City Council voted to approve a contract with A&C Construction for the Bob & Barbara Tomes Dog Park and Play Zone at Towne Lake - a new off-leash park and play area as part of the Towne Lake Phase 1C recreation development. The vote clears the way for construction to begin on one of McKinney's most-anticipated park additions.

The park is named after Bob and Barbara Tomes, longtime McKinney residents and community donors. Towne Lake has grown into one of the city's most-used outdoor corridors, but has lacked dedicated dog park space - meaning families in that area have been driving across town for an off-leash option. That changes once construction wraps.

No completion timeline has been announced. Watch for work starting near the Towne Lake recreation area along Wilson Creek Pkwy. (Source: City of McKinney City Council, Resolution 26-0790, Aug. 18, 2026)

Downtown McKinney got its first escape room lounge on Aug. 15. The Cipher Lounge at 101 S. Chestnut St. was founded by Stephanie Roman and pairs puzzle-based escape room experiences with a cocktail bar - so you can debrief (or commiserate) over a drink after. It fills a gap in downtown entertainment that's been missing for a while. Opened Aug. 15 | 101 S. Chestnut St., McKinney

The Louisiana-born slider chain opened its McKinney location at 1640 N. Custer Road on Aug. 18. Smalls keeps the menu tight: beef sliders, cheese sliders, a short sides list, all from a fast walk-up or drive-through window. No frills, reliably solid. Opened Aug. 18 | 1640 N. Custer Road, McKinney

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Send Me the Book

The city's Better Together Initiative is hosting a community conversation Thursday, Sept. 3 (6-8PM) at McKinney City Hall's Fitzhugh Event Hall. City staff and a UTD research team will present draft recommendations from their stakeholder working groups and take public input before finalizing the strategic plan. If you've been following McKinney's approach to homelessness, this is the room to weigh in. (Source: City of McKinney newsletter, Aug. 22, 2026 - mckinneytexas.org)

McKinney's proposed FY 2026-27 budget - adding 32 new positions while keeping the average homeowner's tax bill about $38 below last year - heads to a final council vote on Sept. 1. A public hearing precedes the vote; the full budget document is at mckinneytexas.org. (Source: City of McKinney FY 2026-27 Proposed Budget, Aug. 7, 2026)

The city is hosting a Nonprofit Grants Information Session this Thursday, 1-3PM at the Fitzhugh Event Center in City Hall. Nonprofit leaders and staff can learn how to apply for city grant funding. Free to attend. (Source: City of McKinney calendar)

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.

🧘 Breath by Design🧘 Breath by Design
Mindful movement and breathwork with Embrace Consulting - Week 3 focuses on energy and focus. Part of a four-session Mindful Mondays series at MillHouse. Drop in for $30 or commit to the full four-week series for $100.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000, 11AM-12PM ($30 drop-in)

🍽️ Lunch Bunch: Nonprofit Spotlight - Streetside Showers with Rachel Brown
Rachel Brown from Street Side Showers talks about their mobile hygiene work - bringing showers, dignity, and practical support to people experiencing homelessness in McKinney. Free, open to all. BYOL.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Suite 1000, 11:30AM-12:30PM (Free)

🔬 Mad Science (K-5th Grade)🔬 Mad Science (K-5th Grade)
Hands-on science experiments for elementary kids at the library - the kind that fizz, bubble, and occasionally surprise the kid running them. Free to attend.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W. Eldorado Pkwy., 4:30-5:30PM (Free)

🤝 UNIDOS Community Meeting🤝 UNIDOS Community Meeting
Hola, McKinney Police's quarterly Spanish-language community outreach is back. This session features guest speaker Jason Hernandez on "More Than a Store: How One Community Leader Is Changing Lives Through Service." Free, open to all, conducted entirely in Spanish.
Old Settler's Recreation Center, 1201 E. Louisiana St., 6-8PM (Free)

🎵 Preston Parker Live at Harvest at The Masonic🎵 Preston Parker Live at Harvest at The Masonic
Red Dirt country with a modern edge from a rising Texas artist. Harvest's intimate third-floor Masonic Lounge is a great room to catch someone early in their career.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N. Kentucky St., 6:30-9:30PM (No cover)

📺 Video Music Bingo at The Lion & Crown
Bingo where you match music videos instead of numbers - MTV meets trivia night. Tuesday's edition tends to pull a lively crowd. No cover.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy., 7-10PM (Free)

