McKinney's Parks Board approved a professional services contract at its September 10 meeting for the redesign of Gabe Nesbitt Community Park's parking lot. The firm selected is TBG, Inc. out of Dallas, and the project - designated PK1806 - covers more than just striping a few extra spaces.

The scope includes additional parking capacity, a trail connection into the park, wayfinding signage, and ADA improvements. That last piece matters: accessible parking and pathways at a community park should be baseline, and this project treats it that way.

Gabe Nesbitt is one of McKinney's busiest parks, especially on weekend mornings when every soccer field and picnic table is claimed. If you've ever circled the lot twice hoping for a spot, this one's for you. No construction timeline has been announced yet. (Source: McKinney Parks Board, September 10, 2026)

With our friends at The Longevity Digest we compared three popular countertop gravity water filters: Berkey ($367), Boroux ($355-$455), and Rorra ($549).

Berkey offers the widest contaminant coverage and can remove fluoride with an additional filter, but has no NSF certification and concerns around aluminum leaching. Rorra has the most modern design and smart sensors, but removes fewer contaminants and requires an expensive filter subscription.

Boroux wins overall with a fully stainless-steel build, strong filtration, NSF certifications for lead-free materials and microplastic/particulate reduction, transparent third-party testing, and no mandatory subscription. It delivers the best balance of quality, performance, and long-term value. Check out Boroux here

#affiliate

McKinney's historic downtown just got a new event venue. The Chestnut Hall is a 3,000 sq ft space on the second floor of 103 S Chestnut St - right in the heart of the square. It opened September 2 with a grand opening event. They have a great view over downtown McKinney.

103 S Chestnut St, 2nd Floor · thechestnuthall.com

McKinney's Planning & Zoning Commission held a public hearing September 8 on a Special Use Permit for a proposed 7-Eleven at the northeast corner of Wilmeth Road and Taylor-Burk Drive. The permit would allow fuel sales at the site. The Commission's decision was not publicly available at the time of writing. (Source: McKinney Planning & Zoning Commission, September 8, 2026)

Go to the Farmers Market in style with our original McKinney canvas tote bag. $9.99 OFF automatically applied at checkout to cover shipping & more.

🧘 Mindful Monday - Breathe by Design
La Sheena Thompson leads a weekly 60-minute wellness session covering yoga, breathwork, mindful movement, and stress-reduction techniques you can put to use the same day. Drop-in format - no commitment required, just show up and breathe.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000 · 11AM-12PM ($30)

🎨 Lunch Bunch - Female Rulebreakers and Trailblazers of Painting
This week's MillHouse Lunch Bunch talk covers Spanish surrealist Remedios Varo - whose dreamlike paintings blended science, mysticism, and magic in ways that still feel ahead of their time. All welcome, bring your own lunch.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000 · 11:30AM-12:30PM (Free)

♟️ McKinney Chess Club
Chess, mahjong, and good conversation at the Crown - all skill levels welcome, including total beginners. On-site chess teachers give free 25-minute beginner lessons, so there's zero excuse not to try it. Usually 15-30 people show up on a Tuesday night.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy · 6:30-9:30PM (Free)

🧶 Unwind With Yarn (Adults)
Learn the basics of crochet or knitting in one simple, stress-free hour. The library teaches the core stitches and sets you up with resources to keep going. All supplies provided. Waitlist is open - worth joining in case spots open.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy · 7-8PM (Free, waitlist open)

🍷 Premium Wine & Pasta Pairing
Lone Star Winery pairs premium wines with handcrafted pasta in a 90-minute guided tasting in downtown McKinney. Comfortably one of the best Tuesday night plans the city offers.
Lone Star Winery, 103 E Virginia St · 7-8:30PM (Ticketed)

🎭 Yes, And Improv Jam
The Comedy Arena's Tuesday improv jam: no scripts, no safety nets, full crowd energy. The level of chaos is part of the appeal.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E Virginia St · 7-9PM (Ticketed)

