School starts on Monday, so finish the summer with a bang before your kids go back. Whether you’re looking to mingle with cute animals and reptiles, compete in a challenging chess tournament or are looking for an exciting balloon adventure, there’s plenty of summer fun left to soak in before the first school bell rings Monday morning.
32nd Annual Highland Village Balloon Festival
Take to the skies this weekend for the adventurous 32nd annual Highland Village Balloon Festival at 2200 Briarhill Blvd. Travel through the air from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, August 16; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 17; and Sunday, August 18 for a high-flying adventure filled with excitement, wonderful and beautiful sights. Admission is free for kids and adults alike, and Kid Zone wristbands are on sale that will grant you access to bounce houses, food and arts and crafts. Don’t miss it: You’ll have balloons full of fun at this family event.
Come and celebrate the last weekend of the summer with the Party ‘N’ Glow crew from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday over at 2140 East Southlake Blvd. For $35, your child will get a fully-covered makeover complete with manicures and pedicures, lotion massages, eye glitter and much more. You’ll also have the chance to show off your singing and dancing skills with their karaoke machine, and you’ll also get the chance to double down on some delicious cupcakes and lemonade. Hey, if you’re on your way back to school anyway, you’ll want to be looking your Sunday best!
Golden Retriever Rescue Meet & Greet
Want to meet your new forever best friend? The Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas will be at Hollywood Feed at 10 a.m. this Saturday at 200 North Kimball Ave., Suite 200 to introduce you to some of their beautiful golden-haired pooches. Register ahead of time and you’ll get the chance to meet all of their four-legged friends that are up for adoption. So what’re you waiting for? Register today, bring your doggie bones and come cuddle with some of the cutest golden retrievers the Metroplex has to offer.
Moving on from the soft and fluffy to the slick and scaley, this two-day showcase puts on display the wild and exciting reptilian animals from all over the world. Come on out at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday to the Grapevine Convention Center and experience everything Repticon has for yourself. You'll get the chance to purchase your own reptilian pets, learn about new products from the experts themselves and explore all of the exotic animals your mind can't even imagine. General admission tickets are sold at the door at $10 for adults and $5 for children ages five to 12. Children under four are admitted for free.
3rd Annual Southlake Red Apple Tournament
Think you got what it takes to be the chess champion? Come out to the 3rd annual Southlake Red Apple Tournament at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Southlake Tutoring Academy at 2801 East Southlake Blvd. and sign up in this challenging tournament that will test your full skills on the chessboard. Registration ahead of time will be $10 while registering on-site the day of the event will be $20. Come on out, strategize and take your chance to say “checkmate” and become the chess champion of Southlake.