Hay Maze + a Log Cabin on the Lake

Hey, y'all!

Last October, Flower Mound tried something new and threw its first fall festival down at the River Walk. It stuck. It's back this weekend for year two. Fall Into Flower Mound runs Friday night 5 to 10 and all day Saturday, with a hay maze, a pumpkin patch, carnival games, a Fire Department obstacle course for the kids and two nights of live music, including an Eagles tribute band Saturday at 6:30. Walking in is free.

Saturday is stacked. Grandscape throws Texas and Oklahoma up on the big outdoor screen at 2:30 for its free Fall Fest. And over at Railroad Park in Lewisville, police and fire crews from all over spend the whole day trying to out-hit each other at softball for charity. Bounce houses included.

In the news, Highland Village raised its tax rate and cut Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park and Wine Down with the Grinch to close a budget gap. Flower Mound's council hit pause on that 24-hour ER on FM 1171. And early voting for Nov. 3 opens Oct. 19.

Also inside: a Denton grill that's been cooking over mesquite since 1998, a studio up the street where you can throw clay pumpkins on a Friday night, a log home on nearly an acre of Lewisville Lake frontage in Little Elm, and Lucky, a 5-year-old Chihuahua and Rat Terrier mix waiting at the Humane Tomorrow.

See you in the hay maze.

- Jason

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The River Walk
4110 River Walk Dr, Flower Mound, TX
Friday and Saturday, October 9 and 10, 2026
Fri 5 to 10 p.m., Sat noon to 10 p.m.
Free admission, food trucks and vendors pay as you go | See the full stage lineup and everything planned at the River Walk

Flower Mound tried something new last October. Its own fall festival, right along the River Walk. It worked. So here we are at year two, running Friday night and all day Saturday.

Here's what's out there. A hay maze. A pumpkin patch with a photo garden. Carnival Row with games, a craft station and spooky inflatables for the little ones, plus a Fire Department obstacle course to run some of that energy out of them. There's a Veterans Village and a Trick-or-Treat Trail too.

Friday night leans grown-up. Walkin' the Line starts at 5, American Soldier plays its Toby Keith salute at 6:45, and Diamond West closes it out at 8:30. Grab a seasonal beer off the Restaurant Row side and claim a patch of lawn.

Saturday belongs to the neighborhood. Elementary choirs from Prairie Trail and Heritage, Turning Pointe Dance and the KSHS cheer squad take the stage early afternoon, and School of Rock Flower Mound's student bands go on at 2:30. Then The 8tracks at 4:30, Desperado doing the Eagles at 6:30, Le Freak at 8:30.

Here's our plan. Roll in Saturday around 5, hit the hay maze while there's still light, eat off the trucks, stay for the Eagles tribute. Wear shoes you don't mind donating to the hay. And bring the kids early, before that maze gets packed.

A few blocks north of the Denton square, there's a spot that's been cooking over an open mesquite fire since 1998. Greenhouse is locally owned. There's an aquarium inside and a covered patio out back with a painted tree on the wall, so it pulls double duty, date night or a long lunch, take your pick.

That wood-fire grill is the whole reason we go. The Honey Chipotle Salmon comes with jack cheese mashed potatoes and broccolini for $26.25, the 8 oz sirloin with bacon mac and cheese and charred Brussels sprouts is $26.25, and the Hot Honey Pork Ribeye is $28.

The burgers are all named for Denton folks. The Ann Sheridan has brie, bacon, crispy shallots and date aioli, and the Brave Combo gets gouda, roasted jalapeños and jalapeño aioli, both $16.75 with fries.

Vegetarians get a real menu here, not just a side salad. The Flat Earth Avocado is panko-crusted and stuffed with black beans, corn, zucchini and quinoa for $17, and the blue corn Black Bean Tamales are $14.50.

Start with the Pistachio Hummus ($12.75) or the truffle Greenhouse Tots ($9.50). The Brisket Tacos ($16) use brisket from Denton's Juicy Pig Barbecue, and the Fish and Chips with jalapeño tartar are $18.

One Google reviewer wrote, "The fish was light and crispy. The jalapeno tartar sauce was delish."

One more thing. They add a 3% fee to card payments. Happy hour is Monday to Thursday, 4 to 6, with half-price appetizers and $5 drafts, and Wednesdays bring half-price bottles of wine.