🎨 Kids Art Studio (K-5th Grade)🎨 Kids Art Studio (K-5th Grade)
The library's after-school art session for elementary kids - a different project each week. Free, no registration required.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W. Eldorado Pkwy., 4:30-5:30PM (Free)

🎸 Adam Schwem Live at Harvest at The Masonic🎸 Adam Schwem Live at Harvest at The Masonic
Live music midweek in Harvest's intimate third-floor Masonic Lounge - full kitchen, no cover. One of the more reliable Wednesday night moves in downtown McKinney.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N. Kentucky St., 6:30-9:30PM (No cover)

🃏 Euchre Tournament at Barro's Pizza🃏 Euchre Tournament at Barro's Pizza
Fast-paced euchre for up to 24 players - $5 to the pot, cash prizes for 1st and 2nd place. They start exactly at 7PM so RSVP in advance or you'll be on the sidelines.
Barro's Pizza, 2730 S Central Expy, McKinney, 7-9PM ($5)

🎶 Aidan Berlioz Live at The Lion & Crown🎶 Aidan Berlioz Live at The Lion & Crown
Live music at the pub - cold pints, solid crowd, no cover. Aidan Berlioz makes Wednesday feel a lot less like Wednesday.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy., 7-10PM (Free)

🏃 Stroller Strides Workout at District 121🏃 Stroller Strides Workout at District 121
The weekly Thursday fitness class for parents and caregivers with strollers - cardio, strength work, and a good community energy. Every Thursday in August, free to join.
District 121, 5800 Town and Country Blvd., 9:30-10:30AM (Free)

💰 McKinney Nonprofit Grants: Information Session
City staff walk through available grant programs and the application process for McKinney nonprofits. If you lead a local nonprofit, this is your Thursday afternoon.
Fitzhugh Event Center, City Hall, 401 E. Virginia St., 1-3PM (Free)

🧱 LEGO Bricks & More (K-5th Grade)🧱 LEGO Bricks & More (K-5th Grade)
Free LEGO building session at the library for elementary kids. Show up, grab bricks, build something. No pre-registration required.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W. Eldorado Pkwy., 2-3PM (Free)

💃 All-Styles Line Dancing💃 All-Styles Line Dancing
Line dancing that spans everything from country two-steps to hip-hop footwork. McKinney Parks & Rec runs this at Old Settler's every Thursday. Free to join.
Old Settler's Recreation Center, 1201 E. Louisiana St., 6-7PM (Free)

🎵 Vic Duncan Live at Harvest at The Masonic🎵 Vic Duncan Live at Harvest at The Masonic
Thursday night live music in Harvest's intimate Masonic Lounge. Full kitchen, no cover - a solid way to close out the week a day early.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N. Kentucky St., 6:30-9:30PM (No cover)

🎸 Ren Live at The Lion & Crown🎸 Ren Live at The Lion & Crown
Live music to close out Thursday at McKinney's favorite pub. Cold pint, zero cover, solid crowd.
The Lion & Crown McKinney, 7951 Collin McKinney Pkwy., 7-10PM (Free)

Before the highway, before the airport, before the US-75 commuter corridor - McKinney ran on rails. The Houston & Texas Central Railroad reached McKinney in 1872, and it changed everything. Before that connection, Collin County's cotton and agricultural goods moved by wagon to distant markets - slow, expensive, weather-dependent. After the railroad arrived, McKinney became the economic hub of North Texas almost overnight.

The effects were immediate. Cotton gins, grain warehouses, and commercial enterprises clustered near the depot. The area south of downtown near the tracks developed into what locals called the Mill District - a working neighborhood of small industries, workers' housing, and freight operations that defined McKinney's economic identity for decades. Banks and merchants filled the downtown square to stay close to the rail connection. The city's population grew. Property values jumped.

The depot building itself stood on the south end of town and served as McKinney's front door for generations. It's largely gone now, replaced by roads and different infrastructure. But the Mill District neighborhood name survives, and the street grid and lot patterns in that part of McKinney still carry the ghost of what the railroad era built - if you know to look for it.

Mon: ☀️ Sunny, high 108°F
Tue: ☀️ Sunny, high 108°F
Wed: ☀️ Sunny, high 104°F
Thu: 🌤️ Partly cloudy, high 102°F

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