Dennis Lennox, CP Contributor On Sunday, October 27, 2024, the Marian procession through Los Colinas in Irving, Texas, was held as part of the 2024 DFW Italia Festival. |Dennis Lennox
In some cases, the suburbs may be the destination.
One such suburb is Irving, Texas. Once a commuter town for Dallas, it’s now a destination in its own right.
Away from Irving’s typical strip malls, mass retailers, and residential neighborhoods is Las Colinas.
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The streets of Los Colinas have a vaguely Mediterranean feel. |Dennis Lennox
The master-planned community was built in the 1970s around man-made Lake Carolyn and a series of canals. Basically, this is the downtown of a large city in the middle of the suburbs.
Once the domain of office buildings – some eight Fortune 500 companies have their global headquarters in Irving – it has evolved over the years to include apartments, hotels and solid dining options. Another big draw is Toyota Music Factory, a world-class entertainment venue centered around an outdoor amphitheater. Past concerts have featured gospel and Christian performers, including Kirk Franklin.
But the real jewel in Irving’s crown is the waterfront created by the lake and canals, especially in the hot Texas summers.
Parts of the cityscape along the waterfront felt vaguely Mediterranean. Especially when I saw the procession of Mary hosted by the annual DFW Italian Festival. It felt like we were in an Italian or Spanish town on the feast day of our patron saint. Authentic Venetian gondolas plying up and down the water add to the atmosphere of this place. (The gondola ride at sunset seems to be especially popular with couples.)
Los Colinas in Irving, Texas features Italian-style canals. |Photo courtesy of Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau
Just a short drive away is where Irving has a claim to fame or notoriety, depending on how you look at it.
John F. Kennedy Jr.’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, spent the night before killing the president on November 22, 1963, at Ruth Paine’s home. The Payne House, a modest post-war home, remains as a museum. Featuring both original and replica furniture, it has been carefully restored to its 1963 appearance. Guided tours are very informative for those not familiar with the Kennedy assassination.
There are plenty of things to do and see on a weekend in Irving, including a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art, Sunday services at First Baptist Dallas, pastored by Robert Jeffress, and Incarnation Church. It’s easy. / Church of England). These two churches are among the major destination churches in Dallas.
If you go
I stayed at the Westin, a luxury hotel located directly across from the Irving Convention Center and right next to the Toyota Music Factory. Another hotel is the Omni, which has a resort-style outdoor pool.
Commentator and intellectual Jordan Petersen will be in Irving on Dec. 11 as part of his “We Who Wrestle with God” tour. Tickets are still available for purchase at the Toyota Music Factory box office.
Tours of the Ruth Payne House must be pre-booked through the Irving Archives and Museum.
Recommended restaurants in Los Colinas include Monaco, Pacific Table, Hugo’s Invitado, and Two Mules Cantina.
I rented a car at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. There was no need for it at all as Uber was widely used. The airport itself is approximately 10 minutes from Las Colinas, with portions within Irving city limits.
Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post
Dennis Lennox writes about travel, politics, and religious issues. He has been published in publications such as the Financial Times, Independent, Detroit News, and Toronto Sun. to follow @Denise Lennox On Twitter.
