If you’re still thinking about what to do for New Year’s Eve, then consider Big D NYE at Victory Park. With live entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display at midnight, Big D NYE is sure to be a hit for people of all ages.

Now in its 5^th year, Big D NYE brings the entertainment and excitement of Times Square right here in Dallas, without the nearly 1 million revelers. This event isn’t something to take lightly though. Last year, organizers say that nearly 45,000 patrons attended the event. The event even attracts visitors from around the region as Dallas is a low-cost destination that offers much to see and do.

“Victory has that same Times Square feel with all of the mega screens and stages,” event spokesman John McGill told The Dallas Morning News following last year’s event. “We may not be as big as Times Square in attendance, but with the party on the street and in the air, I would put it up against anyone’s.”

Entertainment includes live concerts on Big D NYE and Chevy Music stages. Performances will be projected on gigantic high-definition video screens adjacent to Victory Plaza for the overflowing crowds to enjoy.

The night culminates with a traditional countdown to midnight and the Stream Energy Fireworks Spectacular that will be visible from all over the downtown region, glittering high above Dallas’ skyline.

Big D NYE is also aired live locally on WFAA Channel 8 as well as in the Houston and New Orleans television markets.

Nearby parking is available for guests, but everyone is highly encouraged to take public transportation. With the DART Green Line now operational, you can travel to the Victory Park Station and mosey on over to AT&T Plaza.

For more information about this fabulous event, or to plan your evening, check out the Big D NYE website by visiting www.bigdnye.com.

If you love fashion and art, then the Dallas Museum of Art should definitely make it to the top of your destination list within the next  couple of months.  “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is the DMA’s newest exhibit that opened this month and it has already made quite the news.

You see, this is the first international exhibition devoted to Gaultier’s oeuvre. In addition, the exhibit marks the first time the DMA explores the art of contemporary fashion. What better way to explore the area than with the work of Gaultier?!

The DMA is the first of two U.S. venues to host this critically acclaimed international exhibition after its premier at the organizing institution, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Dubbed fashion’s “enfant terrible” from the time of his first runway shows in the 1970s, Jean Paul Gaultier is indisputably one of the most important fashion designers of recent decades.

Very early on, his avant‐garde fashions reflected an understanding of a multicultural society’s issues and preoccupations, shaking up-with invariable good humor-established societal and aesthetic codes.

More of a contemporary installation than a fashion retrospective, this major exhibition-which the couturier considers to be a creation in its own right-features approximately 140 ensembles spanning over 35 years from the designer’s couture and ready-to-wear collections, along with their accessories, and numerous archival documents.

Many of these extraordinary pieces have never before been exhibited, including a costume from one of Almodóvar’ s recent films and a leather corset that will be shown for the first time during the DMA’s presentation.

Keenly interested in all the world’s cultures and countercultures, Gaultier has picked up on the current trends and proclaimed the right to be different, and in the process conceived a new kind of fashion in both the way it is made and worn. Through twists, transformations, transgressions, and reinterpretations, he not only erases the boundaries between cultures but also the sexes, creating a new androgyny or playing with subverting established fashion codes.

Located in the vibrant Dallas Arts District, the DMA ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and groundbreaking educational programs. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 24,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures.

Established in 1903, the Museum welcomes approximately 600,000 visitors annually and acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary readings, and dramatic and dance presentations.

“The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is on display now through Feb. 12, 2012. Tickets range from $12 to $20 and can be purchased online from the DMA’s website.

While you’re in the area, be sure to check out the fabulous exhibits at the Nasher Sculpture Center and The Crow Collection of Asian Art. One Arts Plaza has a collection of fabulous restaurants that are ideal for completing your visit.

If you love gaming and are a fan of The Legend of Zelda video game series, then you won’t want to miss Nintendo’s musical tribute on January 10 at the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District. Made possible through the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, orchestral arrangements of music from the game’s 25-year history will be performed, accompanied by video content from the games themselves.

Nintendo has teamed up with Jason Michael Paul Productions, Inc. to provide video game fans with the ultimate musical experience for The Legend of Zelda. The highlight of this new musical program is a full four-movement symphony that will guide fans through a musical retelling of key chapters from The Legend of Zelda franchise.

