Courtesy photo
Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., a producer of lantern festivals in North America and known for introducing authentic Chinese lantern traditions to the U.S. and Europe, will make its North Texas debut this winter at the festival grounds of Texas Trust CU Theatre in Grand Prairie.
The event invites visitors to embark on a nighttime adventure following the story of Koda, a 7-year-old boy, as he explores the magical rainforest of Caballococha, Peru. The festival features displays of plants and animals inspired by Koda’s dreams and imagination. As guests wander through the light show, they can piece together Koda’s adventure, capture photographs, uncover clues and win prizes, a press release stated. The experience includes 19 immersive scenes with lantern sculptures crafted from metal, steel, fabric, and LED lights by skilled artisans.
In addition to the spectacular lantern displays, nightly stage performances will feature acrobats and folk performers. Visitors can buy food and beverages and purchase handcrafted souvenirs. The festival will run from Nov. 8 to Jan, 19, every Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., covering all major winter holidays. Tickets for the festival range from $16 to $35. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit https://tianyuculture.us/dallas.
The theatre is on Texas Trust Way.
Tianyu is the American subsidiary of the international design and manufacturing company Sichuan. Tianyu is the largest Chinese lantern festival producer in North America and one of the first companies to bring authentic Chinese lantern traditions to the United States and Europe. The Chicago-based corporation is a subsidiary of Sichuan Tianyu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., headquartered in Zigong in the Sichuan Province of China.
Each Puttshack venue will host a coat drive until Oct. 28, inviting guests to donate new or gently worn coats to be distributed directly to a local nonprofit. As a token of appreciation, every donation—regardless of the number of items—will earn contributors a free game card redeemable at Puttshack in Addison and other locations nationwide.
Details about the local nonprofits benefiting from this initiative will be shared soon on Puttshack’s website and social media channels.
In addition to coat donations, guests will have the option to make financial contributions to One Warm Coat in Addison through the nonprofit’s “Donate Now” platform. More information is available at https://www.onewarmcoat.org.
The nonprofit has provided free coats to children and adults in need for more than 32 years. With a network of 1,500 local nonprofit organizations across all 50 states, it has facilitated the collection of more than 8 million coats through community-driven coat drives. The organization also emphasizes fashion circularity and reducing textile waste, helping keep millions of pounds of textiles out of landfills each year.
For the fourth consecutive year, Park Place Dealerships is giving away a total of $100,000 in grants through its SEASON OF GIVING campaign to non-profits making a positive impact in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth community. Now through Oct. 25, eligible organizations are invited to apply at ParkPlaceCares.com. Recipients will be announced the week of Nov. 18.
“Through the SEASON OF GIVING, we provide grants to local organizations that align with our four pillars of giving,” stated Tony Carimi, managing director of Park Place, in a press release. “SEASON OF GIVING goes beyond providing critical funds. Our members at Park Place are deeply involved, volunteering their time and talents year-round. It’s incredible to witness the ripple effect of their dedication, as our team’s creativity and passion help make an even larger impact across our community.”
Non-profit organizations applying must fit the following criteria:
- Organization must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
- The charity must support one of Park Place Cares’ Pillars of Giving, which include: education; medical research; children’s advocacy; or the arts.
- The charity must serve in at least one of the following counties: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Rockwall, Kaufman, Hunt, Wise or Johnson.
- The charity cannot already have received donations or in-kind support from Park Place in 2024.
- Charities must apply by Oct. 25.
Park Place has awarded a total of $300,000 to 65 charities across North Texas since 2021.
“There are countless charities in our community who are doing incredible work, yet lack the necessary resources to make a bigger impact,” said Kara Connor, Park Place’s experiential marketing manager. “Through SEASON OF GIVING, we have discovered nonprofits of all sizes making a meaningful difference in North Texas. We want non-profits to know we see you and will continue to do what we can to amplify your incredible work.”
Eighteen North Texas non-profits received a 2023 Season of Giving grant from Park Place out of more than 400 applications. One of the nonprofits is Apollo Support & Rescue in Justin. When the Park Place Lexus Grapevine general manager Charles Owen and members of his team arrived at the no-kill animal shelter last year to present a grant, they encountered Zeke, a five-year-old dog. The owner had just arrived to surrender the sweet dog. Owen adopted Zeke and Apollo received the grant.
Jose and Michelle O’Quinn, owners of Street Wise Driving Schools in Grand Prairie, receive a $50,000 grant from Progressive Insurance to use toward the purchase of a commercial vehicle for the business, a Progressive press release stated. There were 20 grant recipients nationwide of the Driving Small Business Forward program in collaboration with Hello Alice.
Dr. Gary Driver, a double board-certified, fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon, will join Texas Health Care Bone & Joint Clinic in Fort Worth after spending several years at Trinity Foot & Ankle Specialists, a press release stated. Driver has advanced training in ankle arthroscopy, total ankle replacement, sports medicine, sports injuries, deformity correction, complex foot and ankle surgery, revision foot and ankle surgery, charcot reconstruction, minimally invasive bunion surgery, foot and ankle trauma and limb salvage.