A SMALL PART OF A BIGGER STORY TidBits

MODERN BY MOONLIGHT OTSUKIMI FESTIVAL 2023 FESTIVAL HONORING AUTUMN MOON & THE SEASON AHEAD

SOUTHLAKE WOMEN’S CLUB BEGINS 38TH YEAR

The Southlake Women’s Club invites ladies in Southlake and all of the cities surrounding to a Kick-off Tail Gate Luncheon celebrating the club’s 38th year—offering members community involvement, social festivities, entertaining, educational monthly pro grams and friendship for members and guests. The celebration begins on September 14th at 11am at Timarron Country Club in Southlake. One of the ladies in attendance will win a door prize of a weekend use of a Mercedes all-electric EQS Sedan from MercedesBenz of Grapevine, and it will include a fun gourmet tailgate picnic package from Avondale Dealerships! Be sure to get in the spirit and wear your favorite team jersey (optional). Be sure to purchase your ticket by September 4th for $35 at the club’s website below. The Southlake Women’s Club is a highly respected nonprofit that to date has donated over $3.3M to local charities benefiting women, children and families in Northeast Tarrant County.

southlakewomensclub.org

In recognition of the rich heritage of Tadao Ando, the architect of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth building, you are invited to celebrate Otsukimi, the annual Japanese festival that honors the autumn moon and the season ahead. Members and guests will cast a lantern into the reflecting pond to create an ethereal glow and stunning event backdrop. Japanese-inspired food and beverages crafted by Café Modern will be available throughout the evening. Modern by Moonlight Otsukimi Festival will be held on September 16 from 7-10pm. This is an adult event for guests age 16+. General Admission is $25, Modern Members (Friend and Associate levels) $15, and Advocate level members and higher receive two free tickets. Doors open at 7pm. There will be performances by the Fort Worth Japanese Society’s Dondoko Taiko, Nik Parr and The Selfless Lovers, as well as The Dirty Shirts. Bars will feature a selection of beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail. Japanese-inspired bites will be available for purchase. Add-on a drink package or bento box dinner for two. Otsukimi, or “moon-viewing,” is a Japanese practice believed to have begun in the Heian Period (794–1185) that refers to the tradition of viewing and honoring the annual harvest moon. Historically, Otsukimi was an opportunity to express gratitude for a good harvest and share hope for similar bounty in the future. A full moon is considered auspicious and a clear symbol of abundance. On Otsukimi, it is traditional to gather in a place where the moon can be seen clearly, usually on a date in September, which historic Japanese writings identify as the time of year with the best opportunity to see the moon at its brightest. This is an outdoor festival, weather permitting, it will take place rain or shine. In case of rain, all programs will move indoors. tickets: tinyurl.com/modernOtsukimi

FOUR DAYS OF FUN GERMAN CULTURE ADDISION OKTOBRFEST SEPTEMBER 14-17

At Addison Oktoberfest, enjoy a taste of the original Bavarian celebration with a purely Texan twist. For more than 35 years, people have donned dirndls and lederhosen (or have just come as they are) for four days of revelry in German culture, food, music and bier. At Addison Oktoberfest patrons will celebrate with lots and lots of bier and just as much food. Visit all of their delicious food vendors featuring brats, sausages, strudel, pretzels and much more. Grab an ice-cold Paulaner for an experience so close to the Munich Oktoberfest you will forget you are in Addison! Chill out— literally—inside the Kleinhalle, where you’ll find singersongwriters, polka bands, delicious food and drink, and the all-important A/C. Experience the sound of polka bands and other traditional entertainers on multiple stages in Addison Circle Park, and participate in special games for bier lovers, plus kids of all ages, dachshunds and more. It’s also the best season of the year—football season! Grab a bier and a brat and head over to the Draught Haus Biergarten to catch college and pro action on the big screen. Addison Oktoberfest will be taking place September 14-17, 2023. The schedule is:

