But for his first cinematic leading role, the Plano native and former Saturday Night Live regular knew he had to find the right project. The indie satire Molli and Max in the Future fit his offbeat comic sensibilities while enabling him to broaden his background.

The science-fiction romantic comedy will screen on Saturday as part of an eclectic lineup for the Oak Cliff Film Festival at the Texas Theatre.

“The script was very unique. Right away, I knew the director was a visionary and I wanted to be involved,” Athari said during the recent the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. “He allowed me to make it my own. It was a great experience.”

The feature debut of director Michael Lukk Litwak is a futuristic twist on When Harry Met Sally set in an intergalactic world where Max (Athari) and Molli (Zosia Mamet) keep meeting by chance over the course of several years and various dimensions, trying to survive their harsh surroundings while wondering if there are sparks between them.

“Everything I work on gives me a chance to expand on what I’ve already done,” Athari said. “I’m always looking for projects that put me in a situation where I’ve got to sink or swim. I feel like I operate best that way.”

The film was shot in New York last summer, just after Athari wrapped his only season as a featured player on SNL.

Athari, 31, grew up in the North Texas suburbs with his mother, who owned an alteration shop across the street from the old Prestonwood Town Center shopping mall. That jokingly came to mind when he recalled the extensive green-screen work on the effects-heavy Molli and Max.

“I spent a lot of time in fitting rooms after school, talking to nobody,” Athari said. “So talking to nothing is not that weird to me, unfortunately.”

He was more into the visual arts at a young age, but remembers seeing stand-up comedy for the first time. George Lopez was playing the Addison Improv, a venue at which Athari has since performed multiple times.

He relocated to Los Angeles before graduating from high school, then attended USC, where a classmate encouraged him to try stand-up. That launched a career that has included numerous sketch shows as an actor and director before breaking through on SNL during the 2021-22 season.

Upcoming projects include the independent film The French Italian and a recurring role on the third season of the MAX series Hacks. His connections to Dallas these days are mostly of the gastrointestinal variety — fond memories of trips to Colter’s, Luby’s, Taco Bueno, or Shipley’s Donuts.

“There’s certain things about Dallas that will never leave my body,” Athari said. “I’m guided by my stomach, is what my mom used to say. The Great Outdoors is the best sandwich shop on the planet.”

OCFF has several feature projects and short films with local ties on its schedule, which opens on Thursday and runs through Sunday at multiple screening locations. Highlights include:

100 Ways to Cross the Border — This documentary directed by SMU film professor Amber Bernak profiles the life and work of queer Latinx artist Guillermo Gomez-Pena.

Quantum Cowboys — The latest from filmmaker Geoff Marslett (Loves Her Gun), a Dallas native, is a time-travel Western incorporating various animation styles.

Somewhere Quiet — Dallas-based Last Rodeo Studios is behind this buzzy horror film about a young woman trying to adjust to normalcy after a kidnapping.

The post OCFF Preview: Aristotle Athari’s Long Road to Becoming a Big-Screen Leading Man appeared first on D Magazine.

Photographer Bret Redman went to two celebrations on Saturday—the 13th annual parade in a former freedman’s town —the Elm Thicket/Northpark neighborhood—and the Morney Berry Farm, which has hosted its 30 years of Juneteenth celebrations on land that was originally purchased by the formerly enslaved James and Kathy Morney with several bales of cotton and six years of savings in 1876. (Their descendants own it today.) On Sunday, he visited the brand-new Juneteenth Block Party in Deep Ellum that featured local artists, vendors, and an appearance by the R&B group Dru Hill.

Head to the gallery for images over the weekend.

The post Gallery: Dallas Celebrates Juneteenth in Old and New Ways appeared first on D Magazine.

In his new Netflix docuseries Waco: American Apocalypse, the Park Cities-born Russell found that while the historical facts of the tragic 51-day standoff in 1993 haven’t changed, the context in which we view it has evolved.

“History is something that’s not static. We’re always retelling it and reiterating different versions of it,” Russell said. “America is haunted by the ghost of Waco in a fairly profound sense. This was the biggest news story in the world, and it unfolded in real time on national television. Right from the get-go, it was this very politicized blame game that went around. How did we get into this mess? What was it like to be trapped in the maws of history? I wanted to find the humanity.”

As part of that approach, Russell wanted to frame the three-part series as a vivid and immersive thriller, incorporating 3D graphics to reconstruct the compound where the tense standoff matched religious leaders and acolytes with federal officials.

Producers uncovered unseen footage inside the on-site hostage negotiation room that was originally intended to be used an FBI training tool but was later stashed away. They also secured raw footage from local television stations that had never been aired. Those discoveries galvanized Russell.

“I was hesitant to tackle it. I didn’t know what I could add to it,” he said. “That was a way to take the story and electrify it, so it seems like it’s unfolding before your eyes.”

The filmmaker also weaves in new interviews with lawyers for cult leader David Koresh, one of his spiritual wives, the drummer from his band, and more.

