If you've ever had a health scare in a McKinney park, gym, or public space, here's some genuinely reassuring news: the city has dramatically expanded its public AED (automated external defibrillator) network, adding 400 new devices and pushing the citywide total to more than 800.

The results are striking. Since the program ramped up in 2023, McKinney's out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rate has climbed by more than 35 percentage points - placing McKinney among the safest cities in Texas for cardiac emergencies in public. That's not a rounding error in the data. That's real lives saved at rec centers, parks, and community spaces around town.

The devices are deployed at high-traffic public locations across the city, with many newer installations equipped with GPS tracking and remote monitoring so every unit is always deployment-ready. The premise is simple: the faster a bystander can find and use an AED, the better the odds of survival. And AEDs are designed to be used by anyone - the device talks you through every step, no medical training required.

For residents, the practical takeaway: an AED is closer than you'd expect almost anywhere in McKinney. Worth knowing where your nearest one is. (Source: City of McKinney Newsflash)

🎮 Dave & Buster's McKinney - Opening July 27
Dave & Buster's is part sports bar, part restaurant, part massive arcade - think hundreds of games, big screens for every sport, and full food and drink service all under one roof. The largest location in North Texas lands at 4064 W. University Drive on July 27 at 40,000 square feet - and the first 100 guests get free all-day gameplay.
Opening July 27 | 4064 W. University Drive, McKinney

🍕 Zalat Pizza - Coming This Summer
The Dallas-born craft pizza chain with a cult following for its NY-style pies is bringing its inventive topping combos to 1720 N. Central Expressway this summer. If you haven't tried Zalat yet, McKinney just became your excuse.
Opening Summer 2026 | 1720 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 210, McKinney

The renovation of the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) building - built in 1927 as Collin County's first purpose-built courthouse - is entering its final stretch, with a Fall 2026 reopening on the calendar. Crews are restoring interior details from the building's original construction, including 1930s paint palettes that haven't been seen in decades. When it reopens, MPAC will serve McKinney as both a performing arts venue and a piece of living architectural history. (Source: City of McKinney)

The McKinney City Council voted this week to expand the boundaries of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 1 - a financing tool that channels a portion of property tax growth in a designated area back into improvements within that same zone. The expansion adds new blocks near downtown to the list of areas eligible for TIRZ-funded upgrades: infrastructure, landscaping, and public space improvements. Development dollars staying in the neighborhoods that generated them. (Source: McKinney City Council)

⚽ USA vs. Belgium World Cup Watch Party
Round of 16 - USA takes on Belgium and every goal hits different with a packed pub crowd. The Celt is McKinney's go-to Irish pub for big match nights, right in Historic Downtown. Winner goes to the quarterfinals.
The Celt McKinney, 100 N Tennessee St, 7-10PM (Free to watch)

😂 The Can't Miss Comedy Show at The Comedy Arena
Stand-up, improv, and unscripted chaos from North Texas's sharpest comedians. If the World Cup doesn't go your way, here's your backup plan. Laugh the holiday off.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E Virginia St, 7PM (2-item minimum)

🍳 Mini Chef Camp at Chick-fil-A
Kids learn to make Chick-fil-A fan favorites from scratch - and walk away as official Mini Chefs. Two one-hour sessions (9AM and 2:30PM), parents stay for the full session. Free, but spots are limited so register ahead.
Chick-fil-A Eldorado & Ridge, 6201 Eldorado Pkwy, 9AM & 2:30PM (Free, registration required)

🌳 Lunch Bunch: Legacy Planning with Anita Eboka
MillHouse's informal speaker series tackles legacy planning - what it actually means to prepare for the future with clarity and intention. Open to members and non-members alike. Bring your own lunch, leave with a better plan.
MillHouse McKinney, 610 Elm St Ste 1000, 11:30AM (Free)

🎸 Henry Coke Live at Harvest
Country-meets-Americana from Henry Coke in one of McKinney's best intimate venues. Low-key, high-quality - the kind of Tuesday night you'll actually talk about. String it along.
Harvest at The Masonic, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-11PM (Free)

✍️ Creative Writers Workshop at John & Judy Gay Library
A structured adult workshop for writers at any stage - novel, short fiction, or just getting started. Share your work, get real feedback, leave with momentum. Plot twist: it's free.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 1-2:30PM (Free)

🀄 Mahjong 101: Learn to Play at Lone Star Winery
A beginner-friendly guided mahjong class at Lone Star Winery - taught step by step, capped at 16 guests so everyone gets real table time. Never played? That's the whole point. Tile one on.
Lone Star Winery, 103 E Virginia St, McKinney, 6PM ($71.21)

📚 Talk & Book Signing with Nathan Peterson
YouTube mental health clinician Nathan Peterson stops in McKinney for a candid talk on OCD and anxiety, followed by a signing. The kind of insight you'd normally pay a copay for. Read between the lines.
Half Price Books McKinney, 3190 S Central Expressway, 6:30PM (Free)

🏃 Free Stroller Strides at District 121
Every Thursday in July, District 121 hosts a free outdoor fitness class for parents with strollers - beginner-welcoming, no gym required. Stride right in.
District 121, 5800 Town and Country Blvd, 9:30-10:30AM (Free)

🏠 Chestnut Square Village Tour
A guided tour through McKinney's preserved 19th-century village with original buildings and costumed guides. Enough stories to fill an afternoon, from people who actually love the history. A walk through time that doesn't put you to sleep.
Chestnut Square Historic Village, 315 S Chestnut St, 11AM (check site for price)

🧱 LEGO Bricks & More at John & Judy Gay Library
K-5th graders get a free drop-in LEGO session at the library. No structure, no rules - build whatever imagination allows. One brick at a time.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy (check site for exact time) (Free)

📖 Meet the Author: Amanda Eyre Ward
Bestselling novelist Amanda Eyre Ward discusses her book "Arrivals and Departures" - an intimate evening at the library with one of Texas's most thoughtful writers. Only 15 seats available, so grab one while you can.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 7-8PM (Free)

If you've walked past the McKinney Performing Arts Center on Kentucky Street without knowing its backstory, you've walked past nearly a century of Collin County history without realizing it.

Built in 1927, the building originally served as Collin County's courthouse - the administrative and legal center of the county during an era when McKinney was still very much a small agricultural town defined by cotton farming and Main Street commerce. The design reflects the Beaux-Arts civic style popular in early 20th-century Texas: a building meant to project permanence and authority.

When Collin County outgrew the building and relocated to a larger courthouse, McKinney made an inspired decision: rather than demolishing it or converting it to offices, the city transformed it into the McKinney Performing Arts Center. MPAC has since hosted Broadway touring productions, community theater runs, concerts, and some of the most memorable live performances in North Texas.

Today it's mid-renovation ahead of a Fall 2026 reopening, with crews restoring original 1930s interior paint palettes and construction details that haven't been touched in decades. A 98-year-old building getting its most careful facelift yet. Worth a visit when the doors reopen this fall.

Mon: ☀️ Hot and sunny, high 92°F
Tue: ☀️ Hot, sunny, and breezy, high 93°F
Wed: 🌤️ Cooler with a breeze, high 82°F
Thu: ☀️ Sunny, high 85°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!