features - discover denton. original. independent · features also in this issue july- december 2...

www.dentonlive.com �

2009 YOUREVENTSOURCE

what’s inside

features

Also in this issue

July- December

�2 Thin Line

Walking a thin line between fact

and fiction, Denton’ s indie film

fest explores the story behind the

documentary.

3 UniqUeLy denTon

What’s up with that Corn-Kit sign

downtown?

�6 caLendar of evenTs

26 coUpLes

Eight couples explore the

relationship between art

and love.

27 sTarman

Lean back and travel to the stars

at UNT’s Sky Theater.

28 map and generaL

informaTion

29 make iT a doUbLe

Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned

Ice Cream

30 beaUjoLais

Broaden your horizons and

experience Denton’s wine tasting

festival.

3� resTaUranT LisT

32 vinTage resaLe

In tight times, go for togs of old.

4 sTaTe fair

It’s a carnival, it’s a

livestock show, it’s a

rodeo, it’s music and

much more.

�4 gown coLLecTion

TWU’s beaded time capsule

captures the essence of the

first ladies of Texas.

7 beasT feasT

Got an adventurous

appetite? This feast’s for you!

�8 hoLiday LighTing

Families crowd the

Square for the annual

lighting ceremony to

sing, greet Santa and

taste Wassail.

�� cycLing

World-class bikers

whoosh through

downtown Denton.

22 Texas moTor speedway

NASCAR fans race to the

“monster” track for the annual

Chase for the Cup.

8 arTs, anTiqUes &

aUTos

Celebrating the 10-year

anniversary of Denton’s

muscle car mania.

24 campUs TheaTre

Musicals or plays, Mike

Strecher is the guy behind

the scenes at Denton’s

movie house turned fine

arts venue.

2� fiesTa!

Denton’s fall festival

celebrates Latinos

and the city’s growing

multiculturalism.

DL_Mag_09.indb 1 5/13/09 6:09:03 PM

2 www.dentonlive.com

Summer or winter, hot or cold, the calendar of events stays full in Denton. Just turn the pages of this issue of Denton Live and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

As an award-winning Main Street City, it’s no surprise that many events are situated in the downtown area. While our beautiful Courthouse-on-the-Square is the crown of our community, it is also the heart. And it’s been that way for most of our 150-year history. That’s one of the reasons we make it a point to mix a little nostalgia with our fun from time to time. Denton Live invites you to join us as we celebrate our past throughout the summer and fall.

The North Texas State Fair and Rodeo in August, for example, has everybody putting on their favorite Western outfits and shining up their cowboy boots for the rodeo. This is one event for which even I might loosen my tie and don a Stetson to feel the part! From bull riding to boot scootin’, it’s nine days of pure Texas fun for everybody in the family.

The area around the Square perhaps best represents the unique spirit that sets Denton apart as a city with its own distinct personality. You have to experience it for yourself to grasp the fact that this is no sleepy little town. It’s vibrantly alive every day and every night all year long. You’ve got to come out when Arts, Antiques & Autos is under way in September to see a hundred years of automotive history on display around the Square and beyond. Antique experts will examine your attic treasures. Art and antiques trade hands throughout the day.

We really turn up the nostalgia with the Holiday Lighting Festival on the Thursday after Thanksgiving when this city gets serious about celebrating the holidays. It’s the time of year when Denton transforms into a living postcard.

Denton is the proud home of two great universities: The University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University. Denton has, for the last two years running, been one of the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the entire USA (with 100,000+ population). But this is a special place. We cherish our small-town character and 150 years of history, but we embrace our vibrant growth as well.

Enjoy this issue of Denton Live. But I encourage you to take it a step farther. Come and enjoy the fun with us.

Mark BurroughsMayor of Denton

elcome to Denton Live, our official

guide to what’s going on for the

next six months in denton.

EVEN THE SUITS kICk BACk IN DENTON ...

W

as an award-winning main street city, it’s no surprise that many events are situated in downtown denton

The MaybornGRADUATE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM

pUbLisher Mitch Land, PhD

Journalism Chair and Director

Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism

University of North Texas

EDITOR Cathy Booth Thomas

DESIGN DIRECTOR Wendy Moore

University of North Texas students enrolled in

magazine production at the Frank W. Mayborn

Graduate School of Journalism wrote every

article and designed the layout of Denton Live:

Elvira Aguilar, Nevin Arslan, Ian Birnbaum,

Amber Cross, Ariel Davis, Carol Davis, Holly

Dutton, Tasha Hayton, Rebecca Hoeffner, An-

astasia Jakse, Whitnee Lowe, Laura Matysiak,

Elizabeth Padilla, kim Phillips, Nancy Thai,

Annie Tran, Martina Treviño.

ediToriaL advisory board

MAYOR Mark Burroughs

DENTON CITY COUNCIL Chris Watts

DENTON CITY COUNCIL Pete Kamp

PRESIDENT, DENTON CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE Chuck Carpenter

VICE PRESIDENT, DENTON

CONVENTION & VISITOR BUREAU Kim Phillips

4�4 parkway, denton, Tx 7620�

(940) 382-7895, (888) 38�-�8�8 Denton Live is published by The Frank W. Mayborn

Graduate School of Journalism at the University of

North Texas in partnership with the Denton Conven-

tion & Visitor Bureau © 2009 by Mayborn / 1155 Union

Circle, #311460 • Denton, TX 76203-5017 • (940)

565-4564. All rights reserved. Comments on stories

go to Mayborn while distribution queries go to the

Denton CVB.

printed by: eagle press, denton Texas

for additional information be sure to visit

our web site: www.dentonlive.com

Photo courtesy City of Denton staff

DL_Mag_09.indb 2 5/13/09 6:09:16 PM

ew york city has the Lady Liberty, paris has the eiffel Tower and denton has the huge red sign atop the morrison mill. all three stand as enduring icons to the �9th century, but only the denton structure invites passersby to ask, “what the heck is a morrison corn-kit?”

The Morrison Mill has been a Denton landmark for more than 123 years, looming 186 feet—or 18 stories—over the prairie south of downtown Denton. Since the 1800s, farmers from all over North Texas and as far away as West Texas, Oklahoma and kansas have been descending upon Denton to mill their wheat. The area was such an important processing hub that the village of krum, west of Denton, was reputedly the largest inland wheat market in the United States in 1900.

The mill is perhaps the city’s longest surviving connection to its past. It sprang to life as a farmers’ cooperative called the Alliance Milling Company in 1886—a decade before Denton’s famous county courthouse was built on the Square. Over the past 12 decades, it has continued to fascinate drivers and entertain youngsters while churning out thousands of pounds of premium flour and cornmeal every week.

The Morrison family, which bought the mill in 1936, can take credit for installing the huge sign atop the silo as an advertising strategy. It’s gone through

various incarnations throughout the years, reading Pan-kits (pancakes) and Bis-kits (biscuits) as well as the current Corn-kits (this one you should get on your own). People still drop into the company’s office to ask “What is a Corn-kit?,” only to learn that the mill produces pouch baking mixes not only for cornbread, but also for pancakes, biscuits, gravy and Mexican sopapillas. Most also walk out with free samples. Besides its pouch mixes, Morrison sells to restaurants (Waffle House buys their corn grits) and retail outlets.

The sign isn’t quite as colorful as it used to be. Local residents recall that until about 8 years ago, neon lights would alternate through the menu of the company’s products. As Dentonite Robert Montgomery recalls, “You would drive around the corner on Bell, and there it was blinking right at you.” Alas, the sign is now dim at

night. Finding an electrician able to work on neon and at that height has been problematic. Because of the economic times, the lights are now a low priority, but production at the mill continues. It has survived the Great Depression and the turbulent North Texas weather.

The Morrison family no longer owns the mill. They sold it in 2006 to C.H. Guenther of San Antonio, the nation’s oldest family-owned milling company, which produces the Pioneer brand. They agreed on one thing, however: The Morrison name and Corn-kit sign would stay.

By the way for you northern transplants: A Corn-kit is a mix of yellow and white cornmeal, with wheat flour. Add milk and egg and you have a corn muffin that’s not too sweet and has just the right crunchy texture.

uniquely DENTONN

[ by marTina TreviÑo ]

3www.dentonlive.com

Photo by Martina Treviño

DL_Mag_09.indb 3 5/13/09 6:09:21 PM


eldon Burgoon’s hands are worn from calf roping in his young cowboy days. A few fingers are stained by the chewing tobacco habit he just

can’t quit. His belt buckle—won at the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo in 1953—proudly proclaims his prowess at calf roping. He wasn’t the winningest cowboy. He didn’t have a fancy horse trailer or expensive horses. He

often slept in his car. But even today he can remember the adrenaline of preparing to compete, the thousands of people filling the arena, the children sitting on their parents’ laps to get a look at the action, then the roar of applause for the cowboys as they entered the ring full of rodeo swagger.

The scars on Weldon’s hands come not from calf roping these days, but from doing leatherwork at his Western store. He still

walks with a cowboy’s bowlegged saunter, if a bit slower. At 79, Weldon’s become a cowboy icon. His body is still lean, his face the perfect cut for a cowboy hat. A few years ago, the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo made him its poster boy, the experienced cowboy passing on his trade to the younger generation. On the poster, Weldon towers over a small boy wearing Wranglers, a giant silver belt buckle, cowboy boots and a black

W

north Texas state fair and rodeo embraces its wild west roots

PRESERVING THE cowboy way

Photo by Russell Huffman

[ by Tasha hayTon ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 4 5/13/09 6:09:29 PM

5www.dentonlive.com

cowboy hat. The image is a reminder of our roots in the cowboy life.

The 81-year-old North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, held each year in August, celebrates and promotes that cowboy way. Like the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Denton has a world-class midway and top-flight singers, but it also carries on the great rodeo traditions: bull riding, bucking broncos, calf roping, barrel racing and mutton bustin’ (kids riding sheep)—all for $12 a day for adults. “It’s a carnival, it’s a livestock show, it’s a rodeo, it’s music,” says Glenn Carlton, a former bull rider himself who now serves as executive director of the North Texas State Fair Association. “People say, ‘Man, I just love this fair. It’s just the right size.’” Last year, the Denton fair received the Overall Award of Excellence for fairs and events in Texas with attendance of 100,000 to 500,000.

Tradition is strong in these parts, with families like the Sorrells passing along the cowboy life to their children. Taylor Sorrells, age 12, is this year’s North Texas State Fair Rodeo Princess. A self-proclaimed tomboy who has been riding since she was 2, Taylor rode her horse Copper for the judges, talked about her favorite bull Bodacious, and sold a heck of a lot of rodeo tickets. She loves the rodeo, especially barrel racing and bull riding with its clever clowns. With a pig and a rabbit at home as well as her horse, it’s no surprise that Taylor is thinking about becoming a veterinarian when she grows up. “I know I want to live out here, like on the ranch, so I could be with my horse and I could barrel race,” Taylor says.

Promoting ranching and agriculture was the goal of the North Texas State Fair Association eight decades ago when the annual show was just a weekend event. Weldon remembers the fair in its fledgling days. He went to the rodeo with his parents for the first time in the mid 1930s, in the heart of the Depression era. The arena was a makeshift thing, with bleachers made out of flimsy willow poles. Since then, it has evolved to a full nine days of rodeo, livestock shows, concerts and a carnival.

This year, nearly 140,000 people, some from as far away as Europe, are expected to attend the fair and rodeo. They come for the traditional canning competition and the BBQ

and chili cook-offs, as well as newer events such as the photography contest and youth art show. Carnival attendance soared 30 percent three years ago when Talley Amusements

from Fort Worth brought their world-class carnival to the midway. This year, the Randy Rogers Band is set to play as is Jamey Johnson, Country Music Association award winner, and Denton’s own Eli Young.

During the daytime, there is something for all ages at the fair. The DATCU Kids’ Zone offers a petting zoo, pony rides, a bounce house and a miniature John Deere tractor pull. The Syracuse Sausage Fun Zone will offer a horse whisperer as well as an alligator-wrestling exhibit. (The brave can touch the alligators firsthand.) For the less adventurous, there are train rides.

“These guys are the real heroes. They’re athletes. They’re not on steroids... They’re somebody to look up to.”

nanci kimmey

north Texas state fair association

[ by Tasha hayTon ]

Photo by Alex Leiban

DL_Mag_09.indb 5 5/13/09 6:09:49 PM


[ just the facts ]

what: North Texas State Fair and Rodeo

when: Aug. 21-29

where: North Texas State Fairgrounds, 2217 N. Carroll Blvd., about 2 miles east of North I-35E along W. University Dr.

hours: Gates open at 6 p.m. weekdays, at 1 p.m. on weekends

all-day admission: $12 adults, $5 children ages 6 – 12, children under 6 free

on the budweiser stage: Country hit makers the Randy Rogers Band, Jamey Johnson, Eli Young and the Tejas Brothers, starting nightly after the rodeo around 9:30 p.m. Note: Artists subject to change

The miller Lite rodeo arena: Everything from kids mutton bustin’ to professional cowboys competing in Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events, the Ranch Rodeo, 21 and Under Rodeo, and the Bull Blow-Out nightly at 7:30 p.m.

contact: (940) 387 – 2632 or visit www.ntfair.com

For adults, a 15,000-square-foot exhibit hall features commercial displays and vendors selling everything from life-sized wooden carvings of Longhorn heads to upscale Western wear to fruits and nuts. Nanci Kimmey, executive assistant for the North Texas State Fair Association, says they visit fairs throughout the state in search of quality vendors to bring in, but the fair also includes local offerings from businesses such as Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Rhinestones Boutique in downtown Denton.

