Western Days + 96 Tamales in 10 Minutes

Hey, y'all!

Western Days is back in Old Town this Friday and Saturday, and the city is planning on 20,000 to 30,000 people coming through Wayne Ferguson Plaza. Eli Young Band headlines Friday night at 10. Randy Rogers Band closes it out Saturday at 10. Show up before 6 either day and you walk in free. After 6 it is $15, and kids 12 and under never pay.

We may go Saturday and plant ourselves in front of City Hall at 1 p.m. for the World Tamale Eating Championship. Joey Chestnut ate 96 tamales in 10 minutes there last year. That is a world record, set on Church Street, in Lewisville. We want to see if it falls.

One heads-up if you live or park near Old Town: the street closures did not wait for Friday. Church and Mill closed Wednesday morning, and Main closes at noon today. The free shuttles from DCTA Old Town Station and Electric Cowboy are the way to go.

If a plaza full of people is not your Friday, The Colony is showing Barbie on a real Galaxy Theatres screen for free at 7:30. Pink encouraged.

Also inside: a Mill Street taqueria that opens at 7 a.m. on festival weekend, the Lewisville shop that will build a cowboy boot to your foot, and Hustler, a 57-pound sweetheart who has been waiting at the shelter since March.

- Jason

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Wayne Ferguson Plaza
150 W Church St, Lewisville, TX
Friday and Saturday, September 25 and 26, 2026
Fri 4 to 11:30 p.m., Sat noon to 11:30 p.m.
Free before 6 p.m., $15 after 6, kids 12 and under free
Get Tickets

Two nights. Six stages. The city figures 20,000 to 30,000 folks will pack into Old Town for it. Eli Young Band got their start just up the road in Denton, and they headline Friday at 10, with The Wilder Blue warming things up at 8:15. Randy Rogers Band closes it down Saturday at 10, Carter Faith on at 8:15.

Show up before 6 either day and you walk in free. After 6 it's $15, and kids 12 and under never pay a dime. That gets you every act on all six stages, the Legends of Texas gunfighter shows over in the Western Village, and the free petting zoo Saturday from noon to 9.

Then Saturday at 1 p.m., right out front of City Hall, comes the Padrino Foods World Tamale Eating Championship. Joey Chestnut set the world record on that very spot last year. 96 tamales. 10 minutes. Major League Eating is back to see if anybody can top it.

Kid Kountry wristbands (bounce houses, mechanical bull, the little train) run $15 and work both days, or $10 if you grab one during Friday happy hour from 4 to 6. Food trucks and bars are cashless, so budget a buck to activate the RFID wristband when you get there. Parking's tight. Ride the free shuttle from DCTA Old Town Station or Electric Cowboy and skip the hunt.

Two nights of Texas country, a world record on the line, and free in the gate if you show up early. We'll be at the tamale table Saturday at 1.

Heading into Old Town for Western Days? This is where we'd start the morning. It sits about a mile south of Main on S Mill, and Friday and Saturday the doors swing open at 7 a.m. for breakfast tacos, hours before the plaza fills up.

The Martinez family has been cooking here since 2005. Owner Norberto named it for his great-grandparents. His kids run the place now.

We usually go for the 4 Ricos Tacos, four street tacos with two meats for $10.09, or the Flautas Potosinas at $12.19. On the breakfast side, three breakfast tacos run $7.99, the chilaquiles are $13.79, and the El Continental burrito (three eggs, bacon, sausage and cheese on a 12-inch tortilla) is $10.29. Scroll the full menu with prices on their online ordering page before you head over.

The salsa is what folks talk about. Made fresh every day, a few heat levels to pick from. One Google reviewer said the "portions were big, taste was authentic and delicious." Another called the room "very traditional and clean."

One heads-up: this is a breakfast-and-lunch spot, not a dinner joint. They close at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Plan around it.

Price: $
Hours:
Mon to Thu 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fri and Sat 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sun 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

With Western Days landing in Old Town Friday and Saturday, this felt like the week to send you a few blocks north of Main. There's a shop up there that's kept Lewisville in boots since 2000.

Lewisville Boots does two things. Bread and butter is repair: soles, heels, zippers, stretching, dye jobs, cleaning, on boots, shoes, purses and jackets. The other side is fully custom cowboy boots, measured to your own foot, in hides like ostrich, alligator and lizard, with your initials or a logo stitched in if you want them.

