Park Place Lexus Grapevine hosted the kickoff for the 2021 GRACE Christmas Cottage. Guests were encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event.  By the end of the evening a Lexus LC500 convertible and two Lexus SUVs were overflowing with toys and gifts for GRACE, an acronym for Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange.

“We’ve partnered with GRACE for more than a decade,” said Robert Hinkle, Park Place Lexus Grapevine general manager. “Now more than ever, many families in our community might not have Christmas without our help. We want to make sure every child in our community has a Christmas to remember. The GRACE Toy Drive makes it easy to give back.”

During the kickoff event, Christmas music serenaded guests as they enjoyed sweet and savory treats from Southlake Town Square’s restaurants including Brio Italian Grille’s sliced steak bruschetta, pasta and pumpkin bread; Del Frisco’s Grille’s deviled eggs, seared tuna crisp and lemon cake pops; and Mi Cocina’s beef, brisket and cheese quesadillas, mini chimichangas and bacon-wrapped shrimp brochettes with a poblano cream sauce. A selection of beer, wine and cocktails set the festive mood, including the special Mistletoe Martini, made with Tito’s Vodka, Elderflower Liqueur and cranberry juice. 

Models displayed fashions from Southlake Town Square merchants, including Malouf’s, Market by Macy’s and White House Black Market. 

The GRACE Christmas Cottage provides new, unwrapped gifts to families facing financial hardship due to limited incomes or recent emergencies. Each qualified family is given a voucher with a value based on the number of children in the family, allowing the parents to “purchase” donated toys, home goods and appliances in a private, store-like setting. This approach allows families to budget their resources to select unique presents while also preserving the family’s dignity. 

The community is invited to drop off a new, unwrapped toy for the GRACE Christmas Cottage through Dec. 15 at the Lexus dealership at 901 Highway 114 East, or drop them off at GRACE Christmas Cottage at 1058 Texan Trail in Grapevine. To make a monetary donation to the GRACE Christmas Holiday Fund, go to gracegrapevine.org.

GRACE was organized in 1987 as a response to the growing need for emergency assistance services in far northeast Tarrant County.Today, GRACE continues to be a centralized, coordinated effort of churches, businesses and individuals donating food, clothing, monetary donations, and even professional services to Grapevine, Colleyville, and Southlake residents, as well as homeless and transient families in need. Programs have grown to include low-cost medical services, transitional housing, and general emergency assistance (food, clothes, furniture, financial assistance, information and referrals).

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

New Building to Complement the Main Clubhouse’s Old-World Charm

Dee Brown, Inc. (DBI) has been selected to complete all exterior stone and masonry work on the new Fitness Building at the Dallas Country Club in Dallas. 

“It’s an honor to be entrusted to work on this significant project,” said Rob Barnes III, DBI president & CEO. “My grandfather, C. Dewitt Brown, Jr., who founded our company, was a Dallas Country Club member. And nearly a decade ago, DBI completed the exterior stone and masonry for the Clubhouse, as well many interior features. We are proud to work with Dallas Country Club in building on its legacy.”

Rob Barnes is a third-generation leader in the family-owned business. He began his career in 1986, working on the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, as a non-skilled laborer. He received a Bachelor’s in Business Management from John Brown University in 1992, and his MBA from Southern Methodist University in 2007.

Founded in 1896, Dallas Country Club is located at Mockingbird and Preston Road, just north of downtown Dallas in Highland Park. Turtle Creek meanders through the 117-acre property and is a key focal point throughout the golf course.  

Designed by Marsh & Associates, the new Fitness Building will have similar detailing as the main clubhouse.  Relying heavily on natural stone, masonry, and cast stone for its magnificent design, the Fitness Building exudes classic Old-World charm.  A special blend of Leuders limestone is laid up in full bed mortar, trimmed out with cast stone water tables, window surrounds, arches, sills, caps, and copings.  Full-bed brick is utilized in several different patterns. Thin brick veneers, installed in latex mortars, are featured between the stained wood trim elements in the gables, as well as the chimney stack.  

The Texas Masonry Council recently awarded DBI the 2021 Golden Trowel Award for Industrial & Commercial Projects for Freedom Place at Old Parkland in Dallas. DBI also received the 2021 Golden Trowel forRestoration of the Texas Hall of State at Fair Park. 

Dee Brown was founded by C. Dewitt Brown, Jr. in 1955 and is a leader in the stone and masonry industry, building and restoring iconic projects, including the American Airlines Center; Nasher Sculpture Center; George W. Bush Presidential Center; Old Red Courthouse; The Getty Center in Los Angeles; Houston Museum of Natural Science; Hunt Oil Headquarters; Trammel Crow Center; AT&T Stadium and many others. More info is available at deebrowncompanies.com

A perfect fall evening at Dallas Arboretum was the setting for the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the flagship luxury sedan. Guests admired a spectacular sunset with White Rock Lake as the backdrop while exploring the multitude of new features in the stunning S-Class.

