Out & About

August 2014

THROUGH AUG. 31

Summer at the Arboretum

Enjoy floral displays and fun activities at discounted prices at the Dallas Arboretum. Don’t miss $1 general admission for the entire month of August. The beds will be bursting with ageratum, impatiens, petunias, cleome, begonias, salvia, marigolds, lobelia and zinnias. As the temperatures warm, caladiums, lantana, pride of Barbados, variegated tapioca, elephant ears and coleus will be added to the gardens.

Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland, dallasarboretum.org, 214.515.6500, $1

AUG. 5, 12, 19, 26

Open-play badminton

Get your game face on and prepare to sharpen your skills during openplay badminton at Churchill Recreation Center, a few minutes from the Lake Highlands area —11:45 a.m.–1:45 p.m. Saturdays.

Churchill Recreation Center, 6906 Churchill Way, 214.670.6477, $3

Through Sept. 27

Life at the lake

The White Rock Lake Museum in the Bath House Cultural Center presents Refreshing Journey, an exhibition of drawings inspired by White Rock Lake from Dallas artist Jenny Hong DeLaughter. The exhibition depicts scenes from life at the lake — images of family gatherings, landscapes, wildlife and other special moments. Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E. Lawther, dallasculture.org/bathhouseculturecenter, 214.670.8749, free more LOCAL EVENTS or submit your own

Through August 2

Play festival

The Festival of Independent Theatres, sponsored by the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, marks its 16th season. Eight companies, all native to the Dallas area, will present eight world premieres by seven local authors for this summer’s festival, which takes place at the Bath House Cultural Center on White Rock Lake.

Bath House Cultural Center, 521 Lawther, dallasculture.org/bathhouseculturecenter, 214.670.8749, $20 - $73

AUG. 9

Fashion show

Pretty Smart Girls, a foundation dedicated to empowering and equipping girls, launched a 50-day campaign in which girls participate in monthly cultural, social and academic activities, while also promoting community advancement and involvement. The campaign will culminate with a fashion show that highlights the members of Pretty Smart Girls.

Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville, prettysmartgirls.org, $25+

AUG. 8

Christine Lavin

Singer-songwriter, guitarist and recording artist Christine Lavin performs at Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse at 8 p.m. A New York City resident, Lavin is working on her 21st solo album. The opening act is Ashley Monical, whose style has been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow.

Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse, 9555 North Central, 214.363.0044, unclecalvins.org, $18 advance/$22 door

AUG. 15

James Rollins

Barnes and Noble hosts an event at 7 p.m. with author James Rollins, whose book “The 6th Extinction” hits bookstores on Aug. 12. The novel is the latest installment in his “Sigma Force” book series.

Barnes and Noble, 7700 West Northwest Highway #300, 214.739.1124, barnesandnoble.com, free

Hours:

20 Feet Seafood Joint

1160 Peavy

972.707.7442

20-feet.com

AMBIANCE: LAID-BACK

PRICE RANGE: $9-$19

HOURS: SUN.-THURS. 11 A.M.-9 P.M.; FRI.-SAT. 11 A.M.-10 P.M.

DID YOU KNOW? LOOK FOR PICTURES OF THE COUPLE’S FOUR DOGS IN THE NAPKIN HOLDERS. THE RESTAURANT IS NAMED AFTER THE NUMBER OF THEIR FEET, PLUS MARC AND SUZAN’S, OF COURSE.

20Feet Seafood has one of the finest lobster rolls in Dallas. The house-made bun, which encases juicy, plump hunks of lobster with a touch of lemon juice, is not only an e ective delivery system but is also light and sweet. There is a reason why this seafood is a notch above your typical East Coast sea-shack fare. Owners and chefs Marc Cassel and Suzan Fries became well acquainted with the nuances of fine dining while cooking at The Green Room, and at Stephan Pyles’ Star Canyon before that. During a trip to the East Coast, they admired the quality and simplicity of the dishes prepared in tiny kitchens in Boston seafood joints. Mutually inspired, Cassel and Fries took a di erent culinary turn and set up shop near White Rock Lake — Dallas’ version of a coast, you could say — bringing their culinary prowess (and Cassel’s popular Green Room mussels) while leaving the fine-dining stu ness behind. Here, you can bring your dog, grab a seat on the newly expanded patio which regulars say has helped lessen the notoriously long wait for a table during the weekend — and crack open a beverage of the B.Y.O.B. variety (save for moonshine, Fries warns). Cassel says a beer and wine permit is in the works and should be ready in the next few months, but even then they’ll remain B.Y.O.B.-friendly.

Whitney Thompson