Custom pairs start around $1,200 depending on the leather and the design, and they'll make a belt and wallet to match. Repair pricing gets quoted in person. Look through their before-and-after repair work and the custom boot gallery before you drop anything off.

Folks keep coming back. One Google reviewer said she'd just picked up her fifth pair of custom ostrich boots there, "just as flawless as the first four." Another dropped off a stack of Lucchese boots for a shine plus new soles and heels and said the results "completely exceeded my expectations."

One heads-up: they're closed Sunday, and Saturday hours end at 4:30. Want your boots back before the festival? Get them in early in the week.

Price: $$ for repairs, custom boots from $1,200
Hours:
Mon to Fri 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Sun Closed

4 beds
4.5 baths
3,550 sqft

A) $825,000

B) $890,000

C) $950,000

D) $1,015,000

Live, work or park anywhere near Wayne Ferguson Plaza? Here's your heads-up. The Western Days street closures are already rolling. Church Street (Kealy to Charles) and Mill Street (Main to Walters) closed Wednesday morning, Main Street from Mill to Kealy closes at noon today, Thursday, Sept. 24, and Main from Cowan to Kealy shuts down Friday.

The neighborhood northwest of the festival (between College and Main, Cowan and Herod) closes to through traffic 3 to 11:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, with resident and pass-holder access at College and Herod. Parking near the site is slim, so the city's pushing everybody onto the free shuttles from DCTA Old Town Station (617 E Main St, Lewisville, TX) and Electric Cowboy (1165 S Stemmons Fwy, Lewisville, TX).

Our two cents: coming from the south, park at the old Mill Street Elementary campus (601 S Mill St, Lewisville, TX) or Lewisville Bible Church (609 S Charles St, Lewisville, TX) and hoof it in.

Source: City of Lewisville

Lewisville City Council adopted the 2026-27 budget at its Sept. 14 meeting, and the ordinance authorizes up to seven public safety positions above the normal headcount to ease the staffing crunch: three firefighters, two police officers, one detention officer and one dispatcher. The $148 million plan is built around a property tax rate of $0.436381 per $100 of value (up from $0.419009) and a 7.8 percent utility rate bump.

The tax rate went to its own hearing and vote Monday, Sept. 21. Council also signed off Sept. 14 on the Atmos Energy rate settlement the Atmos Cities Steering Committee negotiated, which sets what lands on your gas bill this winter.

If your home's value held steady, the city says the higher rate adds about $1.17 a month, and it still calls its rate among the lowest in North Texas. Budget questions go to Budget Manager Ashley Carlisle at 972-219-3411.

Source: City of Lewisville

Forty-three Lewisville ISD seniors made the cut when the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced this year's 16,000 semifinalists on Sept. 9: 24 from Flower Mound High School, 14 from Hebron and 5 from Marcus. A Lewisville student over at Texas Virtual Academy of Hallsville, Tanmay Vasudeva, landed on the list too.

Semifinalists are less than 1 percent of U.S. seniors. That's rare air. About 15,000 nationwide move on to finalist in February, chasing 6,700 scholarships worth $24 million handed out in spring 2027.

Got one of these kids under your roof, or next door? The finalist application (essay, transcript, SAT confirmation) is due this fall. Now's the time to nudge.

Source: Cross Timbers Gazette

Short on staff, Lewisville Animal Services moved its opening time to noon Tuesday through Friday starting Sept. 11 (used to be 10 a.m.) and hit pause on new non-urgent owner-surrender appointments through October. Mornings now go to feeding, cleaning and medical care.

Emergency and public safety calls still come first, urgent surrenders get handled case by case, and appointments already on the books will be honored. The department's hiring to fill the holes and says regular hours come back as staffing catches up.

Got a pending appointment or an urgent situation? Call 972-219-3478 or email [email protected]. And if you've been kicking around the idea of adopting, the shelter at 995 E Valley Ridge Blvd, Lewisville, TX could sure use the kennel space. Meet Hustler below.

Source: City of Lewisville

Nobody at the Lewisville shelter has waited longer than this guy. Hustler came in as a stray on March 30. That's almost six months of watching other dogs walk out the front door while he holds down his kennel. He's a 3-year-old, 57-pound American Pit Bull Terrier mix with a sandy coat, and the shelter's tagged him a VIP, so his adoption fee is waived.

