City officials unveiled an $880 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2026-27 at an Aug. 7 presentation. Here's the counterintuitive part: the proposed tax rate is going up - from $0.4123 to $0.4179 per $100 of assessed value - but the average homeowner's actual bill goes down, from $2,203 last year to roughly $2,165 this year, about $38 less. McKinney's taxable property values kept growing (up about $1.5 billion citywide), just more slowly than the $3-4 billion annual jumps of recent years.

Most of the budget growth funds people: the proposal includes 32 new city positions - 10 firefighters, 9 police officers, 7 public works employees, 4 development services staff, and 2 parks workers. The general fund comes in at $247.7 million, up $15.5 million from last year. McKinney has added tens of thousands of new residents over the past decade and the city's workforce is still catching up.

The public input meeting is this Tuesday, Aug. 18 at City Hall - if you want to weigh in before the council votes Sept. 1. The full proposed budget is at mckinneytexas.org. (Source: City of McKinney FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget Presentation, August 7, 2026)

The cult New York bagel chain with lines out the door in Dallas is making its McKinney debut this Friday. Popup Bagels started as a backyard pandemic window and grew to 30+ locations by keeping the menu ruthlessly simple: five flavors, rotating schmears, and a three-pack minimum at $15. "Fluffy. Seedy. Tasty. Crusty." - their tagline, and they're not wrong. The McKinney grand opening includes hot bagels and a collab with La La Land Kultur + Kaffee. Originally scheduled for June, it's been worth the wait. Grand Opening Friday, August 21, 7-11AM | 8565 W. University Drive, McKinney

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A quick status check on McKinney's active transportation construction: Virginia Parkway rehabilitation is ongoing, East Virginia Street reconstruction design is 90% complete with bids expected in early 2027, the Laud Howell Parkway extension design is underway, SH 5 utility relocations are 75% complete, and Industrial Boulevard illumination wrapped up in July. Five projects moving in parallel across the city. (Source: McKinney Capital Improvement Program, August 14, 2026)

McKinney ISD students and teachers returned to campus Aug. 13 for the start of the 2026-27 school year. Bus routes, bell schedules, and lunch menus are at mckinneyisd.net. (Source: McKinney ISD)

Bring a piece of McKinney home with a beautifully detailed gold & navy city map. Hang it on your wall and impress your visitors with this museum-quality print with rich, fade-resistant color.

🧘 Mindful Mondays - Breathe by Design with La Sheena Thompson
A four-week wellness series covering breathwork, yoga, and mindful movement - this session (week 2) focuses on gentle movement and breathing practices to reduce tension and calm the mind. Drop in for just this class or catch the full series.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000, 11AM-12PM ($30)

✍️ Shut Up & Write!® in McKinney
Focused writing time for any genre, any level - no critiques, no readings, just a Pomodoro-style sprint with other writers. Grab a drink at Sweetwaters, sit at the big table on the left, and actually get the words out.
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, 4701 S Custer Rd Ste 500, 6-8PM (Free)

🌱 Lunch Bunch - Local Spotlight: Sunset Trail Family Farm
Kristen Hoegenauer of Sunset Trail Farms - McKinney's you-pick blackberry farm - shares how an overgrazed pasture became thriving regenerative farmland. Casual lunchtime talk, bring your own food, all are welcome.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000, 11:30AM-12:30PM (Free)

🔬 Mad Science - STEM for Kids (K-5th Grade)
Hands-on science experiments for school-age kids - the kind of session that actually explains why things work, not just that they do. A solid Tuesday activity before back-to-school season takes over the schedule.
John and Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 4:30-5:30PM (Free)

♟️ Chess Night at The Lion & Crown
No-pressure chess in a pub setting - complete beginners welcome, no one's tracking your rating. Grab a pint, find a board, and think your way through Tuesday.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy APT 1600, 6-9PM (Free)