At night, the big draws are the rodeo and the concerts. The Budweiser Stage concert starts immediately following the end of the rodeo. Last year, the Randy Rogers Band broke the Thursday night attendance record held by Pat Green for eight years, and they hope to do it again this year. The rodeo in the Miller Lite Rodeo Arena attracts professional competitors from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). “I’ve seen it go from a local rodeo to a professional PRCA rodeo, which draws contestants from all over the world, including Australia, Canada, Brazil,” says Glenn.

Growing attendance has helped the North Texas State Fair Association give more money back to community and youth-oriented programs and events that preserve and promote Western heritage and values. “If you look back at the 20-year span, there are a lot of differences, but the core values are still there, and the mission is still the same,” says

Glenn. The association and associates, such as the Denton County Livestock Association and Blue Ribbon Club, give away about $400,000 annually to youth in the area through scholarship support each year. Proceeds from the fair are reinvested in programs, facilities and scholarships.

In the livestock barns, area students can be seen brushing, washing and displaying their prize heifers, steers and goats. Most of the area school districts, including the Denton Independent School District, have agriculture classes and programs. The schools often have barns to keep animals so it’s not just children from farming and ranching families taking an interest in agriculture. “Once they start, they seem to stay in it,” says Glenn. “It’s pretty special to see a 6-year-old kid show a 1,000-pound steer. More than likely you will see that same kid for another 10 to 12 years.”

Revitalizing the cowboy way isn’t just about nostalgia for the folks around Denton. It’s about survival, growing crops and running ranches on less and less land. Nanci Kimmey says she adores the values this event stands for. The bull riders are good role models for the next generation. “These guys are the real heroes. They’re athletes. They’re not on steroids… They’re somebody to look up to,” she says.

They have a fan in Taylor Sorrells at least. She’ll be there this year, rooting for the barrel racers and the bull riders. Maybe someday, she’ll have her own collection of great big belt buckles like Weldon Burgoon.

Photos by Alex Leiban and Mindy Bruce

DL_Mag_09.indb 6 5/13/09 6:10:06 PM

WILD BEAST anyone?s the Boy Scouts of Troop 140 prepare roasted rabbit on a Coleman stove, a smog of barbecue pit smoke covers the North Texas State Fairgrounds.

This is no survival campout. It’s the annual Wild Beast Feast, where cooks russle up rabbit, duck, buffalo, elk, prairie chicken and, yes, alligator for those with adventurous appetites each September.

The festival, now in its third year, pits teams of chefs against each other in creating top-secret recipes with a variety of wild game. Outside at the fairgrounds, cowhide-covered trash cans and leopard print tablecloths evoke the Wild Beast décor while a local band and a live auction entertain tasters. Last year, more than 500 hungry fairgoers attended the event benefiting the Greater Denton Arts Council, which promotes the artistic, cultural and educational life of Denton. The only rules? To kick back and to have a good time. (Just don’t bring your beast right off the hunting ground. It has to be processed properly. )

Troop 140 is the two-time winner of the coveted “Best of the Beast” title. In fact, the troop’s Flying Bat Patrol and Hawk Patrol are the only ones ever to win the award. Last year, the Hawk Patrol won with alligator appetizers and buffalo sliders, beating out 20 other teams. To nail the award, the boys (yes, the boys) fixed a mixed fruit pastry with raspberries, strawberries and kiwi topped with a dollop of whipped cream for dessert. “The first year we cooked an Irish sweet rabbit, which was very tasty,” says scoutmaster Richard Hayes. The Flying Bat Patrol, which won that year, smoked its rabbit with apples and secret spices

until the meat fell off the bone. For dessert, they made cherry pie in a Dutch oven.

How does Troop 140 do it? Remember the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared? They start by collecting a dozen or more beast-like recipes. Then, at their annual cooking campout each year, the boys compete for the Golden Skillet award, which gives the winner the right to enter their favorite dish in the Beast Feast. The patrols test different recipes using different cooking sources, such as a Coleman stove, a backpacking stove and an open fire. Once the top recipes are chosen, they run a taste test. “Their excitement is off the scale,” says their scoutmaster. “They are serious about what they’re doing, not over-serious, but it’s important to them and they want to represent the troop well.” The competition makes the annual cooking campout more fun, too.

Despite the gamey offerings, the Beast Feast rules require that the game served cannot be fresh off the hunting ground; it must be processed by reliable sources. In the past, Merritt Buffalo Ranch has provided buffalo, Dan‘s Meat Market the rabbit, and Frilly’s Seafood Bayou Kitchen the alligator meat. There’s plenty of tame offerings too, ranging from Outback’s steak and mushrooms to Cracker Barrel’s prairie chicken and dumplings. “This is such a fun, family-oriented event for everyone,” says Margaret Chalfant, executive director of the Greater Denton Arts Council. “The firemen even come out and grill hot dogs for the less adventurous appetites.”

During the beastly tastings, an auctioneer solicits bids for items such as a safari trip for two to Africa (described as “roughing it in a five-star hotel”) or a dove hunt in Argentina,

with proceeds going to the arts council. Sponsors for the Beast Feast include Access 1st Capital Bank, The Denton Record-Chronicle, Miller of Denton, CBS Mechanical Services, DeBerry’s Funeral Home, Denton Regional Medical Center, Elk River Investments, WheelerPress and Walmart.

The winners of the “Best of Beast” title receive Wild Beast Feast aprons and belt buckles as well as the opportunity to host the event’s mascot, a 3-foot-tall plush armadillo named “Dude,” for a year.

The scouts of Troop 140 get an added bonus: It helps them earn their cooking merit badge. They are looking forward to another victory this year. Their dish? A tightly held secret until Beast Feast day.

A

[ just the facts ]

when: Sept. 26, 5-9:30 p.m.

where: The North Texas State Fairgrounds, 2217 N. Carroll Blvd., about 2 miles east of North I-35E along W. University Dr.

parking: Free

admission: $15 adults, $5 children

standard fare: Cooks whip up exotic game such as duck, elk, venison, alligator, prairie chicken and buffalo

highlights: Live music, “Best of the Beast” contest, live auction

Photo by Beth Higgins

The scouts of Troop �40 serve their

“best of beast” buffalo sliders to hungry

fairgoers at the wild beast feast.

7www.dentonlive.com

[ by caroL davis ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 7 5/13/09 6:10:15 PM


im Beck runs his hand over the hood of son Jimmy’s 1968 Mustang fastback. The car is so shiny the afternoon sun bounces off the hood. As Jim’s

fingers move from the vibrant red of the car body to the white racing stripes running down the center, he smiles. Seamless. Perfect.

God, he loves this car. He loves everything about it, from the paint job to the original black interior and the 351 Windsor engine with a Ford 9-inch rear end. He bought it when son Jimmy was just 7. Jimmy, now 18, is in his first year of college and Dad has spent nearly as much on the car as he will on his son’s education. It was worth it, he says, because the red Mustang is a winner. Literally. It won first prize in the Mustang/Camaro

FUELING THE fJ

denton revvs up for the annual arts, antiques & autos

ire[ by rebecca hoeffner ]


DL_Mag_09.indb 8 5/13/09 6:10:20 PM

9www.dentonlive.com

peer-judged competition at Denton’s annual Arts, Antiques & Autos show in 2008. And Jim and Jimmy aim to win again.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Arts, Antiques & Autos show in downtown Denton. The Denton Main Street Association came up with the idea of adding cars after The History Channel came to town for its “Great Race” in 1999. Though the cameras and cars breezed through in under 30 minutes, the sight of all those classic autos—in front of the city’s classic buildings—sparked a plan to highlight Denton’s architectural treasures downtown. “In that 20 to 30 minutes, there had to have been over a thousand people that just came to see these cars. And we thought, ‘Oh my gosh!’” says event organizer Christine Gossett. And that’s how cars joined the festival’s antiques and arts in a new celebration of the city’s past and present.

Every year, the event—sponsored by the Denton Main Street Association—draws more and more antique aficionados eager to share car stories, to have an heirloom evaluated or to buy a piece of locally made art. The 2009 show is expected to draw anywhere from 6,000 to 7,000 people—including more than 200 owners of classic cars and motorcycles. They drive in from north Texas and east Texas, even southern Oklahoma, and line up along the Square in downtown Denton, pop open the hoods of their cars, and chat with each other about the trials of car restoration and times gone by. On the Square, artists sell one-of-a-kind pieces. (Birdfeeders made out of teapots, anyone?) Meanwhile, inside the famous Denton Courthouse, antique experts eyeball treasures that families dig out of their attics, like a metal toy from before the ’60s (when they began making toys of plastic), or a 100-year-old doll.

Arts, Antiques & Autos is, at its heart, a show that exemplifies the best of Denton—past and present—and brings families together. It’s about nostalgia for a time when things were made with care. “You’ll see generations of a family together at the event and there’s always someone in the older generation telling a story,” Christine says with a smile. “That makes my heart feel good, that these families

can come out and share memories and time together on the Square in downtown and just have a fun day.”

Hundreds of families come to have their antiques and small collectibles appraised at the “Attic Treasures” part of the show, though the valuations are not official. “It’s always fun to be able to tell somebody, ‘Oh, this is worth about $300.’ They didn’t know it was worth anything!” says Suzanne Tipton who runs an antique shop, County Seat Antiques, on the Square. Not everyone has a painting of the pilot Amelia Earhart or an autographed baseball, of course. There are duds, too. “It’s kind of sad when you have to tell somebody it’s a reproduction, you know? You kind of have to say it as gently as you can,” says Suzanne. The appraisals can range anywhere from $25 to $2,500, she says.

The best antiques come with a story. Suzanne

says she bought a pitcher dating back to the early 1800s for her own collection. Inside was a note telling the story of a young couple in love kept apart by the girl’s parents. The boy swam across a frigid river to find his lover and they ran away together. Two weeks later, the boy died of pneumonia. “Sad story,” says Suzanne wistfully. But a good buy. “A lady bought the pitcher just because of the note,” she says. The festival usually has at least four appraisers on hand.

Each activity at the daylong festival appeals to a different crowd. Each year, more and more games are added for the kids. The latest: a downhill miniature racing track for cars. For those not interested in classic cars or games, there is shopping to do. Though there is no longer a juried show, artists and crafters turn out with custom jewelry, bags and various artwork. Artists for Arts, Antiques & Autos are carefully selected by the Denton Main Street Association. “We try to keep the portion of the fine arts and crafts really unique, where vendors are showing items that are hand-crafted by them and use different kinds of materials,” says Christine.

The classic cars are, however, the main draw. Before Interstate 35 and the mall, the Square was Denton’s central meeting place. Highway 77, the main artery north and south through

“There’s something about cars that takes people back to a time in their life that they can’t re-live, but is a memory forever.”

christine gossett

denton main street association

[ by rebecca hoeffner ]Photos by Rebecca Hoeffner

DL_Mag_09.indb 9 5/13/09 6:10:31 PM

�0 www.dentonlive.com

[ just the facts ]

w h a t : A r t s , A n t i q u e s & A u t o s Extravaganza

when: Sept. 12, 10 a.m. -4 p.m.

where: Downtown Square

admission: Free

appraisal fee: $5 for one antique, $10 for three

auto registration: $15, $20 day of the show before 9 a.m.

prizes: $500 car show winner, $500 motorcycle winner

don’t miss: Model A Fords, Vietnam-era Jeeps, ‘stangs and ‘vettes.

for the kids: Downhill car race tracks, face painting, airbrush tattoos, bounce houses, and a golf game to keep kids occupied.

parking: Wells Fargo Bank lot, 101 S. Locust St., and other free lots.

more questions: www.dentonmainstreet.org

the central United States, still runs through downtown. “There’s something about cars that takes people back to a time in their life that you can’t re-live, but that is a memory in your head forever, kind of like a song. You know you might see a car and go, ‘I drove a car like that’ or ‘My first car was this.’ And it always takes you back to that age or that time and you feel young again. It’s like it was yesterday. I think that’s what makes the event so fun for families,” Christine says. At the end of the day, all the work that goes into the cars and motorcycles pays off at the awards ceremony. There are first, second and third places for several categories: pre-’50s to ’80s and newer, import, special interest, street rod and others. The motorcycles have seven categories including British and several

just for Harley Davidsons. Then, of course, the coveted Best of Show and President’s Choice awards.

As Jim finishes listing the features of his son’s Mustang, Jimmy listens to his dad talk about the way things were. Jimmy wasn’t around for the ’60s like his dad was, but he loves his Mustang all the same. It’s over 40 years old, and they’ve had a full “rotisserie” build done: restoring the underneath of the car, improving everything from the wheel wells to the wiring and the rubber grommets. They spent over $45,000 for it and it’s been appraised at $70,000.

Tell him he has a beautiful car and Jimmy will say thanks and give you a proud smile. He knows. Now if they can just win again this year.

DESIGNING denton and beyondany a couple has been married in the intimate confines of the Little Chapel-in-the-Woods at Texas Woman’s University,

most of them probably unaware that it was designed by Texas’ most famous architect of the 20th century: O’Neil Ford. He grew up in post-Depression Denton, got his architecture degree by correspondence, yet went on to lecture at universities such as Harvard and Cambridge. Ford is the only individual ever recognized as a “National Historic Landmark”—not his buildings, the man himself.