Staff are honest that he showed up "a little tucked into himself." Took him a while to trust the people looking after him. Their advice is simple: stay calm, go gentle, bring treats, and he warms right up. Easy to walk past in a loud shelter hallway. Hard to hand back once he decides you're his person.

His activity level is listed as moderate, so he's no marathon partner, but he's not a couch cushion either. He's marked as not interested in other dogs, which usually means he'd do best as the only pup in the house. The shelter doesn't know yet how he does with kids or whether he's housebroken, so a meet and greet is how you find out.

Hustler is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed and heartworm negative. That normal $90 fee (waived for him) covers all of it plus a year of city registration for Lewisville folks and a gift bag. Pull up his card on the shelter's live adoptable-pets feed and ask for Animal ID 60712643.

Gene Carey Animal Shelter and Adoption Center, 995 E Valley Ridge Blvd, Lewisville, TX 75057, 972-219-3478. Hours right now: Tuesday through Friday noon to 5 p.m. (the shelter moved to a noon opening Sept. 11 while it's short-staffed), Saturday noon to 5 p.m., Monday by appointment, closed Sunday.

🤠 Western Days Friday Happy Hour - Wayne Ferguson Plaza, 150 W Church St, Lewisville, TX | Chaser Crouch 6:30 p.m., The Wilder Blue 8:15 p.m., Eli Young Band 10 p.m. (festival runs to 11:30 p.m.) | Free before 6 p.m., Kid Kountry wristbands $10 during happy hour | More: cityoflewisville.com
Get in free, grab the discounted Kid Kountry wristband (bounce houses, mechanical bull, the little train) and it works both days. Legends of Texas gunfighters hit the Western Village at 5:30 and the Shania Twang tribute opens the Bank of the West stage at 4. Our Event of the Week, see up top.

🎨 Fresh Ideas 2026 Juried Art Exhibit - Lewisville Grand Theater Art Gallery, 100 N Charles St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Free | More: lewisvillegrand.com
The Visual Art League of Lewisville's annual juried show comes down after Saturday, so Friday is one of your last chances to walk it. Free parking along Main and Church or at City Hall.

🧸 Library Playdate - The Colony Public Library, 6800 Main St, The Colony, TX | 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. | Free | More: thecolonytx.gov
Open play in the Multipurpose Room for toddlers and preschoolers. A low-key way for parents to meet other local families before the weekend gets loud.

📚 Preschool Story Time - Denton Public Library North Branch, 3020 N Locust St, Denton, TX | 11 to 11:30 a.m. | Free | More: denton.bibliocommons.com
Stories, songs and puppets for ages 1 to 5 with a grown-up. Baby Story Time for the under-18-month crowd runs 9:30 to 10 at the same branch, and the room fills, so come a few minutes early.

🧙 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Shared Reality - Cosm, 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 1 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. | Dome seats from $31 | More: cosm.com
The first movie on Cosm's wraparound dome, with the sets and creatures spilling past the edges of the frame. Runs about 2 hours 45 minutes with doors 30 minutes early, so plan snacks.

🏄 Friday Night at The Cove - The Cove at The Lakefront, 417 Lakefront Dr, Little Elm, TX | 4 to 8 p.m. | $18 ages 15 to 49, $14 ages 2 to 14 and 50+, under 2 free | More: thecoveatthelakefront.com
Indoor and heated, so the water park keeps going after the outdoor pools close. Friday hours run 4 to 8, which makes it an easy after-school swim.

🎌 Teen Animakers: Anime After Hours - Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 6:30 p.m. | Free, ages 12 to 18 | More: lewisville.libcal.com
A teens-only anime night once the library quiets down. Good drop-off while the grownups head to Western Days, a short drive east.

🍿 Movie in the Park: Wicked: For Good - Heritage Park, 600 Spinks Rd, Flower Mound, TX | Gates 7 p.m., movie 7:30 p.m. | Free | More: flowermound.gov
Last movie of the September series on the Heritage Park lawn. Bring a blanket, get there early for space, and let the food trucks handle dinner.

🥕 Denton Community Market - 317 W Mulberry St, Denton, TX | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free | More: dentonmarket.org
Producer-only farmers and makers market with live music and kids activities. Late September means peppers, greens and the first winter squash.

