According to volunteers at Samuell-Grand Recreation center, the neighborhood has responded with an overwhelming amount of support for the evacuees at the makeshift shelter. Red Cross workers said that as of Wednesday afternoon, the center has more supplies and volunteers than they need, and at times good intentions can cause problems in the name of disaster relief.
The East Dallas recreation center was teeming with supplies, evacuees and volunteers on Wednesday afternoon, as haircuts were being given outside. If you would like to volunteer, but don’t show up to Samuell-Grand. Instead, visit voly.orgto sign up for a shift. See below to learn more about how to volunteer.


A big thanks to those of you who are interested in volunteering w/ #RedCross. Hear from our Volunteer Services team on next steps. #harveypic.twitter.com/zeny2ntSkf
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) August 29, 2017


Rescue organizations across East Dallas are working to send as many supplies as possible to the animals caught in Hurricane Harey’s wake. USA Today reports that in some areas, 60 animals an hour are being brought to makeshift shelters. As much as possible, rescuers are trying to keep animals in place to allow evacuees time to retrieve their lost pets. But those animals are in need of food and bedding (including pillows, blankets and traditional pet beds), which can be donated to City Vet White Rock at 7324 Gaston (in the Lakeview Centre). The vet is working with rescuers who are ferrying the donations to shelters along the coast.
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As Harvey victims have headed to Dallas, local schools are making preparations to receive them. According to Dallas ISD trustee Miguel Solis, school supplies can be donated to his officeat 2017 Young St., suite 101 during weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
There will also be boxes and bins to collect items at the entrance to Lakewood Elementary for diapers, baby wipes, uniforms, and school supplies. See the school supply list here.

Article courtesy of Lakewood Advocate: lakewood.advocatemag.com/2017/08/30/harvey-update-help-displaced-students-and-pets-in-right-in-out-neighborhood/?utm_source=Lakewood-East+Dallas+Advocate+Readers&utm_campaign=e3097246e4-8_24_17_News_ED&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_947226c439-e3097246e4-106473837

A new frozen pop company with a Brazilian twist is opening branches in two of Dallas' hottest neighborhoods. Called Picole Pops, it'll open in the Bishop Arts District, at 415 W. Davis St., in the former La Original Michoacana space; and also in Deep Ellum, at 2656 Main St., next to barbecue kingpin Pecan Lodge.
Adrian Lara, who owns Picole with his brothers Andres and Jorge, says that Picole will do gourmet "Brazilian-style" frozen concoctions infused with exotic fruits and fillings, some of which include alcohol.
"Picole is popsicle in Portuguese," Lara says. "This is a hugely popular concept in Brazil, and we're hoping to bring it here to the United States."
He describes the Brazilian-style pop as a spin-off of the Mexican paleta.
"It's not the same, however," he says. "Mexican pops are more of a water-based popsicle, with a texture that can be very hard. Ours will be infused with alcohol and exotic fruits you don't find here. And then it's all about the filling inside. Our slogan is that 'fillings matter.' Whenever you take a bite, it will be filled with things like Nutella."
They'll do pops in three categories: fruity, creamy, and premium-infused.
"We're going to do about 30 flavors, including fruit-based flavors like watermelon and strawberry," he says. "The premium are the ones that will be filled, like a banana pop with Nutella filling, or a strawberry pop with condensed milk. Some will have dairy, so the water-based will be flavors like lemon that are also good for vegans."
They'll reserve the alcohol-infused pops for their location in Deep Ellum.
"We want to adapt to the neighborhoods we're in," he says. "Deep Ellum has a younger crowd. But these won't be something where you get drunk on one popsicle; we don't want that to happen. We want people to be able to enjoy a popsicle and not get pulled over."
They've been working on the two locations for more than a year. They started out in Deep Ellum, but their building was among the lot of properties that were sold by 42 Real Estate in July. They turned their attention to Bishop Arts, which will likely open first.
Both locations occupy cool vintage buildings that will feature a colorful, decorative scheme based on Brazilian favelas, the funky urban dwellings. "We want to incorporate a lot of color," he says.
Their timetable is mid- to late-September.
A former financial services consultant who worked for Fidelity, Lara is also carrying on a family tradition with Picole. "My dad had a popsicle shop growing up," he says. "This is something I'm doing for my parents, too."