Price: $$
Hours:
Sun to Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Fri and Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Emile Stewart was teaching art in Northwest ISD and running painting and calligraphy classes off her own kitchen table. Then folks in other cities started asking her to come teach them too. Trouble was, she had a 2-week-old baby. So instead of hitting the road, she started mailing out DIY art kits. Tens of thousands have shipped since.

The building on North Locust is where those kits used to get packed up. In 2017 it turned into a real studio. Now it's where grown folks who haven't held a paintbrush since middle school spend a Saturday afternoon.

Every workshop is built for beginners. Supplies, coffee and snacks included, and BYOB's welcome. Watercolor workshops are $65 for 90 minutes, and intro pottery is $75 for two hours. You glaze your piece and pick it up after the kiln firing, two to three weeks later.

October's pumpkin season around here. The fall workshop calendar is full of clay pumpkins, witch hats and spooky watercolor, and this weekend has Paint + Wine: Spooky Canvas Painting on Friday, October 9 at 6 p.m. ($65) and Pottery Date Night on Saturday, October 10 at 6 p.m., $150 for two with wine.

Stained glass is what we've got our eye on next. It's a two-hour intro where you build a suncatcher using the copper foil method for $150, ages 18 and up, with sessions Saturday, October 10 at 2:30 and Sunday, October 11 at noon and 3.

Kids get their own classes too: eight-week after-school sessions are $250, and birthday parties start at $260 for up to 10 painters. One Tripadvisor reviewer who'd been to numerous workshops wrote, "There's no pressure or judgment and it's such a cute little space!"

Couple things to know. Everything's by reservation, and workshops are non-refundable, but you can hand your spot to a friend. Stained glass sessions sell out, so book early, and park out front or in the lot behind the building.

Price: $$
Hours:
Workshops by reservation, mostly Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday afternoons; kids' classes Tuesday and Thursday after school

4 beds
3 baths
2,272 sqft
0.96 acres

A) $625,000

B) $700,000

C) $785,000

D) $869,000

Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30. And here's the handy part: Denton County lets you cast a ballot at any of its 54 early voting sites, not just the one closest to home. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 19 to 23, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 26 to 30.

Close to us, the county's full early voting list includes five Lewisville sites plus spots in Flower Mound, Highland Village, Little Elm, Lake Dallas, Hickory Creek and The Colony. In Lewisville that means The Vista, 2401 S Stemmons Fwy, Lewisville, TX 75067; Thrive Recreation Center, 1950 S Valley Pkwy, Lewisville, TX 75067; Frederick P. Herring Recreation Center, 191 Civic Cir, Lewisville, TX 75067; and both Castle Hills community centers. The Colony votes at the Annex Building, 6804 Main St, The Colony, TX 75056.

Voting by mail? Your application has to be in by Friday, Oct. 23. Questions go to Denton County Elections at 940-349-3200.

Source: Denton County Elections Administration

Highland Village City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 22 to adopt its 2026-27 budget with a tax rate of $0.528541 per $100 of value, up about 5.5 percent. The city says the average homeowner will pay about $105.74 more a year in city taxes.

The increase comes with cuts. The city is freezing hiring and dropping Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park and Wine Down with the Grinch, along with the Tri-Town Amazing Race, its intern program, some nonprofit funding and a few recreation programs. Certified property values fell 2.8 percent, and the city was staring at a $2.1 million deficit in July.

Highland Village is just about built out. It can't grow its way out of this with new rooftops. The city says it'll run an efficiency study of its workforce and services next year.

Source: Cross Timbers Gazette

That 24-hour Total Care ER proposed for FM 1171 between Fireside Drive and Arrowhead Drive, Flower Mound, TX, is still in limbo. On Sept. 21, Town Council voted to postpone the specific use permit and asked the applicant to talk with neighbors first. Plenty of nearby residents had written in against it.

Most council members said they liked the concept. The town classifies it as a medical office, since it would not do surgery or take ambulance patients, and staff said it could not later turn into a trauma-style ER.

No new date is set. Because Planning and Zoning recommended denial, it will need four council votes to pass when it comes back.

Source: Cross Timbers Gazette

A Denton County judge sentenced former Lewisville police officer Filemon Perez, 34, to seven years in prison on Sept. 25, a day after a jury found him guilty of stalking a woman he met while on duty. Trial evidence showed he went to her apartment complex 83 times between May and November 2024.

