Since its establishment in 1973, Hill School has grown from a small tutoring service to a full-service educational program serving different learners from kindergarten through their senior year. Its student population includes children with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, and other learning impairments. The Hill School faculty and staff are committed to ensuring their students receive the support and strategies that will push them to their full potential, all while offering the same extracurricular opportunities as any other traditional school setting. The School offers an enriching fine arts program, 12 different athletic teams, and ample opportunities for social and emotional growth.

“For 50 years, Hill School has been a steadfast leader in the Learning Difference community,” said Roxann Breyer, Head of School. “Our mission has remained to provide a high-quality education to students who learn differently by taking the time to assess and understand the needs of the whole child. This way we can meet them exactly where they are, build their self-confidence, and help them succeed in the classroom and their day-to-day life.”

Hill School kicked off the festivities with a school-wide, 70’s themed birthday bash. The next event in Hill School’s anniversary line-up will be on Tuesday, April 4th, with “Food for Thought,” a speaker luncheon featuring renowned author David Rendall who will speak on how a perceived weakness may actually be a person’s biggest strength.

Tickets for this event will be open to the community beginning March 1st. Other events include an Alumni family weekend in May, a “Summit Soiree” to thank major supporters in October, and a capstone Golden Gala and Auction in January 2024.

“We are looking forward to this incredibly special year as we celebrate the differences that make our students so special, and the difference we’ve been able to make for our families over the past 50 years,” says Breyer.

To learn more about Hill School’s 50^th Anniversary and event line-up, visit www.hillschool.org/celebrating50

The post A Celebration 50 Years in the Making first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

This year’s festival experience is tailored to patrons of all ages and will feature seven stages devoted to music and live entertainment from local artists, music schools and dance companies; a children’s area with free arts and crafts stations; exhibits; an art and gift market; a craft beer and wine garden; food vendors that serve the classics and the atypical; and carnival rides and attractions sure to meet every adventure level. To put it plainly: there is something to do, eat and drink for everyone at Mayfest.

The origin of this festival dates to May 1, 1973, when a group of organizations that are still present today (Junior League, Tarrant Regional Water District, Streams & Valleys, Inc., and the city of Fort Worth) wanted to host an event to celebrate the hard work and dedication that went into revitalizing and transforming the Trinity and its surrounding parks for the benefit of the community. Now, 50 years later, and Mayfest continues to give back. Trinity Collaborative donates the festival proceeds to the community in support of programs from three of Mayfest’s founding organization. So far, the nonprofit, whose mission is to connect people for a better river, better parks, and better community, has given $7.5 million to Fort Worth and its citizens.

Since it’s the 50^th anniversary, Mayfest will commence with a bang (quite literally as there will be confetti cannons) on Thursday, May 5. Following a ribbon cutting and proclamation from Mayor Mattie Parker, festivalgoers in attendance on opening day will enjoy free admission, allowing you to save those dollars for a turkey leg or funnel cake, which, according to Emily Allison, associate director at Trinity Collaborative, Inc, “there are some foods that just taste better when you’re at Mayfest.” (Patrons should take note, however, that the 2022 festival will be cashless so all transactions must be made with a debit or credit card.)

Allison, who began as a Mayfest volunteer before joining the organization in 2014, acknowledges that while there are so many wonderful celebrations and events that take place in Fort Worth each year, there is something totally unique and special about this festival, from its location to its embrace of family and community.

“Mayfest is such a Fort Worth tradition. What I love about Mayfest is how much you get to work with the community. It’s about bringing people together. And we’re so lucky to have such a beautiful space,” said Allison.

Mayfest will take place Thursday, May 5 from 3:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 6 from 3:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday May 8 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Additional festival information can be found online at mayfest.org/trinity-collaborative-inc.

The post Celebrating 50 Years of Mayfest first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

To celebrate its golden anniversary, the Kimbell Art Museum is inviting visitors – past and present – to share the memories they have made at the museum since its public opening in 1972. Submissions will inspire the development of Kimbell Stories, a limited documentary web series that the museum says will explore the extraordinary power of art and design.

“For nearly half a century, the Kimbell has welcomed visitors from Fort Worth and around the world to experience incredible art in an unparalleled setting,” Kimbell Art Museum Director Eric M. Lee said in a news release. “During this landmark anniversary, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the very people who have shaped the Kimbell into the enduring place of inspiration that it is today.”

From first dates and engagements to impactful art encounters and experiences, the Kimbell’s iconic architecture, outstanding permanent collection and influential special exhibitions have served for 50 years as the backdrop for visitors’ important moments and milestones – and the Kimbell continues to be a place where meaningful experiences can happen.

Kimbell Stories will showcase a diverse collection of memories and celebrate the transcendent power of art, all through the eyes of museum visitors.

The museum is accepting submissions to be considered for inclusion in Kimbell Stories through May 31. Museum-goers with personal stories to share are encouraged to submit them online at kimbellart.org/50.

Submissions will be entered for a chance to win a year-long family membership to the museum. The winner will be announced on Saturday, Oct. 8, at the Kimbell’s 50th Anniversary Family Festival & Celebration.

