,” he says. “The sound is so good in there for the orchestra that we are now, after almost 40 years, beginning to have our own sound.”
Aside from the growth of the orchestra, Guzmán says that the educational programs are where PSO shines.
“It’s very encouraging to see the education aspect of our symphony grow and develop as it has for many years,” he says. “We have a very healthy education program. It’s the envy of many in our industry nationwide because it’s very involved.”
Last season, the orchestra played for almost 18,000 children across 12 concerts, with 40-45 minute concerts with small ensembles, themed storytelling elements, interactive and multimedia elements to provide hands-on education with the children, female-composer series and popup concerts at community events.
Perhaps Guzman’s favorite, he recalls, is the young artist competition. For the last 25 or so years, the orchestra has hosted a competition for children 18 and under, where three winners
In October, PSO is playing their first international concert at Guzmán’s alma mater, the Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. And the orchestra is working on their first professional recording.
He hopes the PSO will continue to grow to the level of the major orchestras in Dallas and Fort Worth. But whatever comes next, he’s confident the orchestra is in good hands.
“Our musicians are at home with the classics, but they enjoy playing the pops, Broadway, opera, ballet music, music for small places, music for kids. They enjoy everything, and that, I think, is quite unique,” he says. “So we’re very fortunate. They’re not only talented, but they’re also eager to play whatever music you put in front of them, and I think it’s a joy. Not every orchestra does that.”
Though he stil has several seasons to go, a successor to find and a lifetime of goals for the orchestra beyond that, it always comes back to the music for him.
“Great music survives no matter what. It survives wars. It survives pandemics. It survives tragedies. Because it touches the human heart like nothing else. The human soul. When you hear a symphony by Beethoven or Brahms or Bach written almost 300 years ago, it still does something to your brain and then to your heart.”
A TASTE OF
OF DUBAI
How one cafe owner created a menu for Plano’s diverse cultures
story by Alyssa High | photography by Kathy Tran
WHEN TARIQ ALKAFAWEEN MOVED FROM DUBAI TO PLANO IN 2018 , he quickly realized something was missing from his mornings: a strong, spiced cup of karak tea.
A staple across the Middle East, karak is a black tea simmered with cardamom, cinnamon and saffron, then enriched with evaporated milk until it thickens into a creamy, aromatic brew. It’s a drink often shared at gatherings and sipped during morning rituals – far more than just a caffeine fix.
“Dallas has become one of the biggest cities for expats coming overseas,” Alkafaween says. “Middle Eastern, Indian, Pakistani people … their cuisine was not as available as it is right now. It’s the top tea in the Middle East. There was a demand but no supply.”
Though his background was in IT and finance – he worked as a licensed trader back in Dubai – Alkafaween saw a gap in the local food scene and felt inspired to fill it. In 2024, he opened Karak Tea Bakery and Cafe in Plano’s West Park Village.
The cafe centers around karak, made from loose-leaf tea imported from Dubai and brewed in-house – no shortcuts, no tea bags. But it’s more than just a tea stop.
Handmade flatbreads called manakeesh (also spelled manakish) are baked fresh each morning in a custom-built brick oven. They come topped with classic Middle Eastern flavors or fused with other culinary traditions – think margherita-style or
chicken tikka twists ($4.99-$9.99). The menu also includes flaky samosas, paratha rolls ($5.99-9.99), syrupsoaked knafeh and fresh-squeezed juices ($6.99 for a regular or $8.99 for a large).
Though Alkafaween adjusts traditional menu items to fit the tastes of the diverse community, he stays true to his Dubai roots by keeping up with the trends. Mango knafeh has been all the rage, he says, so it was added to the menu. Dubai chocolate is on the way as well.
“We make everything from scratch here. We’re trying to make it natural and clean as much as we can,” he says. “We don’t add any chemicals. We don’t add any enhancements. We don’t add any softener. We use just the basics [for our dough] which is flour, milk, water and sugar. That’s it.”
Even the cafe’s atmosphere was carefully considered. Designed to feel like a modern hotel lobby, the space features cozy seating nooks and vibrant decor – perfect for snapping a photo or settling in for a long chat. While tea is the main attraction, espresso drinks are also on the menu for those who prefer coffee.
For Alkafaween, the goal was simple: to bring a taste of home to a new place, and to create a space where people – expats and locals alike – could connect over something warm, familiar and comforting.