Thursday, Sept. 14 ........................................... 6-11pm

Friday, Sept. 15 ...................................... 6pm-midnight

Saturday, Sept. 16 ................................... noon-midnight

Sunday, Sept 17 ........................................... noon-6pm

Book an Addison Oktoberfest hotel package and enjoy special rates on quality accommodations, two singleday general admission tickets, two Paulaner biers, two commemorative lapel pins, and two commemorative 0.5L steins (while supplies last). While limited onsite ticket sales will be available (card payments only)— all guests are encouraged to purchase tickets online in advance for quicker and easier admission. Now put on the dirndls and lederhosen, and get ready to raise your favorite German stein and say, “Prost!” addisonoktoberfest.com

Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit Mobile Museum Tour Honoring Our Veterans

In 2018, Wreaths Across America (WAA) rolled out its Mobile Education Exhibit (MEE). This museum on wheels was designed to share the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach in local communities across the country. Since that time the program and reach has travelled so much further than WAA could have ever anticipated—in 2023 alone, the MEE has visited nine states, joined 83 community events, had 8,495 visitors on board, welcomed home 1,575 Vietnam veterans, and officially thanked 113 military families for their sacrifices. The MEE has seen almost 100k visitors in total since it first hit the road in 2018!

“The goal of the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit is to bring communities together and teach about the organization’s mission while also remembering the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes,” said Trish Gardner, MEE Manager. “The exhibit serves as a mobile museum, educating visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes, as well as serving as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans. We are always overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the communities we visit.” When the MEE pulls into your area, all veterans, active-duty military, their families, and the local community members are invited and encouraged to visit, take a tour, and speak with WAA Ambassadors and volunteers. The public tour stops for the MEE are free and open to the public. Since its introduction, the MEE has traveled “coast–to–coast” several times, logging in countless hours and miles visiting communities across our nation.

As a Commemorative Partner of the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration (VWC) since 2017, the MEE has enabled WAA to welcome home over 6,000 of the more than estimated six million Vietnam War veterans living in this country, helping to connect them and share their stories with members of their community and teach the next generation about their sacrifices and duty. According to the VWC, since 2011 the Commemorative and its partners have officially welcomed home 3.7 million Vietnam veterans with a pinning ceremony that includes a signed proclamation from the President of the United States. You can view a full list of the Commemorative partners by visiting tinyurl.com/VW50listing. There are over two million Vietnam veterans across the United States that have yet to be officially welcomed home. The MEE will be in Maryland and Delaware in the month of August, then traveling to CT, NJ, GA, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, and VT before joining the “Escort to Arlington” in December to help deliver veterans’ wreaths as part of National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday, December 16, 2023. To learn more about the MEE or submit a request for it to come to your community visit the website below.

wreathsacrossamerica.org/About/MobileEducationExhibit

GRAPEVINE GRAPEFEST IT’S A TEXAS WINE EXPERIENCE

Mark your calendars for the 37th Annual GrapeFest - A Texas Wine Experience. Get ready to celebrate wine! There are annual events, special wine tastings and even family-friendly activities when Main Street closes down traffic for the four-day festival during the third weekend in September. GrapeFest celebrates wines from around the world, but takes special pride in Texas wine. The People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic is the largest consumer-judged wine competition in the nation and exclusively features Texas wines. Sip sparkling wines and champagnes under the shaded oaks at Champagne Terraces. Explore internationally and nationally recognized wines at a unique tasting experience at Liberty Park Plaza International Wine Experience. Enjoy a variety of rosé at the all-new Rosé Gazebo. From there head to the Champagne Cork Shoot-Off or the classic Grape Stomp and get ready for fun, competitive events you won’t forget!

Thurs., Sept. 14 ..................... 11am-10pm

Complimentary Admission All Day

Fri., Sept. 15 .......................... 11am-11pm Paid Admission All Day

Sat., Sept. 16 ......................... 11am-11pm Paid Admission All Day

Sun., Sept. 17 .......................... 11am-6pm

Paid Admission All Day grapefest.com

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and Seniors, or Weekend Pass Pins for $20.