News About Town:

Grapevine is a vibrant, active city with exciting events happening every day, so we offer short, up-to-date community briefs on news to keep you in touch. In addition, our Grapevine lifestyle and many events in the city are covered weekly in our favorite local papers listed at the bottom of this page.                 ________________________________________________________________

Get Ready - 'Summer Nights' - Back in July!

Summer Nights At the Gazebo on Main Street In Historic Downtown Grapevine July, 10, 17, 24 & 31 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Free Entertainment • Family Fun & Refreshments • Shop Late • Sidewalk Sales • Gift Basket Drawings Schedule of Events: Friday, July 10 - Neighbor Night  Friday, July 17 - The Colors and Flavors of Main Street Friday, July 24 - Grapevine "Show Your Talent" Friday, July 31 - Aloha from Main Street

Fireworks Over Lake Grapevine Enjoy a 12 minute Fireworks show at 9:30 p.m. every Friday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day (May 22, 2009 - Sept. 4, 2009). Fireworks can be seen from any Lake Grapevine Park.

26th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza 9:30 p.m. – Grapevine Lake On July 4 at 9:30 p.m., find your spot and stake a claim near Lake Grapevine. Be prepared to be astonished by the fireworks spectacular, which can be viewed from any lakeside location as well as several other spots throughout Grapevine. Admission is free.

Grapevine Women's 50K Tennis Classic

The DFW Hilton Lakes is holding a National USTA Women's Professional Tennis Tournament. "Grapevine Woman’s 50K Tennis Classic." Players ranked from 40 to 150 in the world will be coming from 75 different countries to compete at the largest professional sporting event in Grapevine. The pre-qualifying begins July 1–3. The qualifying will take place July 4th and 5th, paving the way for the main draw to begin July 6-12th . In addition to the main draw, singles and doubles, the DFW Hilton Lakes will host an exhibition match on Thursday July 9th . For the complete event schedule contact the USTA at www.usta.com or Chris Giordano, 817 410-6828, email: Chris.Giordano@hilton.com.

Grand National Fencing Competition Starts Friday, July 03, 2009 9:00 AM    End Date  Sunday, July 12, 2009 9:00 PM 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine   The Summer National Fencing Tournament will be held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. Fencers from all across the US who have qualified in their Division will compete in 94 different events. These events are divided by weapon - epee, sabre and foil; the men's division, women's division, wheel chair division and team events. They are divided by age groups from under age 14 to the Veterans age 70 division. For event details, contact: www.usfencing.org, or info@usfencing.org.

Monty Python Madness Charity Festival Hits Grapevine - Again!

" Bring your coconuts! Very Silly Events for a Very Worthy Cause. Historic Grapevine will be declared officially looney as The British Emporium, in partnership with the City of Grapevine, presents the 3rd annual “Monty Python Madness” Charity Festival, starting Thursday, July 16, through Friday, July 31, 2009. As part of the festival, classic movies "Monty Python And The Holy Grail" and "Monty Python's Life Of Brian" will be shown outdoors at the Cotton Belt Depot, Historic Main Street Grapevine. Too many silly events to list them all...find details and ticket information at www.montypythonmadness.com. Proceeds from the weekend activities raise funds for the non-profit 501(c)3  Joey Wilkins Foundation. The charity was founded in 1999 as a result of an accident that left an employee of the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau partially paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury. Since its inception the Foundation has invested over $250,000 in home remodeling and transportation to help individuals recently paralyzed due to spinal cord injury continue to live productive lives of independence. (http://www.joeywilkinsfoundation.org)

City Development/Enhancement

City officials plan to enhance Historic Main Street from Dallas Rd. north to Northwest Hwy. The overall project, which is primarily funded by a grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, is intended to make that section of Main Street more walkable, particularly during city festivals. Sidewalks will be made wider, lighting will be improved, additional wheelchair ramps built, with electricity and water lines included. The target for completion will be Grapefest, per Matt Siingleton, Grapevine Director of Public Works.