Karak Tea Bakery and Cafe, 469.931.2040, 1820 Coit Road, karakteadallas.com
Zato
THE HOUSE THAT HISTORY BUILT
Heritage Farmstead Museum’s 1891 build is a peek into early Plano life story by
The home is filled with a combination of period-accurate pieces collected from homes in the area and Ammie Wilson’s own furniture.
Alyssa High|photography by Lauren Allen
Just off of Plano Parkway, alongside fast food establishments and office buildings, a nineteenth century farmhouse stands as a museum and careful preservation of the beginnings of Plano itself. But it’s more than a donkey named Poncho and a handful of sheep. The carefully preserved home on the farmstead not only tells the stories of drama-filled families, it gives a glimpse into the craftsmanship of the past and highlights the important work of preserving properties like these.
The tale of the beginnings of the house really starts with a character named Hunter Farrell, who first showed up in the local papers getting into bar fights in the 1880s.
“His biggest claim to fame was that he got involved with a married woman and was trying to steal her away from her husband. It’s a whole thing,” Museum Collections Manager Emily Duval says. “The husband finds them in bed together, draws a gun, ends up shooting his wife. Wife dies, Hunter lives.”
Around this time, Farrell meets and marries Mary Alice, who was divorced — uncommon at the time, though not for the ladies of this house, we will soon find out — and had a 10ish-yearold daughter named Ammie.
The now-called Ammie Wilson House is believed to have started as what we now call a “kit home” — though before Sears Roebuck popularized the concept. Farrell likely selected from a few plans in a catalog, then received pre-cut lumber by rail for local builders to assemble
on-site. Unlike today’s newbuilds, customization like paint color and wallpaper wouldn’t be a part of this deal. All personal touches would be added later.
After the house was built, the three moved in together.
It would be hard to imagine the late-Victorian as it was, a 1891 build with a 360acre farm that spread from Plano Parkway to Westwood, if it weren’t for the preservation efforts headed by the Plano Heritage Association and Heritage Farmstead Museum.
When Ammie got older, she married a railroad surgeon named Woodsy Lynch, and they moved away to West Texas. Mary Alice and Hunter Farrell got a divorce, leaving the Plano home to Ammie.
Around 1914, Ammie’s marriage fell apart. She accused Lynch of drug addiction; he accused her of infidelity.
Ammie got divorced and married Dudley Wilson, an engineer. She returned to the Plano home with Dudley and George, a young son from her marriage to Lynch, in tow.
“When Miss Ammie had her second husband move in, she’s like, ‘Dude, can you just live above the kitchen? I’m too old to share a room with you.’”
Now, you can walk into the simple frame house and into a formal parlor. Duval says this is where the good china would come out, where suitors and salesmen would sit and where the woman of the home would entertain.
“All the walls are shiplap covered in paper. It’s a little bit much to the modern eye,
This room would have been the primary entertainment space of the home, holding the most impressive pieces. While this wallpaper is reproduced to look more time-period accurate, the busy colors and patterns are reflective of the significance of grandiose decor on perceived social status.
Stepping into the entry of the home, the museum has collected a series of news clippings on the house and original family, displayed in a case on the right.
but this was what was in style,” Duval says. “You wanted it to look fancy in the candlelight at night.”
The paper seen in the room today is a reproduction, as the original was removed before the homestead became a museum.
The sofa, marble-top tables and bookcase belonged to Ammie. The bookcase is an early 1900s combination desk and bookshelf. It is believed that the needlepoint upholstery on the chairs was done by Ammie herself.
Picture rails were both a design feature and a practical solution — allowing families to switch out wall art without cracking plaster. Art in this room includes a hair wreath made from the hair of the maker’s friends and favorite horse, which Duval says was popular before photography as a way to memorialize loved ones, living or dead. A horseshoe symbol pointing down on the wreath
indicates it was made from living individuals, she says. The room also features a portrait of Mary Alice, Ammie’s mother, and Ammie when she was a child, which was painted based on an early photograph.
The original home didn’t have air conditioning or plumbing. Instead, above each door is a transom window, which has small, horizontal planes that open to allow airflow.
The home’s layout nearly resembles the “American Four Square” that would become popular later, with doors throughout the home guiding you in a circular pattern from room to room.
