DQ RESTAURANTS IN TEXAS TREAT FANS TO FREE HUNGR-BUSTER WITH APP OFFER ON 

TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY, MARCH 2 

Texas Independence Day calls for a Lone Star-sized celebration, and DQ Restaurants in Texas are serving up the perfect offer. For one day only, Monday, March 2, DQ restaurants in Texas will offer fans a FREE Hungr-Buster with a $2 minimum purchase, available exclusively on the DQ app.

Nearly 190 years ago, on March 2, 1836, Texas formally declared its independence from Mexico. This iconic day in Texas history deserves to be celebrated with a true Texas original – the Hungr-Buster, available only at DQ restaurants in Texas. This fan-favorite burger is served with a juicy beef patty, topped with crispy lettuce, ripe tomatoes, purple onions, tangy pickles, and finished with a swirl of yellow mustard.

“There is no doubt that Texas Independence Day is a special moment in our state’s history,” said Lou Romanus, CEO of the Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council. “The Hungr-Buster is a Texas tradition, and we can’t think of a better way to honor this day than by sharing this iconic burger with our fans on the house.”

Fans can take advantage of this offer by downloading the DQ app, selecting the Texas Independence Day deal, and redeeming their FREE Hungr-Buster in-store or at the drive-thru (with a $2 minimum purchase).

Looking for something sweet to pair with your Hungr-Buster? Fans can also enjoy March’s Blizzard of the Month, the Mint OREO Cookie, blending DQ’s world-famous soft serve with OREO cookie pieces and cool mint flavor for the perfect treat.

In addition to this offer, fans can try other Texas favorites including the Chicken Tender Country Basket, Texas T-Brand Tacos, or The Dude Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich.

For more than 78 years, DQ restaurants in Texas have been friendly, gathering spots where fans enjoy delicious treats and eats and create fond memories. To be the first to learn about Blizzard of the Month flavors, new product news from the Texas Dairy

Queen Operators’ Council or find a store location, follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook or visit dqtexas.com.

About Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council 

There are few brands as iconic as the DQ brand. Innovative DQ treats and eats, along with the unique DQ restaurant concepts, have positioned DQ restaurants in Texas as a leader in the quick service restaurant industry. The Texas Dairy Queen Operators' Council is a nonprofit organization made up of DQ franchisees operating in Texas. The Council develops the advertising and marketing program for DQ franchisees in Texas and controls the Texas Country Foods menu along with managing supply/distribution for the DQ restaurants in Texas. The DQ restaurants in Texas are franchised by American Dairy Queen Corporation and the DQ franchise system includes approximately 7,000 franchised locations in the United States, Canada, and more than 20 other countries. 

In a fast-growing city like Frisco, renting an apartment offers more than just a place to live. It provides flexibility, convenience, and a lifestyle designed for today’s pace. Whether you are new to the area or simply not ready to purchase a home, renting can be a smart and stress-free choice.

Flexibility for Today’s Lifestyle

Life evolves quickly. Renting allows you to adjust without the long-term commitment of homeownership. Shorter lease terms make it easier to relocate for career opportunities or explore different parts of Frisco before deciding to buy. It is a practical way to truly get to know the area before making a major investment.

Fewer Responsibilities, More Time to Enjoy

One of the biggest benefits of renting is simplicity. Professional property management handles maintenance and repairs, so you do not have to worry about unexpected home issues.

At communities like The Links, residents can also enjoy added conveniences such as apartment cleaning, pet walking, and complimentary yoga classes. These thoughtful amenities help simplify your routine and free up time to enjoy everything Frisco has to offer.

Cost Savings and Predictable Expenses

Renting removes many of the financial surprises that come with homeownership. There are no large down payments or unexpected repair bills, making monthly expenses more predictable.

Many apartment communities in Frisco also offer amenities like pools, fitness centers, and golf lessons, luxuries that would require significant additional investment as a homeowner.

A Smart Step Before Buying

If you are not quite ready to buy, renting provides a valuable opportunity to explore a location and lifestyle without long-term pressure. It is a practical and flexible way to enjoy a beautiful home today while keeping future options open.

For 45 seasons, Scarborough Renaissance Festival? has stood as a Texas institution, welcoming generations of families, travelers and tradition-seekers to step back in time to the 16th century each spring. In 2026, the Festival celebrates its milestone 45th season with eight weekends of immersive entertainment, legendary performances and new experiences that underscore its place in the cultural fabric of the state.

Running Saturdays and Sundays from April 4 through May 24 and closing with a special Memorial Day celebration on Monday, May 25, the Festival transforms a 25-acre English village in Waxahachie into a destination that draws visitors throughout Texas and nationwide. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each open day.

