Every year around this time, we like to take stock of the previous year’s events, and it’s usually easy to list all the negative ones. Our brains seem wired to pick the worst moments of the past year out of some primal instinct that humans can’t seem to shake.
So when New Year’s Eve starts closing in on us, we like to stop the rat race of fearful monotony and take an inventory of the good things that happened over the last year. It’s not just a welcome reminder that the nihilistic anxiety our brain likes to produce isn’t always right, but it’s also a way to take stock of the year and lay a foundation of hope for the new year right around the corner.
1. Pete Davidson Pops Up in Town
The stand-up comedian and former Saturday Night Live star seems like one of those celebrities who always brings a ray of fun sunshine into the room. Drugs may or may not be part of that winning combination, but that’s not important.
That’s probably how the folks at the vintage clothing and curiosity shop Dolly Python probably felt when the comic actor walked through their doors in early December. Davidson was in town to perform a live set at the Majestic Theatre, and he spent the day doing some tourist shopping at several Dallas shops including Dolly Python in East Dallas. The store’s management said they didn’t ask if they could take a photo with the SNL star, but he offered to take one anyway.
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Spot over 50 Lichtensteins (get it, get it?) at the DMA and the Nasher.
Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
2. Roy Lichtenstein Works Donated to Dallas Art Galleries
Even if you’re a complete noob to the art world, chances are that you’ve heard or at least seen one of Roy Lichtenstein’s works of art. The pop artist turned the pulp styles of comics to create a whole new medium of abstract expressionism.
Rather than preserve his works just for the person who can afford the highest bid to appreciate them, the artist’s foundation donated some of Lichtenstein’s works to the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center as part of the late artist’s 100th birthday in October. The massive collection included 16 sculptures, 14 maquettes, three sets of test objects, two tracings, two collages and one prototype.
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Filming the last scene of Texas Chainsaw Massare — Ron Bozman (left), Gunnar Hansen (as Leatherface) and Tobe Hooper with megaphone.
Photo courtesy of Ron Bozman
3. The State of Texas Finally Gets Its Own Film Festival
Texas has a ton of film festivals, some of the biggest in the industry. However, none of them are dedicated to celebrating Texas’ contribution to the world of cinema.
The first annual It Came From Texas Film Festival in Garland corrected this mistake with four days full of special screenings of Texas-made classics. The inaugural film gathering aimed a spotlight on horror movies made in our backyard, such as Dallas director Larry Buchanan’s Zontar: Thing from Venus, the iconic B-movie maverick Manos: Hands of Fate and the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre directed by Tobe Hooper.
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TV host, actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton appeared at a live Q&A at UTA.
Courtesy of LeVar Burton Entertainment
4. LeVar Burton Speaks at UT Arlington
There aren’t a lot of things we can agree on these days, but one concept we can all get behind is the fact that TV’s Levar Burton is a treasure. The host of Reading Rainbow and star of iconic shows such as the Roots mini-series and Star Trek: The Next Generation isn’t just a beloved celebrity but a man on a never-ending mission to make things like literacy and education as accessible as possible for everyone in the world.
So imagine the excitement that erupted when the University of Texas at Arlington announced that the TV star and literacy advocate would speak on campus last October to a sold-out crowd who could not give him enough standing ovations.
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The American Airlines Center has a new LED scoreboard and two new overhead screens that every fan can see clearly from every seat in the place. The seats are also new.
Courtesy of Dallas Mavericks
5. The American Airlines Center Finally Gets Upgraded
The Dallas Mavericks have had to endure a lot of changes over the last couple of years, but one that fans had been crying for was a much-needed upgrade to its home arena. That’s exactly the American Airlines Center’s (AAC) crew did this past summer.
The arena installed new and sturdier seats, larger scoreboards with a new 360-degree ring screen hanging over the main one, and all new signage throughout the facility. The AAC’s makeover now has scoreboard and high-powered LED screens that everyone can see from their more-comfortable seats. At least your butt won’t be uncomfortable during a hard home-team loss.