Across the main hall from the formal parlor is the men’s equivalent to Miss Ammie’s parlor room. It features a grand piano. Though not owned by Ammie, the piano comes from a different house in the area from the same time period. The keys are real ivory, highlighting the
significance of a piano in the upper class parlor. Learning to play likely would have been a large part of Ammie’s education.
The ground floor also has an unusual feature — a bedroom. Most bedrooms of the time would have been upstairs, so the room may have been used for someone of lower status or a sick or elderly resident. The room features mixed wood elements with intricate embellishments, demonstrating the significance of craftsmanship juxtaposed to today’s mass production.
Notably, there would have been no toilet in the original home. Indoor plumbing wouldn’t arrive until around 1905, and chamber pots near a window would be a fixture of every bedroom.
The kitchen is quaint, and Ammie likely did not spend much time there. An ice box and Hooser cabinet, along with a coal-
Radio started broadcasting in the area in the 1920s, and many families held these devices as a focal point of their parlors. This one has an ear trumpet, probably used by someone hard of hearing to listen, Duval says.
Electricity was added to the home later, along with plumbing. Prior to that, Ammie would have utilized candle light and chamber pots. Duval says the home’s seemingly grandiose design was centered around how the room looked under candle light.
burning stove, furnish the room. The adjacent dining room is much more grandiose, with china that was hand-painted by Ammie, and dishes and silverware that were accurate to the period that the museum has collected over time.
In the 1930s, a sleeping porch was added. Many at the time thought the fresh night air to be a remedy for anything from insomnia to tuberculosis. In 1933, Ammie’s son George died due to complications
from alcoholism. Her mother died a year later.
Shortly after, Ammie shifted her focus to raising sheep and turned out to be quite good at it. Though an atypical hobby to start at 61 years old, she won her first Grand Champion title five years later. She spent the rest of her life winning prizes around the country for her purebred Hampshires, and most of the remaining farmland was devoted to the care of these creatures.
The upstairs bedrooms, also utilizing the circular architecture intending one to move from one bedroom to the next, were likely shuffled among residents as the home changed over the years. One room is now devoted to all of Ammie’s sheep-related accolades (and perhaps some of her tall tales).
She may have some embellished stories of the caliber of her poker parties. Or varying excitement surrounding her episode of What’s My Line? More of her tales can be found in a book inspired by her and her mother, Never a Good Girl.
Outside of the home, the farmstead inclused a butcher/ curing shed for preserving meat, a carriage house to store a horsedrawn carriage, a greenhouse with a root cellar, a storm shelter circa 1930, barns, a 30-foot well supplemented by a windmill, stone walkways and plenty of room for sheep and other animals.
In 1968, her husband Dudley died from injuries sustained in a car accident while traveling to the Iowa State Fair with Ammie, who was airlifted back to Dallas.
When Ammie could no longer care for the land, it was sold to two orphan societies, who briefly used the home as an orphanage. After Ammie died around 1972, developers bought the land, and the home was taken back to its believed 1890s appearance, including the reproduction wallpaper and the original pre-yellow exterior colors.
So next time you come to Heritage Farmstead Museum for Lights on the Farm during the holidays or alongside young children eager to learn about farm animals, take a peek at the home on the property. Behind the floral wallpaper and faded photographs is more than a family’s history — it’s a blueprint of Plano’s beginnings, preserved one creaking floorboard at a time.
85+ community participants in the planning proess
PLANO’S RENAISSANCE
THE CREATION OF A CULTURAL ARTS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND NEXT STEPS
story by Alyssa High
Though touted as the quintessential mega-suburb full of corporate offices and “home to posh soccer moms with $1,000 baby strollers,” the cultural arts community has been working for nearly a decade to establish the city as one full of art, culture and entertainment.
The effort gained momentum when Downtown Plano was officially designated by the State of Texas as a cultural arts district in 2016. Since then, organizations like the Collaborative Arts of Plano (CAP) have been advocating for a comprehensive strategy to support artists, expand creative programming and align city development with cultural needs.
Last year, CAP’s efforts started to bear fruit, and a City of Plano Cultural Arts Comprehensive Plan was set in motion.
After 12 months of stakeholder interviews, community surveys and input from artists, institutions and the public, the Cultural Arts Plan was drafted with five strategic goals highlighted for the City to focus on and suggestions for how to go forward.
organizations citywide 3 new cultural hubs proposed
A drafted plan was released in March, highlighting key areas for future plans to focus on:
1. S upport and retain creative talent through job creation, professional development and equitable funding.
2. I ncrease arts access for all by expanding public programming, increasing cultural funding in under-resourced areas and leveraging technology to broaden participation.
