Unique North Texas events this weekend: February 18-19

Legacy Hall’s Annual Mardi Gras Party – Plano

Mardi Gras may be February 21, but North Texas is getting the ball rolling early this weekend with a number of events inspired by the Big Easy. Legacy Hall’s annual bash just so happens to be one of the biggest, with eight hours of New Orleans inspired music on deck from groups like The Rumble featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr., which includes a number of multi-time Grammy-nominated musicians, as well as Louisiana Music Hall of Famers and Zydeco Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award winners Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas. The free event, which starts at 2:00 p.m. on February 18, also includes themed drinks and a variety of special dining options from Legacy Hall vendors and local favorites like a crawfish boil from Dock Local and King Cakes from The Frisco King Cake Lady. Visit the Legacy Food Hall website for more details.

Mardi Gras Crawfish Boil at Truck Yard – The Colony

Truck Yard, the outdoor bar garden in The Colony, is prepared to serve up a whopping 1,000 pounds of crawfish at its Mardi Gras Celebration on February 18. Starting at noon and running until Truck Yard sells the last pounds of crawfish, the event also features live music from a thematic trio of talented bands and performers as well as a variety of New Orleans-inspired drink options. The crawfish starts at $20 for 2 pounds or $30 for 3 pounds before fees, with the ability to purchase either quantity through Eventbrite. Check out The Collin-Denton Spotlighter’s in-depth story on the event to learn more.

Krewe of Barkus Parade and Benji Love Statue Unveiling – McKinney

It’s more of a Mardi Paw celebration in McKinney on February 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Krewe of Barkus Dog Parade and Festival. The theme of this year’s parade is a salute to the heroes in our lives. The parade, which officially starts at 2:00 p.m., encourages pups and their owners to come dressed to impress as community heroes like nurses and firefighters, celebrated historical icons, comic book superheroes or even everyday personal heroes. The event will then hand out a variety of awards to the paradegoers for categories like Best Use of Theme and Most Creative Costume. Find out more at the Visit McKinney website.

At 2:30 p.m., the city will then host a statue unveiling of the new Benji bronze in honor of the hit 1974 movie filmed primarily in McKinney. The city will unveil the statue, created by renowned artist and sculptor Susan Norris, on a stage near Dr. Glenn Mitchell Park before it’s installed at the southeast corner of N. Tennessee and E. Virginia Streets, according to Visit McKinney. To learn more about the statue, as well as the accomplished career of its sculptor, check out The Collin-Denton Spotlighter’s recent feature story and editor’s pick.

Arlington Renegades vs Vegas Vipers XFL 2023 Kickoff – Arlington

The Super Bowl may have marked the end of the NFL season, but football fans have little reason to fret. The Arlington-based XFL is kicking off this weekend with a 2:00 p.m. game at Choctaw Stadium on February 18 broadcast live on ABC. The league, now in its third iteration and under the new ownership of Seven Bucks Productions Co-Founder Dany Garcia and movie star Dwayne Johnson, features a mix of longtime spring footballers, fresh out of college prospects and former NFL players like ex-Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci. Some familiar faces will coach each of the league’s eight respective teams as well, with the Renegades helmed by longtime Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and the Vipers headed up by Pro and College Football Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson. At time of writing, a limited number of face-value tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, starting at $36 before fees. Rush to https://www.xfl.com/ to learn more about the league.

2023 College Baseball Showdown – Arlington

Football isn’t the only sport getting a fresh kickoff in Arlington this weekend either. The 2023 College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field kicks off the college baseball season with three sets of games between Big 12 and SEC teams starting on February 17 and extending through February 19. Texas Christian University, University of Texas, Vanderbilt University, University of Missouri, University of Arkansas and Oklahoma State University will all be competing at the third annual showdown this year. Single-day passes start at $28 for adults and $18 for children under 13, with more information available through the Globe Life Field website.