Though Ford died in 1982, his work is still winning new fans. In early 2009, the Little Chapel was sixth on “The 10 Best Buildings

in Texas” list, Texas Monthly’s rendition of a Texas Architectural Tour.

The Little Chapel project launched Ford into prominence in the worlds of both architecture and art. His legacy lives on in Texas, from City Hall in downtown Denton to Trinity University and the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio.

Our Denton Live self-guided tour, found online at www.dentonlive.com, will help the architecturally passionate and the casually curious to see the 15 Ford structures still standing across Denton.

Thank you to Denton author and historian Mike Cochran for photos and research from his book ““O’Neil Ford in Denton.”

M

[ by kim phiLLips ]


go to www.dentonlive.com for a full story and self-guided tour and map of �5 o’neil ford structures still standing in denton


DL_Mag_09.indb 10 5/13/09 6:10:39 PM

ntiques shops, barbecue shacks, Victorian-style landmarks and Denton’s limestone clock tower will be just a blurry kaleidoscope of color for 500

cyclists racing through the city’s historic downtown streets for the first Premier Criterium Cup this fall. Hang out under the massive pecan trees by the Courthouse-on-the-Square while professionals and amateurs zoom by on the 1-mile course, all in hopes of becoming the next Lance Armstrong.

Professional cyclists such as German-born Stefan Rothe, New Zealander Heath Blackgrove and former national champ Chris Wherry of Colorado will whoosh by at 35 miles per hour. The Cup is one of only five races in the state with Premier Cup distinction. This spectator-friendly type of competitive cycling—shorter and faster than most bike races—is a peculiarly American brand of racing that challenges world-class athletes while playing to the crowds and highlighting the arts and entertainment of host cities.

The Denton Convention and Visitor Bureau worked four years to bring the race to town. Coming as the cycling season winds down, the Cup is part of an already packed calendar including 300 other state races. While other Cups shut down cities, the Denton Cup will showcase the city’s shops, pubs and sites. “Denton has charm, that European flavor,”

says race promoter Christian Williams. Not that the bikers will notice, given their speeds. Fast means a bigger draw, says Christian, who is hoping for a turnout of 1,000 spectators. “Our little Euro race,” he says affectionately.

The race will be swarming with guys seeking to imitate Lance Armstrong, but not everyone fits that mold.

Meet the rebel: Andrew Dahlheim, a 20-year-old high school dropout from Lance’s hometown of Plano. Andrew’s personality fits his feisty 5-foot-6, 140-pound frame, the scruffy jaw line, the pierced ears and the signature Oakley sunglasses. (For any given day, he has 32 pairs to choose from.) No, he is definitely not a Lance wannabe. Nor does he want to be. No one’s ever going to win seven Tour de France titles again, he thinks. No one’s ever going to match Lance’s celebrity status. “To be honest, there are other races that I would like to win,” he says cockily.

Andrew is an unconventional rider. He didn’t finish high school. He didn’t attend college like most of his teammates from the FCS/Metro Volkswagen Cycling Club. (That’s Foundation for the Cultivation of Sport.) He doesn’t have a job, although getting up at 7 a.m. to ride his Retül bicycle from White Rock Lake in Dallas to Flower Mound or Denton - 15 to 30 hours a week - is a lot of work. People question how he does it. Andrew is a punching bag for criticisms, especially the fact

that he left school. “I kind of like it,” he says, ever the rebel. The Cup is just another stage that allows him to prove his critics wrong.

Andrew is definitely “living the dream,” as he says. With no other responsibilities, all he does is ride. His career highlight was riding for the U.S. national team in Belgium and he once beat Tyler Hamilton, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist. He’s raced the big names like Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, too. He is a down-to-earth athlete, not one of those taking-life-too-seriously jocks. He has … personality, to say the least.

Denton’s Cup race could expand someday into a multi-day race. Andrew is eager for that. It means more crowds to cheer him on, pushing him to become a legend that spectators lining Denton’s streets could someday remember nostalgically.

the scenic ROUTE

[ just the facts ]

when: Sept. 26 & 27

where: Downtown Square

highlights: High Wheel Bicycle Expo, live music, face painting, and much more!

parking: Free spots around the Square

��www.dentonlive.com

[ by khashan poiTier ]

Courtesy Tom Judd Photography

A

DL_Mag_09.indb 11 5/13/09 6:10:54 PM


n screen, filmmaker Lee Kazimir trudges across a hayfield in Western Europe, his sharp features downcast. He is on a solitary 3,000-mile

walk across the continent—solitary, that is, except for the camera that documents his trek from Madrid to Kiev. The audience inside Denton’s 60-year-old Campus Theatre has come to see Lee’s film, “More Shoes,” as part of the Thin Line Film Festival, one of the few documentary-only film festivals in the nation. The festival, now in its third year, is gearing up for February 2010 with offerings that will range from the serious to the kid-friendly.

But Lee’s film has a catch, as do all the screenings at Thin Line: The audience doesn’t know for sure if Lee’s film is fictional or not. Documentaries are usually taken at face value as truthful, but Thin Line throws uncertainty into the mix by admitting a select few fictional

can a startup film festival change the way we think about truth?

They’re certainly going to try.

THIN line

filmsand no one knows which films are the entertaining fabrication, and which are outrageous but true.

Thin Line co-founder Joshua Butler says the distinction may not be as clear as we all like to think. All films, even nonfictional ones, are products of the human imagination, personal perspective and a definite bias. Documentary makers must decide, for instance, which scenes to show, or not to show, and in what order. Seemingly unscripted moments in documentaries or reality TV are frequently heavily pre-produced.

Where is the line between fact and fiction? Is there such a thing as nonfiction at all?

The Thin Line Film Festival is the product of this existential crisis, a celebration of entertaining films, most of them factual, some not. The idea is to leave you, the audience, guessing and thinking. Though some films will come from beginning filmmakers in

Texas, there will be movies from all over the world. “We want to be big,” says Joshua. “We do not want to be small. We do not want to be amateur hour. We want to be the Texas International Film Festival.”

As the lone documentary film fest in Texas, Thin Line is admittedly a bit of a curiosity, but to hear Joshua, the 28-year-old president of the Texas Filmmakers Corporation, tell it, a world-class film festival north of the DFW metroplex isn’t just a possibility; it’s an inevitability. Denton, with its music scene thriving, is picking up recognition in New York and overseas as a creative enclave. “We’re in this great little art cocoon of Denton,” says Joshua, listing the qualities that make city the perfect venue for Thin Line: numerous, stately theater venues within walking distance of each other and a massive art community that draws upon the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University.

O

[ by ian birnbaUm ]

Photos courtesy Texas Filmmakers Corporation

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Thin Line’s criteria for selecting documentaries is simple: “We’re not really about saving the world or disseminating socially relevant information,” says Joshua. “We’re about entertaining and showcasing entertaining films.” Being factual is not required, but being interesting is. “Nobody wants to watch boring documentaries,” he says. Joshua screens films for kids and families as well as the more standard documentary fare. One year, for instance, Thin Line screened a film featuring a psychologist’s take on terror. Another was about Japanese toys; yet another followed a group dedicated to wiener dog (or dachshund) racing.

Last year, Thin Line screened “Public Interest,” a movie that brutally satirizes reality TV, and “Johnny Dodgeball,” a pseudo-documentary about a high school dodge ball team called the Chicago Superdawgs. The films pushed on that thin line between fiction and reality, forcing the audience to get involved in the experience, says Joshua. “That way every single time you come into a theater, you’re thinking, ‘well, is this real or not?’”

If movies that seem like documentaries can be fictional, the confusion can run the opposite way, as well. One Thin Line offering, “Nerdcore Rising,” featured MC Frontalot rapping about Nintendos and Star Wars. The rumor went round that Frontalot was fake—except he turned out to be real and is today recognized as the godfather of nerdcore hip-hop. “The film took everyone for a ride,” says Joshua, enjoying the confusion from festival-goers.

While there are more than a dozen documentary film festivals around the country, the Denton festival is unique in concentrating on the fact/fiction concept. “We try to make it fun, interesting and excitingas close to the fictional experience as you can get and still be documentary,” says Joshua. ”I think you have to let documentaries just wash over you, like any movie. You have to submit yourself to the story and let yourself go there and in the end, let yourself realize that what you saw was a contrived piece of art.”

The festival’s roots began in 2004 when a group of UNT film students formed the Texas Filmmakers Corporation, their express purpose to make filmmaking more accessible with low-cost equipment rental and editing labs. Before the year was out, Texas Filmmakers was incorporated and registered with the IRS as a nonprofit. The group had aspirations of expanding beyond UNT, but it had no money. Taking a “leap of faith,” as Joshua calls it, the organization left UNT and started raising money in the fine tradition of struggling filmmakers everywhere: They became waiters. The group volunteered to man the concession

stand at the Dr. Pepper Ball Park in Frisco for the entire 2005 baseball season, raising $20,000 that summer alone.

The first Thin Line festival debuted in 2007—and lost “quite a bit of money,” says Joshua with a grimace. But the young filmmakers screened 40 films and attracted 400 film lovers against some heavy competition: Denton’s Fiesta-on-the-Square and the Wild Beast Feast, not to mention the Texas State Fair and Austin City Limits Music Festival on the same weekend. By 2008, with word spreading, the audience doubled and the film festival turned a profit. They hope to double attendance again in 2010.

Nothing can stop Joshua, who sports a manic grin when he talks about the future of the festival. His office near downtown Denton is a short walk away from where many of the festival’s films are screened each year. Hanging next to his desk are two large posters with satellite shots of hurricanes tearing across the Atlantic Ocean — apt symbols for

Joshua himself, who is somehow energetic and exhausted at the same time.

With Thin Line moving to a new weekend in February, and away from its heavyweight competition, Joshua is working on attracting bigger names and bigger films to Denton. “If you are making a documentary in the Southwest, you want to premiere your film at Thin Line in Denton,” says Joshua. “This event has potential. There’s such a huge hole in this genre in this state.” In a few years, Thin Line might become more than a place where amazing stories are told. It might just become an unbelievable story in itself.

[ just the facts ]

when: Feb. 17 - 21, 2010

where: Campus Theatre, Downtown Denton

[ by ian birnbaUm ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 13 5/13/09 6:11:13 PM


iriam “Ma” Ferguson missed being the first female governor of the United States by only 15 days. Nellie Tayloe Ross, a Prohibition supporter elected

in 1925 to govern Wyoming, was the first. But in Texas history, Ma Ferguson is mythic. After her husband was impeached and thrown out as governor, first lady Ma Ferguson ran for governor herself using the campaign slogan, “Two governors for the price of one.” She won and served two terms enduring death threats, public scrutiny over the number of pardons she granted (an average of 100 convicts a month), and near impeachment.

Her governorship inaugural gown, like her colorful record, has stood the test of time. Now nearly 85 years old, the gown is as original as Ferguson herself. It is made of Paulette crepe in a light shade of orchid. Thin and sleeveless, the ’20s-style dress is made to hang, with slender strands of beads meant for movement. Never one to quit, Ma Ferguson put her hat in the ring for governor for a third time at age 65. She didn’t win, but her legacy lives on. Known

as a fiscally conservative governor, she also opposed the Ku Klux Klan and helped turn the University of Houston into a four-year university during her tenure.

Ma Ferguson’s gown is one of 40-plus inaugural ball gowns in the Texas First Ladies Historic Costume Collection at Texas Woman’s University. From the days when Texas was a republic and Sam Houston was its president to the modern-day reign of Rick Perry, a timeline of Texas history and politics is ensconced in the gowns of these women whose roles as first ladies (and one governor, of course) went far beyond standing at their husbands’ side. Every year, over 170 scheduled tours, with visitors from age 3 to 70, pass through the exhibit on the second floor of the Administration Tower at TWU.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter in Denton started the collection in 1940, gathering either the original gowns or making recreations. The dresses, displayed on mannequins, are placed behind two long glass cases, stretching down a private hallway. Only 18 gowns are displayed at a time, but the exhibit is changed throughout the year.

“I think the collection serves as a reminder or encouragement for our students about what they can do if they put their mind to it,” says David Sweeten, who helps oversee the collection as TWU’s director of conference services. “It’s a bit of a history lesson past about some of the great things the women have done.”

In the collection, for instance, is Orline Walton Sayers’s gown of bright white lace, sleeveless with a high neckline. Orline, who was first lady of Texas at the turn of the century, had a special interest in young people. She served on a state committee that paved the way for establishment of the YWCA across Texas. Her husband signed the legislative bill creating Texas Woman’s University (originally called the Girls Industrial College).

Down the hall from Ma Ferguson is the gown of Ima Mae Smith, first lady of Texas from 1969-1973. She met her husband in college when they were seated alphabetically and ended up next to each other with the same last name: “Smith.” So she became Ima Mae Smith Smith. Her gown, like her name, also elicits a double take. It is a satin

WALTzING THROUGH Time

Texas woman’s University showcases

more than a century of first lady fashion

M

[ by hoLLy dUTTon ]

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Photos by Holly Dutton

Empire-style gown with a beaded bodice in a rosy shade of pink almost as eye-catching as her double moniker.