3. E nhance arts education by promoting partnerships with schools, arts organizations and local governments.
4. C elebrate and preserve cultural heritage by recognizing diversity, lifting up local stories, strengthening infrastructure, adjusting funding mechanisms and zoning policies, and investing in physical and digital long-term cultural spaces.
On March 3, the community gathered in that theater once more – though this time not to watch young ballerinas, but to watch an arts consultant deliver a PowerPoint version of the drafted plan. Those in attendance were able to give input before the final version is submitted to City Council for approval. After a period of input from the public, City Council will deliberate, and funding strategies and pilot programs will be in the beginning stages of creation.
A common concern: the plan doesn’t include concrete steps or timelines. But consultants and commissioners were quick to clarify – that’s intentional. This document isn’t a road map. It’s a vision statement, a manifesto for cultural equity and access. And implementation won’t happen through zoning tweaks or funding alone.
“We plan to extort all of you, to invite you, to encourage you to advocate not only for adoption of this plan but for its implementation,” says Martin Cohen, a consultant on the project. “And when budget items come up to City Council to express your support, reinforcing the idea that it’s not just artists and arts organizations asking for City Council action but rather it now has the imprimatur of the community and of this extensive community process.”
Building an arts ecosystem isn’t just about murals and museums — it’s about creating a city where everyone sees themselves reflected.
“The arts are not a luxury – they’re a lifeline for connection, creativity and community,” the plan says. “The community dreams of a city where creativity thrives in both traditional venues and unexpected places, where public art energizes shared spaces, and where cultural programming mirrors and celebrates diversity.”
Lack of awareness from public of arts events
KEY ISSUES
Lack of funding coordinated arts marketing program
Lack of public art
reinstituting a percent-forart policy and developing mural guidelines
restructuring grant policies to be more equitable and accessible for smaller nonprofits and individual artists
Loose government role in community arts
consolidating cultural and arts governmental positions into an Office of Creative Life and widening role of Cultural Arts Commission
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We’re lucky to live in one of the best cities in the U.S. (in our humble opinion), and that has a lot to do with the Realtors ® who champion our city and value our property. To recognize them, here are Plano Magazine’s 2024 Top Realtors in Plano.
Plano Magazine’s annual Top Realtor special section recognizes the Top 5% of all active neighborhood Realtors, determined by reported sales volume.*
TOP 25
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RW Properties
Jan Webb
Keller Williams Central
Charles Weiblen
Archwood Properties
Rachel Wester
Acquisto Real Estate
Damon Williamson
Agency Dallas Park Cities, LLC
Jennifer Wolfe
Ebby Halliday, Realtors
Zheng Yang
Citiwide Properties Corp.
Yaron Yashar
Fathom Realty, LLC
Challenger School offers uniquely fun and academic classes for preschool to eighth-grade students. Our students learn to think for themselves and to value independence.
Independence (PS–G3) (469) 642-2000 10145 Independence Parkway, Plano Legacy (PS–K) (469) 573-0077 6700 Communications Parkway, Plano
BLENDING FAMILIES & DECOR
Kellie
Rasberry and Allen Evans
talk mixing families on the pod and decor styles in the mag
story by Alyssa High | photography by Lauren Allen
When Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show co-host Kellie Rasberry Evans was growing up in South Carolina, her mother’s friend — a professional decorator — offered a memorable piece of advice:
“You have to have one piece of Asian art in your house, and you have to have something red.”
That idea stuck.
Over the years, Kellie began collecting pieces inspired by the elegance and symbolism of Asian art, whether at local consignment boutiques or chain decor stores.
The first of these pieces sits in her entryway still today.
A Hooker Furniture Asian Cabinet, hand-paint -
This 19th-century Chinese cabinet was found at a consignment store, Rasberry says. The delicate lattice sliding doors hide extra entertainment supplies.
Throughout the home, Chinese guardian lions also known as foo dogs or fu dogs are found on lamps and other decor.
ed in a rich, red color, is the anchor for the home’s aesthetic.
When she married Allen Evans in 2018 and the pair moved into a home together, blending their families and styles, his fit right in.
