Photo by Michael Leza
Used under Creative Commons license
Byron Crouch, Staff Writer
Hometowns are full of fond memories, great relationships and, of course, homes. However, many hometowns have a lot to offer even beyond old high schools and family reunions. These towns are full of fun and interesting places and make great travel destinations if you just know where to go and what to see.
My hometown of Denton, Texas is no exception. Denton is located on I- 35, where the highway splits into I-35 E and I-35 W. It is home to Texas Women’s University and University of North Texas. Denton is also home to several wonderful events such the Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, the Holiday Lighting Festival and some unique businesses.
Denton Arts & Jazz Festival, April 25 – 27 2014
This festival is free and one of the best things that Denton is known for. This year’s lineup of performers includes the Quebe Sisters Band, Al Jarreau and Asleep at the Wheel. During the festival, seven stages are constantly filled with musicians and bands. There are also over 50 wandering musicians. Other activities include face painting, several different food courts and fine arts and crafts.
Holiday Lighting Festival, First Weekend of December
During this festival visitors can try the different wassails and vote for the best in the town. This event also includes several different orchestras and performing groups. People can also get pictures with Santa.
Other Awesome Places to Check Out:
Denton Square Donuts
This is one of the newest additions to the Denton Square. It features a plethora of donut choices which include triangle pie donuts, square donuts, vegan fruit pies and fresh cinnamon rolls. Also, all of their items are baked rather than fried.
Roosters
This back street diner is home to one of the spiciest things found in Denton: the Hell Burger. This single slider is topped with Ghost Pepper sauce, and requires customers to be over 18 years and sign a waiver to order one. Of course if one isn’t enough, you can always try the Hell Burger Challenge.
Mr. Frosty’s
This 50’s diner is home to the best root beer in Denton. Along with serving their shakes and root beer floats frosty, they have excellent onion rings and hamburgers. However, they aren’t open on weekends or Mondays, so plan your visit accordingly.
Mini Mall 1 and 2
These stores are located right on the square. They contain everything from antique jewelry to surplus army supplies. They also have an extensive collection of weaponry (mostly knives and swords) and record albums. If you ever have an hour or two and you would like to go exploring, just stop by these two stores.
Recycled Books
The building that now hosts Recycled Books used to be an opera house. The result is a maze like feel to the store, as if the books never end. This location is fun to look through even if you aren’t planning on buying anything, with jokes hidden throughout the store just waiting to be discovered.