“It felt wonderful to enjoy an outdoor event with our clients and showcase the seventh generation S-Class,” said Robert Morris, Park Place Motorcars Dallas general manager. “This is without a doubt the smoothest, most luxurious sedan Mercedes-Benz has ever built. And it’s stacked with amazing new technology and the latest safety features.”

Starting at $111,100, the new S-Class comes with a choice of engines and custom features. The S-500 has a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six plus a 48-volt mild hybrid system, delivering 429 horsepower. The S-580 pairs the mild hybrid system with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. And the Maybach model offers a twin-turbo V12 that politely pumps out 612 hp.

Understandably, the luxury sedan is packed with new technology. The Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system recognizes the driver by face, voice or index finger and instantly adjusts the driver’s seat and controls to preset personalized settings. Even a wave of the hand or gesture can activate infotainment functions like making or answering a call, adjusting cabin temperature or adjusting side mirrors. Standard driver assistance features include adaptive cruise control, active steering and lane assist, blind spot monitoring, forward-collision warning and automatic braking, a 360-degree camera and a self-parking function.

What you don’t see, or hear, may be as important as all the luxurious bells and whistles. Shut the soft-closing doors and you’re enveloped in supreme quiet. Mercedes-Benz has filled the chassis and panels with acoustic foam for the quietest riding S-Class yet. 

During the evening, guests enjoyed mouthwatering fare, including a farm to market table with baby kale Caesar salad and lemon Caesar dressing and baby heirloom tomato Grilled Cheese sandwiches on Artisan Sour Dough topped with sticky shallots. The beef tenderloin on a crisp potato galette topped with Morel mushrooms was a big hit as well as the smoked jalapeno sausage; horseradish mashed potatoes; spicy vinaigrette coleslaw; adult mac and cheese with Gemelli pasta and smoked brisket; ridged macaroni with fried chicken bites, sweet green peas and Mountain Valley cheddar cheese sauce.

Bartenders created specialty cocktails for the evening, including a “Starry Palmer” made with Vodka, lemonade and iced tea.

Guests enjoyed high-octane music from the Royal Dukes Band, delivering an energetic mix of pop and country songs with a distinctive flair. Italian menswear designer Canali displayed a collection of stylish fashions on the lawn. 

Park Place Motorcars Dallas is located at 6113 Lemmon Avenue, near Love Field Airport. 

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987. For the past 34 years, the company has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy and education. Park Place Dealerships employs more than 1,400 members and operates two collision centers, an auto auction, and eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Sprinter Vans. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

It’s never too early to celebrate fall in Texas, especially when participating DQ® restaurants are offering two Blizzard® of the Month choices – the return of the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat and the Pecan Pie Blizzard Treat, at participating DQ locations for a limited time only.

Pumpkin lovers know all about the luscious Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat, rich with a sweet combination of real pumpkin pie pieces and creamy vanilla soft serve, crowned with whipped topping and a sprinkle of nutmeg for the ultimate taste of autumn. 

And then there’s the Pecan Pie Blizzard Treat packed with roasted pecans, crispy brown sugar pie crust pieces, and caramel blended with creamy vanilla soft serve. What could be more Texan? 

Which is the ultimate autumn taste experience? Order both and decide for yourself!  

The Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Treat and the Pecan Pie Blizzard Treat are available, along with the full menu of delightful Dairy Queen® treats and eats, via drive-thru, pick-up and take-out, as well as delivery and online ordering where available. 

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 nearly 600 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, including the nearly 600 DQ restaurants in Texas. 

For more information about the Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council, visit dqtexas.com or follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Park Place Lexus Plano has teamed up with Carter BloodCare for a community blood drive. Anyone interested can sign up to donate blood 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 17 in the Carter BloodCare mobile unit which will be housed at the dealership on the Southwest corner of Spring Creek Parkway and the Dallas North Tollway.

“After our last Member (employee) blood drive, we had a client suggest we open it up to the community,” explained Katie Stutts, GM Administrative Assistant at Park Place Lexus Plano. “There is such a critical need right now for blood that we felt this is the right time to host our first community blood drive and we hope people will sign up for the August 17 event.” 

Anyone interested in donating, or wants more information, can contact Katie Stutts at 972-738-8048 or kstutts@parkplace.com.

According to Carter BloodCare, there are not enough blood donations to support the needs of local patients. Factors such as a rapidly growing population, medical treatment advances, the pandemic, and extended surgery schedule for procedures previously canceled due to COVID-19 have strained the blood supply to levels not seen in 30 years.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987. For the past 34 years, the company has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover. For more info, visit parkplace.com.