Carrollton Culture Fest is packing up its usual spot in Historic Downtown Carrollton this year and setting up shop at a brand-new address. The free, family-friendly festival returns Saturday, September 26, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., but this time it lands at the freshly built Trinity Mills Station Esplanade at 1450 Sunrise Ave, according to the seed facts shared by the City of Carrollton.
The venue change marks the festival's official relocation to the newly constructed Trinity Mills Station Esplanade, according to the City of Carrollton. The move shifts the annual celebration away from its longtime home in Historic Downtown Carrollton, where Hoodline covered the 2025 edition of the fest last year. Per the city, the new 3-acre venue offers purpose-built outdoor gathering space designed specifically for municipal events like this one.
City organizers say the Trinity Mills Esplanade will transform into a celebration of global cultures, cuisine, music, and family-friendly activities on festival night. The lineup includes traditional lion dancing, Hawaiian hula and drumming, Colombian and Latin dance, Korean fan dancing known as buchaechum, and New Orleans brass-band music, per the city's announcement.
From World of Foodies to a Full Cultural Showcase
The festival wasn't always this expansive. It began under the name World of Foodies before city organizers rebranded and grew it into Carrollton Culture Fest, adding live stage performances, craft workshops, and artisan vendors alongside the international food that first put the event on the map, the city notes. That evolution reflects a broader civic push to expand community events beyond a single culinary showcase.
This year's stage lineup includes four music and dance ensembles: the Rising Phoenix Lion Dancers at 5 p.m., Grace Hula Dance Company at 5:45 p.m., Representa at 7 p.m., Korean American Youth Artists of Texas at 7:45 p.m., and the Big Easy Brass Band closing things out at 8:15 p.m. Stage times remain subject to minor event-day adjustments, according to the city.
Food, Drinks, and Family-Friendly Extras
Beyond the stage, attendees can browse five craft vendors and sample offerings at Bevvy Blvd, an international drink garden operated by 3 Nations Brewing Co. The Carrollton-based brewery expanded its operations into downtown Carrollton back in October 2019, according to the Dallas Observer, converting a former municipal shed into a taproom and craft brewing facility.
The festival also features traditional global street games, children's craft workshops, and a dedicated sensory-friendly break area, per the city's event details. Sensory-friendly spaces have become an increasingly common feature at DFW municipal events, offering families a quieter option away from the crowds and music.
A New Green Space Built for Transit-Oriented Living
The Trinity Mills Station Esplanade itself is a 3-acre public green space and promenade engineered by Kimley-Horn to serve as the central social hub for a much larger development, according to a case study from DeepRoot. The park incorporates modular lawn spaces and sustainable soil cell systems designed to support shade trees.
That larger development, Trinity Mills Station, is a 25-acre master-planned transit-oriented project built through a public-private partnership between the City of Carrollton, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, The Integral Group, Koa Partners, and Artemis Real Estate Partners, according to a DART news release. The project's residential component, EVIVA Trinity Mills Station, celebrated its grand opening in December, bringing 436 apartment units and 10,000 square feet of retail adjacent to the Esplanade, per the same release.
Multiple Rail Lines Feed Directly Into the Site
Trinity Mills Station also functions as a regional transit hub, connecting DART's Green Line rail with the Denton County Transportation Authority's A-train commuter rail near the intersection of Interstate 35E and the President George Bush Turnpike, according to Integral, one of the development's private partners. That dual rail connection means visitors from both Dallas and Denton counties can reach the festival grounds without driving.
Carrollton's diversity underpins the festival's global theming. Census figures show the city's population is approximately 37% White, 32% Hispanic, 18% Asian, and 9% Black, making it among the most racially diverse cities in North Texas, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The festival is promoted by @CarrolltonParks, and the City of Carrollton notes it isn't responsible for the comments or personal views of its social media followers.
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