Stalking is a third-degree felony carrying two to 10 years. Perez joined Lewisville PD from Dallas in 2023 and resigned in December 2024 after learning he would be fired following an investigation into a separate sexual assault accusation.

Source: Denton Record-Chronicle

Texas Health is opening an outpatient behavioral health center in October at 2660 Scripture St, Suite 120, Denton, TX, its 19th in North Texas. It will start with group therapy for adults and free psychiatric assessments, with plans to add services for teens later.

The center honors former Denton mayor Mark Burroughs, who died in 2024. A group of his friends is raising $150,000 through the Texas Health Resources Foundation to help cover free assessments and intensive therapy for some clients.

Source: Denton Record-Chronicle

Drive North Colony Boulevard in The Colony, TX? Plan for slowdowns at Paige Road. Since Sept. 23, crews have had eastbound and westbound lanes closed at and east of the intersection for a storm drain upgrade.

They're swapping out old concrete pipe and building bigger curb inlets so the road sheds heavy rain better. Work should wrap by the end of November, weather permitting. The closures may shift as crews move along, so keep an eye on the signs.

Source: City of The Colony

Some dogs want a big adventure. This one wants a lap. He's a 5-year-old Chihuahua and Rat Terrier mix, about 18 pounds, and his idea of a perfect afternoon is a slow walk, a good sniff around the backyard, and then settling in right next to his favorite person. His name is Lucky, and he's about as easygoing as they come.

He's gentle and he loves people. He gets along with the other dogs in his foster home, he's house-trained, and he does fine on his own for a normal stretch of time. He does have opinions about toys, though. Flimsy stuffed ones don't stand a chance, so grab something sturdy before he comes home. He's not trying to wreck anything. He just takes playtime seriously.

Because he's so attached to his people, he'd do best in a home where somebody isn't gone for long hours every day. If you work from home or you're retired, he's going to slide right into your routine. He's also good with kids and other dogs, and he's already neutered.

Lucky is with Humane Tomorrow, an all-volunteer rescue in Flower Mound that's been placing animals since 1997. They don't have a shelter building, so their dogs live in foster homes. Start with the dog adoption application on their website, and an adoption counselor will usually reach out within a couple of days.

Lucky is with Humane Tomorrow, an all-volunteer rescue in Flower Mound that's been placing animals since 1997. They don't have a shelter building, so their dogs live in foster homes. Start with the dog adoption application on their website, and an adoption counselor will usually reach out within a couple of days.

👉 Meet Lucky and the rest of the Humane Tomorrow cats and dogs

🚒 Firefighter Story Time - Denton Public Library North Branch, 3020 N Locust St, Denton, TX | 11 a.m. to noon | Free, ages 1 to 5, tickets at the desk 30 minutes before | More: denton.bibliocommons.com
Local firefighters read Fire Pups to the Rescue! and talk fire safety with the preschool crowd. The room is small, so get there early for a ticket.

🥁 A Celebration of 4 Jazz Drumming Giants - Denton Public Library South Branch, 3228 Teasley Ln, Denton, TX | 1 to 2 p.m. | Free, all ages | More: denton.bibliocommons.com
Joshua Ferrell's jazz trio plays a quick history of jazz drumming, 1920s to the early '80s, in one live hour. A good pick for the kid who drums on everything.

🧶 The Wild Wild Weft exhibition - Art Gallery at the Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Free | More: lewisvillegrand.com
A juried show of work by Texas handweavers, from wall pieces to handwoven clothes. Quick, free and a block off Main in Old Town.

🦉 The Legend of Eppy and Other Artifacts of Lore - UNT CoLab, 207 N Elm St, Suite 101, Denton, TX | 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Free | More: calendar.unt.edu
UNT Special Collections pulls out its oddest objects, like a tiny hamster skull, photos of the "Wyooter" cryptid and a book so small it blinded its typesetter. Spooky without being scary, right off the Square.

🎵 Music, Motion, & Play! - Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Ln, Flower Mound, TX | 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. | Free | More: fmlibrary.libnet.info
Toddlers and preschoolers sing and dance, then stay for open playtime. A good way to burn off energy before the festival that night.

🏄 The Cove at The Lakefront - 417 Lakefront Dr, Little Elm, TX | 4 to 8 p.m. | $14 ages 15 to 49, $11 ages 2 to 14 and 50+, under 2 free | More: thecoveatthelakefront.com
Indoor and climate controlled, on fall hours. Friday is the only night of the weekend with weekday pricing.