What began in 1981 as a modest gathering has grown into one of the largest and most respected Renaissance festivals in the United States, consistently recognized as a must-visit spring tradition. For many Texans, Scarborough is more than an annual outing — it is a rite of passage, revisited year after year and passed down through generations.

A Season Designed for Discovery

Each weekend at Scarborough Renaissance Festival is designed to offer a distinct experience, giving guests a reason to return throughout the season — whether to celebrate with family, explore artisan craftsmanship, embrace fantasy, enjoy immersive storytelling, or honor tradition.

Opening Weekend & Easter Celebration, April 4–5
The season opens with the ceremonial return of the Village with families enjoying Opening Day pageantry, an Easter Egg Stroll for children, and a Renaissance-style Easter service on Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free throughout Opening Weekend and Seniors (65+) receive a $10 discount at the gate, making it an ideal introduction for first-time visitors.

Artisan’s Showcase Weekend, April 11–12
This weekend highlights the heart of Scarborough’s artisan community. Guests are encouraged to slow down, watch live demonstrations and explore more than 200 handcrafted shoppes, celebrating the creativity and craftsmanship that define the Festival.

Barbarian Weekend, April 18–19
A high-energy weekend that leans into feats of strength, bold characters and spirited competition. Costumed revelers, themed contests and immersive performances make this a favorite for guests who enjoy spectacle and playful pageantry.

Celtic Weekend & Deaf Awareness Day, April 25–26
Celtic music, dance and storytelling take center stage, filling the Village with pipes, drums and folk harmonies. Saturday includes Deaf Awareness Day, with select performances interpreted in American Sign Language, reinforcing the Festival’s commitment to accessibility for all.

Spring Celebration & Chivalry Weekend, May 2–3
Scarborough welcomes spring with floral adornments, maypole dancing and village-wide celebrations of renewal. Guests are invited to take part in chivalry lessons and vow renewals, embracing traditions rooted in community and connection.

Flights of Fantasy Weekend & Mother’s Day, May 9–10
Fantasy takes flight as cosplay fans, fairy folklore enthusiasts and imaginative spirits fill the lanes. The weekend blends whimsical storytelling, costume contests and family-friendly activities. Children 12 and under are admitted free on Mother’s Day Sunday.

Legends of the Seas Weekend, May 16–17
Pirates, mermaids and nautical adventure take over the Village. Sea-themed games, scavenger hunts and costumed contests invite guests to embrace the lore and legend of the high seas.

The Last Huzzah! Memorial Day Weekend, May 23–25
The Festival closes its 45th season with a three-day celebration filled with music and merriment. Memorial Day Monday features a Veterans Parade and Fallen Heroes Tribute, honoring active and retired military members with a presentation of colors and commemorative ceremony.

Signature Attractions, Games & Rides Across the Village

Beyond its stages and street performances, Scarborough Renaissance Festival is known for its interactive attractions, hands-on experiences and human-powered amusements that invite guests to become part of the story rather than simply watch it unfold.

Fantasy and folklore come to life at the Mermaid Lagoon, where guests can meet and interact with live mermaids in a tropical-inspired setting throughout the day. Nearby, the Mythical Monster Museum of Raptus and Krane offers a walk-through encounter with creatures ranging from tiny fairies to towering dragons, blending theatrical storytelling with imagined histories, artifacts and preserved “specimens.”

Families can connect with animals at the Royal Menagerie, a hands-on experience featuring sheep, goats, pigs and other animals that reflect the important role livestock played in daily Renaissance life. Guests seeking pure whimsy can also visit the Unicorn Experience, set within a fairy-built garden and complete with a keepsake photo souvenir.

Throughout the Festival, visitors are invited to test their aptitude at games of skill, including archery and longbow shooting, crossbow challenges, axe, knife and star throwing, climbing walls, strength tests, mazes and a variety of Renaissance- and pirate-themed games designed for friendly competition.

Guests can also ride back to the past on a collection of human-powered Renaissance rides, including barrel rides, swings, the pirate ship swing and the quintain jousting ride. Animal rides, including camel and pony rides, offer younger guests an unforgettable, old-world experience that has become a Festival tradition. (All experiences above require an additional fee.)

Entertainment That Defines the Festival

Scarborough Renaissance Festival is known for its depth and diversity of entertainment, featuring more than 20 stages and performances areas of continuous live programming daily.

