Sarah McLachlan + Flowboarding

Hey, y’all!

The heat is doing its late-July thing, and this weekend has a little of everything.

The big one is Sunday night. Sarah McLachlan brings the Better Broken Tour to the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, with Allison Russell opening. If her records were on repeat, it's worth the short drive to Irving. The pavilion is covered too, which is crucial in our 100+ heat lately.

Saturday gets fun for the whole house. A national flowboarding contest called Flowfest takes over the FlowRider down at The Cove. It runs on Sunday, too, but me and Tess are planning to check it out Saturday and then do some shopping. If your crew runs younger, Flower Mound has a free Community Field Day at Heritage Park that same morning, with field games, a DJ, and food trucks.

We're keeping it simple otherwise. A slow lap through a farmers market, an afternoon hiding from the sun, and then finally trying Elm Fork, that Hickory Creek taphouse everyone keeps telling us about.

Scroll down for an Old Town market with 40-plus makers, a Highland Village showcase home to test your price radar, and Scarlett, a cattle dog mix looking for her people.

Stay cool out there.

- Jason

The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
300 W Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX
Sunday, July 26
7:30 p.m.
Ticketed, starting at $56.50
Learn More

If "Angel" or "Building a Mystery" ever lived on repeat in your car, clear your Sunday night.

Sarah McLachlan brings the Better Broken Tour to Irving for one show only, and Allison Russell opens. You get the songs you know by heart plus her first new album in years.

In a Texas July, the covered pavilion matters. You get the warm evening air without baking on an open lawn.

This is a grown-up night out where you can actually hear the person next to you between songs.

Tickets are on sale now, so if you have been on the fence about finally seeing her live, this is the weekend to get off it.

Elm Fork is a family-owned taphouse right off the highway in Hickory Creek, and the inside is roomier and more comfortable than you would expect, with a Texas smokehouse feel and 32 taps on the wall, one of them a non-alcoholic Saint Arnold, which my girlfriend appreciates.

Good for a casual dinner with the family or meeting friends for drinks and something to share.

For starters, people are serious about the house queso with brisket. They’ve also got bandidos, which are bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños, and the fried pickles have a real following.

If you are hungry, the BBQ combo with ribs and brisket comes with a bacon mac and cheese that is worth the calories, and the brisket tacos with burnt ends are a good call too.

One heads-up. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. even on Friday and Saturday when the bar stays open until 11 p.m., so plan your food order accordingly. Reservations are asked to go in 24 hours ahead if you want one.

Price: $$
Hours:
Sun - Wed 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thu 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri-Sat 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM (kitchen closes 10:00 PM)

The Enchanted Shop is more than 40 local vendors sharing one roof, so walking in feels like poking through a dozen tiny shops at once. Handmade jewelry, soy candles, refurbished furniture, vintage finds, plus local goodies like fresh salsa, honey, pecans, and goat milk soap.

What makes us love it is that every corner belongs to a real neighbor who made or sourced what is on the shelf, so you are actually meeting the maker when you buy something.

Folks online rave about the staff going out of their way to help, and the whole place has a slow, browse-as-long-as-you-want feel. Tucked in the back is The Backroom Tea Lounge, where you can book afternoon tea and make an afternoon of it.

One heads-up before you go. They are closed Sunday and Monday, and the tea service is by reservation only, so call ahead if a proper tea is what you are after.

Price: $$
Hours:
Tue - Sat 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sun - Mon Closed

5 beds
4 baths
4,149 sqft
0.25 acres lot

A) $649,000

B) $749,000

C) $849,000

D) $949,000

If you drive the FM 2499 corridor, brace yourself. Crews broke ground this month on a $2.82 million overhaul of the intersection at FM 2499 and Flower Mound Road, work the town council awarded to 2L Construction back in March.

When it wraps, we get dual left-turn lanes, three through lanes and a dedicated right-turn lane in every direction, plus straightened sidewalks and rebuilt signals meant to move traffic and improve safety. The project also adds a dedicated right-turn lane into the Chick-fil-A driveway on southbound FM 2499 so the drive-thru line stops spilling onto the highway.

Denton County is chipping in about $3.5 million toward construction. Expect cones, lane shifts, and utility relocations for a while, since the town is targeting completion in July 2027.

Source: crosstimbersgazette.com

One of the largest developments our area has ever seen is officially underway. Cole Ranch, a 3,100-acre master-planned community in Denton, TX, south of the Denton airport and west of I-35W, broke ground this summer in partnership with Johnson Development, the group behind some of Texas' biggest planned communities.

The plans call for 4,365 single-family homes, 26 miles of trails, two lakes, 1,200 acres of green space, retail and a business park, and 206 acres set aside for two future Denton ISD elementary schools, plus a middle school and a high school.