🌽 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 sets up on the lawn by the lake. Easy to pair with a walk along the Little Elm shoreline after.

🦋 Butterfly Walk - LLELA, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. | Free with $5 per vehicle entry, ages 10+ | More: llela.org
Master Naturalist Laura Kimberly leads a two-hour walk on the Blackjack Trail, where LLELA has counted about 70 butterfly species. Registration is required and closes at noon Friday.

🐢 The Box Turtle: A Surprisingly Complex Creature - LLELA Classroom, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Free with $5 per vehicle entry | More: llela.org
Friends of LLELA's fourth-Saturday lecture, and this one is hands-on with the actual turtles from LLELA's head-start project. All ages, but register through Friends of LLELA since the room is small.

📖 Family Storytime - Lewisville Public Library, 1197 W Main St, Lewisville, TX | 11 a.m. | Free | More: lewisville.libcal.com
Weekend storytime in the Bennett Program Room. Western Days is a short drive east, so this pairs well with a free-before-6 afternoon at the festival.

👻 Costume Swap - Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Ln, Flower Mound, TX | 2 to 3:30 p.m. | Free | More: flowermound.gov
Trade the costume your kid outgrew for one that fits. Drop-off runs Sept. 18 to 25, so clean out the closet this week.

🌕 Harvest Moon Night Hike - LLELA, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. | $15 per person, ages 5+ | More: llela.org
A guided trail walk under the full Harvest Moon, which lands four days after the equinox this year. Registration required through the Play Lewisville store.

🚴 Lakefront Little Elm Kids Triathlon - The Cove at The Lakefront, 417 Lakefront Dr, Little Elm, TX | 8 to 9:30 a.m., waves through about 10:15 a.m. | Free to watch, racer registration sold out | More: discoverlittleelm.com
Kids 4 to 15 swim, bike and run along Lakefront Drive, and the youngest wave starts down the water slide. Bring a sign and cheer from the sidewalk; Main Street closes 7 to 9:30 a.m.

🍓 Supergood Farmers Market - Grandscape lawn, 5752 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free | More: grandscape.com
Produce, meats, baked goods and pastries every Sunday this fall. Brunch nearby, then shop.

💦 Old Town Splash Park - 535 W College St, Lewisville, TX | 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free | More: playlewisville.com
Ninety spray features, no standing water, shaded picnic tables, and the season wraps at the end of September. One of the last weekends.

🌳 LLELA Trails - LLELA, 201 E Jones St, Lewisville, TX | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | $5 per vehicle, card only | More: llela.org
Sunday morning hike before it warms up. Card only at the gatehouse, and no pets anywhere on the property.

📖 StoryWalk on the Square: Griselda Snook's Spectacular Books - Denton Square, 110 W Hickory St, Denton, TX | Anytime, daylight hours | Free | More: library.cityofdenton.com
Denton Public Library's self-guided storybook path around the courthouse square runs September through November. Follow the arrows page by page, then grab a treat downtown.

🎤 Freya Skye: Stars Align Tour - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, 300 W Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX | 8 p.m. | Tickets from $65 | More: thepaviliontmf.com
Teen pop with Alex Sampson opening, about a half-hour drive south in Irving. It's a school night, so this is a tween-and-parent outing. Face Value Exchange only, so no marked-up resale.

🎸 Western Days Friday Night: Eli Young Band - Republic Services Main Stage, Wayne Ferguson Plaza, 150 W Church St, Lewisville, TX | Chaser Crouch 6:30 p.m., Wilder Blue 8:15 p.m., Eli Young Band 10 p.m. | $15 after 6 p.m. | More: cityoflewisville.com
The Denton-born band headlines opening night, with The Peterson Brothers on the Bendt stage at 9 and an acoustic saloon inside State 28. Bars and food trucks are RFID wristband only, so load it when you arrive.

💗 Cinema Nights: Barbie - Galaxy Theatres Grandscape, 5740 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | Seating 6:30 p.m., movie 7:30 p.m. | Free | More: thecolonytx.gov
The Colony Parks and Rec rents the theater and lets you in for nothing. Rated PG-13, pink attire encouraged, and Grandscape dinner is right outside the door.