📦 Less Mess, More Life
A free two-hour decluttering workshop at the library covering practical techniques to clear your space without the overwhelm. Registration required - spots are limited.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy · 10AM-12PM (Free, registration required)

🖨️ Printmaking with Mary Hannigan
Local artist Mary Hannigan opens her studio for a hands-on printmaking class using a real press - one of the oldest image-making techniques, and still one of the most satisfying. Very limited: 4 students only.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000 · 2-4PM ($50)

🃏 Free Texas Hold'em Night at Arôme
No Limit Texas Hold'em at Arôme Caribbean Fusion with a $200 cash prize up for grabs. Free to play, open to everyone - arrive 30 minutes early for bonus chips. Brand new McKinney location for this weekly series.
Arôme Caribbean Fusion, 6851 Virginia Pkwy #300 · 7-10PM (Free)

🎵 Hudsy Live at The Lion & Crown
Hudsy brings good vibes and live music to the Crown on Wednesday evening. One of the better low-key midweek options in McKinney.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy · 7PM-late (Free)

🏃 Free Family Fitness - Stroller Strides
Free outdoor fitness for parents and caregivers with strollers - built-in motivation when someone's watching from the stroller seat. A solid Thursday morning routine starter.
District 121, 5800 Town and Country Blvd · 9-10AM (Free)

🀄 American Mahjong Hour
All skill levels welcome - the library provides tiles and everything else. Whether you're a regular or have never seen a joker tile, come shuffle and see what the fuss is about.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy · 1-3PM (Free)

🍺 Third Thirsty Thursday - Rotary Club McKinney
McKinney Rotary Club's monthly happy hour social is open to everyone - a low-key way to meet people who are genuinely invested in this city. No agenda, just good people and good drinks in downtown McKinney.
114 W Louisiana St, McKinney · 5-7PM (Free)

🎵 Will Foutz Live at The Lion & Crown
Will Foutz takes the Crown stage for a three-hour Thursday evening set. A solid way to start the weekend a day early.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy · 7-10PM (Free)

🎭 The Comedy Mix
Four acts, one stage Thursday night: Not About Bears, No Script, Sherlock!, and Dad Bod Squad. One of the best weeknight comedy lineups in McKinney right now.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E Virginia St · 7:30-8:30PM (Ticketed)

Before McKinney had a downtown square, before Collin County had settlers, before Texas had cattle ranches or cotton fields - this land was underwater. About 80 million years ago, a shallow inland sea called the Western Interior Seaway stretched from what is now the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Canada, and north Texas sat beneath it. The seafloor that formed during that period became the rock under your feet today: Austin Chalk, a dense limestone formation that runs from San Antonio up through Dallas and into Collin County.

Austin Chalk is why construction in McKinney gets expensive fast. Dig almost anywhere here and you hit it within a few feet. That same rock has produced remarkable finds over the decades - mosasaur bones (the massive marine lizards that ruled the Cretaceous sea), ammonite fossils, shark teeth, and shell fragments have all turned up in north Texas road cuts and development sites. The Blackland Prairie soil sitting on top of the chalk - that dark, sticky clay that turns to concrete in summer and swells like a sponge after rain - is one of the most fertile soils in Texas, which is exactly why 19th-century farmers settled here to grow cotton. The geology explains the agriculture, and the agriculture explains the city.

None of that deep history is visible from the highway. But next time a McKinney development breaks ground and the crews hit limestone a few feet down, they're cutting through the floor of a Cretaceous sea. Everything built here is built on what used to be 80 million years of ocean.

Mon: ☀️ Sunny, Heat Advisory in effect, high 101°F
Tue: ☀️ Sunny, Heat Advisory continues, high 100°F
Wed: ☀️ Sunny and very hot, high 99°F
Thu: ☀️ Sunny, high 98°F

🎉 Let’s keep growing McKinney’s fastest-growing newsletter:

Refer 2 friends → I shout you out in the newsletter
Refer 5 → Get my McKinney Restaurant Guide

Here’s the deal: I make this newsletter for free and you share this with your neighbor, friend and cousin’s cousin!

Forward this e-mail to them.