The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concerts will be conducted by Irish-born conductor Eímear Noone, and the multimedia show will pair iconic music and gorgeous visuals from classic Zelda titles including the newest game in the series, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii^TM console.

“The love that fans feel for The Legend of Zelda series cannot be overstated,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. “In 2012, we want to give people across the country a chance to come together and enjoy the music from the games that mean so much to so many.”

The tour will be something both fans of the franchise and music enthusiasts alike won’t want to miss.

For more information about the concerts, visit www.zelda-symphony.com. For more information about the ticket discount available to Club Nintendo members, please visit club.nintendo.com.

This new concert series will kick off in Dallas, then tour the U.S. in 2012. Tickets for the Dallas performance are now available directly from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at dallassymphony.com or by calling 214-692-0203. Seats range in price from $19 to $115.

Tickets are available to Club Nintendo members at a 15% discount now through Nov. 30.

Win a three-night stay at the luxurious W Dallas - Victory hotel, compliments of the Dallas CVB.

If you’ve been procrastinating, now is the time to take action. This is your last week to enter for a chance to win a trip to the Big D, September 16-19, to experience Dallas Pride firsthand! For official rules and to enter, visit www.glbtdallas.com/winatrip.

The winner and a guest will have the opportunity to fly round-trip to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, compliments of the American Airlines Rainbow TeAAm, corporate sponsor the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In addition, the two will spend three nights at the luxurious W Dallas - Victory hotel. If you want to visit Dallas, the W is probably one of the many fabulous hotels that LGBT travelers will enjoy. (They’re also offering a fabulous Pride package-so check it out!) In addition, the winner and their guest will enjoy a dinner at Craft Dallas inside the W.

On the Saturday, September 17, locals will be heading to Gay Day at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. Our winners will have the opportunity to spend the day enjoying all of the attractions at Six Flags compliments of Dallas Voice, the premier LGBT news source in North Texas.

Later, Gaybingo Dallas will kick-off Saturday evening with fun and games as the most OUTrageous game in town takes place inside Station 4. All proceeds from this popular monthly event benefit Resource Center Dallas.

The highlight of the weekend is the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade.  Now in its 28th year, the parade is expected to include nearly 2,000 marching participants and draw more than 40,000 spectators from across the nation and around the world.

Entries for the sweepstakes will be accepted online through noon on August 12, 2011, and a winner will be announced shortly thereafter.  The sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the U.S. at least 21 years of age or older at the time of entry.  For official rules and to enter, please visit www.glbtdallas.com/winatrip.

Good luck, friends!

Warwick Hotels has announced the acquisition of a piece of land (formally known as The Bronx) adjacent to the Warwick Melrose Hotel in the heart of the Dallas gayborhood-Oak Lawn.

Subject to relevant approvals from the city, these 30,000 square feet of land would permit a major expansion to take place next to the historic hotel that was erected in 1924.

The current plans call for a large and pillar-less ballroom which would be complemented by additional meeting and conference space in a nearby building. The construction of a spa and a swimming pool is also under study. This would effectively more than double the present 7,000 square feet of meeting and event space, which is ideal for LGBT conventions and meetings looking for space in the Big D.

The 184-room Warwick Melrose Hotel is an AAA Four-Diamond luxury hotel and a well-known Dallas landmark that welcomes everyone from visiting dignitaries and international celebrities to business travellers. The hotel has hosted several LGBT events, including those from the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce and GALA Choruses.

“We are proud to be part of this multi-cultural and diverse area of Dallas, and to be able to serve the city with more capacity for larger functions than those we can currently host,” said Richard Chiu, president of Warwick Hotels. “The new facilities will also allow us to extend the same atmosphere and gracious service that have already made the Warwick Melrose one of the most sought-after hotels in North Texas.”

By the way, Warwick Melrose is a sponsor of this year’s Razzle Dazzle Dallas festival. Stay tuned as we have some exciting news to announce regarding an upcoming promotion.  *hint*

Tony Award winner Jennifer Holliday, the original Dreamgirl, brings her powerful pipes to Dallas in what is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. The diva joins the Turtle Creek Chorale on March 23, 2011 for a one-night only concert that you won’t want to miss.

