Friends of Bachman Lake - Thanksgiving 2025
- Friends of Bachman Lake
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
"I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual." — Henry David Thoreau
A special Thanksgiving edition
A full year has nearly gone by and here we are again at the beginning of that ramp-up that takes us from Thanksgiving to all of the end-of-year festivities. You will be busy with many things, from work and school events, to conflicting party 'evites', to the holiday lights you forgot to test last year and now have to rush to replace or add to. If your mission is tradition, welcome to the familiar holiday crunch.
Let the gift giving begin
Giving Tuseday is December 2nd. We know you might get charity fatigue during the year and the coming surge of holiday buying is an overwhelming force difficult to ignore.
Giving Tuesday is a reminder that there are other ways to be a gift giver and be kind during the holidays. A great way to do so is to help improve Bachman Lake Park and the ever-evolving Greenbelt through donations and volunteering. This is our community's most unique recreational green space and it needs to be nurtured and protected like the treasure that it is.
Sure, you have gifts for others in mind and will likely score some great discounts in the process, but have you thought of a gift for your community that carries no price tag yet increases in value with every happy face? Tuesday, December 2nd is a day to do just that.
Opt Outside this Black Friday
Every Thanksgiving we are faced with the rush to go hunting in the digital jungle. For those even braver, the thrill of crowd surfing for deals gets the blood flowing. But could you be risking getting the blood boiling instead? Why not #OptOutside of all of it? On Black Friday, make a statement and treat yourself by getting out to find nature ... and touch it. It could be a walk, a jog, quiet reflection, or anything you can think of to enjoy being outside.
Started by REI in 2015, #OptOutside is a movement encouraging people to spend Black Friday outdoors instead of shopping. It promotes any and all outdoor activities to inspire a shift away from consumerism towards enjoying nature.
This Black Friday, forget the checkout counter or checkout button. Check out your natural surroundings instead. It really does feel good!
Photos with Santa is back!
We are happy to announce that the Pictures with Santa event is coming back for 2025! On December 6, 2025 between 11:00am and 1:00pm at the Bachman Lake Pavilion, parents are encouraged to bring their kids and cameras to take photos with Santa himself! Participants will have an opportunity to write a letter to Santa and enjoy a sweet treat.
This was great fun last year and the photos were amazing. Feel free to share them on social media and be sure to tag Friends of Bachman Lake!
More to be thankful for
Plant Tagging volunteers
Thank you to all who participated in the Plant Tagging and cleanup on November 4 at the Bachman Greenbelt! The group collected lots of trash, tagged the plants in the native plant area that had been overtaken by privet, collected soil samples for testing, and did a bioblitz.
Talk about dedicated work!
Special thanks to Greenspace Dallas for providing the tools, registration and logistical support.
This was important work, as the area had been planted with native vegetation earlier and was being monitored for proper watering. Unfortunately, it was also being overtaken by the invasive privet. We needed to tag the remaining plants and clean up the area so another planting event could be scheduled next year. We couldn't have done it without the great turnout of wonderful volunteers!
A pocket park along the new Lemmon Avenue Trail gets a makeover
In October, a dedication ceremony was held for Midway Manor Park. The project was a collaboration between the Aviation Department, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, and the Dallas Mavericks who dedicated a Mavs themed basketball court.
The park complements the newly paved Lemmon Avenue Trail which connects to the Bachman Trail at the Shorecrest crossing.
You can read more about the park ceremony from Preston Hollow Advocate.
From volunteers to City allies, we are thankful to all who are making things better and greener all around our communities.
The Dallas Public Library
It's not just about books. The Dallas Public Library offers a multitude of free services plus educational sessions, speakers, craft and game activities, and so much more! There are also meeting and activity rooms available for groups. All it takes is a library card and a visit to your local branch.