Together, they co-host A Sandwich and Some Lovin’, a podcast originally created to discuss the blending of the two families — which turned Kellie’s one-child house to a family of six — and now to talk about relationships, family dynamics and everyday experiences.
They record in an office/studio that blends their hobbies and interests, with Allen’s love of Japanese-style tattoos and toy motorcycle collection and their combined array of books. Even here, you can see nods to Asian art and pops of red, like their Plano Profile cover, the last of the publication of that title.
Throughout the rest of the home, unique Asian-inspired finds, red details and functionality are a recurring theme. To a careful eye, fu dogs can be found in nearly every room.
Some are antiques. Others are HomeGoods finds. It’s a careful balance of “I’ve gotta have thats” to avoid being kitch-y. In their living room bar, there’s a hand-drawn tattoo of Kellie by Allen, with a nickname “Two-Drink Kellie” after a piece of advice she was given to reduce social anxiety.
“It all goes back to that woman saying, ‘You have to have at least one Asian thing’ and for some reason that stuck in my brain,” Kellie says. “I just love it. I think it’s beautiful.”
In the Evanses office, his love for tattoos and their shared interest in motorcycles are evidence of the blended home. The pair’s podcast is sponsored by Can-Am, and the two can often be spotted going for rides on less busy streets or out to the country.
In the dining room, a 19th-century Chinese kitchen cabinet found at a consignment store holds extra liquor and cocktail supplies. There are four intricately carved top doors adorned with calligraphy and delicate lattice sliding doors frame the bottom of the cabinet.
Red details go into the kitchen, which was renovated by the previous owner who was a professional chef, Allen says. Though the appliances are “lost on [them],” the red Viking oven blends into the home’s eclectic style.
Outside is Allen’s domain. The two host a huge Memorial Day party every year, and the lively plants and Asian themes persist into the backyard entertainment space.
He cut trees in a bonsai-like formation, planted Japanese maples, filled the in-between areas with dichondras and found potted, seasonal colorful offerings. Of course, Kellie has hidden little figures around the area.
CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
BEST BOWLING ALLEY
WINNER - PINSTACK
2ND - PLANO SUPER BOWL
3RD - MAIN EVENT ENTERTAINMENT
BEST DANCE STUDIO
WINNER - PLANO METROPOLITAN BALLET
2ND - 410 LINE DANCERS
3RD - KJ DANCE PLANO
BEST EVENT VENUE
WINNER - COURTYARD THEATER
2ND - HERITAGE FARMSTEAD MUSEUM
3RD - THE NATURE & RETREAT CENTER
BEST EVENT/FESTIVAL IN THE PAST YEAR
WINNER - PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL
2ND - DICKENS IN DOWNTOWN PLANO
3RD - DEERFIELD LIGHTS
BEST MUSEUM
WINNER - HERITAGE FARMSTEAD MUSEUM
2ND - PLANO’S AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
3RD - INTERURBAN RAILWAY MUSEUM
BEST OUTING ON A BUDGET
WINNER - THUNDERBIRD ROLLER RINK
2ND - PLANO CITY PARKS
3RD - HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PLANO
BEST PLACE TO EXPLORE PLANO’S PAST
WINNER - HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PLANO
2ND - HERITAGE FARMSTEAD MUSEUM
3RD - INTERURBAN RAILWAY MUSEUM
BEST PLACE IN PLANO TO TAKE KIDS ON A RAINY DAY
WINNER - THUNDERBIRD ROLLER RINK
2ND - CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE
3RD - CINEMARK WEST PLANO XD AND SCREENX
BEST PLACE TO HEAR LIVE MUSIC
WINNER - THE LEXUS BOX GARDEN AT LEGACY HALL
2ND - LOVE AND WAR IN TEXAS
3RD - SAMBUCA 360
BEST THEATER COMPANY
WINNER - NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS
2ND - GENESIS CHILDREN’S THEATRE
3RD - ART CENTRE THEATRE
BEST WAY TO GET ARTSY
WINNER - PLANO METROPOLITAN BALLET
2ND - PAINTING WITH A TWIST
3RD - PLANO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
BEST WAY TO GET YOUR HEART RATE UP
WINNER - DARK HOUR HAUNTED HOUSE
2ND - ASSASSINATION CITY ROLLER DERBY
3RD - GO APE TREETOP ADVENTURES
IBECOMING MIC DROP
New management brings ‘boutique’ experience to Plano
story by Delina Neguse|photography by Lauren Allen
Comedian Daryl Felsberg opened up for Shelly Belly at an April show.
first attended Mic Drop Comedy prior to its renovations, and this club was and will continue to be my favorite in the Dallas area. When it was formerly The Plano House of Comedy, I had come to see Gianmarco Soresi on three occasions and even had the honor to perform stand-up comedy myself twice in 2024. After interviewing Britainy Goss, the club’s local booker, she provided me the opportunity to come back in the latter half of April 2025 to perform under the Mic Drop lights for the very first time.