The 2026 lineup includes returning favorites such as social media favorites The Fortress Dwellers, Opal the Fairy, Tartanic, Kamikaze Fireflies, Adam Crack, Jacques Ze Whipper, Cirque du Sewer, Arthur Greenleaf Holmes, The Spice Boys, and dozens of musicians, comedians, acrobats and specialty performers.

Daily highlights include the Grande Parade at 1 p.m., living chess matches, birds of prey exhibitions, immersive dance experiences and nearly half a century of jousting traditions. Each day concludes with the Village Pub Sing, bringing performers and guests together in song.

Adult guests can also enjoy curated beer and wine tasting experiences, hosted by certified experts.

A Texas Tradition, 45 Years Strong

For 45 years, Scarborough Renaissance Festival? has remained a singular experience in Texas - one that blends history, performance, craftsmanship and community into a destination that feels both timeless and alive. As the Festival enters this milestone year, it continues to welcome audiences from across the state and beyond, honoring the traditions that built its legacy while inviting new generations to make it their own.

“Scarborough Renaissance Festival has always been more than a seasonal event - it’s part of the Texas story,” said Veronica Castelo, general manager of Southwest Festivals, LLC. “For 45 years, guests have returned with their families, introduced new generations to the Festival, and made Scarborough a tradition that spans decades. As we celebrate this milestone season, we’re honoring that legacy while continuing to evolve the experience, so it remains just as magical for first-time visitors as it is for those who have been coming for years.”

Scarborough Renaissance Festival? is in Waxahachie, Texas, approximately 30 minutes south of downtown Dallas.

Take Part in the Revelry

Tickets are available at www.SRFestival.com. Admission is $34 for Adults (ages 13+) and $15 for Kids (ages 5–12) plus taxes and fees. Children 4 and under are always admitted free. Friends of Faire memberships, Season Passes, and Weekend Passes are also available for guests who want to return again and again.  Discount tickets will also be available at participating Tom Thumb and Albertsons locations throughout the season. 

Scarborough Renaissance Festival is sponsored by Dr Pepper and Tom Thumb & Albertsons.

For schedules, tickets and additional information, visit www.SRFestival.com or follow SRFestival on Facebook, Instagram  TikTok, and YouTube.  

The gala featured a stirring story from Babe Laufenberg and a compelling mission video

LEAP Global Missions 2025 Gala Miracles in Motion, chaired by Stephanie and Michael Byrd along with Dr. Michael Lee, celebrated LEAP celebrated LEAP and their mission inspired by the love of Christ to bring specialized surgical services to underserved populations around the world. Since 1991, LEAP Global Missions has been called to serve others by sending surgical teams to treat children without access to appropriate medical care, bringing hope and healing in an effort to make the world a better place.
        
A most compelling statement and in reality, the nonprofit truly changes lives for the better for not only the patients, but their families, as well.
        
Guests mixed and mingled at the reception while enjoying wines, cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres before entering the ballroom, which was set to capacity.
        
J.D. Miles, emcee and an award-winning reporter for CBS Texas, welcomed the crowd, and Michael Byrd gave the invocation. As everyone began their three-course meal, Dr. Lee introduced a video showcasing LEAP’s work around the world, saying they show love through service in places such as Mexico, Ukraine, Belize and Zimbabwe.
        
Babe Laufenberg, the featured speaker and a longtime friend and supporter of LEAP, took the stage, saying he was honored to join everyone this evening and shared the story of his late son’s life’s journey, cancer diagnosis and passing. He said that he understands how the parents of LEAP’s patients feel, watching their children suffer and thinking there is nothing someone can do, nothing can change it. But with LEAP, miracles do happen, and LEAP’S surgeons and doctors do change lives through their surgical services.
        
Dr. Alejandra Garcia de Mitchell, LEAP’s Medical Director, introduced a video, the story of a child named Dominic in Belize who is so brave, even though he has suffered so much pain from his condition and many surgeries. He and his family said they are overwhelmed with gratitude and that truly, LEAP performs Miracles in Motion.
          
A most entertaining portion of the evening was the spirited live auction conducted by J.D. and Babe, which raised even more funds with the paddle raise.
        
After a few updates and news of past and ongoing missions, Stephanie closed the evening saying next year is LEAP’s 35^th Anniversary celebration, thanked the staff, host committee and board.
        
This event is LEAP’s only major annual fundraiser. It raises funds to support the organization and help continue providing free specialized surgical and medical care to those in need around the world.
        