🥁 Ten Hands with Mike Dillon and Earl Harvin - Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St, Denton, TX | Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. | $15 advance, $20 at the door | More: danssilverleaf.com
The long-running Denton funk-rock outfit shares the bill with two of the area's best-known drummers. Standing room, 21 and up unless with a parent.

🎶 Brown Horse with Brody Price - Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. | $20 advance, fees included | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
The Norwich, UK country-rock band tours behind its third album, Total Dive. All ages in the main room.

🎈 IT in Shared Reality - Cosm, 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 8 p.m. or 11 p.m. | Dome seats from $33 | More: cosm.com
Pennywise on a wraparound dome with a full bar. The 11 p.m. showing is for people who want to be properly unsettled.

🎧 DJ Night at Tande Craft Kitchen and Cocktails - Grandscape, 5752 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 10 p.m. to midnight | No cover | More: grandscape.com
Live DJs, craft cocktails and a late-night bites menu after the Western Days crowd thins out. Reservations through Tock if you want a table.

🍷 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 first winery, open late Fridays. Natural wines, no sugar added, ask for the production room walk-through.

🎲 Board Game Meetup - Denton Public Library South Branch, 3228 Teasley Ln, Denton, TX | 12:30 to 3 p.m. | Free, ages 18+ | More: denton.bibliocommons.com
Adults-only tabletop afternoon, bring your own games or use the library's. No registration.

📧 Crafty Cinema Club: You've Got Mail - The Colony Public Library, 6800 Main St, The Colony, TX | 7 to 9 p.m. | Free, ages 16+ | More: thecolonytx.gov
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, snacks and a themed craft. A quiet alternative if a festival crowd is not your Saturday.

💿 Soft Leather: Y2K Futurism Rave - Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m. | $10, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
Queer techno party with a chrome-and-platforms dress code and three DJs in the showroom. Zero-tolerance safe space policy is posted and enforced.

🏈 NFL: Ravens at Cowboys in Shared Reality - Cosm, 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 3 p.m. | General admission from $17 (Dome seating sold out) | More: cosm.com
Ravens at Cowboys on the giant plaza screen, with a DJ between plays and food and drink specials from the Plaza Container Bar. Free and all ages, and worth the half-hour drive to Irving if you want a crowd without buying a ticket.

📺 Dallas Football Watch Party on the Plaza - Toyota Music Factory, 316 W Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX | 3:15 p.m. | Free, RSVP | More: toyotamusicfactory.com
Ravens at Cowboys on the giant plaza screen with a DJ between plays and food and drink specials from the Plaza Container Bar. All ages, no ticket cost.

🏟️ NFL: Rams at Broncos in Shared Reality - Cosm, 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX | 7 p.m. | Dome from $17, GA from $11 | More: cosm.com
Sunday Night Football on the dome after the Cowboys game clears out. Dome seats were still available at press time.

🎸 Helium Queens, Lorelei K, The Capsules, Mary Chicken Soup and Rice - Rubber Gloves Showroom, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m. | $10, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
Four-band indie bill in the showroom for ten bucks. Denton at its most Denton.

🎤 Corpse Dust, Ponyboy, Bright Yellow Death Box, Python Potions - Rubber Gloves Rubber Room, 411 E Sycamore St, Denton, TX | Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m. | $10, 18+ | More: rubberglovesdenton.com
Four-band local bill in the smaller room, separate from the Helium Queens show next door the same night.

Sunday afternoon the lawn at Grandscape turns into an open-air market run start to finish by women. More than 80 women-owned brands from across DFW set up from 2 to 8, and walking in costs you nothing. Grandscape does ask you to claim a free ticket ahead of time. Takes about a minute and helps them plan the layout.

This is the fall edition of a market that swung through back in June, and the vendor list changes every time. Look for jewelry, candles, skincare, clothing, home goods and baked things, mostly from the folks who actually make what they sell. Grandscape's own pitch is "get the ladies together and make it a girls day," and that's about right, though nobody's checking at the gate.

Here's why it makes the Sunday plan. The Supergood Farmers Market runs the same lawn from 10 to 4. So hit produce in the morning, grab lunch at one of the restaurants around the plaza, and roll back for the bazaar when it opens at 2. Garage parking's free.

After two nights of Western Days, a slow afternoon of browsing with a drink in hand sounds about right to us. Bring a tote bag and somebody who likes to shop.