🖨️ Printmaking with Mary Hannigan
Mary's opening her studio for hands-on printmaking using her press and tools - the art of transferring images from a matrix to paper or fabric. Classes max out at 4 students, so it's genuinely one-on-one instruction.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000, 2-4PM ($50)

🀄 Guided Open Play: Mahjong at Lone Star Winery
Taken a few mahjong classes but still nervous to join open play? This guided session has a coach at the table the whole time - seats limited to 16, snacks provided, wine available for purchase. Low-stakes tiles, great mid-week vibe.
Lone Star Winery, 103 E Virginia St, 6-8:30PM (Tickets at link)

🎵 jett platt Live at Harvest at The Masonic
A Wednesday night live set in Harvest's intimate third-floor Masonic Lounge. Full kitchen open, no cover charge - one of the easiest midweek decisions in downtown McKinney.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM (No cover)

🎸 Erick Fayard Live Music
Three hours of live music in a pub setting on a Wednesday. Cold pints, a lively crowd, no cover charge - a reliable way to flip mid-week into a good week.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy APT 1600, 7-10PM (Free)

🏃 Stroller Strides Workout at District 121
A fitness class for parents and caregivers with strollers - cardio, strength, and community built into a Thursday morning. Every Thursday in August, free to attend.
District 121, 5800 Town and Country Blvd, 9:30-10:30AM (Free)

🧖 A Twist on Wellness with OrangeTwist McKinney
A free pop-up wellness event at OrangeTwist's West Grove location - complimentary skin consultations, live brand demos from Drybar, The Tox, and others, gift bags, raffles, and lite bites. The kind of Thursday afternoon worth blocking off.
OrangeTwist McKinney, 8701 W University Dr Suite 150, 4-7PM (Free)

🎨 Anime & Art - Teen Workshop (6th-12th Grade)
A teen-targeted art session at the library exploring anime-inspired drawing and creative techniques. No experience required - just show up and make something.
John and Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 4:30-5:30PM (Free)

🍷 Ken and Cathy Live at Lone Star
A husband-and-wife Americana, folk, and country duo back in the Lone Star tasting room. Warm flatbread, a bottle of Ranch Wine, and two musicians who clearly love what they do.
Lone Star Winery, 103 E Virginia St, 5:30-8:30PM (Free)

🧘 Sound Bath With Markita
A full-hour sound bath at the Wildflower Production House - singing bowls, healing frequencies, and the kind of nervous system reset that four days of McKinney August heat has absolutely earned you. Bring a yoga mat and a blanket.
The Wildflower Production House, 312 E Louisiana St, 6:30-7:30PM (Tickets at link)

🎶 Lynne Cadena Live at Harvest at The Masonic
Live music closes the week in Harvest's third-floor Masonic Lounge. Same intimate setup as Wednesday - but with a Thursday crowd that's already mentally halfway through the weekend.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM (No cover)

McKinney's downtown square looks old because it is. The brick buildings lining the streets around the Collin County Courthouse date mostly from the 1870s to the 1920s, when McKinney was the economic hub of Collin County - a cotton market town that needed banks, dry goods stores, hardware shops, and hotels to keep the surrounding agricultural economy running.

What's less obvious is how the square survived. Most Texas downtown squares from this era were gutted by urban renewal programs in the 1960s and 70s - the same federally funded demolition efforts that leveled historic blocks in Dallas, Fort Worth, and dozens of smaller Texas cities. McKinney largely missed that wave because it didn't have the political pressure or the budget to "improve" what was already there. Necessity looked a lot like preservation.

The turnaround came in the 1980s and 90s when property owners and the city started treating the old buildings as an asset. Today, the McKinney Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the city has repeatedly ranked as one of Texas's best historic towns by Texas Monthly. What started as economic luck became deliberate policy - and the square you walk through today is the result of both.

Mon: ☀️ Sunny and toasty, high 104°F
Tue: ☀️ Sunny and toasty, high 104°F
Wed: ☀️ Hot with sunshine, high 104°F
Thu: 🌤️ Hot with partial sunshine, high 104°F

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