Article courtesy of Culture Map

The 2017 State Fair of Texas starts its 24-day run at Fair Park on Friday, September 29. For many, the fair is an annual ritual, a segue from summer to fall, and a touchstone of life in Texas. For us, it's all about the discounts. Call us cheap — but when State Fair time rolls around, our thoughts turn to finding the best ways to save a little cash.
Tickets are $18 for general admission and $14 for seniors and kids under 48 inches tall. But with the multitude of options that allow you to pay much less than that, why would anyone pay the normal price?
Below are the many ways we've found for you to save money on tickets to State Fair of Texas:
The season pass
If you plan on going to the State Fair more than once, a season pass is the way to go. Although you could just buy individual season passes for $39.95 each (or $34.95 at participating Kroger stores) and still claim a good deal, everyone knows the two biggest reasons to attend are the food and the rides.
That's why the $95 Season Pass Combo Pack, which includes two season passes and 100 food/ride tickets (worth $50), is the much better deal. Not only will you have the food/ride tickets delivered early to your hot little hands, you're essentially getting a second season pass for only $5 (or two for $45, however you want to look at it). If for some reason you don't want the food/ride tickets, you can also get two season passes for just $49.95, a huge savings in and of itself. These deals are available only at BigTex.com.
All season passes come with extra perks: one free single-day bring-a-friend ticket, a free State Fair of Texas reusable bag (limited to first 8,000 people), a free Midway Race Game, a coupon for $5 off the 2017 State Fair Cookbook, 10 percent off all State Fair gear at official merchandise stores, and special discounts on Fair food and Midway rides.
Buy your ticket in advance
If a season pass is not for you, you still have multiple options to save. Tickets bought in advance through BigTex.com are $1.50 off — but we recommend waiting until DART's GoPass app starts selling tickets in September. At $2 off, you'll get an extra 50-cent savings on individual tickets, plus you can also pre-buy DART tickets to get you to the Fair. The best part is that your tickets are right there on your phone, ready to be activated whenever you're ready to use them.
Similar to the season pass combo is a family deal for individual tickets. The Family Four-Pack gives you four one-time-only general admission tickets and 100 food/ride coupons for $99. That's a 26-percent savings over normal ticket prices. If you want more, there's also a $199 family pack that ups the food/ride coupon number to 300; if you want less, there's a $79 combo pack that gets you two general admission tickets and 100 food/ride coupons.
You can also save by buying advance tickets at Kroger. General admission tickets there cost $16.50, but no senior or children discounts are available. Keep in mind that kids 2 and under do not require a ticket.
Opening day deals
Unfortunately, gone are the days when the State Fair offered half-price deals on opening day. Now, anyone who brings in a full 20-ounce Dasani water or Coca-Cola product for donation to the North Texas Food Bank gets in for $10. No cheating: Every person in your group must have a bottle to get the discount.
Back again for the second year is Military Appreciation Day, which offers free admission for all active military, retired military, and veterans, as well as their spouses and children under 18 on opening day only. Both military members and spouses must present valid military IDs at the gate.
First Responders Day
On October 13, First Responders Day will honor various active and retired public law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and other emergency services agencies. All first responders, plus up to three family members, receive free admission to the Fair when they present a valid badge or ID card from their department or organization at the gate.
McDonald's coupons
The next time you eat at Mickey D's, make sure to check your tray liner or bag for State Fair coupons. You'll find ones for $5 off general admission any day, and ones that offer half-price tickets for kids when an adult pays full price. All coupons are only good for tickets purchased at the gate and cannot be combined with any other offer.
Dr Pepper Tuesdays
Don't toss your empty Dr Pepper cans. Save 'em up, as every person with one gets $6 admission all day on Tuesdays — October 3, 10, and 17 — or half-price tickets after 5 pm any day of the week.
North Texas Food Bank Wednesdays
Every Wednesday during the State Fair is Philanthropy Day, and the discount is large. Bring in at least four cans of food for the North Texas Food Bank on October 4, 11, or 18, and you get in for just $4.
Senior steals
Seniors 60 and over have it made in the shade — or the sun, more likely — as they can get into the fair for $4 off every day. But nothing beats the deal they get every Thursday on Seniorific Senior Days (October 5, 12, and 19): They get in totally for free.
Thrifty Thursdays
Thursdays have two ways to save. The first involves 20-ounce Coca-Cola products. If you drink them, hold on to your empties, as you can get in for just $7 every Thursday — October 5, 12, and 19 — with an empty 20-ounce Coke bottle.
Back again for 2017 are special Thursday discounts on more than 60 popular food items. Those include State Fair classics like Frito pies, cotton candy, and funnel cakes, and deals on specialty foods too. Most are half-price or better; check out this handy State Fair map for a full list of vendors and foods.
AdPages Giveaway
AdPages.com is once again giving away 500 tickets to the Fair in the form of family four-packs. To enter for a chance to win, fill out this form on its website. As with many giveaway contests, you can share your entry on Facebook to earn more entries. 
Group tickets
Not everyone can take advantage of this discount, but for anyone coming with a big group, you can rack up the savings. Groups of 20-249 people can get in for $12 each, or $6 off regular admission, which equals the best single-ticket price you can normally buy. If you happen to have a group of 250 or more, you can get tickets for $10 each.
New this year are Group Value Packs, which include admission tickets, food and ride coupons, and $10 Midway game cards. Packs are available for 20, 35, 50, and 75 people. Groups can also pre-purchase food/ride coupons and get special rental spaces.
Discounts on Midway rides
Tuesdays are a great day to go to the Fair. Not only can you get your $6 Dr Pepper ticket, you can save more inside, when all rides (except for thrill rides and the Texas Star) are discounted. If you buy a season pass combo and only go on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you've found the perfect way to save a bundle.