Kicked off with an intimate ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mic Drop celebrated the conclusion of a monthlong project that entailed a wall to ceiling refurbishment of the club’s interior in January. Upon walking inside, customers are greeted with a bar area that provides a modern ambience – ceiling ring lights as well as suede and leather seating – that can accommodate several guests as they order drinks and await their parties for showroom seating.
As guests move past the box office, they are led through tall, storybook doors with gold handles to the stage area. There, the walls contain hand painted animals, graffiti, royal embellishments and weaponry of purple and blue hues. Illustrated by Christopher Konecki and Carly Ealy, the design takes inspiration from the tale of Robin Hood. Staying true to the character’s outlaw principles, the art pushes the boundaries by featuring a large jester along the back wall, a defaced picture of the King and lyrics by the popular 1990s rap group, Wu-Tang Clan, along the ceiling’s perimeter.
“This is magical…and you feel like you’re in a work of art,” Goss says. “It inspires creativity, whether you’re a comedian or an audience member looking to be inspired.”
The efforts by Mic Drop to reinvent the comedy scene in Plano go beyond its intricate decor. Since reopening, the club has introduced a revamped menu, which contains dinner items with vegetarian/vegan options for nighttime events, a brunch menu for early shows and a removed two drink minimum.
Olivia Jade, who works at the box office adjacent to the bar area, recommends the peach cobbler and sweet tea ice cream in between checking in guests for the Tuesday night show. She presents an enthusiastic demeanor as she
DECKS
promotes Mic Drop Comedy; Jade calls on the impact that Hutson and Currier set to make with the Plano location: “They’re expanding and they’re growing. We’re going to be here a long time.”
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Having been a Plano resident since August 2023, I have formed a deep connection with this city. From my neighborhood, to the restaurants and even its nightlife, I can only imagine the dedication and community it took to build this town into what it is today. Between the efforts of Hutson, Currier, Goss, Smith and the remaining staff of Mic Drop Comedy, I can certainly attest that the club is on the path to building a legacy.
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CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING
CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001
Mic Drop is expecting notable headliners in 2025 with television appearances and who have filmed specials of their own, including Kevin Nealon, Chris Kattan and Andrew Dice Clay, for guests 21 years and older. Along the stage room’s right wall, closest to the exit doors to the bar area, contains 30 small posters of comedians that Mic Drop has either hosted in the past or seek to book in the future. From March 20-22, 2025, Mic Drop broke records after comedian Nate Jackson sold out eight headlining shows.
FENCING & DECKS
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Events with larger turnouts bring the club’s staff closer together, at least that is how regional manager Robert Smith describes it. Having worked for Mic Drop for around three years, Smith provides insight on the differences the Plano location bears against its parent locations in California and Arizona.
“We’re really trying to set the standard,” Smith says. “The goal is to give the guest an experience from the second they walk in, throughout the show and when they leave…and we’re on other clubs’ radars now.”
With the inclusion of themed brunches, happy hour with live music and standup classes for children ages 8 to 15 years old, it seems the owners are looking to set Mic Drop Comedy apart from its competitors.
Since Mic Drop’s renovations took place, I had only been to the club once – to see Preacher Lawson. When I arrived that evening, I was immersed into an experience almost immediately. As customers surrounded the box office to be seated, I recall honing in on what I felt at that very moment, that the perceptions I had formed on this club were bound to transform. In the weeks that followed my visit in late January, I was eager to spread the word about Mic Drop to the friends and family who had accompanied me there before. I recognized that a shift had taken place in the local landscape and that Mic Drop was bound to garner an acclaimed reputation, and I would advise any comic lover to partake in this journey as well.
