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Salutations!

Welcome back to the new and improved arts & culture weekly newsletter. I'm Alyssa Fields, the Observer's associate music & culture editor. 

There's no better week for me to write this newsletter than this one, as I am hosting an out-of-towner this weekend. And it's not just any out-of-towner, it's my recently single older sister who is freshly out of a (very) long-term relationship, and as the good little sister that I am, I have taken it upon myself to give her the best weekend possible in Big D. 

So here's the miniature grand tour to Dallas' cultural weekend scene for the broken-hearted: 

We'll start the night at the Nasher Sculpture Garden. The garden stays open until midnight once a month for concerts and a movie screening. One of my good friends (and a witch) will be joining us to do a tarot reading for my sister and me. Hopefully, touching grass, surrounded by art and the smooth sounds of Latin music, will soothe her soul. Bonus points if the cosmos are on her side. Personally, I'm hoping to pull whatever card will bring me a rich husband.

On Saturday, we'll start with some coffee at one of the best shops in Dallas. I'm not sure which one, but I'll consult food editor Lauren Drewes Daniels first. Then we'll go to the farmer's market for some much-needed time outside. Then it's off to see Slayyyter at the House of Blues, followed by some post-show drinks at Happiest Hour. By the end of the day, she'll either have found her next long-term relationship or have sworn off dating forever. 

We'll start Sunday at NorthPark, as my sister is on a quest for the perfect pair of sunglasses; little does she know we'll also be hunting for the exclusive Zac Posen x Gap collection for me. Finally, we'll be going to the Texas Theatre for the free screening of the Cannes-premiered, Dallas-shot war film, "Atonement."

If I can squeeze something in, I'll drag her to the Katy Trail Ice House for her first summer beer-and-trail-watching excursion. 

Maybe we'll see you out and about! Let me know if I missed any staples. 

— Alyssa Fields, Associate Music & Culture Editor

Are you working on a cool project we should cover? Have feedback on the newsletter? Want to write for Westword?

In case you've missed it, or if you just aren't much of a social media person (it's chaotic these days, no judgement), the Observer's culture section has a recurring video series called "This is Dallas Culture." The series was conceived from our fatigue from hearing the lazy, invalid dismissal that "Dallas has no culture," because quite frankly, that's bullshit. So, we've decided to spotlight different pockets of our city's vast cultural scene, from visual arts to fashion to music and everything else under the cultural umbrella.

Our latest video features Patty Evans, founder of Oak Cliff Sandlot. He played in a competitive league for years, but got a little sick of "assholes." So he made his own ultra-inclusive league, and it's beloved. BTW, social media editor Jordan Maddox took the mound after filming, and it hit a home run in our hearts.