Grapevine Art Project (GAP) Launches

The Grapevine Art Project is intended to serve as a bridge between those who appreciate the connections that the arts make in our lives and those in our community who create art. Mission Statement: "To enlist a broad cross section of the community to support the visual arts through programs and events at unique local venues, with the objective of developing a recognized Grapevine regional art destination." Reasons to join the Grapevine Art Project include Quarterly Art Programs with Artist Demonstrations, Social Interaction, Entertaining Events; Art Competitions with Summer Nights Outdoor Show, October Juried Art Competition and Art Sales with Public Art Sales, Member Only Sales, Access to Regional Artists. July 17th Art Show and Sale, as part of the Summer Nights Program, where participating artists, both GAP members and invited non-members, will be exhibiting and selling their art in Liberty Park, (North of the Wallis Hotel and one block from the Gazebo). Check out our Community Calendar for specific activities and dates. Contact the GAP for information on membership levels and benefits. GrapevineArtProject@gmail.com or 817 488-6528.

Keep Grapevine Beautiful Receives Governor's Award

The City of Grapevine received a prestigious state environmental award, one of the most celebrated annual environmental and community improvement awards in Texas. Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) announced Grapevine as one of nine winners of the 2009 Governor's Community Achievement Award (GCAA) for outstanding community improvement. Winners were chosen based on their achievements in seven environmental and community improvement areas: Community leadership and coordination, education, public awareness, litter prevention and clean-up, illegal dumping enforcement, beautification and property improvement, and solid waste management. Grapevine will receive $130,000 during the Annual Keep Texas Beautiful Conference in Houston on June 11th. "Greener...Cleaner...Grapevine" is the motto for KGVB. If you'd like to get involved either in a school or city Keep Grapevine Beautiful Project or the community's Adopt-A-Street program, please contact Mary Jo Tellin: 817 481-3490. KGVB meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Fire Department’s Community Room, at 4500 Merlot in south Grapevine. Volunteers are always welcome.

News Releases:

'DFW Connector' Project Update - Critical Parts Now Unfunded

A $583-million funding shortfall forced the The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to scale back this massive project, leaving critical parts unfunded. The four-level junction (flyover) between TX 121 and Interstate Hwy 635 is one such part. Despite this shortfall, design work and right-of-way acquisition will start this year and construction will begin in early 2010. Per a TxDOT spokesperson, "TxDOT will build the project as money becomes available rather than issuing debt. As additional funds become available, the project will be completed." The funding shortfall will delay additional improvements to the south end of the project where Tx 121 and Tx 360 split. The 14-mile DFW Connector project will add free highway lanes, managed toll lanes and more service roads as well as improving highway junctions, on-ramps and off-ramps on Tx Hwys 114, 121, 360 and Interstate 635 in Grapevine, Southlake, Irving and Flower Mound. At its largest, Tx Hwy 121 north of DFW airport will have a total of 24 lanes, currently it has 8. It is estimated that as many as 16 Grapevine and Southlake businesses could be relocated to make way for the project. Drivers heading south into Euless, Arlington or Grand Prairie will use large fly-over ramps to move more easily between Tx 114 and Tx 121. The ramp from Tx 114 to south Tx 121 or Tx 360 will go throught the Classic Chevrolet dealership. Dealership officials have said they will relocate the Ken Thompson Fleet and Commercial Sale building to make room for the on-ramp. Pre-construction activities will begin on the DFW Connector in summer 2009 with construction beginning in 2010. Construction is estimated to take approximately five years. The total "DFW Connector" overhaul will reconstruct and expand SH 114 from Business 114 (Northwest Highway) to International Parkway, and SH 121 from SH 360 to FM 2499. It will include the major interchanges of Interstate 635, FM 2499 and SH 360, and require the removal of many business locations and claim properties situated on many of the frontage roads involved in the project. For continuing updates on this information, TxDOT's Web site is a great way to stay informed and ahead of the construction!

Local News Sources:

The Grapevine Courier

The Grapevine Courier, part of the Alliance Regional Newspaper publications group, is owned by The Fort Worth Star Telegram. The Courier specializes in the local news of citizens that reside in the Grapevine/Colleyville Independent School District area. Contact Executive Editor Charles D. Young for publication information.

Tarrant County Newsletter

For business news about the Grapevine marketplace in Northeast Tarrant County, Gary Fickes, Tarrant County Commissioner Pct. 3, also offers an economic development newsletter for your information.

ilovegrapevinetexas.com Our team will post news online about events that are open to the whole Grapevine community. Please feel free to put us on your media mail list for publication consideration. At least two weeks before your event, please send an e-mail or mail your news release to: P.O. Box 7, Grapevine, Texas 76099.