Host committee are Kamela and Kenneth Aboussie, Dina and Jason Arnott, Amy and Dr. Evan Beale, Debbie and Justin Bono, Lindsey and Ben Brewer, Darla Cherry, Mary Kat and Dr. Jeffrey Cone, Brooke and Blake Davenport, Alexis and Dr. Richard Derksen, Mimi and Dr. Grant Gilliland, Linda Hardison, Brooke Hollis Hortenstine, Emily Huskinson, Natalie and Mike McGuire, Caroline and Brian Mitchell, Linsey and Ryan Nixon, Michelle and Dr. Thornwell Parker, Abby and Peter Ruth, Bunny and Michael Tibbals, Adair and Clark Webb, Missy and Chris Wyszynski.
        
To know more about LEAP Global Missions, inside scoop with photos and more about their specialized surgical services and how to support them, visit the website at www.leapmissions.org

About LEAP:        LEAP Global Missions is dedicated to enhancing and enriching the lives of people around the world by providing free specialized medical and surgical services inspired by the love of Christ. Founded over 33 years ago by Dr. Craig Hobar, LEAP volunteers have performed over 10,800 surgeries and procedures on patients (mostly children) from 24 countries at no cost to the patients and their families.
        
LEAP Global Missions sends teams of highly skilled medical professionals to other countries to provide medical and surgical care and clinical education. Our current outreach includes Belize, Mexico, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe. While our primary focus is on craniofacial conditions such as cleft lip and cleft palate, LEAP also provides oculoplastic and ophthalmological, orthodontic and dental, Mohs skin cancer diagnosis and treatment, hand, and ENT surgical care based on the needs of our host countries. We also bring patients with complex surgical needs to the US from other countries for surgical care when needed.
        
LEAP is committed to developing long-term relationships with our patients, their communities, and other partners involved in our missions. By returning to the same countries, we are able to build trust, offer ongoing education, and continue caring for those who need long-term medical services.
        
Learn more by visiting the website at www.leapmissions.org 

Photos by Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studio

Planning a career in dentistry, Christine Tran searched for a research program at a dental college to fill the summer lull between her junior and senior years while a student at the University of Houston in 2024. She wanted to learn ways dentistry impacts the broader health care system. 

“With a growing interest in dentistry, I was eager to find a program where I could contribute to oral health research that translates into tangible progress for the field,” she said. “I felt a strong inclination to look into research that could give back to (low-income) populations.” 

Tran found that in the Biomedical Informatics and Behavioral Sciences Summer Research Program at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry in Dallas. She’s now a first-year dental student at A&M Dentistry, in part, thanks to what she learned at the nine-week program nicknamed BIBS. 

BIBS welcomes undergraduate and graduate students to conduct oral health research with a focus on public health. Students work on improving health communications and patient trust to improve community oral health.   

The coursework and activities focus on biomedical informatics and behavioral sciences. Students learn programming, statistics, tools for analyzing large datasets, and they are introduced to codes specific to dental procedures and dental public health; they also take field trips, including to A&M Dentistry’s M.C. Cooper Dental Clinic, which serves adults in the Frazier Community in South Dallas. 

BIBS aims to expand the number of dental professionals who understand the link between oral health and behavioral sciences. It’s the only program of its kind focused on oral health care, said Peggy Timothé, associate professor and program director of the dental public health residency in public health sciences at A&M Dentistry. 

“What I enjoy most is seeing how eager the summer interns are to learn about dentistry,” she said. “What surprises me most is that our program is the students’ first introduction to public health, especially dental public health.” 

Funded with a $125,000 grant from the National Library of Medicine, BIBS offers seven spots for students this summer. The deadline to apply is Feb. 27. More information and applications are available at Biomedical Informatics and Behavioral Sciences (BIBS) Summer Research Program. 

Each accepted undergraduate student will receive a $5,502 stipend and must have completed at least one year of college. Each accepted graduate student will receive a $6,500 stipend. 

While it’s hosted by A&M Dentistry, students in all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply if they’re interested in oral public health research and careers in research after graduation, said Timothé and Matthew Garcia, program coordinator in public health sciences at A&M Dentistry. 

Each student pairs with a mentor to develop a plan and conduct research. Mentors include A&M Dentistry faculty and other dental professionals from across the United States, both in person and remotely.  

“We are planning for more in-person learning,” Timothé said. “We also want to focus more on coding skills.” 

Students present their research at the Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Session in College Station.  

Tran said the internship introduced her to the intricacies of Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program that helps pay for the health care of low-income people. That includes the trend of decreasing reimbursements for providers. 

“My experience in the program has fueled my passion for public health advocacy, and I think the discipline of public health in dentistry is underappreciated…,” Tran said. “There’s a big need for continued research in public health for the betterment of everyone.”