The Cole family has owned this land for nearly a century, so this is a genuine turning point for the west side of the county. The first homes are expected to go on sale in late 2027, but the traffic, rooftops, and school-zone ripple effects will shape our corner of Denton County for years.

Source: communityimpact.com

Neighbors in The Colony, this one is for you. The city's candidate filing window for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election opened Monday, July 20 and runs through 5 p.m. on Aug. 17.

Four single-member district seats are on the ballot this year, Places 3, 4, 5 and 6, each for a three-year term. To qualify you need to have lived in the city for at least 12 months, be a registered Texas voter, and reside within the specific place you want to represent.

Applications go to the City Secretary, in person or by mail, at City Hall, 6053 Main Street, The Colony, TX 75056.

Even if you are not running, it is a good heads-up that a local election is coming this fall.

Source: thecolonytx.gov

Here is a behind-the-scenes investment that keeps our growing city running. Lewisville has awarded the construction contract for a major expansion of the Prairie Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to Crescent Constructors, an affiliate of Zachry Construction Corporation.

The project will grow the plant's capacity from 12 million to 16 million gallons per day, with a long-term goal of reaching 20 million as more homes and businesses come online.

Public Works Director Aaron Russell called it a strategic investment in reliability and capacity for decades to come.

The plant stays in full operation throughout, with work phased to limit any service disruption, and completion is scheduled for late 2028.

Source: cityoflewisville.com

The newest face at the Lewisville shelter is Scarlett, a 4-year-old Australian Cattle Dog and pit bull terrier mix who just hit the adoption floor this week. She is past the puppy chaos years but still young enough for lake walks and long fetch sessions, and cattle dog mixes are usually smart, busy dogs that bond hard to their people.

One thing to know before you go: the Lewisville shelter doesn't post personality write-ups, so we can't tell you whether Scarlett is a couch potato or a squirrel-patrol captain. The staff can, though. They see these dogs every day, and you can bring your current dog in for a meet and greet before you decide anything. Ten minutes in the yard with her will tell you more than any bio would.

The adoption fee is $90, and it covers a lot: spay, microchip, all her vaccines, a heartworm test, and her Lewisville city registration. Line up those vet bills on your own and you're looking at several hundred dollars, so the math works out in your favor.

Scarlett is at the shelter on East Valley Ridge Boulevard, and no appointment is needed. Walk in Tuesday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., or Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and ask to meet her.

Lewisville Animal Shelter (Gene Carey Animal Shelter)
995 E Valley Ridge Blvd, Lewisville, TX 75057
(972) 219-3478
Hours:
Mon by appointment
Tue-Fri 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat 12:00 - 5:00 PM
Sun Closed

🚀 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off! - Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. | Free | More: library.cityoflewisville.com
A space-themed morning for ages 3 to 5 in the Bennett Program Room. A caregiver stays too, so plan to blast off together.

🎬 Friday Family Matinee - Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 2 to 4 p.m. | Free | More: library.cityoflewisville.com
A PG movie on the big screen with the AC cranked. No ticket needed, just show up and grab a seat.

🎨 Free Art Galleries - Medical City Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Free | More: lewisvillegrand.com
Three rotating gallery shows, always free to wander. An easy cool-down stop in Old Town when the heat gets to be too much.

🏖️ Old Town Splash Park - 535 W College St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free | More: playlewisville.com
Ninety spray features and zero admission. The go-to when the kids have energy to burn and you want to stay close to home.

🏖️ Doubletree Ranch Park Splash Pad - 310 Highland Village Rd, Highland Village, TX | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free | More: highlandvillage.org
A river-themed pad with a waterfall and three zones for different ages, open daily through Labor Day.

🎭 Oklahoma! - Campus Theatre, 214 W Hickory St, Denton, TX | 7:30 p.m. | Ticketed | More: theatredenton.com
Theatre Denton takes on the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic on the historic Campus Theatre stage. A dressed-up night in downtown Denton.

🎶 Sounds of Summer: The After Party - Grandscape, 5752 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 8 to 10 p.m. | Free | More: grandscape.com
Grandscape's free summer series plays the Corona Stage and Lawn, and this one is billed as family-friendly. It starts at 8, so think blanket on the grass with the older kids more than a stroller night. Dinner is a few steps away at any of the restaurants if you make an evening of it.

🌽 Denton Community Market - Denton County Historical Park, 317 W Mulberry St, Denton, TX | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free | More: dentonmarket.org
A producer-only market with local food, art vendors, live music, and kids activities under the oaks. One of the best Saturday mornings in the county.

🧘 Free Community Yoga at the Market - Denton County Historical Park, 317 W Mulberry St, Denton, TX | 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Free | More: dentonmarket.org
An all-ages session behind the Quaker House every market Saturday. Bring a mat, stretch it out, then shop the stalls right after.