The pursuit of Mic Drop Comedy’s mission in providing guests with elevated entertainment is en route and not slowing down. Though recent changes in the live performance industry (e.g., the aftereffects of coronavirus) have resulted in downward trends/engagement with the arts, Mic Drop aims to reignite the community’s involvement with local entertainment for both fans and comics with their undivided attention.
“Get out of the house, unplug from your devices and enjoy a night of live art. Laughter is medicine and a workout,” Goss says.
CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING CONCRETE, Driveway Specialist Repairs, Replacement, Removal, References. Reasonable. Chris 214-770-5001
FENCING & DECKS
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EVERY GIRL CAN BE A PRINCESS
Ages 3-7 | Monday Thursday | 9:30 a.m. to noon
KITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT
Program Includes: Princess Ballet Class |Princess Story Time Arts and Crafts | Jazz Class | Show and Tell Every week features different princesses!
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Week 1: June 2 - 5 Week 2: June 16-19
You can choose one, two, three or all 4 weeks! Tuition is $140 per week
LAWNS, GARDENS & TREES
CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING
Week 3: June 23 - 26 Week 4: July 14 - 17
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FENCING & DECKS
AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. Automatic Gates, Fences/Decks, Pergolas, Patio Covers, Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com 214-621-3217
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Planoite Delina Neguse is an avid patron of the arts and a fervent writer. She graduated from the University of North Texas in Denton with a Bachelor of Science in psychology and has worked in the mental health and legal fields since. In her free time, she works toward her robust portfolio of freelance writing on myriad topics, sings in a band and performs stand-up comedy locally.
12
MAY
2
DOUG BENSON (21+)
THURSDAY, 8 P.M., MIC DROP COMEDY PLANO, 7301 LONESTAR DRIVE, $31.50
THE HIGH COURT AND PODCAST STAR DOUG BENSON COMES TO MIC DROP FOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY MAY 1-2.
3
15TH ANNUAL HEAD FOR THE CURE 5K
SATURDAY, 8 A.M., RED TAIL PAVILION, 2801 E SPRING CREEK PARKWAY, $37+
3
JUN
LOCAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE NORTH TEXAS BRAIN TUMOR COMMUNITY.
PLANO ASIAFEST 2025
9
SATURDAY, HAGGARD PARK, 901 E 15TH ST., FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY FESTIVAL INCLUDES FREE ADMISSION AND FREE PARKING.
THE LITTLE MERMAID JR
JOURNEY TO THE STAGE.
9
FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M., COURTYARD THEATER, 1509 H AVE., $18 SHINE PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO BRINGS THE BELOVED TALE OF ARIEL’S UNDERWATER
24K MAGIC: THE BRUNO MARS EXPERIENCE
FRIDAY, 6 P.M., LEXUS BOX GARDEN AT LEGACY HALL, 7800 WINDROSE AVE., $8-450
A BRUNO MARS TRIBUTE SHOW COMES TO THE BOX GARDEN.
10
MAD HATTER’S SIP AND STROLL
SATURDAY, 2 P.M., DOWNTOWN PLANO, 1021 EAST 15TH ST., $25
12
THE HATTER IS HOSTING A SPRINGTIME SIP AND STROLL IN DOWNTOWN PLANO.
TIM BROWN ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC
MONDAY, 7:30 A.M., GLENEAGLES COUNTRY CLUB, 5401 W PARK BLVD., $75-$7,500
THE ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND SUPPORTS LOCAL CHARITIES.
24 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A
CHILD
SATURDAY, 6:30 P.M., CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 3101 COIT ROAD, FREE
THE CHILDREN’S CHORUS OF COLLIN COUNTY AND HOUSTON CHILDREN’S CHORUS PRESENT A HEATHER SORENSON PERFORMANCE. JUNE
7
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PLANO PARTY
SATURDAY, 2 P.M., THE TEXAS POOL, 901 SPRINGBROOKE DR., FREE THE CITY OF PLANO CELEBRATES ITS 152ND ANNIVERSARY OF INCORPORATION WITH SPECIAL TREATS.
13 OKLAHOMA!
FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M., WILLOW BEND CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 6121 W PARK BLVD., $20-32
NTPA PRESENTS A RIVALRY BETWEEN LOCAL FARMERS AND COWBOYS IN A MUSICAL ADVENTURE.
20 LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL
FRIDAY, 7:30 P.M., COURTYARD THEATER, 1509 H AVE., $36+ REPERTORY COMPANY THEATRE WILL BE PERFORMING JUNE 20-29.
