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B M & T ••• May/June 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 36 The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas has one million sq. ft. of exhibit space, 724,526 sq. ft. of which is contiguous. Unique venues can be found all around town, from ballrooms to rooftops to museums. With more than 20 vibrant entertainment districts, each with its unique vibe and attractions, even the most diverse of groups will be pleasantly surprised by the number of ways they can fill their free time. Don't miss: Explore Deep Ellum, one of Dallas' first commercial districts for African- Americans, was founded in 1873 and in 1920s had become a hotbed for some of the country's early jazz and blues greats. Today, the area is one of Dallas' largest entertain- ment districts and home to booming live music venues, restaurants and shops. There's always something exciting happening in Dallas. Every August, the city holds its annual DFW Restaurant Week event, and over Labor Day Weekend some of the best in jazz perform at Dallas' Riverfront Jazz Festival. Take a self-guided tour of Dallas' Civil Rights Historical Landmarks and visit the African American Museum in Fair Park, Juanita Craft Civil Rights House, Freedman's Memorial Cemetery and more. Dallas boasts six professional sports teams consisting of The Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers, Stars, Wings, and FC Dallas — no wonder si.com named Dallas one of the best sports cities in the U.S. Visitors will find everything from wild game to BBQ to Southern Classics in Dallas' 12,000 restaurants, along with plenty of iconic establishments by award-winning celebrity chefs. Dallas has more than 80,000 total hotel rooms with more than 13,000 of those in downtown. Thirty-three new hotels are in the works, including the Virgin Hotel Dallas, opening in 2019. The 68-acre Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the U.S. From the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center to the Meyerson Symphony Center and Wyly Theatre, there's no shortage of visual and performing arts to experience. It's no surprise that Dallas ranked No. 1 on Golf Digest's list of top 20 destinations for golf. The city has more than 200 golf courses (and more than 284 days of sunshine to try them all). Dallas is less than a three-hour flight from most destina- tions in the U.S., and its two major airports support more than 2,200 daily flights. Visitors can take the DART light rail from both airports to Downtown Dallas. To get around the city, the DART bus service, plus the free McKinney Avenue Trolley and D-Link bus, connect to popular neigh- borhoods and attractions. For more information: VisitDallas — DallasDelivers.com or (800) 232-5527 ccc FT. WORTH ccc The City of Cowboys and Culture welcomes business and leisure travelers from around the world to experience the great American West and rich arts and culinary treas- ures this destination has to offer. Within walking distance of thousands of downtown Fort Worth hotel rooms, a variety of incredible restau- rants and fabulous shopping, and offering 253,226 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 38 meeting rooms, the Fort Worth Convention Center is the perfect venue for your next event. Fort Worth has a proud place among America's most progressive cities. Each year, diverse communities come together for multicultural events that celebrate the city's rich heritage. Explore the varied offerings of Fort Worth's famous Cowboys and Culture, where our nation's Western her- itage and world-class art meet. Multicultural museums, a broad spectrum of live music, a range of ethnic cuisine offerings and historic architecture make Fort Worth the cultural destination of the Southwest. Many pioneering African-American men and women made a significant impact in shaping Fort Worth through- out history. John Ware, a freed slave, came to Fort Forth after the Civil War, worked on a local ranch, went on cat- tle drives to Kansas and became one of the first individu- als to take cattle to Alberta, Canada. African-American entrepreneurs began to emerge in the late 1800s. Gooseneck McDonald with a broad range Fun night at Downtown Dallas enterainment districts Ft. Worth cattle drive