🥕 Farmers Market at The Lawn - The Lawn at The Lakefront, 125 Main St, Little Elm, TX | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free | More: lakefrontlittleelm.com
Four Seasons Markets vendors set up right on the lakefront lawn. Grab produce and pastries, then let the kids run before the sun climbs.

🐦 Bird Banding from the Experts - LLELA, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to noon | Free with $5 per vehicle entry, registration required | More: llela.org
The Friends of LLELA lecture where volunteers share the bird-banding research they do with UNT. Space is limited, so register ahead.

🎉 Community Field Day & Summer Social - Heritage Park, 600 Spinks Rd, Flower Mound, TX | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Free | More: flowermound.gov
Flower Mound's new Parks and Rec Month bash, with field-day games, try-a-sport stations, a Park and Play zone, a DJ, and food trucks. It wraps with an awards ceremony.

📚 Family Storytime - Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 11 to 11:30 a.m. | Free | More: library.cityoflewisville.com
Books, songs, and wiggles for all ages in the Bennett Program Room. First-come tickets go out 30 minutes before.

🎶 Lakefront Concert Series: Empire 6 - The Lawn at The Lakefront, 125 Main St, Little Elm, TX | 6 p.m. | Free | More: littleelm.gov
A high-energy party band closes out the day on the lawn by the lake. Pack chairs and a blanket and stake out a spot early.

🥬 Flower Mound Farmers Market - Parker Square, 1500 Cross Timbers Rd, Flower Mound, TX | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Free | More: fourseasonsmarkets.com
The weekly Sunday market with produce, eggs, honey, breads, and local artisans. An easy way to restock for the week.

🎣 Fishing 201: Beyond the Basics - LLELA, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 1 to 3 p.m. | $10, registration required | More: llela.org
An indoor, hands-on workshop on knots, bait, rods and reels, and where fish actually hide. Good for beginners before they head out on the water.

🏖️ Old Town Splash Park - 535 W College St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free | More: playlewisville.com
Still free, still open all day. A lazy Sunday splash close to Old Town.

🏖️ Doubletree Ranch Park Splash Pad - 310 Highland Village Rd, Highland Village, TX | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free | More: highlandvillage.org
Open daily through Labor Day, so it is a reliable Sunday cool-off on the Highland Village side of the lake.

🎸 Motionless In White: The Sweat and Blood Tour - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, 300 W Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX | 6:30 p.m. | Ticketed | More: thepaviliontmf.com
Metalcore heavyweights headline with Lorna Shore, Fit For A King, and Static Dress. Loud and theatrical, all under the covered pavilion.

🥃 BENDT Distilling Tour & Tasting - BENDT Distilling Co, 225 S Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 5 p.m. | $10 per guest, 21+, reservation required | More: bendtdistillingco.com
Walkable from Old Town, this small-batch distillery runs a guided tour that ends with a tasting flight. The tasting hall and cocktails are open after with no reservation needed.

🎶 Acoustic Jam Session - Medical City Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 6 to 9 p.m. | Free | More: lewisvillegrand.com
An open song circle where all instruments and genres are welcome. Come play or just settle in and listen.

🎤 India Tigers in Texas w/ Helium Queens, Atomic Rainbow, Swelter - Rubber Gloves, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | 8 p.m., doors 7 p.m. | $10, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
A psych and electronica bill of local and touring acts at Denton's reopened institution. The kind of scrappy, sweaty show Denton does best.

🎧 Live DJ Nights - JĀKÖ Cocina y Agave at Grandscape, 5752 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Free entry | More: grandscape.com
Live DJ sets every Friday and Saturday at Grandscape for a late-night, agave-forward scene. A good landing spot if the night is not ready to end.

🧘 Tai Chi in the Plaza - Wayne Ferguson Plaza, 150 W Church St, Lewisville, TX | 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. | Free | More: visitlewisville.com
A free outdoor 16-movement class right on the plaza, no gear or experience needed. A calm way to start a Saturday before the errands pile up.

💃 Mini K-Pop Fest - Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | Noon to 4 p.m. | Free, dance class needs registration | More: library.cityoflewisville.com
Three events in one: a beginner dance class at noon, a fan meetup with photocard trading, and trivia at 3. Bring your bias and your competitive streak.

🖼️ Artist Talk: Marilyn Henrion - Medical City Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 1 to 3 p.m. | Free | More: lewisvillegrand.com
The 94-year-old quilt and mixed-media artist talks through her solo show, The Ninth Decade, with a documentary preview. A genuinely interesting hour with a working artist.

📖 Community Book Swap - Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Ln, Flower Mound, TX | 1 to 2:30 p.m. | Free | More: flowermound.gov
Drop off a book the week before for a ticket, then trade it for a new-to-you read. A tidy way to refresh the nightstand stack.

