The McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) has been under renovation since February, and the finish line is close. City Council approved funding in February 2025, the Texas Historical Commission signed off in Fall 2025, and construction began February 2 of this year - with an estimated completion in Fall 2026. That means the historic downtown venue is likely just weeks or months away from reopening.

The renovation is a full restoration, coordinated with state historic preservation requirements given the building's age and significance at 111 E. Virginia Street. MPAC has been one of Collin County's older performing arts spaces and has hosted everything from the McKinney Community Band to touring acts that couldn't get a date at bigger venues.

The city has been posting renderings and updates throughout the project on this website. Worth bookmarking if you want to know the moment tickets go back on sale. Fall 2026 in McKinney just got a lot more interesting on the live performance calendar. (Source: City of McKinney Newsflash, September 2026)

McKinney's first AC Hotel by Marriott is slated to open on the city's southern border later this year. The property will include Good & Proper Wood Fired Grill on the fifth floor with its own separate entrance, open for dinner service. A full-service hotel with a rooftop restaurant is genuinely different from what McKinney has had in its hospitality lineup. Opening 2026 | South McKinney

McKinney's Office of Emergency Management has distributed more than 1,700 free emergency preparedness bags, now available at community locations across the city. Each bag is designed to help residents take practical steps to prepare for local hazards. Check mckinneytexas.org/OEM for pickup locations. (Source: City of McKinney)

The McKinney Farmers Market at Chestnut Square has been nominated for America's Farmers Market Celebration, a national recognition program by American Farmland Trust. Voting is free and takes 30 seconds at markets.farmland.org. Deadline is September 30. (Source: City of McKinney)

McKinney City Council approved multiple contract amendments for the McKinney National Airport commercial terminal project at its September 1 meeting - covering architecture, commissioning services, and materials testing. Each approval moves the terminal another step toward the late 2026 commercial service launch. (Source: McKinney City Council, September 1, 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.

🐉 Dragon Trails at the Heard
Still running through end of September - twelve animatronic dragons on a half-mile trail through the Heard's grounds. A solid Labor Day option for families.
Heard Natural Science Museum, 1 Nature Place · 9AM-5PM ($12-$16, free members)

🍺 TUPPS Open for Labor Day
The Cotton Mill is open all day for the holiday - Grain Room Kitchen, full taproom, outdoor patio. The right vibe for a Monday off with nowhere to be.
TUPPS Brewery, 402 E. Louisiana St. · 11AM-10PM (Free to enter)

🎒 Free Emergency Prep Bags Available
September is National Preparedness Month and McKinney's OEM has free emergency bags at community locations citywide. Worth swinging by before the week starts.
Pick up at city locations · Free

🎒 Disaster Preparedness Workshop - Build Your Own Kit
McKinney's OEM partners with the John & Judy Gay Library for a free hands-on class where participants build their own emergency kit on the spot. Registration required at mckinneytexas.org.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W. Eldorado Pkwy · Registration required (Free)

💡 Lunch Bunch - The 4 Principles of Momentum
International executive coach Nino Bunturi shares a proven system for getting unstuck - practical mindset principles for work, creative pursuits, and life. All welcome, bring your own lunch.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St. Suite 1000 · 11:30AM-12:30PM (Free)

🎸 Eric Erickson Live at Harvest
Live at the Masonic Lounge Tuesday evening - an intimate three-hour set on the third floor with downtown views. Full dinner menu available, reservations recommended.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N. Kentucky St. · 6:30-9:30PM (Free)

🎭 Three Companies + Locally Sourced Stand Up
The Comedy Arena's Tuesday double-bill: three improv troupes, no scripts, one stage at 7PM - then Locally Sourced Stand Up at 8:30PM. Two shows, no filler.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E. Virginia St. · 7-10PM ($5-$15, 2-item minimum)

🎸 Erick Fayard Live at The Lion & Crown
Live music bringing a mix of favorites and feel-good vibes at McKinney's best British pub. Grab a drink, find your spot, and enjoy the atmosphere.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy · 7-10PM (Free)

🏈 TUPPS Tailgate: Patriots vs. Seahawks
NFL season kicks off with a prime-time game and TUPPS is turning the Outdoor Beer Hall into a tailgate - cold beer, big screens, kickoff at 7:20PM.
TUPPS Outdoor Beer Hall, 402 E. Louisiana St. · 7:20-10PM (Free)

🔌 Plug and Play McKinney Plug-In
Thursday morning innovation and networking at Plug and Play McKinney - connect with founders, investors, and tech community members over coffee before the day starts.
Plug and Play McKinney · 8-9AM (Free)

🍂 Fall Wreath Workshop with Care Sharpin
Make a 14" fall wreath to take home - all materials provided, light snacks and water included, BYOB welcome. Beginner-friendly and a genuinely good Thursday afternoon.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St. Suite 1000 · 12-3PM ($85)

🎵 Tyla Taylor Live at Zin Zen
A mix of classic rock and R&B with a soulful flare on the Zin Zen patio - one of McKinney's most underrated live music settings on a Thursday evening.
Zin Zen Wine Bistro, 6841 Virginia Pkwy · 7-10PM (Free)

🎭 Three Companies + Locally Sourced Stand Up
The Comedy Arena's Thursday edition of the same winning double-bill. Different troupes, same contagious energy - improv at 7PM, stand-up at 8:30PM.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E. Virginia St. · 7-10PM ($5-$15, 2-item minimum)

The building at 111 E. Virginia Street that houses the McKinney Performing Arts Center has a quiet kind of staying power. Built in the late 1800s as an Odd Fellows Hall, it predates most of what you see on the downtown square today. The stone facade, the high ceilings, the thick walls that make it cooler in summer and quieter during performances than modern construction allows - all of that is original.

For much of the early 20th century, the building served civic and fraternal functions that were central to how a small Texas town organized itself before the internet, before big-box retail, before the city had a thousand things competing for people's attention on a Friday night. The Odd Fellows Hall was where the community gathered for things that mattered - meetings, performances, civic occasions.

It became the McKinney Performing Arts Center in a previous life and has hosted everything from the McKinney Community Band to touring acts. The current renovation - the most significant work done to the building in decades - is treating the structure the way it deserves: as a historic asset worth maintaining properly, not just patching up. When it reopens this fall, it'll be the same building it's always been. Just shinier.

Mon: ☀️ Mostly sunny; a shower in spots late afternoon, high 94°F
Tue: ☀️ Sunny and toasty; t-storm possible in the afternoon, high 95°F
Wed: ☀️ Hot with abundant sunshine, high 97°F
Thu: ☀️ Mostly sunny; t-storm in spots in the afternoon, high 95°F

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