The Kimbell Art Museum is owned and operated by the Kimbell Art Foundation and is internationally renowned for its collections and its architecture. The museum’s 1972 building, designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn, is widely regarded as one of the outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. A second building, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, opened in 2013 and now provides space for special exhibitions, dedicated classrooms and a 289-seat auditorium. For more information, visit kimbellart.org.

Information for this article was provided by the Kimbell Art Museum. It was originally published by the Fort Worth Business Press, and is shared here with permission. 

The post Artful Anniversary first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The one person who complained about the last post brought to my attention that I had neglected to really talk about the food. I guess I just assumed since it’s been around for 50 years, Mama’s Pizza’s pizza didn’t really need a review or even an introduction. Apparently, I was wrong. My apologies.

I then recalled that, although pizza is the obvious star of the show at Mama’s, it is by no means the only offering. There are some things you may not have tried. Heck, there might be some things you didn’t even know about. In fact, there are several other menu items and it should come as no surprise that they’re all really tasty.

I will break them all down for you here.

First, let’s go ahead and talk about the pizza. I’m going to assume we are all familiar with the concept of pizza as a delicious food item and that we all agree Mama’s Pizza’s pizza is an exemplar of the upper echelon of what pizza can be. The, dare I say, apogee of its type. (If you don’t agree, I order you to go get a Mama’s Pizza now and eat it until you understand. Go. I’ll wait.)

The foundation of any pizza is the crust. Mama’s makes theirs fresh daily. In fact, they make it fresh several times per day. In the last post I told you I worked at Mama’s in high school and college. I worked pretty much every job you can have at Mama’s, including making the pizza, which includes making the dough. I can certify the dough is made fresh regularly throughout every business day. What I can’t do is tell you the recipe for how the dough is made because 1) it’s a secret, and 2) it was a long time ago, and I don’t remember. The other thing I can tell you about the dough is that it is amazing. It’s soft and chewy, and every pizza crust gets a swipe of garlic butter as soon as it leaves the oven. It is absolutely delicious.

Atop said foundation is spread some sauce and cheese. Mama’s has always been committed to quality, and if you were to spend some time in the kitchen, you’d see that they really care about the ingredients. Mama’s employs a 100% tomato sauce (including small delicious chunks of tomato for texture). It’s sad that we even have to say this, but some pizzerias skimp on ingredients including sauce, and the result is less than 100% tomatoes. As for the cheese, this is another point of interest. Mama’s sources 100% mozzarella that comes in big beautiful blocks that the kitchen staff shred themselves throughout the day as needed. No bags of shredded cheese in the Mama’s pizza kitchens.

As for meats and veggies, the management at Mama’s has always insisted on top quality. I remember as a kid my dad would travel to far-flung places for pepperoni tastings when they were considering a change of suppliers. I also remember as a high school-aged employee of Mama’s Pizza receiving fresh produce from suppliers that we chopped by hand in the morning before we opened. Again, the pizza takes center stage at Mama’s, and rightfully so, but the other menu offerings are equally as good. Stay with me…

Some of my favorite non-pizza items are the sandwiches. Sandwiches, you say? Yes. Sandwiches. The Mama’s Sub is really one of the best sandwiches you can get anywhere. A fresh, soft hoagie roll with lettuce, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni and Canadian bacon heated to a big ‘ol melty mess in a 600-degree oven is an amazing treat if you’re not quite in the mood for pizza. Simple and delicious. The pepperoni sub and the ham and cheese sub are also great. An order of breadsticks, which are a flat pan of their amazing pizza dough baked up right with some garlic butter spread on them are a delightful addition to your pizzas, while the cheese sticks (breadsticks with heaps of mozzarella on top) can be an entrée unto themselves. Recently, Mama’s added Buffalo wings to their menu, and, as you’d expect, they didn’t mess around. I’ve had wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo New York, which happens to be the birthplace of the Buffalo wing. They were amazing, and I’ll put Mama’s right up there with them.

Finally, salads. Let’s face it, you’re at a pizza place. Do you really want a salad? There’s pizza, breadsticks, cheese sticks, sandwiches, and wings! Do you really want a salad? Yeah? OK, Mama’s has some salads. The first is what they call a house salad which is really just some lettuce and cherry tomatoes in a small bowl. If you simply need some greens and fiber it will do, but if you want a really tasty salad go for the Italian Salad. Now you’re talking! A big bowl of lettuce and cherry tomatoes topped with generous handfuls of pepperoni, freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, and black olives. Its-a nice-a!

I think that about covers it. Great food whether you’re in the mood for pizza or not. That said, if you’re not in the mood for pizza, there might be something wrong with you.

Oh yeah! I might as well mention the specials Mama’s is running this week to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Enjoy!

Monday, June 11 – $5 medium one-topping pizzas (all day)
Tuesday, June 12 – $10 large (16”) one-topping pizzas (all day)
Wednesday, June 13 – 50% off order (excluding lunch buffet)
Thursday, June 14 – 50 cents for order of breadsticks (all day)
Friday, June 15 – $5 lunch buffet, including drink + tax (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Saturday, June 16 – $15 Mamas-sized (20”) two-topping pizza (all day)
Sunday, June 17 – Two large (16”) one-topping pizzas for $19.68 (all day)

The post More Than Pizza first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.