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Ralph Barbosa taped a special for Netflix at the Kessler Theater.
Sam Brand
6. Comedian Ralph Barbosa’s Rocket-Speed Ride to the Big Time
Seeing a local comedian make it big is satisfying enough, but Ralph Barbosa’s sudden rise to fame feels like the kind of universe-correcting greatness that comes along only once in a lifetime.
Barbosa built an already impressive routine and reputation on the Dallas-Fort Worth comedy scene before becoming a road comic. Then his name popped up on Steve Treviño’s OMG Hi! podcast during an interview with comedian and TV star George Lopez. Lopez’s squirmy reaction to Barbosa’s name — to whom he referred as “that motherfucker” — catapulted the Oak Cliff comic’s fame and audience to national levels almost overnight. Bigger gigs followed, like a headlining spot at Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago, a set on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and an opening spot for Dave Chappelle at the American Airlines Center. Barbosa finished the year by filming a full-length Netflix special at The Kessler.
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The Winspear Opera House is a key ingredient to the success and longevity of the Dallas Arts District.
Carter Rose
7. Dallas Arts District Turns 40
Dallas’ commitment to preserve its artistic endeavors is admirable, but its true secret to success is the ways it strengthens it. One of the key counterparts to this endeavor is the Dallas Arts District, a 40-year-old civic plan that fuels the souls of Dallas’ unique contributions to culture.
These 118 acres dedicated to arts of all kinds have held strong for the past 40 years, which is impressive since major cities usually cut arts funding first in times of dire circumstances. USA Today called the Dallas Arts District “the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation.” Places such as the Dallas Museum of Art and the Winspear Opera House bring in hundreds of thousands of guests each year. It’s a momentous milestone that Dallas was proud and eager to celebrate in 2023.
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Six Flags Over Texas launched the nation’s first launching water coaster called Aquaman: Power Wave.
Sean Fitzgerald/Courtesy of Six Flags
8. Two New Theme Parks and Two New Six Flags Rides
One of the most interesting and unique cultural trends that weaved its way across Dallas-Fort Worth this past year was the rise of theme park entertainment. DFW got good news about new theme parks coming, but it also scored some interesting updates to the theme parks already here.
Six Flags Over Texas has been in need of an update for a long time, and new rides were announced in 2023. The first one came with a new ride called Aquaman: Power Wave, the first launching water coaster in North America. The second was a new log flume ride that Six Flags plans on opening by the end of 2024. Universal Studios also announced a new partnership with the city of Frisco to open the first kid-friendly theme park in the company’s chain. North Richland Hills will also have a Peppa Pig theme park in 2024.
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A new and improved Deep Ellum Art Festival was a big event in 2023.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
9. The Return of the Deep Ellum Art Festival
The loss of the Deep Ellum Art Festival in 2022 could’ve been included in a list of the world’s happiest moments. That’s because the event didn’t have many fans. Artists felt they were being pigeonholed into weird spaces and time slots or even outright excluded by its former operator who wasn’t even from the area.
The festival returned in May under new management who reached out to those and other artists to find ways to improve the gathering and strengthen its local foundation. The new festival organizers focused on providing ample space to artists and offering goods and foods from Deep Ellum venues and restaurants. In 2023, Deep Ellum reclaimed the Deep Ellum Art Festival.
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Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston (left) and Aaron Paul came to Dallas to promote their mezcal brand Dos Hombres.
Andrew Sherman
10. A Couple Get Engaged with the Help of Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul
Having the actors who played television’s most famous drug kingpins is news enough, but an already awesome event became a special one thanks to a young couple in love.
Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul made an appearance at Total Wine & More to get the word out about their mescal brand Dos Hombres. The appearance attracted a long line of fans and mescal drinkers in everything from Breaking Bad T-shirts to full-on costumes from the iconic TV drama. A couple who made their way to the front of the line surprised the TV stars (and the woman) when the man went to one knee and proposed.