Most of the gowns in the collection were either donated by the DAR or by family members of the first ladies. Some are replications of originals that were either unavailable or too damaged to display. TWU was recently able to restore 16 dresses with the support of two nonprofits: the Denton Benefit League, women committed to enhancing the quality of life in Denton, and The Summerlee Foundation, a Dallas-based foundation dedicated to protecting animals and preserving Texas history. TWU also maintains an endowment to help with the upkeep of the gowns in the name of historian Marion Day Mullins who presented the collection on behalf of the DAR to TWU in 1940.

There is one noticeably absent gown from

the collection: former Texas governor (1991-1995) Ann Richards. Monica Mendez-Grant, associate vice president for student life at TWU, recalls learning about Richards’ missing gown. “When I first came aboard I thought, ‘Where’s Ann Richards?’” she says. “I was told she was denied the opportunity (to donate her dress) because she was not first lady, she was governor.”

TWU, the largest state-supported university for women in the nation with a student population of over 10,000, also maintains a Texas Woman’s Hall of Fame, which has

inaugurated successful women such as retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. TWU president’s Dr. Ann Stuart partnered with conference services to seek funds for gown restoration and more recently, for renovation of the exhibit itself. “The history the gowns illustrate is such a treasure for our students and the public,” she says.

Moving slowly through the exhibit, taking time to drink in the breathtaking gowns, Ann Barton, who spent 11 years as an archivist for the collection, talks about the recent restoration process. Each gown was cleaned and pressed, and some, because of the delicate nature of the fabric like the Ferguson gown, were painstakingly hand-sewn. “The Ferguson dress has been restored the most,” she says. “It was just shredding.” The displays, which are set with gloves, bags, furniture and even tea sets, represent fashion and style from different

eras of Texas historyContinuing down the quiet hallway, filled

with shimmering gowns encompassing more than a century of fashion, posters display information for each first lady’s gown. As the collection ends, the hallway leads down a small flight of stairs to an enormous ballroom with expansive white floors and magnificent gold chandeliers. It is completely empty, but suddenly, you begin to imagine the music playing, the Texas flag proudly displayed, and all of the splendid gowns sashaying and sweeping across the floors.

Miriam “Ma” Ferguson (1925-1927)

Adele Baron Lubbock (1861-1863)

Ima Mae Smtih (1969-1973)

[ by hoLLy dUTTon ]

The daughters of the american revolution started the dress collection in �940. Today, �8 of the 42 gowns are available for public viewing.

what: Texas First Ladies Historic Costume

Collection

where: Administration Conference Tower,

Texas Woman’s University, 304 Administration

Dr.

hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m..

admission: Free

parking: Free with visitors parking pass

what you’ll see: The dresses on display are

rotated throughout the year. At any time, 18

of the 42 dresses in the collection are available

for public viewing.

contact: (940) 898-3644 or visit

www.twu.edu/gown-collection

[ just the facts ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 15 5/13/09 6:11:37 PM

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16 wwww.dentonlive.com

July 1 - Sept. 30: Denton County Farmer’s

Market

Bayless-Selby parking lot. Local farmers sell seasonal vegetables and fruit every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

4: Kiwanis 4th of July

Fireworks Show

UNT Fouts Field Annual show featuring patriotic music and a spectacular fireworks show!

4: 4th of July Jubilee-

liberty Fun Run

Quakertown Park, 321 E. McKinney Events include American Pride Cook-Off, Yankee Doodle Parade, Kids Carnival. Horseshoe Tournament, crafts and food.

5: Victorian Summers:

Mistress of the Garden

Bayless-Selby House Museum Lecture/tour

6: Jay Novacek Football

Camp

UNT Coliseum Come learn football techniques from Dallas Cowboys

7: Banter

219 West Oak Street Originals & Dixieland Jazz w/Mister Joe and Friends, followed by Le Not So Hot Klub du Denton

10-12: The Great American

Shoot Out

Various locations National basketball tournament for 6-12th grade, featuring the best high school athletes in America.

July

1, 2, 8, 9: Seven Brides for

Seven Brothers

Campus Theatre

1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Acoustic

lawn Jam

Courthouse-on-the-Square lawn Open acoustic jam session for all levels of musicians on Saturday mornings

1: Run the lewisville lake

toll Bridge

Lewisville Lake Bridge 5K run or walk beginning at Lewisville Lake, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see North Texas’ famous landmarks

AuG. 2 - Sept. 4: Symbiotic Structure: Four

Watercolor Artists

Center for Visual Arts

9: 2nd Annual pioneer

power Sprint triathlon

TWU Campus & Pioneer Hall Triathalon features a 300-meter swim, 20-km bike ride and 3.3-mile run.

AuG. 9 - Sept. 4: Visual

Art Society of texas

Membership exhibition

Meadows Gallery, Center for Visual Arts

14: lecture: Which end of

the Buffalo Gets up First?

by George Hubbard

Courthouse-on-the-Square

14: uNt & tWu Summer

Commencement

Ceremonies

AuG. 17 - Sept. 28: Waxy

Buildup -Cleaning House

Gough Gallery, Center for Visual Arts Works by Deanna Wood and Tyre Claybrook.

August

5: North texas Horse

Country tours

Denton County Historical Park Explore world-class facilities, farms and horses on bus tour.

12: Arts, Antiques &

Autos

Downtown Square Hot rods, motorcycles, classic and custom cars line the Square. Antique appraisals, dealers and strolling entertainment

14: A Cappella Choir with

Dallas Wind Symphony

Off-campus concert Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas at 8 p.m.

September

Sept. 10 - OCt. 30: Couples Who Create

Center for Visual Arts Show 6-9 p.m.

11: lecture: All About

Collecting Baseball

Memorabilia

Courthouse on-the -Square Museum Local collector Tim Phillips shares his collection of baseball memorabilia.

12: uNt vs. Ohio

Fouts Field

19: Denton Blues Fest

Quakertown Park (formerly Civic Center Park) The Denton Black Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Denton Blues Fest. Come out and join the fun.

11, 18, 25: Acoustic lawn

Jam

Courthouse-on-the-Square lawn Open acoustic jam session for all levels of musicians on Saturday mornings

11: Friends of the Denton

public libraries book sale

Denton Public Library - North Branch

17: lecture: How to

Reproduce your Historic

photographs

Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum Kim Cupit, curator of collections for Denton County Museums

25: tex Mex Fly-In

US Aviation See the airplanes, talk to the pilots and enjoy a Tex Mex lunch.

31: Seven Brides for Seven

Brothers

Campus Theatre

19-22:The Glass

Menagerie

TWU Redbud Theater Tennessee Williams’ family drama about an aspiring St. Louis poet who works to support his mother and sister

21-29: 81st Annual North

texas State Fair and

Rodeo

North Texas Fairgrounds Annual event features world championship rodeo, music, carnival rides and games, and barbecue cook-off.

29: tex Mex Fly-In


25: Fiesta -on-the-Square

Courthouse-on-the Square A celebration of Hispanic heritage that features ballet folklorico, mariachis and a Latin jazz ensemble

26: 3rd Annual Wild Beast

Feast

North Texas State Fairgrounds Cooks russle up some rabbit, duck, buffalo, elk and alligator for tasting and prizes.

26: uNt vs. Middle

tennessee

Fouts Field

26-27: Denton premier

Cup Weekend

Downtown Denton Racers from across the state will compete in Criterium-style races.

27: ultra extra Arts Mix

Center for Visual Arts An evening of contemporary dance, music, film, food, and interactive art

21: Open mic poetry

Reading

Recycled Books, 200 N. Locust Family-friendly poetry reading sign-up begins at 7 p.m.

FeAtuReD eVeNt

FeAtuReD eVeNt

FeAtuReD eVeNt

DL_Mag_09.indb 16 5/13/09 6:13:23 PM

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17www.dentonlive.com

6: Samsung 500

Texas Motor Speedway A NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race

July - December 2009

1: uNt Wind Symphony &

Symphonic Band

UNT Winspear Performance Hall

3: 7th Annual Fall Family

Festival

Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home Campus Hayrides, pumpkin patch, arts & crafts, carnival games and more

10: Barktoberfest

North Lakes Park Fun for family and four-legged friends. Fur painting, food booths, and doggie wading pools.

17: uNt HOMeCOMING

FOOtBAll GAMe

Fouts Field UNT vs. Florida Atlantic Tailgating and parade will begin at 3:30 p.m.

24-25: trade Days

Texas Motor Speedway, I-35W @ Hwy. 114. A combination of art shows , art festivals and flea markets.

31: teX MeX Fly-IN

Denton Airport


October

5-8: triple Header Race

Weekend

Texas Motor Speedway The Dickies 500, O’Reilly Challenge and Lone Star 350

November

5: North texas Horse

Country tours

Denton County Historical Park Explore world-class facilities, farms and horses on bus tour.

December

4: Octoberfest

Denton Civic Center Music, food and fun

20: The planner Zone

UNT Gateway Center Resource expo for anyone planning any event anywhere

24: Sacred Jazz Festival

First United Methodist Church A festival of sacred jazz music performances performed by bands from across Texas and beyond

19: Beaujolais & More

Wine and Food tasting

Denton Civic Center For $25 you get to sample 20 different restaurants

DeC. 2 - JAN. 16, 2010: Works by Gerald

McDermott

Meadows Gallery, Center for Visual Arts

3: 20th Annual Holiday

lighting Festival &

Wassail Fest

The Downtown Square Lighting of Christmas Tree on Courthouse lawn, visits with Santa, a children’s arts & crafts area and live music, featuring Brave Combo

5: Victorian-Style Holiday

Shopping

Department stores on the SquareBayless-Selby

House Museum

FeAtuReD eVeNt

For more information and

additional events, log on to

www.dentonlive.com.All dates are subject to change without notice.

Coming in 2010:

March: texas Storytelling Festival

April: Denton Arts & Jazz Festival

May: Dog Days of Denton

June: Denton Air Fair

FeAtuReD eVeNt

16: DeAD MAN¹S Cell

pHONe

Redbud Theater A bilingual comedy written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Dr. Patrick Bynane.

31: uNt Home Game

Fouts Field UNT vs. Western Kentucky

16: lecture: All about

Bonnie and Clyde

Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum

7: uNt Home Game

Fouts Field UNT vs. University of Louisiana at Monroe

19: African ensemble

UNT Campus Main Auditorium Gideon Alorwoyle, director

12-13: Rhythms for life

Margo Jones Performance Hall Interactive dance concert for 2nd grade youth hosted by TWU and Denton ISD

21: uNt HOMe GAMe

Fouts Field UNT vs. ARMY

13: lecture: A War Memoir

from one of “Them “ by

James A. Wells

Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum

19-22: Oedipus Rex

Redbud Theater A classic Greek tragedy directed by Steven Young

14: Storybook Quilts Center

for Visual Arts

An exhibition of quilts specifically based on children’s stories. The quilts will be displayed with the storybook that inspired it.

NOV. 22 - JAN.6, 2010: Blues Chapel

Center for Visual Arts Exhibition featuring works of Susan Lenz

12-14: Dance Makers Fall

2009 Concert

Margo Jones Performance Hall

24: 49th Annual

One O’ Clock lab Band

UNT Winspear Performance Hall

5, 12, 19: Christmas pet

pictures

Calloway’s Nursery Denton Humane Society hosts holiday pictures with your pet.

18,19,20: Christmas at the

Campus

Campus Theatre

DL_Mag_09.indb 17 5/13/09 6:13:26 PM


n the first Thursday after Thanksgiving, Bob Moses places a cardboard crown on his head, draws the blinds closed to his shop, and mixes

what he hopes will be this year’s award-winning Wassail recipe. Exactly what goes into his mixture of mulled spices and fruit juices is a secret. He starts the night before, slowly simmering his ingredients at home before loading his concoction into portable containers for delivery to his ice cream shop for the tasting—a trick he feels is essential to winning Denton’s annual Wassail Fest.

Not that he’s won lately. Last year, Valerie Clegg, who has a tearoom near Bob’s, walked home with the prize. She started two days ahead, using a recipe provided by a customer, and served 1,200 cups of Wassail. Bob’s 16 gallons of Wassail ran out early because it was so popular. Yet he still couldn’t beat Valerie. “I’ve managed to win twice, but I’ve tried the last four or five years without success,” he says. “I can’t seem to get back in there.”

In Denton, they get serious about Wassail Fest, one of the highlights of the annual Holiday Lighting Festival. Carolers sing popular Christmas songs from all corners of the city’s famous Square, the smell of long-simmered Wassail wafts through the air, Santa saunters through, and the holiday spirit makes people forget their troubles and rejoice with neighbors in ringing in the Christmas season. “Everybody I’ve met in the last 20 years in Denton I usually see at the festival,” says Julie Glover, a member of the Denton Holiday Lighting Festival Association, which began hosting a pre-Christmas bash for the city in 1988. “It truly is a real Norman Rockwell moment.”

The Denton Main Street Association started the Wassail tradition a decade ago in 1998 as part of the Holiday Lighting Festival. Last year, nearly 10,000 people poured out for the Wassail-tasting, carol singing and tree-lighting ceremony. “I enjoy walking around the Square and seeing families together and seeing the reactions of the little kids—all the way from

HOLIDAY LIGHTING FeStIVAl photo by Chris Blumenshine

goes a-Wassailing

[ By lAuRA MAtySIAK ]

O

DL_Mag_09.indb 18 5/13/09 6:13:31 PM


HOLIDAY LIGHTING FeStIVAl

watching them eat something with their hands and getting their faces all messy to dancing and doing their little waddles to the music,” says Bob, who got involved a decade ago at the very beginning of the Wassail Fest. That’s also the year he won his first Wassail crown.