13
GLOBAL GROOVES IN DOWNTOWN PLANO
19
FRIDAY, 6 P.M., MCCALL PLAZA, 998 E 15TH ST., FREE A FREE MARKET AND PERFORMANCES CELEBRATING AFRICAN HERITAGE.
JUNETEENTH FASHION SHOW 2025
26
THURSDAY, 4 P.M., LEXUS BOX GARDEN AT LEGACY HALL, 7800 WINDROSE AVE., TBD THE FOURTH-ANNUAL FASHION EXPERIENCE TAKES PLACE AT THE BOX GARDEN.
TEDXPLANO 2025: DREAM. PLAN. DO.
THURSDAY, 2 P.M., ROBINSON FINE ARTS CENTER, 1800 ALMA DR., $12.50-500 THE TEDXPLANO EXPERIENCE RETURNS WITH SPEAKERS TBD.
* AND THERE’S SO MUCH MORE...
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SUPER SENIORS
THREE PLANO GRADS WHO PUT PLANO ISD IN THE HEADLINES
story by Alyssa High
When you ask someone why they or their family moved to Plano, perhaps the most common answer is “the school district.” Even Mayor Muns himself moved here as a child to attend Plano ISD. Between notable alumni and the district as an ever-going topic in every city event, it’s fair to say that the school district is the heartbeat of the city.
As graduation nears and some of these Plano ISD students get ready to take what they’ve learned into the real world, we’ve decided to highlight three of the many exceptional students.
SAHITH REDDY
At the recent Texas Forensics Association State Tournament, Plano Senior student Sahith Reddy took home a state championship in informative speaking, a second place spot in domestic extemporaneous speaking and was a third place overall competitor out of 2,500 students. This brought Plano Senior High School to eighth place overall at the competition.
Reddy is also the founder of KALA, a philanthropic organization that aims to provide creative resources to children. Recently, the organization curated individual art kits for children to be delivered to low-income, orphan or hospitalized children around the globe.
The idea came to Reddy from his own experiences with art. A Bollywood dancer and casual musician, he believes that “every child deserves the right to develop their individual creativity because art is therapy for the heart.”
CHLOE LEE
Chloe Lee is a senior at Plano East, where she is president of the school orchestra program. While performing at a local assisted living center as part of her program’s ‘Ensembles for Elderly’ program, she engaged with residents to learn more about them and issues they face.
Then, a resident was taken to the emergency room for acetaminophen toxicity. When she heard that a common drug to treat aches and pains was causing liver damage, especially to long-term users like assisted living residents, she decided to take action.
But she didn’t start a GoFundMe. Or make an aware -
ness campaign at her school. Instead, she designed computational models to explore chemical modifications to the structure of acetaminophen itself.
Then, she went to a lab, synthesized the modified compound and found that the resulting molecule is almost three times less reactive with the liver than the original form of acetaminophen and potentially more effective.
Now, the research is heading to the testing phase. But Lee’s work and drive earned her a spot as a finalist in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search competition, national recognition in the scientific community and a feature in Smithsonian Magazine. In the fall, she will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
DANIEL FIALKOV
Until this year, Plano West Senior High School hadn’t made it into the latter half of the soccer playoffs since they lost to Flower Mound Marcus in the 2007 state championship.
The 2024-2025 season, the third under District 6-6A Coach of the Year Clint Cobb, the Wolves made it to the state semi-finals. And while soccer is certainly a team sport, 6-6A All-District Midfielder of the Year Daniel Fialkov is a big part of that run.
Fialkov and the Plano West team went 17-6-2, finishing the season as area champs, state semi-finalists and record holders for the team that hadn’t seen a playoff run in recent history.
“Not the ending we hoped for, but what a journey it’s been,” he says in a post after the streak-ending shootoff against Klein Cain. “Plano West Soccer faced a strong opponent in the State Final 4. We held more possessions, created opportunities and played with heart and class. But sometimes, the ‘God of Penalties has other plans.’”
Fialkov isn’t done with soccer. He’s been on several teams for the Dallas Texans, a Boys Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Academy team. And later this year, he will represent that USA delegation at the 2025 Maccabiah Games in Israel, where more than 10,000 Jewish athletes will gather from around the world. And in the fall, he will continue to play Division 1 soccer at Gardner-Webb University.
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