Plano, Texas, is a lively community with lots of fun events for residents and guests. You can attend conventions, festivals, trade shows, and more. Here are some of the best summer events in the Plano area.
The Outlaw Music Festival
The Outlaw Music Festival will take place in Dallas at the Dos Equis Pavilion. It’s part of a more extensive tour. It features Willie Nelson & Family performances, Brothers Osborne, Jason Isbell, the 400 Unit, Charley Crockett, Allison Russell, and Steve Earle & The Dukes. Nelson recently recorded his 98th album, “A Beautiful Time.” This music festival starts on July 2 at 3:15 p.m. You can get Outlaw Music Festival merchandise while you’re there. You can also take a look at The Outlaw Village. It contains a variety of art and craft vendors.
Independence Fest 2022
Independence Fest 2022 is an excellent way for you to celebrate the Fourth of July. It happens in Flower Mound, about half an hour from Plano, and the Randy Rogers Band will perform. This group is known for many hits like “In My Arms Instead” and “Kiss Me in the Dark.” Other attractions include a children’s parade, a vintage car show, a variety of local vendors, and a stunning fireworks show.
Anyone who wishes can participate in the children’s parade at Leonard and Helen Johns Park. People will start lining up at 9:30 a.m., and the parade begins at 10 a.m. The Summit Club of Flower Mound will serve free hot dogs and drinks. Before the parade, kids and parents can have fun decorating bikes, wagons, strollers, and other non-motorized vehicles.
Several food vendors will be at the festival. Boardwalk Bites offers corn dogs, bacon-wrapped sausage, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and funnel cake, and The Pink Company has great nachos, sausage on a stick, and fried Oreos, and turkey legs. At Mr. Sugar Rush, you can get ice cream and snow cones. Alcohol-infused ice cream and cupcakes are available for adults. You can even try fried shark or alligator on a stick at Amadeo Cuisine. The gates open for the main event at Bakersfield Park at 5 p.m., and parking and admission are free.
Retro Expo
Retro Expo is a trade show with many antique and pop culture items. You can find a variety of dealers offering vintage comic books, toys, video games, vinyl records, VHS tapes, action figures, Pokemon merchandise, autographs, art, t-shirts, horror memorabilia, and more.
Several celebrity guests will be there as well. You can see the stars of The Six Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors, Erin Gray, and Lindsay Wagner. Megan Hollingshead, Tom Cook, Keone Young, and Eric Stuart will also be available. This event happens at the Plano Event Center on Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17. Parking is free and open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
AnimeFest
Image via Flickr by Danny Choo
AnimeFest is a convention for anime, manga, and gaming fans. It’s a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1992, and it’s one of the longest-running anime conventions in the United States. This convention will take place in Dallas at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from July 29 to August 1, and more than twelve thousand people are expected to attend.
Many different types of merchandise will be on sale, and the AnimeFest Art Show will have jewelry, sculptures, and more. People can also attend fan and industry panels with anime performers and influencers, autograph sessions, a blood drive, cosplay events, and four theaters showing anime videos 23 hours per day. Anyone can attend the convention in their favorite costume, and many people will perform skits. Judges will award prizes for costuming work and performance.
If you feel like relaxing for a while, check out the library. You can borrow from an extensive collection of light novels and manga, and there are plenty of comfortable seats and tables. Subtitled anime videos play there, letting people watch without disturbing those who are reading. No photography is allowed so that people in costume can relax, take a break, and be themselves for a while.
You can reserve a room in the hotel to have fun at night and during the day. Visitors to Dallas can save money on transportation with Megabus, a private double-decker charter bus offering round-trip transportation from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.
Divine Consign
Divine Consign is a pop-up consignment sale for families that are set up like a department store. You can find used maternity and kids’ clothes, baby equipment, toys, books, and more. Over eighty-nine thousand items will be on sale, and workers and sellers get to shop early. If you have items you’re not using, you can quickly become a seller and make some extra cash. This event is also at the Plano Event Center, and it happens from Sunday, August 21 to Tuesday, August 23.
On Sunday, you can enjoy brunch starting at 9 a.m. for an extra fee. It includes biscuits and gravy, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, juice, and coffee. You can start shopping at 10 a.m., and no children are allowed except infants in body carriers or teens with their own tickets. Divine Consign closes at 4:45 p.m.
On Monday, kids are welcome, and the event will be open from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. You and your children can visit on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Many items will be 75% off during these hours as well.
Many other events are available near Plano, Texas, as well. You can enjoy art exhibits, sports events, and more. Did we miss any of your favorite events? Which ones do you plan on attending in the summer? Contact us at Huffines Chevrolet Plano and tell us what you want to do near Plano when the weather gets warmer.