Denton’s Wassail Fest is a chili cook-off-type event where local merchants compete for the title of Wassail Fest king or queen by creating the most popular version of the typically Germanic holiday drink. Traditionally made from mulled spices such as cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, the ingredients are combined with a variety of fruit juices and simmered until hot. Residents wander from shop to shop on the Square, tasting and voting for the winner, who gets nothing more than a costume shop crown and bragging rights.

Competition can be fierce. If you happen to pass the shops along the Square the night of Holiday Lighting, you might hear some friendly neighborly heckling. Some shop owners take ballots and fill in their name ahead of time in the hope that customers will vote

for their store. “This is one case where early voting usually does work,” Glover laughs. Traci Davis, who organizes the Wassail Fest, says the competitors are very, well, competitive. “I had to count up all the ballots and they

were calling me up to see who won, ‘How many votes do we have?’” she says. One year a certain team (our lips are sealed) tried to rig the proceedings by putting alcohol in the Wassail. They didn’t win.

Even though Bob hasn’t won the crown recently, he insists upon wearing the crown his co-workers made for him the first year he won. Made of nothing fancier than cardboard,

the crown seems more fitting for a 9-year-old than a man of Bob’s age, but he believes in tradition. Because people expect it, he wears the crown every year without fail. The crown itself isn’t important. It’s the tradition of

everyone—families, students, children and friends—all coming together to celebrate the season.

Though it’s only one night a year, the Holiday Lighting Festival and Wassail Fest is a reminder that Denton’s historic Square remains the city’s living room, a place where people can gather to shop, eat and party. The highlight of the evening is the annual Christmas tree

[ By lAuRA MAtySIAK ]

“It truly is a real Norman Rockwell moment.”

Julie Glover

Denton Holiday lighting Festival Association

DL_Mag_09.indb 19 5/13/09 6:13:36 PM


photos by Chris Blumenshine

[ just the facts ]

What: 20th Annual Holiday Lighting Festival

When: Dec. 3, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Where: Downtown Courthouse-on-the-Square

Admission: Free

parking: Visitors are encouraged to park at the Bayless-Selby House, 317 W. Mulberry St., and take a short bus ride to the Square, as parking will be limited

Highlights: Tree lighting, Brave Combo concert, Wassail Fest contest, photos with Santa $5, face painting $2.

Wassail Fest: Plan your tasting route at www.dentonmainstreet.org.

Spirit of the Season: Bring an unwrapped gift for the Santa’s Helper Toy Drive

Contact: For more information go to www.dentonholidaylighting.com

Want to Volunteer? Contact Mary Pastorius at [email protected] or Alicia McKinley at [email protected]

lighting and visit by Santa, but all evening long, children can visit a variety of arts and crafts booths along the Square. Girl Scout troops often sponsor cookie icing booths; churches pitch in with booths where children can create their own Christmas ornaments. Face painting, carriage rides and pictures with Santa are also available for a cost of $5 or less. WFAA sponsors a Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive for donations of new unwrapped toys to be distributed to needy families living in Denton County.

And yes, Denton has the real Santa. When he emerges, 3-year-olds fling themselves at his legs like teenage girls at a Jonas Brothers’ concert, hoping for the chance to meet their biggest celebrity. The last few years a police escort has helped Santa (who has a real beard) enter and leave the Square safely. “If you’re 3, he is a rock star,” says Glover.

Toward the end of the evening, the scene changes and the sounds of the Grammy award-winning band Brave Combo fill the downtown Square. Brave Combo won a Grammy in 1999 in the best polka category for the album “Polkasonic,” and again in 2005 for its album “Let’s Kiss.” For the Holiday Lighting festival, its repertoire focuses on family-friendly Christmas songs, such as “The Little Drummer Boy” or “It’s Christmas, Man!,”

but it has become a tradition to get college students and local residents who might not normally intermingle involved in the group’s annual rendition of “The Chicken Dance.”

“I have a wonderful memory a few years ago of being in a circle for the chicken dance with the mayor, the mayor pro tem and two city council members and a bunch of college kids with green hair,” says Glover. She chuckles. “It was really funny.”

Brave Combo draws a different crowd to the Holiday Lighting Festival, arguably a college crowd, but make no mistake, parents won’t have to cover their children’s ears at any point during the performance. “Everyone likes Brave Combo because they’re not too crazy, but they’re crazy enough that you will have a good time,” says Micah Pazoureck, a member of the Denton Holiday Lighting Festival Association.

With so much focus on Denton as an environmentally friendly community, the Holiday Lighting Festival Association hopes to change all the lights downtown to LED, making them more energy efficient and cost effective in the long run. (Visitors might not realize that Denton’s Square is lit up year round with tiny white Christmas lights, but the big Christmas tree gets colored lights. Proceeds from the Holiday Lighting Festival pay for the Square’s year-round display.) Last year, the city provided Wassail Fest competitors with recyclable cups in an attempt to cut down on waste. Some merchants go through upwards of 900 cups during the night. “We’re trying to make the festival more earth friendly,” says Micah.

The Bayless-Selby House Museum in Denton’s Historical Park, just west of the Square, offers a Victorian-style musical evening for visitors during the festival as well as other events during the holiday season. The museum opens up on the two Thursday evenings after the festival for the Holiday Musicale, presenting musicians with help from the Greater Denton Arts Council (GDAC), The Arts Guild of

Denton, Texas Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts. The musicales feature 19th century Christmas carols and visitors sing along as they enjoy the ambience of the Victorian-era décor. “We have made song books for our sing-along visitors,” says museum manager Robyn Lee. “But some bring their own.”

When Denton resident Caroline Booth Lara brought her son to the festival last year, she watched his eyes widen as the tall fir Christmas tree was illuminated, lighting up the downtown Square to thunderous applause. The festival gives children a traditional Christmas experience while allowing older souls the opportunity to re-live their holiday memories, whether it is hearing the carolers on the Square or simply conversing with old friends over a cup of Wassail.

“I tear up two or three times during the night,” says Julie Glover, her face markedly serious. “You see some little kid seeing Santa, or the tree comes on when it is supposed to. You see all those people singing, it is just a cool thing,” she pauses. “Of course, I cry at coffee commercials too.”

DL_Mag_09.indb 20 5/13/09 6:13:38 PM



or Claudia Vera, Denton’s annual Fiesta-on-the-Square is a taste of home. The aroma of tamales, tostadas and fire-roasted corn permeates the air. The corn is grilled and served Mexican style, with mayonnaise spiked with chili powder. Claudia, a native of Brownsville, recommends it on a stick. “If you eat it in a cup with a spoon, that’s cheating,” she says with a laugh.

Fiesta-on-the-Square each September is a draw for Denton’s diversified Latino population and those fascinated by the city’s growing multi-cultural community, says organizer Jorge Urbina. Since 2002, the event has grown with first-, second- and third-generation Latinos converging to learn about their culture through authentic dances, exhibits and, of course, food. Fiesta is not so much a celebration of battle, like Cinco de Mayo, but comparable to a family gathering. It is intimate. “You can sit anywhere you want, with blankets or lawn chairs,” says Claudia, who performs each year with the International Dance Company from Texas Woman’s University.

Fiesta-on-the-Square started as a celebration of Fiestas Patrias, the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Chile as well as Mexico. To keep things authentic, Jorge looks for groups representing cultures from all over the Southern Hemisphere, not just mariachi and conjunto bands. At Fiesta, there might be dancers demonstrating the culture of Chiapas (Mexico’s southern-most state bordering Guatemala), Nayarit (on the Pacific west coast), Jalisco (Guadalajara is the capital), Michoacán (south of Chiapas) or the Yucatan (by the Gulf of Mexico on the tip of the Yucatan peninsula).

TWU’s resident dance group, the International

Dance Company, searches out instructors to keep performances authentic. This year, the company is working on a dance from Nuevo Leon (Monterrey is the capital). “It has become SUCH…A ...BIG…DEAL….,” says Gladys Keeton, who is in charge of the dance company at TWU. She talks fast, eager to share the fun of the festival. “We bring in people to teach the dancers. I check their background to make sure something is authentic. Authentic steps. We want as authentic as we can get.”

Pointing to the Fiesta-on-the-Square poster with its riot of colors and cultures, Jorge says he hopes to expand the Fiesta into a three-night multicultural celebration, not just of Latino culture. He wants to bring in the famous African percussion ensemble and steel bands from the University of North Texas, as well as other groups—maybe even offer a jazz night. Fiestas Patrias, after all, is not just about the Latino culture, Jorge points out. It symbolizes the freedom to explore all cultures and, as such, is very “telling” of Denton’s diverse cultural offerings.

For Claudia, the Fiesta has helped her appreciate her ancestors and history. Before moving to Denton from her border hometown, Claudia says she had seen people in parades dressed in Latin region costumes, but had little personal experience with her own traditions. “I did not know the traditional way to do

F

[ just the facts ]

What: 8th annual Fiesta-on-the-Square,

a celebration of Latin heritage

When: Sept. 25, 6-10 p.m.

Where: Downtown Square, 110 West

Hickory St.

enjoy: Ballet folklÓrico groups, mariachi

bands, a Latin jazz ensemble and more

on the Courthouse lawn.

Celebrate: Fiestas Patrias, the anniversary

of independence for Latin American

countries. The event is growing to include

other cultures.

[ By elIZABetH pADIllA ]

my hair, my make-up. I did not know how to work a heavy skirt,” she says. Though her family cannot see her perform at Fiesta, she feels the connection to home. “I am continuing my tradition as a Mexican woman,” she says. “I have memories that go through my head, but you let those things go… You just grab your skirt and say … let’s go!”

Fiesta!

Denton residents celebrate latino culture and much more

Photos by Elizabeth Padilla

DL_Mag_09.indb 21 5/13/09 6:13:45 PM


ddie Gossage talks fondly about his “monster.” Laid out on 1,500 peaceful acres of Denton County, Texas Motor Speedway is a monster. The

track itself is 1.5 miles of asphalt and cement circular hell just 58 feet wide. “Eight Texas Stadiums could fit inside our oval,” Gossage is quick to brag. When every seat is filled, including the grandstand, luxury suites, condominium seating and infield capacity, 212,470 people can watch race cars roar by at speeds in excess of 200 mph.

Ever since Texas Motor Speedway burst onto the national racing scene in 1997, fans have been flocking to the track. It hosts races and events year-round, but there are three main

weekends that really get racing fans revved up. The festivities begin with the Samsung 500 NASCAR Sprint Series race in the spring, followed by the Bombardier Learjet 550k race in the summer for the fast IndyCars. The year concludes in November with one of the most popular races at the Speedway, the Dickies 500 NASCAR Sprint Series race, which is part of a 10-race playoff system NASCAR calls “The Chase for the Cup” (or simply “the Chase” for those in-the-know).

Driving southwest of Denton on I-35W, the green fields stretch for miles. Green grass, green trees, green bushes. It’s all very… green. And then, out of nowhere, there it is: the anti-green and we say that affectionately: Texas Motor Speedway, a giant concrete oasis

set serenely in a field of (what else?) green grass. Rising up around the 1.5-mile track is a grandstand two-thirds of a mile long that can hold up to 120,000 cheering spectators. A nine-story, $30 million glass building juts into the light blue sky just above Turn One, housing luxury condominiums, a chandelier-filled Texas Grand Ballroom, and a health club and spa. Just behind the mammoth racing complex is a quiet, peaceful lake. On race days, vibrations from the racetrack reverberate through the ground, beneath the fans in the stands and the luxury condos, creating ripples on the lake surface.

The real draw here, however, is the asphalt oasis. Texas Motor Speedway is a refuge for people who prefer loud motors, burnt rubber,

E

THE NEED FORmore speed

Photo By Holly Dutton

[ By JORDAN BOStIC ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 22 5/13/09 6:13:53 PM


multicolored race cars and plush aluminum stadium seating over a relaxing day of fishing. They are out to get the ultimate adrenaline rush, hypnotized by 3,500-pound blurs of flat sheet metal and steel tubing flying around the track at speeds in excess of 200 mph.

The best seats at Texas Motor Speedway offer the full sensory experience, which means you sit as close as possible to the track. When cars zoom past, the grandstand seats vibrate. A quick gust of wind from a pack of cars sends big Texas hair flying in every direction. The engine noise is constant, reaching a deafening roar as the cars go by, lessening to a sharp whir as the drivers complete the rest of the track. The speed can make it hard to see each vehicle clearly during the race, creating an edgy abstract painting of bright colors blurring into one another. The smell of charred tire rubber competes frequently with the smell of nachos wafting from a generous portion in a nearby spectator’s hands. It is, as they say, a feast for the senses, and that’s only one lap. Each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is at least 300 laps!

“It’s thrilling to watch two or three drivers battle it out for the same piece of real estate,” says Gossage, excitement palpable in his voice. “Who has the guts, nerve and skill to jump into that tiny space?”

NASCAR is the star in the spring with the O’Reilly 300 and the Samsung 500. The O’Reilly 300 is part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which is to NASCAR what the minor AAA league is to Major League Baseball. Essentially, Nationwide Series drivers are working their way up to NASCAR’s big show, the Sprint Series. The IndyCars come to town for the Bombardier Learjet 550k in the summer. The IndyCars are smaller, more aerodynamic, and faster than those used in NASCAR, usually averaging more than 220 mph compared to the 180 mph average speed of NASCAR races. The Speedway finishes the year with a bang, on Nov. 5-8, by hosting the Dickies 500, one of the last races of the NASCAR season with big implications on who will win the Chase.

