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arts entertainmentThings to Do

Your ultimate summer to-do list in D-FW

D-FW lifers know there are certain events every year that deserve big gold stars on your calendar. The St. Patrick's Day parade down Greenville Avenue is one, for instance. The State Fair of Texas is another.

We think your summer calendar should be full of gold stars, too. Here's a look at annual and one-off events that'll you shouldn't miss this July and August:

Kaboom Town: July 3

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is booming with great fireworks shows. Find your favorite here, or drive to Addison for their annual gig. Yahoo says it's one of the 10 best in the country. Details here.

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4th of July Music Festival and Picnic at Billy Bob's Texas: July 3 and 4

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For years, Willie Nelson hosted his picnic at Billy Bob's in Fort Worth on and around the Fourth of July. Not this year: Ol' Willie is shipping his fun fest out to Austin. But Billy Bob's is still doing a Fourth fest, one that includes Merle Haggard, Ryan Bingham, Jerry Jeff Walker, Hayes Carll and many more. We'll miss Willie, but Billy Bob's will likely still host a good honky tonk. Details here.

Brass Knuckle Corn Dog Beatdown: July 4

This event is as awesome as it sounds: It's a corn dog eating contest where the winner gets a brass knuckles trophy and 100 bucks. Not for whimps. Details here.

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Urban Slide: July 11

A 1,000-foot slip 'n slide is coming to Dallas. One more time: Adults can join in on a really long, potentially hilarious, very public slip 'n slide on July 11. Fort Worth recently had one down Main Street and it was awesome. Tickets will cost you $10 for a slide. Expect lots of slipping. Details here.

Parker County Peach Festival: July 11

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It'll only cost adults $5 (and kids under 12 are free) to attend this very family-friendly peach fest. You'll realize that peaches should go in everything: ice cream, cobbler and even cocktails. The peach crop looks gorgeous this season, too. Details here.

Bastille on Bishop: July 14

Celebrate your French heritage (or, what the heck, pretend!) at this annual romp in Oak Cliff. There'll be wine tastings, Vespas, and crepes and other French food. And then maybe naps. Details here.

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Nicki Minaj: July 17

This hip-hop queen's show will be just as much about music as it is about theatrics. She performs at Gexa Energy Pavilion in what's expected to be a hot hot show, and not just because of the weather. Details here.

QuakeCon 2015: July 23-26

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If you're into gaming in any way, get thee to QuakeCon. It's one of the biggest PC gaming events in the world, says our gaming expert Britton Peele. BYOC (computer, that is, though caffeine also helps) to nerd out with fellow geeks. Details here.

Ron White: July 31

Two requirements here: You need to be able to take a joke and you need to be willing to drive to Oklahoma. If you're 2 for 2, head up to WinStar for what'll likely be a hilarious night with cigar smoking, scotch drinking comedian Ron White. Details here; [UPDATE: Show is sold out].

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Sarah Koenig (host of Serial): Aug. 3

Here's hoping you were glued to the podcast Serial like we were. Host Sarah Koenig is coming through Dallas for a talk about "Binge-Worthy Journalism" at the Winspear Opera House. Warning: Seats are extremely limited. Details here.

5 Seconds of Summer; Aug. 7

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The cool kids call this band "5SOS," so that's what we're gonna do. This pop band is the next hottest boy-band behind One Direction. Screaming girls expected. Details here.

Shania Twain with Gavin DeGraw: Aug. 10

The tour promises "Shania [you've] never seen before." The "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" singer has recently been performing in Las Vegas mostly, giving 'em hits like "You're Still the One" and "Any Man of Mine." Now her new tour brings her to the AAC so she can trot out those country classics. Details here.

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Sam Smith: Aug. 17

This recent Best New Artist winner at the GRAMMYs is on everybody's radio dial now. He performs at one of the more intimate large venues in D-FW, Verizon Theatre. Details here.

MegaFest: Aug. 19-23

As many as 80,000 people are expected to attend Bishop T.D. Jakes' mega festival, appropriately named MegaFest. It's all about inspiration, empowerment and entertainment, all in the name of learning more about Christianity. Expect extra traffic in downtown Dallas for this huge event. Details here.

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Lone Star Beer Texas Heritage Festival: Aug. 22

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Into Texas? This fest goes big on Texas food, Texas beer and even Texas music. The Old 97's will entertain attendees at the party. It's a free beer fest; those are hard to find. Details here.

KXT's Summer Cut - The Happy Funtime Fest: Aug. 29

Expect happy, fun times at this homegrown festival. This year's concert features headliners Belle and Sebastian, plus local folks Sarah Jaffe, Doug Burr and more. If you've been to this fest before, know that it moved from Gexa to South Side Ballroom this year. Details here.

Kelly Clarkson and Pentatonix: Aug. 30

Pop singer Kelly Clarkson and a cappella group Pentatonix are both from the D-FW area, which means you're in for a big night of local talent. Clarkson, the first winner of American Idol, will be playing songs from her latest album as well as old favorites. Pentatonix will likely bring some of its famous mash-ups of popular radio hits, but it's also now trying to promote original songs. Here's hoping Clarkson joins PTX onstage for at atleast one number. Details here.

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What's your can't-miss event of the summer? Tell us on Twitter.

And find out about all the events happening in D-FW this summer on our online calendar.

Shannon Sutlief and Nini Truong contributed to this story.

Please, don't squeeze, say farmers at the Parker County Peach Festival.
Please, don't squeeze, say farmers at the Parker County Peach Festival.(Weatherford Chamber of Commerce)