Free Summer Activites in Dallas

Dallas is brimming over with free summer activities. Some are aimed at specific age groups, teens or children under 12, for instance. Museums, libraries, retail stores, and bowling alleys are offering fun things to do during the hot summer months. Most freebie activities are indoors since the Dallas temperatures rise dramatically in July and August.

Library Programs and Activities

Local libraries step beyond the traditional summer book reading club to offer other free summer activities. Youngsters ages 12 to 18 can develop their creative writing at the free summer camps offered by the Mesquite Libraries. Focuses include fiction, playwriting, and poetry.

Stores Offer Free Classes

Learn cooking techniques during hour-long evening classes at Williams Sonoma. Kids can learn about plants and garden animal friends at Callie’s Kids, held on the first and third Wednesday of the month at all Cornelius or Calloway’s Nursery locations. Apple Stores offer Apple Camp for kids wanting to learn about making their own movie. Camps meet for three sessions, ending with a showing of the completed movies. Release your stress and tone up with Lululemon’s free yoga workouts each Tuesday.

Kids Bowl Free

Bowling is active yet air-conditioned, a real plus in the Dallas summertime. Three area lanes offer free bowling for children. At 300 Dallas in North Dallas, kids 12 and under can get one free game, including free shoe rental, daily except Saturdays. Join the Summer Kids Club program to begin bowling. AMC Bowling has a Kids Bowl Free program offering participants two games free each day. Two Dallas area AMC venues participate in this program: Plano Super Bowl and Frisco Strikz Entertainment. Both are located in nearby suburbs.

Group Bike Rides

Ride 15 to 36 miles at a brisk pace each Wednesday evening on a leader-led ride from Richardson Bike Mart from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Or pick a more leisurely paced riding group, the Sunday Evening Mountain Bike group rides each week at 6 p.m. at a different location. Riders choose their own pace, and all levels are welcome. Food is served after the ride. Bike Mart has several Dallas area locations, and each store sponsors several rides weekly.

Child’s Play

If you have children, take a family outing to the Fantasy Landing public playground in Kiest Park, Oak Cliff. This multi-sensory play park is designed for able-bodied and disabled children to play together. Fantasy Landing features tunnels with pull-through bars for wheelchair users, customized ramps, brightly colored brick paths, and a set of fun play structures. You can also take a walk or ride along the Kiest Park Loop Trail, 2.8 miles long and wheelchair accessible.

Bike and Hike

You’ve got many options when looking for a trail for a free hike in Dallas, most of which connect to the city’s parks. The 9.33-mile trail at White Rock Lake stretches through bird-watching areas and wetland sites. The 3.5-mile concrete Katy Trail is ideal for cyclists. It heads downhill toward downtown and uphill on the way back, great for skaters who want a workout. You can also extend this hike into the Highland Park area. The “Dallas Morning News” says this urban trail is good for people-watching.

Fresh Air

The Dallas Parks and Recreation Department provides more than 21,000 acres of public parks, including 17 lakes and around 4,400 surface acres of water, so you’ll be able to find some outdoor space for a game, a swim or a healthy picnic. Try Fair Park, located three miles east of downtown, which features the Texas Discovery Garden and its tranquil 7.5 acres of native and adapted plants. If you like outdoor swimming, Lewisville Lake is good for a dip.

Farmer’s Market

While you may be tempted to collect a basket and go shopping, it’s free to browse at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, and you can pick up tips and inspiration on in-season, healthy eating. Much of the produce at the Dallas Farmers’ Market is freshly grown in Texas. The market has four sheds in its downtown location, and parking is free. Highlights at the Dallas Farmer’s Market include the Farm and Flower Festival in the Spring and the fall’s Pumpkin Festival.

Happy June!!! Enjoy your free summer activities!