🌳 LLELA Trails - Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | $5 per vehicle, card only | More: llela.org
Self-guided trails, the marsh and the bison herd, and cooler mornings now. Card only at the gate, no pets.

🏈 Fall Fest with the Red River Rivalry - Corona Stage and Lawn at Grandscape, 5752 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 1 to 5 p.m. | Free | More: grandscape.com
Face painters, balloon twisters, a caricature artist, UNT carnival games and a mechanical bull, with Zak Webb on stage at 1. Texas and Oklahoma go up on the big screen at 2:30, and the Crest garage parking is free.

🥎 Battle of the Badges Charity Softball Tournament - Railroad Park, 1301 S Railroad St, Lewisville, TX | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Free | More: lcpaaa.org
Police and fire teams from across the area play softball all day for charity, with bounce houses and face painting on the side. Our Free Event of the Week, see below.

🌌 Star Wars Reads Day - Lewisville Public Library, Bennett Children's Wing, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 2 to 4 p.m. | Free, no registration | More: lewisville.libcal.com
Come-and-go Star Wars reading activities for families with kids of any age. Costumes and fan shirts are encouraged.

📖 Family Storytime - Lewisville Public Library, Bennett Program Room, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 11 to 11:30 a.m. | Free, tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before | More: lewisville.libcal.com
Books, songs and activities for the whole family, and a grownup has to join in. Pair it with Star Wars Reads Day in the afternoon.

🥕 Denton Community Market - 317 W Mulberry St, Denton, TX | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., free yoga 9:30 to 10:30 | Free | More: dentonmarket.org
Producer-only market with live music every Saturday through December. Family yoga happens behind the Quaker House.

🐦 LLELA Trails and 2nd Saturday Bird Walk - 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | Trails 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., bird walk 7:30 to 11 a.m. | $5 per vehicle, card only | More: llela.org
The monthly bird walk heads out at 7:30, and iNaturalist 101 follows at 10 if your kids like identifying bugs and plants on a phone. Fall migration is picking up.

🧗 Fritz's Adventure - 5651 Nebraska Furniture Mart Dr, The Colony, TX | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | $26.99 general admission, $36.99 all access, ages 0 to 4 free | More: fritzsadventure.com
Indoor climbing, crawling and ropes courses next to Grandscape, open late on this holiday-weekend Sunday. Tickets include re-entry all day.

🔬 STEMsters: Ramp Racers - Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Ln, Flower Mound, TX | 2 to 3 p.m. | Free, grades K to 5, registration required | More: fmlibrary.libnet.info
High school volunteers help kids build marble ramps and learn about velocity and inertia. There are 25 seats and registration closes an hour before start.

🎼 Guest Artist Recital: Yoshiyuki Ishikawa, bassoon - Paul Voertman Concert Hall, UNT Music Building, 415 S Avenue C, Denton, TX | 2 to 3 p.m. | Free, general seating | More: calendar.unt.edu
One hour of bassoon in UNT's big concert hall. It's short enough for a kid in band to sit through.

🎃 StoryWalk at Fred Moore Park - Fred Moore Park, 713 S Bradshaw St, Denton, TX | Anytime, daylight hours | Free | More: library.cityofdenton.com
New for October, the park trail posts the pages of We're Going on a Pumpkin Hunt. Read it on the walk, then go find your own pumpkin.

🧶 Crafter's Corner - Denton Public Library North Branch, 3020 N Locust St, Denton, TX | 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. | Free, adults | More: denton.bibliocommons.com
Bring whatever project you're working on and craft next to other grownups. Come and go, no signup.

🥃 BENDT Distilling tour and tasting - 225 S Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 6 p.m., about 45 minutes | $10, 21+, reservation required | More: bendtdistillingco.com
Walk the still house, then taste what comes out of it. Bring a government ID and show up a few minutes early.

🍷 LaRue Winery tasting room - 1491 N Kealy Ave, Suite 1, Lewisville, TX | 6:30 to 11 p.m. | No cover, pay per pour or bottle | More: laruewinery.org
Lewisville's natural-wine spot, open late on Fridays. Grapes come from Chile and California, and nothing gets sugar added.

📻 AM/FM Fest Part 1: Sunbuzzed, Bad Boob, Tensures, Physical and Mental Health - Rubber Gloves Rubber Room, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. | $10, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
Night one of a two-part party for the 15th anniversary of Animals Mistaken For Monsters, a Denton scene fixture. Four local bands for ten bucks is very Denton.