Gossage thinks proudly of his concrete and asphalt masterpiece and reflects on his personal love affair with racing. “When I was a teenager in Nashville, my younger brother was a big Evil Knievel fan. He begged me

to drive him to the local racetrack to watch Knievel make a big jump,” Gossage recalled. “We had to sit through all the races, and that’s when I fell in love [with racing].”

Gossage is well known for his creative promotions. Number one, the track is BYOB. Spectators are allowed to bring their own coolers of refreshments. To go behind the scenes of the race, special headsets called scanners are available for rent, allowing listeners to eavesdrop on communications between the drivers and their pit crews. (Sample scanner exchange: Driver: “Car feels loose in Turn One.” Pit crew chief: “Could be air pressure. Next pit stop scheduled in 50 more laps.” Driver: “It’s too loose. I’m coming in [to the pits].” Pit crew chief: “OK. We’ll change the front tires, too.”) A scanner can listen to more than one driver by switching to different channels.

Going to a race at the Speedway is a weekend affair for dedicated fans who bring campers and RVs from all over the country. Gossage

brought Texas-style tailgating to the Speedway, offering more than 1,000 camping sites and two separate camping areas called Tent City. Prior to the race, the Midway offers 2 miles of displays, merchandise and activities for amusement. Simulators give fans a taste of driving a race car; professional driving schools offer a ride around the track—at full speed—with a professional driver. “It’s a carnival, festival atmosphere,” Gossage says. “And it’s all free before you even get in the gates.” Once inside, the Speedway treats fans to a pre-race show featuring a concert and celebrity guests.

Texas isn’t the only state going wild over NASCAR. The sport claims more than 75 million fans and NASCAR is now the second most popular sport in the U.S. in television ratings, second only to the National Football League. With endearing, down-home personalities like Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s most popular driver, saying things like, “I cried a little bit in the race car on the way to the checkered flag. Well, maybe not cried, but at least my eyes watered up,” what’s not to like?

Like Earnhardt, Gossage feels others will be bitten by the racing bug if they just give it a shot. “Just come [to a race] one time, and you’ll be hooked,” he says. “It doesn’t matter what you do, whether you are a ditch digger or a neurosurgeon, we’ve got something that suits you.”

Where: I-35W @ Hwy. 114. Traffic on Hwy. 114 can pile up quickly on big race days, so visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com for alternate routes.

Highlights: More than 212,000 people watch NASCAR and Indy car drivers compete. It’s BYOB, and fans can camp out at the track!

trade Days

What: A combo arts festival, arts and crafts show and flea market on the TMS campgrounds

When: Aug. 22 – 23, Sept. 26 – 27, Oct. 24 – 25, Nov. 21 – 22 & Dec. 19 – 20

parking: $5

More information: www.tradedaysusa.com

»

triple-Header Race Weekend

What: Dickies 500, O’Reilly Challenge and Lone Star 350

When: Nov. 5 – 8

parking: General parking is free; an additional charge for VIP and valet parking

For ticket prices and more information: www.texasmotorospeedway.com

17th lone Star Nationals Goodguys Rod & Custom Show

What: More than 1,500 Rods, Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars and Trucks through ‘72, a Swap Meet & Cars for Sale Corral and a Goodguys Street Challenge AutoCross

When: Oct. 2 – 4

Admission: $17 adults, $6 children 7 – 12

More information: www.good-guys.com

»

»

[ just the facts ]

“It doesn’t matter what you do, whether you are a ditch digger or a neurosurgeon, we’ve got something that suits you.”

eddie Gossage, texas Motor Speedway

[ By JORDAN BOStIC ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 23 5/13/09 6:13:55 PM


ll morning long, Mike Strecher has been shuttling between The Campus Theatre stage and his scene shop backstage, ferrying the lumber he will need for an

upcoming play. His electric buzz saw comes to life as he cuts the wooden planks with precision for a scene he hopes will transport theatergoers beyond their everyday lives into the world of the next play. His thin figure bends to build a wall using the planks and thick glass blocks. Mike works alone, a “tool time” guy enjoying his behind-the-scenes role.

Local venues like The Campus Theatre continue to thrive thanks to people like Mike Strecher. As facilities director, he not only builds the sets and sees to building repairs, he also acts, creates posters, hunts down props—and cleans the bathroom after weekend shows. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had and I love it,” he says, showing it. As a carpenter and art major in his past life, he combines real-world experience with a penchant for the fantastical. His job, he says with typical self-deprecation and a laugh, is simple: “Making sure everything doesn’t fall down.”

The Campus Theatre was itself once a derelict movie house off Denton’s main Square. After opening in 1949, it had a three-decade run, featuring film classics such as “West Side Story” and “Gone with the Wind.” When the movie “Bonnie and Clyde” opened in 1967, Warren Beatty showed up for the regional premiere in Denton to see how audiences rated his performance as bad-boy shooter Clyde Barrow. (John Wayne was another visitor.)

Movies moved to the malls in the mid-’80s, leaving the Campus screens silent for a decade, but the Greater Denton Arts Council stepped in to buy and revive it for live production performances, spending $1.95 million for restoration before reopening in 1995. Today, the “company in residence,” the Denton Community Theatre, stages both musicals and plays in the 300-seat theater 30 weekends a year. In 2010, DCT will mark its 40th consecutive year of putting on shows.

The Campus is not only a symbol of Denton’s respect for the past, but a potent force in its nightlife. The pink and green neon lights of

A

Meet the man behind the curtain at The Campus Theatre

Volunteers are one of the driving forces behind The Campus Theatre: “It’s the best job I’ve ever had and I love it.”

Mike Strecher, The Campus Theatre

[ By WHItNee lOWe ]

THE stagehand

DL_Mag_09.indb 24 5/13/09 6:14:12 PM


the old movie house welcome guests year round with plays such as “Plaza Suite” as well as musical offerings such as “Forever Plaid,” “Cinderella,” and “The Producers.”

Though the actors are local, there is nothing small town about the talent. Denton Community Theatre won top honors in 2007 from the American Association of Community Theatre for its show “Crowns,” which featured an all African-American cast. The theater group also runs a performing arts school for kids and its outreach programs cater to schools, day cares and adult groups. There’s even a group for people who just like to read plays aloud.

With only three full-time employees, hundreds of volunteers get involved in the theatrical productions, taking roles as actors, directors, set designers, costume designers and stagehands. Mike Strecher began his work at The Campus Theatre as a volunteer. His doorway to the theater was the stage. “They needed guys for this play,” he says modestly, admitting that he was “just scared to death.” His performances are not limited to minor characters. In his first speaking role, he played an old man in the show “Bus Stop.” Later he progressed to more prominent roles such as George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Sancho Panza in “Man of La Mancha,” and the lead role in “The Mousetrap.”

For Mike, the acting is fine, but building sets is his dream come true. “I kind of like being out of the limelight, in the back room, scurrying around,” he says, chuckling. For the first six years, he pitched in as a volunteer to help build two to three sets a year. Though he had a degree in drawing and painting and had worked for 10 years as a carpenter, theater work was new to him. Now as part of the paid staff as facilities director, the “Tim Allen” of The Campus Theatre shows up when a new play needs a backdrop and sets to work after a stiff cup of coffee and a Sudoku puzzle.

Set designing is all about creating an atmosphere to captivate the audience, says Mike. He studies the script for each scene, then draws a blueprint design or makes small models. Because the theater has no fly system to drop scenery onto the stage, he uses turntables—literally, sets on wheels—to spin different scenes in and out. “It’s like this magical thing happening. You know you’ve got this little town village and all of a sudden it’s a castle or something,” he says. Although much of what he experiences at work every day seems mundane, it is not without challenges and rewards. In 2008, Mike was nominated for a Column Award (given to recognize excellence in the Dallas/Fort Worth theater world) for best scenic design for “Beauty and the Beast.” The production

featured three different sets spinning in and out, requiring a crew of 10 to move them at times. Mishaps do occur. In a final showing of “Dial ‘M’ for Murder,” a series of accidents—involving food spilling all over the actors and their costumes—turned the drama into a comedy, with the audience laughing at everything. During a live production of “Damn Yankees,” baseball bats started falling out of the rack one by one. “It was almost like it was choreographed,” he says.

When he’s not acting or building, Mike’s making sure all the auditorium lights are working, that the air conditioning and heating are functioning, or that the theater is sealed

tight for the night. Sometimes, it can get scary in a big old quiet theater. In the middle of the night after “Beauty and the Beast,” Mike was shutting down when he heard noises and something big crash upstairs. As he walked across the catwalk, he says, “I just got the creeps so bad, the hair all stood up on my arm and on the back of my neck.” Maybe, he says, ghosts of years past haunt the building.

Stop by The Campus Theatre to watch the professionals and Denton locals bring stories to life through great music, great acting and great stage designs. Who knows, you may catch Mike Strecher, the man who works behind the scenes.

[ By WHItNee lOWe ]

When: The Campus Theatre 2009 – 2010 Season

Where: 214 West Hickory St.

Shows:Plaza SuiteSept. 11, 12, 18, 19 at 7:30 p.m.Sept. 13, 20 at 2 p.m.

Forever PlaidNov. 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7:30 p.m.Nov. 15, 22 at 2 p.m.

Christmas at the CampusDec. 18, 19 at 7:30 p.m.Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.

parking: Parking around the Square is free nights and weekends.

Box office Hours: Monday-Friday, 1 - 5 p.m.

Admission: For information about tickets, upcoming events, and volunteer opportunities, contact: (940) 382-1915 or visit www.campustheatre.com

Keep at home: Cameras and crying babies.

Fun Fact: Oscar-winning actors Warren Beatty and John Wayne have both visited The Campus Theatre.

[ just the facts ]


Mike Strecher, handy with tools and acting, constructs the set for “Company.”

DL_Mag_09.indb 25 5/13/09 6:14:18 PM


parents, a musician and an amateur sculptor, filled their home with abstract paintings. Mark’s own abstract pieces are often inspired by his interest in science and the mechanics of the human brain. For one piece, he created several small paintings that are each a part of a larger painting. Once hung together they create an overall effect Mark likens to a school of fish or a flock of birds.

Mark believes he and Corky share a common theme, although they express it differently. In the end, it all comes back to nature. “I think we have converged in our beliefs that nature is the glove that holds people and things together,” says Mark. “I think the cosmos, atoms and subatomic particles and human brain cells are all a part of the same fabric.” Art, too.

orky Stuckenbruck remembers driving home with her parents one evening, more than three decades ago, through the night-cloaked San Fernando Valley.

As the family’s car crested a hill, the twinkling lights of Los Angeles spread out before them. “That’s so beautiful!” Corky exclaimed, much to the chagrin of her scientist father. He launched into an impromptu lecture about conservation. One day, he warned, there won’t be enough energy to go around.

That lesson stuck with Corky, now an artist and professor at Texas Woman’s University. She integrates natural elements into artwork that represents the cycle of life and Earth’s fragility. Corky gathers grapevine, blue stem grass and anything else that catches the eye around her Argyle home. Her husband, Mark Smith, an artist and professor at Austin College, balances Corky’s attraction to nature. He prefers abstract designs and uses a computer to sketch paintings. Their creative differences distinguish them as a couple.

That’s the beauty of Couples Who Create, an art exhibit opening in September at the Meadows Gallery inside the Center for Visual Arts in Denton. Artwork by eight couples, including Corky and Mark, will be displayed through October. The couples’ artistic similarities and differences will be expressed through a variety of mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, collage and 3D. Competition seems inevitable

when both spouses share the same field, but Mark credits Corky for helping him grow as an artist. “She loves my work more than I do,” he says.

Corky and Mark often work as a team, but they keep separate studios on opposite sides of their property. In her studio, Corky is working on a triptych collage and creating spherical shapes covered with dyed, handmade paper. The sphere series is a metaphor for the Earth, illustrating the effect humans have on the planet. “We were always taught that it would always be here and we’d have more than enough resources. I think the last 20 years have put a question mark on that,” she says.

Her fascination with nature and history goes back to her years as an undergraduate at the University of California. Corky was weeks away from graduating with a degree in anthropology when a roommate’s art project changed her life. She enrolled in art school where she learned to weave colorful wall hangings on a loom. Arthritis eventually forced her to seek out new ways of making art. “I think it’s part of [being] an artist to change,” says Corky. “Very few artists are doing now in their 50s what they were doing in their 20s.” Contemporary art and sculpture influenced Mark at a young age. His

C

COUPLES

who CREATE

[ just the facts ]

What: Couples Who Create

Where: Center for the Visual Arts, Meadows Gallery, 400 E. Hickory St.

When: Sept. 20 - Oct. 30

Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 1 - 5 p.m.

Admission: Free

Highlights: Sculpture, photography, painting, collage and more by eight couples

[ By NeVIN ARSlAN and JAyMe RutleDGe]

Mark Smith and Corky Stuckenbruck at their Argyle home

Photos by Elizabeth Padilla

Corky Stuckenbruck’s 3-D artwork is inspired by nature

DL_Mag_09.indb 26 5/13/09 6:14:27 PM

orators of the universeHow two men recreate the spectacle of stars through sight, sound

t’s dark and cool inside, chilly enough to put on a sweater or light jacket. High above on the ceiling is a clear blue sky with scattered clouds, a miniature

version of an IMAX theater. Classical music serenades star travelers as they hunt for an angled seat, then crane their necks, anticipating the show. In the middle of the dimly lit room are two projectors—the latest in digital light projection—ready to display the wonders of the universe set to music.