“Everybody I sat down with was different from my preconceived notions about what I expected them to be. It kept transforming my understanding of the story,” Russell said. “It’s a very diverse cross-section of people. Rather than pushing an agenda from one side or another, I just wanted to understand the human experience.”

Russell grew up in University Park, where he worked at a video store so he could rent movies for free. He never fit in at either Highland Park High School or St. Mark’s School of Texas, and instead graduated from an East Coast boarding school on a wrestling scholarship.

His interest in true-crime storytelling stems from his father, who worked in the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. Russell worked as a crime reporter in Northern California before shifting gears after writing a profile on Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris, whose The Thin Blue Line helped exonerate a Dallas man.

“I was a bit of a wild child and a reprobate, but I found that world uniquely fascinating,” Russell said. “The stakes, whether you’re a cop or a crook, are life-or-death every time you walk out the door.”

Russell’s recent projects including the docuseries Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer as well as the 2021 narrative feature Silk Road. He is an executive producer on a project revisiting the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that debuted on Netflix in April.

As for Waco, Russell said it’s important to revisit and reconsider the tragedy, which still resonates an examination of religious freedom, gun rights, and government intervention.

“Waco is a story about God and guns in America, and how it affects our children. These are issues that are burning today like they were 30 years ago,” he said. “History is most relevant when it’s speaking about today.”

The post Why Documentarian Tiller Russell Is Taking Us Back to Waco, 30 Years Later appeared first on D Magazine.

On Friday, June 16, the Kessler Theater is bringing the Video Bar back to life for one night. They will be playing “era-specific music videos all night,” which will include the full-length version of Nine Inch Nails performing at The Video Bar in 1990.

And the music videos aren’t the only thing returning to Dallas: members of the team who worked at the Video Bar will also be in attendance.

Bart Weiss, who will be hosting the reunion with Video Bar regular Helen Stark, was involved with both On the Air and The Video Bar. His job was to program the videos they would play each night. While it seems like a dream job for the man who would eventually co-found Dallas VideoFest, he wasn’t initially sold on the medium.

“During that era, I was a film guy,” says Weiss. “I taught filmmaking. And to me the video stuff looked really… I don’t know, it just didn’t look that great.” 

However, Weiss was instrumental in getting On the Air off the ground. He mentioned an idea for a bar in Dallas that showed music videos while he was out one night. It didn’t take long before he was contacted by someone who had purchased a space in Lower Greenville. The buyer said he was open to making the property either a gym, or working with Weiss to create his music video bar. Weiss decided to take the opportunity.

“To understand On the Air, you [have] to understand why music videos were important at that time. And they were culturally significant because…people watched MTV and saw music they couldn’t see. But then we showed things that MTV wasn’t playing,” says Weiss.

Sometimes On the Air showed music videos from bands that were not in MTV’s lineup. Other times, though, Weiss screened alternate versions of videos that were in circulation—ones that wouldn’t have been appropriate for a television audience.

“So, like, there is a Duran Duran video for “Girls on Film,” [and] the club version is much more interesting than the one they could show on MTV,” says Weiss, laughing. He also recalls a version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” that was “definitely not airable,” but a perfect fit for On the Air. (“Girls on Film” was actually created for clubs like the Video Bar, where there was no limit to the content they could show.)

While the music was integral to On the Air, the videos had another important role: they brought audiences into the world of the artists. “People used to…care about what they looked like in a different kind of way,” remembers Weiss. “Like, my hair was asymmetrical and I never wore jeans… But the thing is, the people in the music videos dressed well, so when you were in the club, sitting there or dancing to what was on the screen, it’s like [you were]…visually part of that world.”

On the Air ultimately closed down due to mismanagement. “He didn’t pay the rent. And he didn’t tell anybody that he didn’t pay the rent,” Weiss says of the owner. “So, literally, April Fool’s Day, we go there, and there’s a lock on the door, and the club is closed.”

The staff got together and ultimately decided to start The Video Bar in Deep Ellum. The core idea remained the same, to start a club showcasing the intersection of music and video. Weiss spent several years working as the artistic director for the bar before moving on. 

“After I left, they got much more involved with live music,” says Weiss. “And my version was, it’s all about the video. But that’s fine. It worked well. And there was a very famous Nine Inch Nails show that was…a really big cultural moment.”

Even as the venue began focusing more on live shows, Weiss says other VJs came in and continued the work the club was built on. The Video Bar was making other changes, however. One was the introduction of “Sadistic Sundays,” which brought videos with heavier S&M themes into rotation.

“We had sexual material that we showed, but it wasn’t the highlight, [it was just] a little spicier…to round out other things. But that was…the aesthetic direction as [The Video Bar] moved on,” says Weiss. The venue eventually closed.

After leaving the Video Bar, Weiss continued working as an educator and writing about video. On the Air and The Video Bar were an important part of his life, but they were behind him—until recently.

“Jeff Liles, who runs the Kessler…thought it would be a really good idea to bring this all back,” says Weiss. 