🎻 Lewisville Lake Symphony: A Dazzling Opening to a New Season - Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 7:30 p.m. | $30 adults, $25 seniors 60+, $10 students | More: lewisvillesymphony.org
The symphony kicks off its season with pianist Steven Dong, winner of the 2026 International Competition for Piano, playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 1. It's a dressy-casual night out without leaving Old Town.

🎶 Mayhill - Harvest House, 331 E Hickory St, Denton, TX | 8 p.m. | Free | More: dentonharvesthouse.com
Free live music on the Harvest House stage, with a big open-air patio and 48 taps that lean hard on Texas breweries. The smash burgers from the kitchen truck make it dinner too.

⚽ Premier League: Manchester United vs. Tottenham in Shared Reality - Cosm, 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Dome and Hall seats from $17, general admission $11 | More: grandscape.com
Old Trafford on the dome over a late breakfast. It wraps right as doors open for the Red River showing, so you can make it a doubleheader.

🏈 NCAAF: Texas vs. Oklahoma in Shared Reality - Cosm, 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | Doors 1:30 p.m., kickoff 2:30 p.m. | General admission from $28, Dome from $286, Hall sold out | More: cosm.com
The Red River Rivalry on a giant dome screen, so it feels like you're sitting in the Cotton Bowl. Hall seats are already gone and GA is the budget move, so book soon.

🥂 BENDT Distilling Saturday tours - 225 S Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 1 or 3 p.m. | $10, 21+, reservation required | More: bendtdistillingco.com
Two afternoon slots, each about 45 minutes with a tasting at the end. Old Town's restaurants are a short walk away.

💎 Bling, Don't Ban! - Lewisville Public Library, The Hive, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 2 to 4 p.m. | Free, ages 13 and up, registration required | More: lewisville.libcal.com
Bring a banned or often-challenged book and the library hands over the rhinestones. It's capped at 12 people and seven spots were open at press time.

👻 Downtown Denton Spooky Spirits Stroll - Harvest House and 10-plus downtown stops, 331 E Hickory St, Denton, TX | 4 to 7 p.m. | Free, 21+ | More: dentonharvesthouse.com
Wander downtown Denton and sample hand-crafted "spooky sips" at more than 10 local businesses, with Halloween decorations along the way. It's a good excuse to finally check out those Square shops you keep driving past.

🎸 King Howe - Harvest House, 331 E Hickory St, Denton, TX | 9 p.m. | Free | More: dentonharvesthouse.com
A free late set on the Harvest House stage to cap off the stroll. The patio couch nooks fill up fast on Saturday nights.

🎧 Fluid Construct - Rubber Gloves Rubber Room, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 9 p.m., music 10 p.m. | $10, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
DJs Muñec, Venom Rei, Freakhorse and Pretty Flacko spin underground electronic music at this four-year-running dance night. Costumes are encouraged, so treat it as a Halloween warmup.

🎵 Beauty Industry - Harvest House, 331 E Hickory St, Denton, TX | 3 p.m. | Free | More: dentonharvesthouse.com
An afternoon set on the Harvest House stage, free and dog-friendly. Grab a picnic table and a Texas pint and let the weekend wind down.

🤘 Homegrown - Rubber Gloves Rubber Room, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 7:30 p.m., show 8:30 p.m. | $10 | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
The Denton band plays the small room to celebrate its Red 40/Homegrown split release. The rest of the lineup hasn't been announced yet.

This thing started as a grudge match. Lewisville Police versus Lewisville Fire. One softball game, bragging rights on the line. It grew. Now it's an all-day tournament, and this year the field includes The Colony PD, Flower Mound FD, Carrollton PD, Corinth PD, Garland FD and Richardson Fire, plus our own two departments.

You don't have to know a thing about softball to have a good day out there. Live DJ. Face painting, bounce houses, costumed characters and games for the kids. Local vendors too. And the organizers are running a mustache contest, which we fully support.

The money goes to the Lewisville Police Department and local charities. The Lewisville Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association puts it on. Costs you nothing to walk in and pull up a lawn chair.

Here's our tip. Come in the morning while it's still cool, turn the kids loose on the bounce houses between innings, then slide over to Grandscape for the Red River game at 2:30. That's a full Saturday right there.