🥃 BENDT Distilling Tours - BENDT Distilling Co, 225 S Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 1, 3 or 5 p.m. | $10 per guest, 21+, reservation required | More: bendtdistillingco.com
Three tour times on Saturday, each ending in the tasting room. Book ahead, then linger in the whiskey garden after.

🎵 Acoustic Sessions w/ Rachel & Adam - Tande Craft Kitchen & Cocktails at Grandscape, 5752 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 5 to 7 p.m. | Free | More: grandscape.com
A powerhouse acoustic duo plays the patio every Saturday afternoon. Order a cocktail, grab a few bites, and ease into the evening.

🎹 Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards - Rubber Gloves, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | 8 p.m., doors 7 p.m. | $15 advance, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
A touring act rolls through Denton on the Side Effects Tour. Sharp, theatrical piano-driven rock in an intimate room.

🤘 Salt+ w/ Distressor, Spurred, Ceramic Planet - Rubber Gloves Rubber Room, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | 7:30 p.m. | Ticketed | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
The second-room bill for the heavier crowd the same night. Denton's underground in full effect.

🎤 Not Milk w/ Junk Car Girls, Holloway, Sonia Is Dead - Rubber Gloves Rubber Room, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | 7 p.m. | Ticketed | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
A local indie and punk bill to send the weekend out loud. Denton keeps the music going right up to Monday.

Here is something we do not get to say often: a national flowboarding competition is happening right here on our lake.

Flowfest takes over the FlowRider at The Cove at The Lakefront on Saturday and Sunday, with riders from around the country carving, flipping, and wiping out on a wall of rushing water.

It’s genuinely fun for the kids, and about as Little Elm as a Saturday gets.

Let the little ones lose their minds over the tricks, and plan to stay a while, because this is not one you catch every weekend.

Medical City Lewisville is one of the biggest doors in town for healthcare work, with around 60 openings posted right now at the 190-bed hospital on College Parkway. We spotted an Emergency Services RN (full-time nights, one year of experience required), plus a PACU RN PRN, a Cath Lab RN PRN, and sterile processing tech roles, so there is room for both seasoned nurses and folks on the support side.

👉 See the Emergency Services RN opening

Lewisville ISD is staffing up for the 2026-2027 school year, and this is the window when the district posts the widest range of jobs. Along with teachers, they hire bus drivers, child nutrition staff, paraprofessionals, custodians, and after-school program aides, which are great fits for parents who want a schedule that matches their kids'. Everything routes through the district's applicant portal, so you can build one profile and apply to several roles at once.

👉 Browse all LISD openings

City of Lewisville is hiring across departments, and the standout right now is Police Officer, open to both entry-level recruits and already-licensed officers. The city is putting real money behind it with a $2,500 hiring incentive for officers and $2,000 for recruits. If public safety is not your lane, they also have a part-time School Crossing Guard role at $15.66 an hour, an easy few hours around the school day.

👉 See the Police Officer posting

Town of Flower Mound has summer and year-round work on the board, and the Lifeguard opening is a solid one for a teen or college kid home for the season. You need CPR/First Aid and lifeguard certification, but the Town runs its own certification classes for $125 if you are starting from scratch. They also keep firefighter and recreation roles in rotation, and new jobs post every Friday.

👉 See the Lifeguard opening

Nebraska Furniture Mart at Grandscape is a huge hourly employer right in The Colony, with roughly a dozen openings posted lately. We saw warehouse specialist and customer pick-up roles, sales associate spots, and security officer positions, so there is a mix of behind-the-scenes and customer-facing work. NFM is known for a stable shop with no layoffs in its history, plus an employee discount that goes a long way when you are furnishing a home.

👉 Browse NFM openings

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound is the other big healthcare option on this side of the lake, a 99-bed acute care hospital voted Best Hospital in Denton County for years. They are hiring RNs across departments along with LVNs, patient care techs, and certified medical assistants, so it fits both licensed nurses and people looking to get a foot in the door.

👉 Browse Flower Mound openings

Peterbilt (PACCAR) builds heavy-duty trucks at its big Denton plant, one of the largest manufacturing employers in our area. The steady hire here is the Assembly Specialist role, hands-on production line work, and no prior truck experience is needed to start. If you want full-time hourly work with a clear path toward leadership and skilled trades, this is one of the most reliable doors in Denton County.

👉 See PACCAR manufacturing jobs

Bonus help (free): If you are not sure where to start, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas offers free job-search help, resume coaching, interview prep, and training funds for folks who qualify, all open to anyone at no cost. Their Denton office is walk-in friendly at 5800 N I-35, Suite 100, Denton, TX.

👉 Find free career help at dfwjobs.com