Article Courtesy of Culture Map

In a major upset, Froot Loops were completely bypassed at the 13th Annual Big Tex Awards, announced at a judging ceremony in the Tower Building on August 27. And yet, one dish won two awards: Props to the Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger, the big winner, earning trophies both for "Most Creative" and for "Best Taste Savory." Winning for "Best Taste Sweet" was Gulf Coast Fish Bowl, a cocktail with blue punch.
The Big Tex Awards, aka the "fried food awards," is the splashy annual event in which concessionaires submit creations they'll serve at the fair that year. The contest has not only become one of the biggest publicity generators for the State Fair, it has lent a modern facade to what was previously a declining, dowdy event. Prior winners have included fried butter and fried Jell-O.
This year, Fair organizers increased the total finalists from 8 to 10. Also for the first time, they handed out three awards, instead of two. Previously, it was "Best Taste" and "Most Creative." This year, they broke the Best Taste category into "Sweet" and "Savory."
Would it be considered a backfire that one dish won two awards? Having one dish win two awards is surely not the outcome they anticipated. Meanwhile, that must be one heckuva Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger.

The full list of finalists included:
Deep Fried Chicken Noodle Soup on a Stick. Homestyle chicken noodle soup deep fried and served on a stick.
Deep Fried Froot Loops. Sweetened Froot Loops folded into marshmallow, dipped in batter, and fried.
Fat Smooth. Three mini cream puffs on a skewer.
Fernie's Fried Texas Sheet Cake. Chocolate brownie cake coated in panko and ground cocoa puffs and fried.
Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger. Burger with bacon and queso on two funnel cake "buns."
Gulf Coast Fish Bowl. A cocktail with blue alcoholic punch served in a round plastic cup that's meant to look like an aquarium.
Pinot Noir Popcorn. Cheddar-cheese flavored kettle corn dusted with a Pinot Noir burgundy wine powder.
Surfin' Turfin' Tator Boat. Baked potato stuffed with lobster and steak.
Texas Fajita Fries. Meat "fries" made of breaded beef fajita strips, seasoned with Sriracha and served in a bread cone.
The Tamale Donut. Pork tamale served in a doughnut shape.

While the additional number of entries amped up the volume, it also threatened to bog down the judging event. To "help move time along," each savory finalist was supposedly randomly selected to be paired with a sweet finalist.
Deep Fried Chicken Noodle Soup on a Stick was paired with Pinot Noir Popcorn. Texas Fajita Fries were paired with Fat Smooth. Surfin' Turfin' Tator Boat was paired with the Gulf Coast Fish Bowl cocktail. The Tamale Donut was paired with the Deep Fried Froot Loops. The two heaviest items, the Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Burger and the Texas Fried Sheet Cake, were last.
Could the pairings have had an effect on the ultimate winners? That seems like a definite possibility. Nothing against the Tamale Donut, but is it possible it dragged down the Froot Loops, which was surely the rightful winner?

Article courtesy of Culture Map

Whether you’re not about that seven-and-a-half-hour drive out west or you’ve had it up to here with all the hype, Marfa is far from your only option when you’re looking for a unique weekend getaway. There’s plenty of quirk out there that makes for one-of-a-kind escapes. Here are five spots we recommend adding to your travel bucket list:


Rancho Pillow
Halfway between Austin and Houston in Round Top is Rancho Pillow, a 20-acre compound marked by Technicolor accommodations that are the definition of whimsy. It all started as an artistic family home but has since become a playful wonderland for the public.
Rancho Pillow offers a few lodging options, each boasting its own quirks. There’s the expansive Red House, the charming Love Shack, the funky Tower House, the intimate Teepee, and the 18th-century Barn (a sort of centerpiece for the whole place). Round Top is nationally renowned for its annual antiques fair, so it’s only fitting that there are various vintage items around the place along with additional eccentric touches.
During your stay, don’t feel restricted to hide out in your chosen abode. Feel free to wander the grounds where you’ll find a bathhouse, heated saltwater wading pool, playground, and fire pit. When you’ve had enough rest and relaxation, you can ask the staff to set up some outdoor games for you like Frisbee golf, croquet, or kickball.


