O UR M A Y O R S

Summertime fun has arrived in the City of Mansfield, and we are ready to go! Our city will host the ever so popular Mansfield Rocks Fourth of July celebration in a big way. This event will take place on Monday, July 3rd. Visitors to the city and residents will be treated to fun and games in various locations throughout the city. The event will culminate with our "Fireworks Spectacular" later that night. For tickets, go to www.mansfieldrockin.com.

Come and enjoy our city parks!

The Parks and Recreation Department is challenging families to spend 100 hours of quality time playing outside. We know that summertime in North Texas is hot, we have plenty of trees and pavilions available for you to find some good ole shade and enjoy the outdoors. The 100 hours challenge is part of a citywide campaign to encourage screen-free family and friends time together. Families can track their hours through a coloring sheet that can be downloaded and submitted through our website at www.mansfieldtexas.gov/1900/100-Hours-of-Play.

To add to the fun, the Parks and Recreation department is hosting "Play" dates at different park locations. This is just what good family fun feels like. I hope that you take advantage of this opportunity. Every child who submits hours or attends an event will be entered in our weekly drawing for a prize. Those who submit their information will also become eligible for the grand prize, which will be announced at the end of the summer.

We continue to applaud the volunteers and staff at our city library as they invite all to be a part of the Summer Reading Club. Prizes are available for those who participate up through July 28th; it is free for all ages. For more information, go to www.mansfieldtexas.gov/src. I hope to see you soon!

There are so many fun activities and places to enjoy in our beautiful city this summer, with even more development coming soon!

Andretti Karting and Games and Bass Pro Shops broke ground in spring 2023. Andretti plans to open later this year and Bass Pro Shops will open in mid-2024. Big Shots Golf also plans to open in

In Epic Central, 2951 S. State Highway 161, the following restaurants are open or are scheduled to

• Finch Grill & Raw Bar – Now Open

• Loop 9 BBQ – Now Open

• Vidorra Cocina de Mexico –Opens July 1

• Serious Eats Pizza, Sliders and Shakes – Expected to open Sept. 1, 2023

JIM ROSS

I’m always proud and humbled to serve as mayor of the American Dream City but never more so than last month when The City of Arlington received eight awards—including three first-place—at the annual Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO)

The awards recognize outstanding communication by Texas communities in a variety of categories including website, social media, video production, and publications. This year follows up a strong campaign in 2022, where our Office of Communication took home seven awards at the TAMIO conference in Houston.

This year’s TAMIO awards saw the city’s five-part docuseries, Journey to Baseball Town, which has collectively received more than 1 million views on Arlington’s YouTube channel, take home first place for Best Special/One-Time Program. The Office of

EpicCentral also offers free entertainment all summer at the Jambox, the outdoor stage located between the restaurants. Here is the lineup for July:

• July 15 – Paul Renna & Special Guest, 7-9:30 p.m.

• July 22 – David & Carlos EPIC Reunion Show 7 - 9:30 p.m.

• Jul 29 – Mahogany the Artist 7-9:30 p.m.

To view a complete list of all new development in the city visit www.gptx.org.

Have a great summer in our Grand City!

Communication’s partnership with the Arlington Animal Shelter received a first-place award for Most Creative with Least Dollars Spent for its 12 Days Before Christmas video promoting adoptable animals. And the city’s multi-faceted social media campaign for Hispanic Heritage Month received first place for Best DEI Outreach/Campaign.

Additionally, the city received awards of excellence for Internal Communications: On the Clock, Social Media Campaign (Planned): Hispanic Heritage Month, Regular/Recurring Program: American Dream Chapters, and Educational PSA: FY23 Budget Video as well as an award of honor for Media Relations: Bakari Williams Protocol Media Relations. Thank you and congratulations to the hardworking men and women in the Arlington Office of Communication.

JULY

Levitt Pavilion

Arlington

Check out this season’s acts and join us for free concerts on the lawn. You don’t want to miss them. Open seating is available on the lawn. Please bring blankets and lawn chairs. You also can bring your own food and coolers with beverages, but no glass containers. Parking is free. Visit our website for performers, dates and times. Founders Plaza, 100 W. Abram St.

LEVITTPAVILIONARLINGTON.ORG

JULY 5

Independence Day Party

Arlington Parks and Recreation

50+ -- Celebrate with some good old fashioned ice cream floats and a fun game of bingo! Join us in the Senior Hall where we will have prizes for the bingo winners and floats. 12:30-2pm. Free. East Rec Center 1817 New York Ave.