The Sky Theater on the University of North Texas campus is no ordinary planetarium. It does more than reproduce the nighttime sky; it pulls the audience straight into the heart of the universe. With just 100 seats and new digital technology, it is immersive theater. Unlike IMAX, which plays a movie on a curved half-theater dome, the Sky Theater’s digital system can, with a single click, bring alive the universe, taking travelers through Saturn’s rings or on a celestial roller coaster throughout the solar system.

The theater’s resident “star” is Grammy award nominee and planetarium director Ron “Starman” DiIulio, who heads UNT’s astronomy lab. In a tidy office decked out with posters of the universe and Hot Wheel trinkets, DiIulio flashes a childish grin and talks exuberantly about his multiple roles at the planetarium, his work as a Solar Systems Ambassador for NASA, and his status as the go-to man when a fireball streaked across the Texas skies, as it did last February. Starman and his colleague Preston Starr, UNT’s Rafes Urban Astronomy Center manager, quickly found two pecan-sized pieces of meteorite in practically pristine condition near Waco only days after the report.

But the Sky Theater, which opened in the summer of 1999, is Starman’s chief passion. Although the popular Saturday star show “Wonders of the Universe” is pre-made, Ron and planetarium manager Randall Peters now handcraft the script and music for private planetarium showings. They create stories, not stuffy fact-laden shows, with Ron handling the music and words, Randall the view. They are what Randall calls “edu-tainers” (an educator and entertainer all bunched into one). “If something isn’t interesting, it doesn’t matter what you’re trying to convey. If people are asleep, it’s pointless,” he says. “You can always sit there and rattle off the facts. But if people can’t relate with why it’s important to them, they’re not going to pay that much attention.”

Randall, with his gruff voice and slight mischievous twinkle, reigns over the theater from an office crammed with two sets of office furniture, posters of various galaxies and photos of astronomy. He says the theater’s resources, upgraded in the summer of 2008 from an “old hodge-podge of technologies,” now create an “immersive experience” that has attendance skyrocketing. The new computer system can immediately project any object onto the 180-degree dome. “The all-domed format can capture people’s attention to help them understand a bit better,” he says. “If you want to fly through the universe, it’ll make you think you’re flying through the universe.”

The Sky Theater offers programs for every age group, from 8 to 80, and can tailor private showings to each group’s interests and knowledge of the universe. First graders can go to the moon, while third graders get a tour of the solar system. Ron and Randall could, for instance, create a show about the Big Bang

Theory for fifth graders. “People want to know that if you’re going into a black hole, you’re going to die. And they want the gory detail, especially kids,” says Randall. “So you throw that in there and they’re going to be grossed out, but at the same time fascinated.”

The “Wonders of the Universe” show, played twice on Saturday, lets the audience peer deep into space through the eyes of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope, traveling back billions of years to witness the birth of the universe. Slowly but surely Ron and Randall are producing their own work for Saturday shows in hopes of debuting something new in a year or so. One idea: a show based on Ron’s meteorite hunt earlier this year. Tentative title? “How to Catch a Falling Star.” Catchy. Do you think fifth graders would like that?

[ just the facts ]

What: University of North Texas Sky Theater

Where: Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building, 1704 W. Mulberry

When: Saturdays 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.

Admission: $3 children under 12, $4 senior citizens, $5 adults; Group rates also available

Best View: All 100 seats in the theater. The high-definition Digistar III projection system reproduces the night sky, peers through the Hubble Telescope and recreates the birth of the universe in full color.

parking: Free parking on weekends in lot 11 on the west side of the building. Visitors attending private shows on weekdays must obtain a visitors parking pass at UNT information booths.

Concessions: None provided. No outside food or drinks permitted.

Contact: (940) 369 – 8213 or visit www.skytheater.unt.edu

I


[ By NANCy tHAI ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 27 5/13/09 6:14:33 PM

37

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

RESEARCH PARK

EversPark

Denton CrossingShopping Center

North LakesPark

PresbyterianHospital of

Denton

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UNIVERSITY OFNORTH TEXAS

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FredMoorePark

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SYLVAN

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AND HOTEL(Located at I-35 and Ganzer Road)

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RESEARCH PARK

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BO

NN

IE B

RA

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ROSELAWN DR

FOR

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OR

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HOBSON LN

WILLOWOOD ST

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RT

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South LakesPark

LILL

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UNIVERSITY OFNORTH TEXAS

FoutsField

PhoenixPark

MLKPark

FredMoorePark

PENN

SYLVAN

IA S

T

TE

AS

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Y L

N

GoldenTriangle

Mall

IOOFCemetery

OakwoodCmtry

CORBIN

VINTAGE

South Hickory Creek

DentonRegionalMedicalCenter

PRAIRIE

SPENCER

COLORADO BLVD

BR

INK

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MORSE

77

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377

35W

UNIVERSITY

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AND HOTEL(Located at I-35 and Ganzer Road)

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ACCOMMODAtIONS 1 AMeRICAN BeSt VAlue

INN & SuIteS

820 S. I-35E

(940) 387-0591

www.americasbestvalueinn.com

2 BeSt WeSteRN INN & SuIteS

2910 W. University Dr.

(940) 591-7726,

www.bestwestern.com

3 BuFFAlO VAlley eVeNt

CeNteR AND HOtel

2946 Ganzer Road W.

(940) 482-3409

www.mbrevents.com

4 COMFORt INN

4050 Mesa Dr.

(940) 320-5150

www.comfortinn.com/hotel/TXA96

5 COMFORt SuIteS

1100 N. I-35E

(940) 898-8510,

www.comfortsuitesdenton.com

6 COuRtyARD By MARRIOtt

2800 Colorado Blvd.

(940) 382-4600

www.martiott.com/DFWDE

7 DAyS INN

601 N. I-35E

(940) 566-1990,

www.daysinn.com

8 DeSeRt SANDS MOtOR INN

611 N. I-35E

(940) 387-6181

9 FAIRFIelD INN & SuIteS

2900 W. University Dr.

(940) 384-1700

www.marriott.com/DFWDN

10 HAMptON INN & SuIteS

1513 Centre Place Dr.

(940) 891-4900,

www.hamptoninn.com

11 tHe HeRItAGe INNS

(BeD AND BReAKFASt CluSteR)

815 N. Locust St.

(940) 565-6414,

www.theheritageinns.com

12 HOlIDAy INN &

CONFeReNCe CeNteR

1434 Centre Place Dr.

(940) 383-4100

www.holidayinn.com

13 HOMeWOOD SuIteS By HIltON

2907 Shoreline Dr.

(940) 382-0420,

Opening late 2009

14 HOWARD JOHNSON eXpReSS INN

3116 Bandera St.

(940) 383-1681,

www.hojo.com

15 lA QuINtA INN

700 Fort Worth Dr.

(940) 387-5840,

www.lq.com

16 MOtel 6

4125 N. I-35E

(940) 566-4798,

www.motel6.com

17 QuAlIty INN AND SuIteS

1500 Dallas Dr.

(940) 387-3511

www.choicehotels.com

18 ROyAl HOtel SuIteS

1210 N. I-35E

(940) 383-2007

www.royalhotelsuites.com

19 SupeR 8 MOtel

620 S. I-35E

(940) 380-8888

www.super8.com

20 tRAVelODGe

4211 N. I-35

(940) 383-1471,

www.travelodge.com

21 VAlue plACe

4505 N. I-35

(940) 387-3400

www.valueplace.com

22 tHe WIlDWOOD INN

2602 Lillian Miller Parkway

(940) 243-4919

www.denton-wildwoodinn.com

IMpORtANt CONtACtS 23 DeNtON CHAMBeR OF COMMeRCe

AND DeNtON CONVeNtION

& VISItOR BuReAu

414 Parkway

(940) 382-7895, (888) 381-1818

www.discoverdenton.com

24 eMIly FOWleR lIBRARy

502 Oakland St.

(940) 349-8752

25 NORtH BRANCH

CeNtRAl lIBRARy

3020 N. Locust St.

(940) 349-8756

26 SOutH BRANCH lIBRARy

3228 Teasley Ln.

(940) 349-8251

27 CIty HAll

215 E. McKinney St.

(940) 349-8200

MuSeuMS AND eXHIBItS 28 BAyleSS-SelBy HOuSe MuSeuM

317 W. Mulberry St.

(940) 349-2865

29 COuRtHOuSe-ON-tHe-

SQuARe MuSeuM

110 W. Hickory St.

(940) 349-2850

30 teXAS FIRSt lADIeS HIStORIC

COStuMe COlleCtION

Texas Woman’s University

(940) 898-3644

31 HANGAR 10 FlyING MuSeuM

Denton Airport

1945 Matt Wright Ln.

(940) 565-1945

32 uNt SKy tHeAteR plANetARIuM

UNT Campus

EESAT Building

Hickory @ Avenue C

(940) 369-8213

www.skytheater.unt.edu

33 DeNtON FIReFIGHteRS MuSeuM

332 E. Hickory St.

(940) 349-8840

peRFORMING ARtS 34 tHe CAMpuS tHeAtRe

214 W. Hickory St.

(940) 382-1915

35 MARGO JONeS

peRFORMANCe HAll


(940) 898-2500

36 MuRCHISON peRFORMING

ARtS CeNteR


(940) 369-7802

37 ReDBuD tHeAtRe


(940) 898-3863

38 StuDIO AND uNIVeRSIty tHeAtReS


(940) 565-2428

39 uNIVeRSIty OF NORtH teXAS

DepARtMeNt OF DANCe tHeAtRe


(940) 565-2211

AttRACtIONS 40 CeNteR FOR tHe VISuAl ARtS

400 E. Hickory St.

(940) 382-2787

41 tHe GReeNBelt

Located off US 380 and FM 428

(940) 349-8202

42 WAteR WORKS AND SKAte WORKS

Loop 288 at Sherman Dr.

(940) 349-8800

eth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream on the Square in downtown Denton churns out homemade ice cream day in and day out the same way

it has since opening its doors in November 1998. Thousands of faithful followers and scores of unique recipes later, Beth Marie’s is doubling more than ice cream scoops: They are doubling shops!

Beth Marie’s, named for original owner and manager Beth Marie Cox, is now officially a local chain with two locations in Denton. The original store is at 117 W. Hickory on the south side of the Square. The new store opened in May in the Unicorn Lake development, near the Cinemark Theater, at 2900 Wind River.

“Unicorn Lake is a family area with fountains, the movie theater, a jogging path around the lake, even a play area for the kids,” says co-owner Bob Moses. “It has all the elements of success for a second Beth Marie’s.”

Moses, along with Jim Engelbrecht and Ken Willis, forged a partnership in 2003 and purchased Beth Marie’s from the Cox family – name and all. The vision to grow the business and add locations is now a reality.

All of the ice cream produced at Beth Marie’s – more than 80 individual flavors – is homemade in a 1923 machine. The most popular flavors are always available. That includes the staples plus specialties like Peterbilt Crunch Ice Cream and Banana Pudding Ice Cream. Specialty flavors rotate in and out all year, providing a variety of tastes year round for repeat visitors.

Half the fun of Beth Marie’s is the place itself. The old-fashioned soda fountain bar, with its granite counter top and classic twirling stools, stretches the length of the east wall. A large mirrored cabinet is stocked with ice cream mugs, basins and boats. The giant chalkboard menu behind the bar touts each day’s featured flavors. The patient soda jerk gives tastes on a tiny spoons. With syrup? Maybe. Whipped cream and nuts? Sure! How about a cherry on top? Why not!

“The new Beth Marie’s is just as authentic as the store downtown,” Bob says. “It’s the same old-fashioned theme and the same genuine homemade ice cream. We’ve just doubled the pleasure.”

By Kim Phillips

make it A DOUBLE!

B

DL_Mag_09.indb 29 5/13/09 6:14:45 PM


t’s 9 a.m., the start of another busy day at Roy Metzler’s catering business. Roy sits in a booth in the far corner of his restaurant, twiddling his

thumbs. His periwinkle shirt matches the blue of his eyes: eyes that are restless and anxious. Catering to 300 people is no easy task. The clink of dishes in the kitchen provides a steady backdrop as he talks about his business and wine—particularly Beaujolais. Not just any Beaujolais: Beaujolais Nouveau.

Every year millions of cases of Beaujolais Nouveau are shipped from Paris to shop owners around the world at midnight on the third Thursday in November. Wine merchants put up banners shouting “Le Beaujolais est arrivé!” as the wine trickles into city after city by air freight, eventually finding its way to Denton and the arms of Roy Metzler, who distributes the wine at the annual Beaujolais & More Wine and Food Tasting.

The 10-year-old event is the sole fundraiser for The Campus Theatre, the 60-year-old movie house that’s home to the nationally recognized Denton Community Theatre. Funds go to the upkeep and repair of the 1949 building, allowing the theater group to stage seven to 10 plays and musical shows a year.

Managing director Mike Barrow, who performed his first play at DCT when he was just 10, credits two Denton residents, the late Gary Kirchoff and his wife Carol, with creating the wine fundraiser. It started with them inviting friends over to share Beaujolais Nouveau they shipped in from France. Every year, the party list kept expanding.