11222 Schuster Rd., Round Top

For the other four destination, check out the entire article on Culture Map.

A California gastropub known for its burgers is coming to Dallas. Oh, you mean Eureka? No. Called Laurel Tavern, it will go into the space at 1920 Greenville Ave. previously occupied by Clark Food & Wine, with an opening set for the fall. Clark Food & Wine closed at the end of 2016.
Laurel Tavern comes from a restaurant outfit called ACME Hospitality Group, led by William Shamlian, Michael Leko, and Jonny Valenti, with a portfolio of casual restaurants and sports bars such as Game Changers, Beelman's Pub in downtown L.A., and Lucy's 51 in Toluca Lake.
They opened the first Laurel Tavern in Studio City, in the San Fernando Valley area north of Los Angeles, in 2008, then opened a second branch south of Los Angeles in Hermosa Beach in 2016. They describe it as having "the best burger in the Valley."
The Greenville Avenue branch will be similar to the other two locations with a focus on quality food, handcrafted cocktails, craft beers on tap, and wines by the glass.
The menu for Greenville Avenue is being created by executive chef Roger Hayot, a longtime veteran of the Southern California restaurant scene who had his own restaurant in the late '80s called Authentic Cafe. While the Dallas menu is still being finalized, it will definitely feature small plates, salads, and sandwiches.
Two things that will definitely be on the Dallas menu include a pair of burgers: the Jalapeno Burger with chipotle sauce, jalapenos, poblano, pepper jack, and onion rings; and the Laurel Burger with honey mustard, avocado, pickled red onion, and shredded lettuce.
But they're yet not committing to a full recreation of the menu from Studio City. Will Dallas have their hot pretzels? Their pork belly skewers? Their French dip sandwich? Their kale-Caesar salad? Let's start agitating for all the things.

Article courtesy of Culture Map

Best known for fun and games and a good-time brunch, the folks behind The Social House are broadening their cuisine horizon with Don Chingon, a new restaurant opening on Lower Greenville in early September. Their hope is to redefine Tex-Mex, with novel dishes, a stellar atmosphere, and attentive service.
The restaurant is opening at 2237 Greenville Ave., in the former gas station at the corner of Belmont Avenue, across the street from what used to be the Whole Foods Market. Co-owner Shawn Rao says that with Don Chingon, they hope to offer a Tex-Mex that's different from what is generally found around town.
"We've always wanted to do a Tex-Mex place and hoped to put a fresh spin on the genre, rather than the same old stuff," he says. "And for us as a company, it represents a little more serious step towards food."
The Syn Group oversees a number of concepts, including multiple locations of Social House, its lively bar-restaurant; Sidebar, a lounge in Uptown Dallas; and America Gardens, a restaurant-bar in Fort Worth.
Rao says they went to restaurants in the area and around the country, seeking inspiration for something different from the same-old. That means no combination plates. Menu items include michelada-roasted chicken, Mexican lasagna, a pork chop braised for 18 hours, and enchiladas filled with short rib or smoked chicken.
There are carne asada fries — french fries topped with carne asada, uh huh — plus chicken and brisket tacos, with chicken and brisket that's smoked, not braised. Their lineup of cocktails will include more than 20 margarita options and 10 frozen drinks.
Prices start at $12. Most items will be under $20, with their most expensive dish, sea bass, at $28. But hey that sea bass comes poached in Dos XX and is served with Southwest hash, pickled radishes, and mango vinaigrette.
If you've driven by the space, you already know that they've invested serious dollars on the construction. The building has a cool midcentury flair, with some eye-catching colored shiplap on the exterior. Inside, there's a 40-foot mural with your prototypical sugar skulls, and on the patio is a 9.5-foot piñata.
This is a departure from what they originally planned for the space, which was a restaurant-bar with a bigger patio and more games. The feedback they got from the neighborhood was not in favor of such a concept.
"It's a great location, and fresh Tex-Mex seems like a better fit," Rao says. "When it comes to Tex-Mex, that area is under-served."

Article courtesy of Culture Map