Liles reached out to Ron Stanley, who worked as a VJ at The Video Bar and took on more responsibilities after Weiss left. They also involved Helen Stark, who was a regular at the venue and runs a Facebook page dedicated to On the Air and The Video Bar.

Stanley will VJ the “Video Bar Reunion,” an opportunity for former attendees to reminisce, while also bringing the music videos of the period to newer generations.

As much as the event will be about recreating the experience of The Video Bar, it’s also a throwback to a different era of Dallas, when someone could casually toss off an idea for a bar that showed music videos, have someone else take the idea seriously, and turn it into a staple of Dallas culture for the better part of a decade.

“It was a moment when anything could happen,” says Weiss. “And there were people and artists, musicians, in all kinds of areas, [and] we all kind of knew each other, and we worked on stuff together, and…forged this interesting time. It was a wonderful time to be here.”

The post Deep Ellum’s Video Bar Lives For a Night at the Kessler Theater appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Juneteenth Celebration at Hotel Dryce Highlights History And Black Food Vendors of Fort Worth appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Here’s Who Is Coming to Dallas This Weekend: June 16-19 appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Commemorate Juneteenth in North Texas With These Celebrations appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Notes From the Underground Newspaper appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Here’s Who Is Coming to Dallas This Weekend: June 9-11 appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Things To Do in Dallas This Weekend appeared first on D Magazine.

On Monday, thousands will gather at Juneteenth celebrations across North Texas. There will be cookouts, live music, and history lessons of the holiday’s deep Texas roots, when, in 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas and announced enslaved people were free. It was more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed Juneteenth into effect to recognize it as a federal holiday.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post Dîner en Blanc Returns to Dallas This September appeared first on D Magazine.

In Fort Worth, Jonathan Morris will host a Juneteenth celebration Monday at his boutique hotel, Hotel Dryce. Morris says he sees the celebration as an opportunity to share a piece of history and highlight the efforts of Opal Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” 

Lee has lived in Fort Worth for the last 86 years. On June 19, 1939, white rioters burned down her family home. In the decades that followed, she became a teacher, community organizer, and activist. At the age of 90, she began walking 2.5 miles every Juneteenth in honor of the two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all who were enslaved. The march was performed in conjunction with her crusade to make Juneteenth a holiday recognized outside of Texas.

“It means to me that this dream of Ms. Opal Lee, that she marched, fought, and rallied for for decades, [is] finally coming to fruition in her twilight years,” Morris says. “We’re able to celebrate Juneteenth in a way that is nationally recognized now. At Hotel Dryce, we want to be part of helping tell that story in a more broad way.”

Hotel Dryce has been open for nearly two years in Fort Worth’s Cultural District in a former dry ice warehouse. The venture began when Morris and his business partner, Allen Mederos, lamented about previous travel options.

“At the beginning of these conversations, we didn’t see anything that we felt like spoke to the accommodations that we look for when we travel,” Morris says. “We wanted to be something that felt authentically true to the city. That meant bringing in local artists, makers, and creatives to help us bring the vision to life.” 

The hotel has hosted dozens of events in its lobby bar that have morphed the space into a reflection of revolving themes such as vinyl nights and silent book club meet-ups. This year, it will host its first Juneteenth event with Black vendors and locally-owned businesses. Morris, who is Black, says he wanted the event to be a celebration of “Black culture, Black culture in Fort Worth, and Black entrepreneurship.”

Reggie and Cedric Robinson of Lil Boy Blue BBQ will serve the same grilled offerings that have sold out at their previous pop-ups, like smoky brisket, pulled pork, and cracked black pepper sausage. The Robinson brothers have participated in Hotel Dryce events before, including a week-long stint and catering the Cowboys of Color kickback. Lil Boy Blue BBQ is named after their grandfather, who they say taught them to serve love and to love serving. 

“Every individual with roots [from] Africa will be welcomed into events with celebratory congratulations for just existing,” Reggie says. “They’re a continuation of the bloodline that was formerly property. [Juneteenth is] a way to commemorate an atrocity. It also lifts the resilience of our people and the sustainability and ingenuity of the Black experience here in America. This connects us with the nostalgia of our past and the hope for our future.”

Terrell Johnson has spent the last eight years making sweets in North Texas through his dessert shop SNAP Pastries. The Sweets and Pastries founder will be making his Hotel Dryce debut with a signature cupcake made with simple syrup and GO3 vodka, the liquor brand named after the legal decree that became the catalyst for the holiday. He’ll also sell a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and cake pops at the event.

Johnson says he’s looking forward to the educational aspect of the event, including the rise of Black Lives Matter activism in recent years. He’s especially excited to share this event and holiday with the community he grew up loving. 

“It means more to us than anybody else or any other culture,” he says. “We’ll probably be the only culture that truly understands what it means for it to be fought for; the appreciation won’t be the same, in my opinion, of someone outside of the Black culture.”

Juneteenth @ Dryce will be held at Hotel Dryce, 3621 Byers Ave., Fort Worth on Monday, June 19, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Learn more here.

The post The Ambition of the Upcoming National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth appeared first on D Magazine.