JULY 11 AND 13

Outdoor Adventures

Arlington Parks and Recreation

Join us as we take on the outdoors, visiting different parks and trails around the area. From hiking to enjoying the great weather. Ages 12-15. 9am-5pm. Cost is $90. Dottie Lynn Rec Center. Visit our website for more information and to register.

NATURALLYFUN.ORG july 8

SPLASH & DASH JUNIOR TRIATHLON

Arlington Parks and Recreation

Join us for the First Annual EAST Splash & Dash Triathlon. Athletes will swim laps in our indoor pool and then head outside to bike and run around Bob Cooke Park. Distances will be determined by age. Participants should bring their own bike, towel or any other desired equipment. Price includes event registration, finisher’s medal and post-race snacks. Ages 6-12. 9:30am-10:30am. Cost is $35. 1817 New York Ave. Visit our website to register.

NATURALLYFUN.ORG

JULY 15

Chicken N Pickle 5k

Grand Prairie

Join us for our 2023 Inaugural Chicken N Pickle 5K as we run through and around the Epic Waters. Includes designer shirt, custom CNP medal, chip timing, live results and awards. Free photos, come dress in your best pickle style outfits for best costumes, great food and lots more. Race location is Chicken N Pickle, 2965 State Hwy 161 Grand Prairie. Visit our website for race information/ registration and much more!

RUNSIGNUP.COM/RACE/TX/GRANDPRAIRIE/ CHICKENNPICKLE5K

JULY 20

PAINTING & PUPS

Mansfield

Mansfield Commission for the Arts and Animal Care & Control invite you to create a paw-sitively adorable work of art with a shelter dog! 10am-11am. Free. The LOT, 110 S. Main St.

JULY 21 AND 27

FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE

Arlington Parks and Recreation

Come and skate with your friends, playing games and participating in skating activities throughout the evening. 2 slices of pizza and a12oz drink can be added on for an additional $5. Save $5 if you bring your own skates. 7pm-10pm. $15/person. 13 & under. Elzie

Odom Athletic Center, 1601 NE Green Oaks Blvd. Visit our website to register.

NATURALLYFUN.ORG

JULY 29

GLOW GIRLS

Arlington Parks and Recreation

GLOW (Growing Leaders in Outdoor Wilderness) Girls is an outdoor education program for young females, ages 8-12 years old, who have limited access to outdoor programming. This program is provided free of charge, utilizing a grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife. This program will have the participants learn the basics of map reading, how to utilize a compass, receive an introduction to how GPS units operate and enjoy time geocaching. The location will be at Cliff Nelson Rec Center. Shuttling also available from the East Library & Rec., 1817 New York Ave. 10am-12pm. Visit our website to register.

NATURALLYFUN.ORG see more events in your area on LIVINGMAGAZINE.NET

JULY 27 // HAPPINESS FOR BEGINNERS NETFLIX

Helen (Ellie Kemper) has always lived as far from the edge as possible. Finding herself newly divorced and a little lost, Helen decides she needs a reset and signs up for the “Adventure of a Lifetime!”

The adventure is a backcountry survival course hiking the Appalachian Trail with a group of oddball strangers. From the beginning, Helen’s plan to be the best hiker is tested, and she finds more than just herself in the wilderness. Based on the wildly popular novel by Katherine Center, Happiness for Beginners reminds us that sometimes you have to get lost before you’re found.

THIS MONTH’S MUSIC

JULY 14 // COLTER WALL

LITTLE SONGS

JULY 21 // GRETA VAN FLEET STARCATCHER

JULY 28 // JONI MITCHELL

JONI MITCHELL AT NEWPORT

What To Read

JULY 18, 1979 // BREAKING AWAY

DIR. PETER YATES (SUSPECT)

Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay, Breaking Away follows four working-class friends from Indiana navigating post-high school uncertainty. Dave, an aspiring cyclist, forms a team with his friends to compete against privileged college athletes. The film explores friendship, class struggle, and the pursuit of dreams in a heartwarming coming-of-age story.

JULY 4 // THE SECOND CHANCE STORE

BY LAUREN BRAVO

City dweller Gwen feels like she’s living a secondhand life. She’s thirty-eight, perpetually single, and in dire need of a dentist’s appointment.

When she’s let go from a job she drifted into a decade ago, Gwen realizes it’s time to make a change, starting with cleaning out her apartment. In the charity shop where she literally and metaphorically unloads her baggage, she discovers a group of weird and wonderful people devoted to finding a new home for donated items that have lost their use elsewhere. Gwen volunteers there — and finds a new home for herself among her fellow workers while discovering joy in the untold stories of secondhand things.