Dallasite About Town — Your Weekly Guide To the Best Upcoming Events in the Big D

March may be known for its “Madness,” but have you seen the way Dallas’ event calendar heats up in April? This week, we’re focusing on three very different events that offer something for everyone, from our city’s most fabulous philanthropic pop-up shop to a patriotic concert in advance of America’s BIG birthday to a Festival of Joy that will spark just that.

Dallasite About Town, you’re as booked and busy as ever. Once again— “Let’s get into it.”

Dwell with Dignity Presents The STUDIO

Dwell with Dignity’s largest annual fundraiser, The STUDIO (f/k/a/ Thrift Studio), returns this week with a ticketed VIP Party on Thursday, April 9, before the month-long shopping extravaganza kicks off the following day, April 10. The non-profit, whose mission is to transform lives through design, launched the high-end pop-up shop in September 2011. Now in its 15th year, The STUDIO brings together interior designers, showrooms, retailers, corporate partners, and shoppers to raise critical funds for Dwell with Dignity’s home transformation work across Dallas. Because all of the furniture, housewares, accessories, artwork, and designer finds are donated, 100 percent of the event proceeds benefit Dwell with Dignity’s mission.

This year’s participating designers, who styled one-of-a-kind rooms to create the immersive shopping experience, include:

• Ashleigh Graber Design
• Graham + Co Interiors | Sarah Graham
• Living Luxury Lab by MxD Interiors
• Roco and Xander by Amara Home Designs
• Studio 11 Design
• Studio Thomas James
• Yates Desygn

“The STUDIO is our flagship fundraiser and a critical driver of our mission to transform lives through design,” says Teresa Charnock, Executive Director of Dwell with Dignity. “Dwell with Dignity provides families with renovated, fully furnished home interiors that give stability, support, and comfort to empower them to lead their best lives in a beautiful environment. When someone shops at The STUDIO, they are directly supporting that work.”

The STUDIO is free and open to the public on Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm from April 10 through May 9 at 1833 E. Levee Street in Dallas. 

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Celebrates America’s 250th

This weekend, from Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents “America 250,” a patriotic musical celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The concert at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center promises to unite “patriotic spirit, unforgettable music, and stirring performances that honor our nation’s heritage.”

Conductor Jeff Tyzik leads the program, which will feature special performances by the celebrated United States Naval Academy Glee Club and the United States Naval Academy Pipes & Drum Corps. Expect rousing anthems and moving renditions of the music that “defines the American spirit.”

Tickets for the concert, which invites audiences of all ages to “stand, sing, and celebrate together,” start at $46 and can be purchased online.

Dallasite About Town, surely you’re a Dallasite About Country, too?

Festival of Joy at Klyde Warren Park

The Festival of Joy is a 3,000-year-old global Indian tradition that is now celebrated in cities around the world, from New York City’s Fifth Avenue to London’s Piccadilly Circus. In Dallas, the seventh annual Festival of Joy will take place at Klyde Warren Park on Saturday, April 18, from 11 am to 9 pm.

The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. The joy kicks off with a parade and ceremonial chariot pull, followed by a chock-full day of children’s activities and crafts, in addition to yoga, wellness activities, performances, face painting, henna, and more. At 5 pm, the cherished East Dallas restaurant Kalachandji’s will host a vegetarian feast, followed by a “soulful” concert by returning headliner The Mayapuris at 7 pm.

“Festival of Joy is rooted in tradition, but at its heart, it’s about bringing people together,” says Nityananda Das Adhikari of the Radha Kalachandji Temple. “Each year, thousands of North Texans come together to enjoy music, culture, and great food. It’s a celebration where everyone is welcome and invited to take part.”

Surely that sounds right up your alley, Dallasite About Town!