Here is more information from Jami Johnson, Public Service Specialist, City of Dallas | Dallas Public Library – Bachman Lake Branch
Some Dallas Park funding faces headwinds
Despite all the great progress with areas like the Bachman Greenbelt, there are still some challenges to keeping the momentum going.
Amy Martin sits on the Dallas County Open Space’s Trails and Preserves Program board. She recently wrote an opinion published in the Dallas Morning News about the challenge of maintaining park funding for green space maintenance and preservation tasks.
A potential decline in tax revenue and mandates to increase funding for other City services has meant possible budget cuts for key park services.
Read Amy's opinion here:
Dallas Morning News (subscription may be required)
Love Field Airport updates
The Aviation Department has been undertaking several projects that are now becoming quite visible to those using the nearby roads and trails.
With respect to roads, you probably have noticed that a road improvment project along Mockingbird from Lemmon to Cedar Springs has resulted in lane reductions and some temporary closures just outside the airport. This is expected to continue through the first week of December. Read more about this project.
The Aviation Department has also announced its preferred Master Plan alternative as it seeks to accommodate an increase in passenger traffic over the next several years.
According to the Aviation Department: "The preferred plan identified 14 key strategic projects that will be incorporated into the airport’s largest capital improvement program in its history - Love Field Expansion Airport Program (LEAP). The program includes a new terminal headhouse in the footprint of Garage A (at the end of its useful life) with split level frontages, 50-foot widening of the existing concourse, new/additional parking (Garage D), remote economy parking, consolidated rental car facility, increased capacity for the Central Utility Plant, and several support facility/building relocations."
You can view the simulation video here or watch below:
Preston Hollow People also covered this announcement. Read here.
The recent Good Neighbor Program meeting also highlighted the various airport projects, including the visual improvements to the "triangle" where Lemmon Avenue and Mockingbird Lane converge and an airplane observation area off of eastbound Lemmon Avenue. While we await the posting of the presentation to the Love Field website, you can watch a video of the Good Neighbor Meeting below from an attendee's vantage point.
Master Plan Open House
The City of Dallas – Department of Aviation has announced the fifth and final public open house of the Dallas Love Field Master Plan: Love What’s Next.
This will be a come-and-go walkthrough of the final Master Plan elements, summarizing Master Plan outcomes and signifying the conclusion of the planning process.
DATE: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025
TIME: Open to the public between 5:00-7:00 p.m. CST
PLACE: Frontiers of Flight Museum (6911 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75209)
All meeting materials will also be made available online in the weeks following the open house. To learn more about the project or to view materials from previous open houses, visit dallovewhatsnext.com.
Events
Next Meet and Greet in December
Because our next 4th Wednesday gatherings fall just before Thanksgiving and Christmas, we'll be skipping the November event and will hold a special meet and greet on Wednesday December 10.
The normal schedule will resume in 2026!
Let's meet at On Rotation Brewery and Kitchen to meet over your favorite beverage and get to know each other! This is a purely social event that gives you just a bit more insight about Friends of Bachman Lake and community efforts to make all our lives better. Let's talk! Our Meet and Greet is scheduled for the 4th Wednesday of each month, weather and schedule permitting.
*Note that times/dates are subject to change. We will issue notices if the event changes or is postponed.
'Pics with Santa' is back!
Following last year's successful 'Pics with Santa' at Bachman Lake park, the event is coming back for 2025! Bring your kids, pets and cameras to the Bachman Lake Pavilion on December 6 from 11:00am to 1:00pm and meet Santa!
3500 W Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75220
Love Field Master Plan Open House
This will be a come-and-go walkthrough of the final Master Plan elements, summarizing Master Plan outcomes and signifying the conclusion of the planning process.
DATE: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025
TIME: Open to the public between 5:00-7:00 p.m. CST
PLACE: Frontiers of Flight Museum (6911 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75209)
All meeting materials will also be made available online in the weeks following the open house. To learn more about the project or to view materials from previous open houses, visit dallovewhatsnext.com.
