City of Carrollton
Celebrate sweet 16 years of the Carrollton Festival at the Switchyard on Saturday, November 7 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., held on the streets of Historic Downtown Carrollton (1106 S. Broadway Street).
Top 10 Things to Know:
- FREE! No entry fee or ticket is needed, and all rides, games, performances, and entertainment are free, including concerts by headliner multi-platinum selling alt rock band Toad the Wet Sprocket with openers Eve 6 and Wheatus. Bring spending money for food, drinks, and shopping.
- Main Stage Entertainment: All-day entertainment will begin just after 11 a.m. when students from Vivian Field Middle School perform the National Anthem. The group Bird Brains, comprised of instructors from Lark Music Loft, will take the stage at noon, followed by Elias Y Su Orquesta for an energetic salsa, bachata, and merengue performance. In the afternoon, Midtown 10 will pump up the jams by performing chart-topping hits mixed with EDM, hip-hop, and electro-pop, and Texas Female Artist of the Decade Bri Bagwell will return to the Festival stage after performing at the event in 2012. Before the evening’s headliner, don’t miss the chance to groove along with Talking Heads tribute band Heartbyrne to hits such as “Psycho Killer,” “And She Was,” and “Burning Down the House.”
- Front-of-Stage Performances: Festival attendees will enjoy performances from local groups beginning just after 11 a.m. in front of the main stage. First up, students from the R.E. Good Elementary Dance Department will perform, followed by dazzling dance routines and spirited steps from the R.L. Turner Lionettes Drill Team. Carrollton-founded group 410 Line Dancers will put on a soul line dance show, and Sidekicks Martial Arts will showcase an athletic spectacle of karate and Brazilian jiujitsu skills. To conclude the day’s front of stage performances, Class Act Tap Company will sparkle with terrific tap-dancing talent.
- Strolling Entertainment: Strolling performers will entertain and delight attendees as they walk, dine, and shop throughout the Festival grounds. Guinness World Record holder David Slick will put on interactive juggling and stilt-walking shows, while hula hoop artist Amanda Slick demonstrates her skills in dance and spin tricks. Cosplay groups Cause to Play and the Avengers Initiative – Lone Star Troupe will be out and about for photo opportunities. With his close-up magic, strolling magician David Knight will make any Festival moment magical. Lastly, don’t miss cast members from Downtown Carrollton’s very own Pocket Sandwich Theatre in costume from the theatre’s production of The Werewolf of London.
- Rides & Games: In addition to live entertainment, the Festival offers free rides such as bungee trampolines, a zip line, and a giant fun slide, as well as carnival games, a kids’ craft area, inflatables, face painting, balloon twisting, caricature drawings, and more. All free! Just make sure to get in line early as the face painting and balloon twisting booths shut down at 6 p.m., and rides and games close at 7 p.m. Attendees can also visit inside the Main Event Plaza, located next to the main stage, to enjoy free arcade games and machines. The whole family can shred guitar on Guitar Hero or enjoy a classic game of pinball before the Plaza closes at 5 p.m.
- Food Vendors & Shopping Opportunities: Hungry attendees can give their feet a rest in one of the Downtown restaurants or enjoy a bite to eat from food vendors offering delicious Festival favorites such as turkey legs, barbecue, tacos, deep-fried Oreos, funnel cakes, and of course, corny dogs. Festivalgoers are encouraged to visit the unique shops that line the Square or stop by the many trendy artisan booths for local jewelry, art, and other trinkets. Maybe even get an early start on holiday shopping this year!
- Beer Garden: Take a break in the beer garden after visiting one of three bars offered at the Festival for a variety of beer and wine. Several Downtown restaurants also offer mixed drinks.
- Parking will be extremely limited. Attendees are encouraged to take the DART Silver or Green Line to the Downtown Carrollton Station (regular charges apply; visit dart.org/fares). Handicap parking will be available at 1000 W. Belt Line Road, just east of the Festival grounds and is also available at all DART stations.
- Prohibited Items: Due to the limited space within the Festival grounds, lawn chairs, skateboards, bicycles, scooters, in-line skates, and coolers are not permitted. Seating areas within the Festival site are provided. Pets, with the exception of service animals for persons with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, are also not permitted.
- The event will be held rain or shine. Musical acts may be postponed due to inclement weather, but will not be rescheduled for an alternate weekend. If the weather becomes severe enough to jeopardize public safety, the Festival may be closed until conditions improve.
Festival sponsors to date include Bright Event Rentals, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), iHeart Media, Western Extrusions, Dallas Morning News, KDAF CW33, Texans Credit Union, Whataburger, Advance America, Andretti Indoor Karting, Atmos Energy, Avalon Townhome Collection Plano, Clown Around Party Rental, EVIVA Trinity Mills Station, Just4Kids Urgent Care, Leaf Filter Gutter Protection, Oncor, Power Home Remodeling, Republic Services, Springhill Suites by Marriott, Sam Pack’s Five Star Ford in Carrollton, Statewide Remodeling, FastSigns of Carrollton, and Lark Music Loft.
For more information about the Festival at the Switchyard, visit carrolltonfestival.com. For the latest updates, stay connected with the Festival on social media facebook.com/CarrolltonFestival, x.com/carrolltonfest, and instagram.com/carrolltonfestival.