Holliday is known for hits such as “And I Am Telling You”, “Heart On The Line,” “I’m On Your Side” and “I Am Changing,” this will be one powerful evening of music.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be performing with the Turtle Creek Chorale, especially since Dallas has always been one of my most favorite cities to visit and to perform,” said Holliday. “As a fellow Texan, I am both proud and extremely grateful for the love and continued support I have received from both my Dallas fans and the LGBT community over my 33 years as an entertainer. ”

Also joining the Turtle Creek Chorale for this concert is The Men’s Chorus from First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park. This all African-American men’s choir stuns audiences with its power, energy and soulful sound. Repertoire includes music from the hit Broadway and movie musical, DREAMGIRLS, as well as soulful pieces by Gloria Estefan, Kurt Carr, Bill Withers and much, much more.

“The Turtle Creek Chorale has a long performance history with the awesome chorus from Hamilton Park Baptist Church and I am so pleased to again welcome them to our stage,” said Dr. Jonathan Palant, artistic director of the Chorale. “Add to that the incomparable Jennifer Holliday and, truly, this concert will go down in history as the one that ‘raised the roof’ in the Meyerson!”

“One Night Only: An Evening with Jennifer Holliday” will take place on March 23, 2011 at 8 p.m. at the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District. Tickets range from $20-65 and may be purchased by phone at (214) 526-3214 or online at www.turtlecreek.org.

Are you a member of the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce, Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, or the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce? If you are, then you might want to clear your calendar for Thursday, March 3 for the annual Dallas Diversity Chamber Mixer.

Organized each year by the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (Dallas CVB), the Dallas Diversity Chamber Mixer provides members of the four major diversity chamber organizations to come together to Texas-sized networking opportunity.

Participants can mingle in an intercultural pool of contacts to network and grow business opportunities.

“This mixer is a perfect example of how Dallas embraces diversity,” said Ross Crusemann, senior vice president of the Dallas CVB. “It is one of the many reasons businesses continue to choose Dallas as the host city for meetings and conventions.”

The Dallas Diversity Chamber Mixer will be held on Thursday, March 3 at the aLoft Downtown Dallas hotel, from 5:30 through 7:30 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to members of the four local chambers listed above.  To RSVP, please visit www.diversitychambers.com.  For more information or to inquire how you can participate, please e-mail info@diversitychambers.com.

Happy mixing!

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) provides several different options for getting across parts of Dallas and surrounding cities.

Depending on where you decide to stay in the Big D, you may not need to rent a vehicle as there are many fabulous hotels on or within walking distance of a DART Rail station.

Destinations such as the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas Market Center, Dallas Zoo, Mockingbird Station, and NorthPark Center are near a convenient Red, Blue or Green Line DART Rail Station.

Take a look at the fascinating video below that highlights just some of the many fabulous destinations DART can help you visit.

For more information on DART, such as fares and schedules, or to plan your travels, please visit www.dart.org.

No matter if you’re a resident or a visitor, sometimes you need a breath of fresh air. In Dallas, one of the best places for that is at White Rock Lake, just 3.5 miles east of downtown.

With a large 9.33 mile trail, taking a morning walk or an afternoon bike ride provides a great mix of urban and natural scenery. Many enjoy picnics at White Rock Lake and sitting on park benches to enjoy the environment around them.

While swimming is not allowed in the 1,200 acre lake, fishing and sail boating are attractive pastimes for visitors. In addition, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens provides a great attraction for those who enjoy display gardens.

Take a look at the video below that highlights some of the great features of White Rock Lake.

Forbes recently released their list of America’s 25 best cities for shopping. Houston nabbed the top prize as Dallas followed second. While many continue to wonder how our friends to the south rank first, we thought we’d tell you a little about the Dallas shopping scene.

“Dallas offers the best shopping in the Southwest,” said Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “In addition to seemingly endless shopping opportunities, Dallas visitors discover a city with vibrant entertainment districts, a leading arts district, a thriving culinary scene and countless luxury accommodations.”

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