Stephanie Allmon Merry

1 week ago | dallas.culturemap.com | Stephanie Allmon Merry

Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Marissa Phillips married her college sweetheart, Braden Leschber, in a picture-perfect wedding under the Tuscan sun of Italy on June 3, 2025. Phillips just completed her third year with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and reportedly cut the Italian wedding trip short to return to Dallas and "buckle down" for the next season's auditions. She appeared in Season 1 of Netflix's hit series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

2 weeks ago | dallas.culturemap.com | Stephanie Allmon Merry

Editor's note: It was a newsy week in Dallas. Sadly, the founder of a Dallas sweets company passed away; there was also news of a new gourmet European market in the works and peach cobbler coming to DFW Airport. Here's a chance to get caught up on the week's most-read stories, and here's help planning a fun weekend. Just like actors, once a filmmaker becomes known for a certain genre, it can be difficult to escape that pigeonholing.

2 weeks ago | fortworth.culturemap.com | Stephanie Allmon Merry

Let’s get it out of the way right at the top: The new live-action How to Train Your Dragon, coming a mere 15 years after the original animated film, serves no real purpose other than to make more money for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures. However, unlike Disney’s approach toward remaking their animated movies, this attempt manages to succeed on its own merits instead of being a half-baked vessel for nostalgia.

2 weeks ago | austin.culturemap.com | Stephanie Allmon Merry

On May 8, Austin foodies gathered to send their compliments to the chefs — and the chefs received them in grand fashion at the 2025 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards. Industry pros and foodies got together to celebrate the best restaurants, chefs, bars, and more. Nominees and winners (as introduced in our special editorial series) were chosen by a panel of expert judges including last year's winners, and the Best New Restaurant category was chosen by the public.

2 weeks ago | fortworth.culturemap.com | Stephanie Allmon Merry

We have all sorts of creatures and characters roaming Dallas-Fort Worth this month, from dancing cats and lions to Greek muses, heavenly workers, and Spanish-speaking puppets. You also get the choice of glorious air conditioning or spreading out your picnic blanket at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater to see Shakespeare under the stars.