Red River Wine Fest celebrates Texas' grape-growing traditions

Just call it a swell swiller.

The Red River Wine Festival has been fermenting for a few years now, and we’ve heard through the grapevine that the two-day celebration of Texas’ grape-growing gumption will return for the fifth year, well ripened on the vine and full-bodied, to say the least.

The two-parter wine fest, presented by the Senior Junior Forum, uncorks itself tonight at the Woman’s Forum for the posh, limited-seating Wine & Food Affair. It’s an elegant seated dinner in which several courses are paired with the perfect wines — a culinary art, you might say.

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Hundreds gather to protest taxes at TEA Party in Town Square

About 450 people met at Southlake Town Square to blast bailouts and higher taxes on April 15, the day that federal income taxes are due. The event also drew about 50 counter-protesters.

In a partisan presentation, the crowd listened as conservative radio host Mark Davis and U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, criticized government spending. Crafted after the famous 18th century Boston Tea Party, which protested British taxation without representation, the TEA in this event stood for "Taxed Enough Already." After a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of God Bless America, Marchant professed his opposition to the federal stimulus package.

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Southlake's Three Dogs Bakery to send Obamas' pooch 'Bo' a special treat

A Southlake bakery is sending a bit of Texas love to Bo, the Portuguese water dog, as he settles into his new digs at the White House.

The Three Dogs Bakery in Southlake is shipping a specialty doggie dessert to D.C. for Bo, who was bred at Amigo Portuguese Water Dogs in Boyd, 35 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

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Hundreds turn out for 'tea party' protest at Southlake Town Square

Southlake's Town Square rarely caters to more than lunchtime retreats, making the hundreds of tea bags, "Downsize DC" signs and tiny American flags at noon even more distinctive.

In what amounted to a warm-up for the Dallas "Tax Day Tea Party" on Wednesday night, about 500 people stood in front of Southlake's town hall to boo governmental intervention, burgeoning bank bailouts and the recent stimulus package.

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DFW rains help put out most smoldering grass fires

The day belonged to the ducks instead of Easter bunnies.

Booming thunderstorms dumped heavy rains in Tarrant County on Sunday morning, washing out many outdoor Easter plans.

Rain totals ranged from 0.75 inches in Southlake to an inch in the Texas Christian University and Wedgwood areas of Fort Worth to almost 2 inches in Haltom City and north Arlington.

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Thursday's agenda: Grapevine Market opens and more

Get ready to shop in the great outdoors

Now you know it’s spring: The open-air Grapevine Market opens for business today in downtown Grapevine. The outdoor marketplace, which offers handmade jewelry, antiques, sweet potato pies and more, will be open 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday through Oct. 17. The market is between the 100 and 300 blocks of Main Street at Liberty Park, across from City Hall. 817-410-3185; www.grapevinetexasusa.com.

Floral tributes

Flower arrangements inspired by Spanish masterworks are on display at Dallas’ Meadows Museum from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Founders Garden Club presents "The Splendor of Spain: the Meadows in Bloom" with 20 interpretive floral creations inspired by paintings in the Meadows collection. There will also be a large number of floral entries on exhibit in Jones Great Hall. Tickets are $6-$8, 5900 Bishop Blvd. on the Southern Methodist University campus. 214-768-2516; www.smu.edu/meadows/museum.

Main Street time!

It’s the kickoff for the four-day feast of arts, music and entertainment otherwise known as the Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival. This is the 24th year of the festival, which showcases fine art and fine craftworks, live concerts, performance artists and street performers — along nine blocks of Main Street, from the Tarrant County Courthouse to the Fort Worth Convention Center. Through Sunday. Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. today; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. www.mainstreetartsfest.org.

Crowds of teens spark concern at Southlake Town Square

SOUTHLAKE — Some teens appear to be making themselves a little too at home in Southlake’s Town Square, city officials and others believe.

Residents, retailers and city officials say that hordes of unsupervised and unruly teens descend on Southlake’s signature commercial development and stay there for hours on end, making the square an unwelcoming place to visit on Friday and Saturday nights.

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