“At some point, they said, ‘We can actually turn this in to a fundraiser for The Campus Theatre,’” says Mike. “The next year they asked friends for donations and it just grew and grew.” It outgrew the Kirchoffs’ house, in fact. Last year, more than 400 people showed up for their “little” party at the Denton Civic Center.

Metzler is happy to spread the Beaujolais Nouveau word and to raise money for the theater. On average, he orders 60 bottles of Beaujolais for the festival alone. He also includes 10 other wines for those craving something different to go with the Thai, Mexican, French and Italian cuisines served at the festival.

Food, rather than wine, is the attraction for some folks. Pam Chittenden, head chef at Wildwood Inn, created a duck gumbo (by accident) for last year’s festival. She had gotten a shipment of duck instead of the duck breast she wanted. It was noon, the day of the festival, and she needed a dish to support the frail French wine—and one that would serve upwards of 200 people. “Almost every year I’ve done something smoked but last year, I thought, ‘I’ve never seen anybody do soup before,’ so I thought I’d try soup,” she says. Working with what Pam likes to call her “intuition,” she came up with the Cajun dish.

“That was my favorite! So many people loved it,” says Kyla Welch. “We all kind of went,

‘Hmm! That’s interesting! I think I’ll give that a try. Oooh, I want some more of that.’”

Local restaurants cater the event, hoping to build business. “For $25, you get a sample of 20 different restaurants,” says Kyla. While guests stroll the room, taking in the French music and sipping French wine, they can also taste test grapes in goat cheese, mini tacos and chocolate truffles. “Literally you eat and drink for two solid hours,” says Kyla.

Mike Barrow hopes to direct future funds to a specific project at the DCT, perhaps to renovate the Campus Theatre’s dressing rooms. Seven local businesses underwrite the festival expenses. Beaujolais Nouveau may have a short life span, but the benefits for The Campus Theatre last for years.

I

“le BeAuJOlAIS est arrivé!”

“For $25, you get a sample of 20 different restaurants.”

KylA WelCH

The Campus Theatre

What: Beaujolais & More Wine and Food Tasting

When: Nov. 19, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Where: Denton Civic Center

tickets: $25

Food: Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, The Wildwood Inn, Denton Country Club, Hannah’s, The Abbey Inn, Chipotle, Sweet Basil, El Guapo’s.

Wine: Metzler’s Food & Beverage

proceeds Benefit: The 60-year-old Campus Theatre

History: France’s famous Beaujolais Nouveau is shipped around the world at midnight on the third Thursday of November.

Contact: Campus Theatre box office, (940) 382-1915

Do you want more exposure for your restaurant? The Campus Theatre is on the lookout for new restaurants with a promising dish to spice up the menu. Sponsors are also welcome to contribute to the event. Please contact The Campus Theatre at (940) 382-1915 for more information.

[ just the facts ]

[ By ANAStASIA JAKSe ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 30 5/13/09 6:14:51 PM


COFFee HOuSeS

BANteR219 W. Oak(940) 565-1638

CAFÉ Du luXe3101 Unicorn Lake Blvd.(940) 382-7070

JupIteR HOuSe106 N. Locust(940) 387-7100

tHe HyDRANt208 W. Oak (940) 384-0033

ReStAuRANtS

BARBeCue

DICKey’S3721 S. I-35E (940) 566-5290

MetZleR’S FOOD AND BeVeRAGe628 Londonderry(940) 591-1652

RuDy’S COuNtRy StORe AND BAR-B-Q520 S. I-35E(940) 484-7839

SMOKeHOuSe1123 Fort Worth Dr.(940) 566-3073

CAJuN/SeAFOOD

CAtFISH KING2220 W. University Dr.(940) 382-5606

FRIlly’S SeAFOOD BAyOu KItCHeN1925 Denison St.(940) 243-2126

ReD lOBSteR 2801 South I-35 (940)382-6410

FRIlly’S SeAFOOD BAyOu KItCHeN2303 I-35E (940) 898-1404

AMeRICAN

BOOMeRJACK WINGS407 W. University Dr.(940) 566-9464

CeNtRAl GRIll1005 Ave. C(940) 323-9464

CHeStNut tRee107 W. Hickory(940) 591-9475

CRACKeR BARRel4008 N. I-35E(940) 382-5277

CupBOARD NAtuRAl FOODS AND CAFÉ200 W. Congress(940) 387-5386

DeNtON COuNty INDepeNDeNt HAMBuRGeR CO.113 W. Hickory(940) 383-1022

FuDDRuCKeRS1732 S. Loop 288 (940) 243-1300

GReeNHOuSe ReStAuRANt & BAR600 N. Locust(940) 484-1349

HANNAH’S OFF tHe SQuARe111 W. Mulberry(940) 566-1110

HOOyA! tHe ultIMAte BuRRItO1007 Ave. C(940) 381-0272

JIMMy JOHN’S GOuRMet SANDWICHeS107 Ave. A(940) 484-5466

MADISON HOuSe CAFe & teA ROOM5800 N. I-35, Ste. 307(940) 566-7053

MCAlISteR’S1931 S. Loop 288(940) 320-7722

MG’S ReStAuRANt & BReWeRy301 W. University Dr.(940) 384-1133

NeW yORK SuB-WAy305 W. University Dr.(940) 566-1823

OlD WeSt CAFÉ1020 Dallas Dr.(940) 382-8220

pANeRA BReAD COMpANy1601 Brinker Rd., #117(940) 483-9800

pRAIRIe HOuSe ReStAuRANt10001 Hwy. 380 @ Naylor(940) 440-9760

RuBy’S DINeR111 N. Elm St.(940) 387-7706

WIlDWOOD INN2602 Lillian Miller Pkwy.(940) 243-4919

WING StOp2430 S. I-35E Ste. 100(940) 483-9464

etHNIC

MASteR GRIll CHuRRASCARIA BRAZIlIAN SteAKHOuSe1800 S. Loop 288(940) 243-1888

yuMMy’S (Greek)210 W. University Dr.(940) 383-2441

SteAKHOuSe

BuRGuNDy SteAKS & SeAFOOD222 W. Hickory, Ste. 104(940) 384-1800

OutBACK SteAKHOuSe300 S. I-35E(940) 320-5373

RANCHMAN’S SteAK CAFe110 W. Bailey (Ponder)(940) 479-2221

teXAS ROADHOuSe2817 S. I-35E(940) 243-7427

ItAlIAN

CARINO’S ItAlIAN ReStAuRANt1516 Centre Place Dr.(940) 898-0990

FeRA’S pAStA & pIZZA1407 W. Oak(940) 382-9577

DOuBle DAVe’S pIZZAWORKS220 W. University Dr.(940) 243-3283

GIuSeppe’S ItAlIAN ReStAuRANt821 N. Locust(940) 381-2712

J&J’S pIZZA-ON- tHe-SQuARe118 W. Oak(940) 382-7769

luIGI’S pIZZA ItAlIAN ReStAuRANt2317 W. University Dr. (940) 591-1988

MIlAN pIZZeRIA1607 E. McKinney, Ste. 850(940) 591-8538

OlIVe GARDeN2809 S. I-35E(940) 381-2549

pAlIO’S pIZZA CAFe’1716 S. Loop 288 Ste.110 (940) 387-1900

pIZZA INN105 W. University(940) 320-5656

ROMAN’S pIZZA3001 N. Elm St., Ste. 200(940) 484-4000

tINA’S ItAlIAN RIStORANte1125 E. University Dr.(940) 591-9212

tJ’S pIZZA, WINGS & tHINGS420 S. Carroll(940) 382-8777

MeXICAN

CHIpOtle1800 S. Loop 288, Ste. 398(940) 565-0990

el CHApARRAl CANtINA & GRIlle324 E. McKinney St.(940) 243-1313

el GuApO’S419 S. Elm St.(940) 566-5575

el MAtADOR ReStAuRANt720 W. University Dr.(940) 387-1137

MIGuelItO’S 420 E. McKinney (940)566-1671

MI RANCHItO1122 Fort Worth Dr.(940) 381-1167

ON tHe BORDeR2829 S. I-35 E(940) 566-0399

tAQueRIA lA HACIeNDA1100 Dallas Dr. (940) 323-2100

ASIAN

ANDAMAN tHAI ReStAuRANt508 S. Elm St.(940) 591-8790

CAlIFORNIA AVOCADO2430 S. I-35E, Ste. 126(940) 383-9812

CHINAtOWN CAFÉ2317 W. University Dr. (940) 382-8797

GOlDeN CHINA717 I-35E, Ste. 100(940) 566-5588

MR. CHOpStICKS1633 Scripture(940) 382-5437

ORIeNtAl eXpReSS1000 S. Ave. C(940) 383-2098

peI WeI ASIAN DINeR1931 S. Loop 288 (940) 380-9303

ReD peppeR’S ReStAuRANt & puB2412 S. I-35E(940) 891-1688

RICeBOXX1400 S. Loop 288(940) 383-8838

ROyAl eASt ASIAN CuISINe1622 W. University, Ste. A(940) 383-7633

SIAM HOuSe909 Ave. C(940) 382-5118

QuICK StIR1633 Scripture(940) 566-5671

SWeetS/DeSSeRtS

BetH MARIe’S OlD FASHIONeD ICe CReAM & SODA FOuNtAIN117 W. Hickory(940) 384-1818

CANDy StORe110-B W. Oak(940) 382-1001

COlD StONe CReAMeRy1400 S. Loop 288, Ste. 108(940) 380-0800

tHe DONut pAlACe2430 I-35E, Ste. 102(940) 891-0536

RAVelIN BAKeRy416 S. Elm(940) 382-8561

yOGuRt StORy 1800 S. Loop 288 #393

ReStAuRANt lIStING

DL_Mag_09.indb 31 5/13/09 6:14:54 PM


alancing on 2-inch 1920s style pumps, college student Amy Leigh models a bright orange sundress with built-in buckle. “I was a vintage

clothing virgin until I shopped at Circa 77 and Time Bandits,” she says. She stocked up on a weekend’s worth of one-of-a-kind clothing, plus a stack of records for her parents. “I have never seen such a selection from clothes to accessories galore.”

The current economy has everyone tightening their belts, and like Amy, seeking creative alternatives where they can find cool clothes for less cash. One option? Vintage resale shopping in downtown Denton. Circa 77, Time Bandits, 2nd Street and Twice as Nice Resale show customers how to be trendy and original while saving money. The stores are clustered near each other, which makes parking and walking a breeze.

Step into Circa 77, past the costumes and the collage of photographs by the doorway, to find a treasure trove of costume jewelry, old-fashioned heels and pumps, quirky hats, buttons and belts from days gone by, and clothing made to fit. “The fact that we do custom alteration and [costume] renting is what makes us,” says Christina Shoto, who co-owns Circa 77 with her seamstress mom Janie Shoto. Clad in a classy aqua green dress, Christina stands still as a statue while her mother measures and pins, shortening the hem. Its new owner will be back this afternoon to get the dress, custom tailored to fit her perfectly. Amy, meanwhile, flits about looking at vintage pieces dating back to the 1900s and World War II.

Time Bandits, another of Amy’s favorite haunts, located diagonally across the street from Circa 77, is an explosion of color with vintage flair. Here, the racks of clothes are arranged like rainbows; sizes are organized in color families rather than styles. Baskets and bins tempt shoppers with odds and ends. A section in the back features old records for collectors. As the owner changes out music on the record player, customers flip through the albums and clothing.

Twice as Nice offers more than vintage. It mentors and helps women facing life-

changing circumstances from pregnancy. Shoppers get a great deal on new and gently used clothing, accessories, household items and books while the completely volunteer staff gets a fantastic feel-good as they help customers find that just-right item. Money generated at Twice as Nice supports Woman to Woman, a pregnancy resource center for the Denton community.

The newest vintage shop in Denton, on the Square, offers a variety of urban vintage clothes for both genders. John Ellis steps out of 2nd Street, sporting True Religion jeans, a pearl-snap shirt and real original leather cowboy boots. “The good thing about 2nd Street is that I can relate to the style. It’s urban country,” he says, undoubtedly stirring images of hip country rockers like Keith Urban among customers passing by. “It’s a great place for guys to shop for a reasonable price, especially now with the money crunch,” he adds with a smile.

Vintage shopping isn’t new. Seasoned experts like Amy and John already know the treasures hidden within downtown Denton’s vintage boutiques, but more and more newbies are poking their heads into the shops. Young and old, men and women, the idea these days is not to pay out hundreds for designer togs. Vintage and resale are the vogue way to go.

Photo by Elizabeth Padilla

Customers rummage through vintage accessories and records at time Bandits, one of four resale

shops in downtown Denton, all within walking distance of each other.

B

VINTAGE RESALE goes green

[ By ANNIe tRAN ]

Resale Shops: “What to Know Before

you Go”

Sizes aren’t consistent throughout decades.

Bring along a measuring tape to check

sizes.

Remember, larger sizes can be tailored,

but smaller sizes rarely have enough

extra allowance in the inside seams to

make it larger.

Bring cash. Not all stores accept credit or

debit cards.

parking in front of stores is free.

Be an impulse shopper. Most items are

one of a kind and might be gone when

you return.

look for stains, holes and tears.

[ just the facts ]

DL_Mag_09.indb 32 5/13/09 6:15:01 PM

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