Yes. Tickets are free, every time. Grab one on Eventbrite so we know how many creatives to expect. Drinks and food are available for purchase from the venue.

Every creative. Artists, designers, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, actors, writers, game devs, and anyone who works in or around a creative field. All skill levels and experience levels are welcome. If you make things, you belong here.

Do I need to be a member of anything?

No. Come as you are. The orgs at the tables are there to meet you, and if one clicks, they'll tell you how to get involved.

Can I come by myself?

Please do. Most people do. It's a room full of creatives who came to meet other creatives, so you won't stay solo for long.

It depends on the venue. Usually there are paid garages and lots nearby, and each Hangout’s Eventbrite page has the specifics. We encourage ride-sharing.

Is there an age limit?

It depends on the venue. Generally it's 18 and up, unless the Hangout's Eventbrite page says otherwise.

I run a creative nonprofit. Can we have a table?

Yes, and it’s free. See how exhibiting works and get on the exhibitor list.

Dallas Creatives HangoutWhereCreativityConnects

The free quarterly happy hour where Dallas creatives, from film and music to dance, design and everything between, meet each other and the orgs that bring them together.

Next Hangout: Sat · Nov 21
Time: 6–9 PM
Where: Bucket and Rope

Official industry happy hour of the AURORA Biennial

Get your free ticket See past Hangouts

1,686 RSVPs and counting

Two creatives talking at the VES Texas table — Film

A singer performing under a chandelier — Music

A creative in a bright patterned outfit striking a pose on a red bench — Dance

A group posing in front of the Hangout backdrop — Community

An attendee at the IGDA Dallas and Dallas Filmmaker Alliance tables — Games

A speaker on the mic in front of the Hangout backdrop — Theater

A drawing mannequin and artwork at The Cedars Union table — Art

Creatives sketching together on a tabletop — Design

A performer on the mic at the first Hangout — Music

Two friends at the Dallas Producers Association table — Film

An attendee trying out a video game at a table — Games

Two women at the Dallas Screenwriters Association table — Writing

Two friends hugging in front of the Hangout backdrop — Community

A wooden box covered in signatures from the night — Art

Two creatives in bold outfits at the Hangout backdrop — Fashion

The next Hangout

Hangout No. 04

Admit one creative · Free

No. 04

Sat
Nov21

6–9 PM2026

Fall Social

Bucket and Rope

In the beer garden

Saturday, November 21 · 6–9 PM

600 South Harwood Street, Dallas, TX 75201 · Map

What to expect

Creatives from every discipline, from working pros to the just-getting-started
Tables from creative nonprofits and community groups you can join
Drop in any time during the Hangout. No program, no name tags required
Drinks and food available for purchase from the venue
Family-friendly! Bring your kids, your partner, your mom or dad, even the surly neighbor. The more the merrier

Claim your free ticket

156 creatives already going

The Bucket and Rope storefront on South Harwood Street — Bucket and Rope, 600 S Harwood St.Peek at the beer garden ↗

What it is

Dallas’s most welcoming happy hour for creatives of every discipline.

Creatives mingling around the tables at the first Hangout

A big group photo in front of the Hangout backdrop

Friends in Hangout shirts under the string lights

The Hangout

Every few months the Hangout takes over a different Dallas venue, from Deep Ellum to downtown, and fills it with painters, producers, dancers, designers, game devs, writers, musicians and everyone in between. Creative nonprofits and community groups host tables around the room, so you can meet your people and find your creative home in the same night.

Who it’s for

Anyone who makes things, or wants to. Working pros and students, hobbyists and first-timers, people who just moved to Dallas and people who never left, from all over DFW. Think of it as a networking night without the name tags: it’s free, it’s casual, and you don’t need to belong to anything. Come solo. You won’t stay that way.

How it all got started

Built by Dallas creatives, for Dallas creatives

In partnership with

Dallas College School of Creative Arts, Entertainment & Design

EDGE North Texas, powered by Dallas College

The Hangout grew out of the Arts & Entertainment Sector Partnership, an initiative started by Dallas College to bring together a blend of public and private organizations and businesses: a partnership the likes of which Dallas hadn’t seen before.

The partnership has several goals, but a core one is simple: connect creatives across Dallas so the whole artistic community can thrive. The Dallas Creative Engine took that on, and the Hangout is its first big swing: a free, recurring night where every discipline and the nonprofits that serve them share one room.

Every Hangout is powered by those local creative nonprofits, the groups at the tables, who do the year-round work of giving creatives a way in.

The Arts & Entertainment Sector Partnership group in front of a painted mural

Members of the Arts & Entertainment Sector Partnership in a group photo

Partnership members taking a group selfie

Learn about the partnership ↗Read about it in the Dallas Observer ↗Run a creative nonprofit? Bring your org →

By the numbers

Hangouts to date: 3
orgs and nonprofits: 30+
RSVPs and counting: 1,686
reasons to connect: 1M

The orgs

Find your people

Creative nonprofits and community groups that have hosted tables at a Hangout. Every Hangout brings a different mix, depending on who’s free that night. Most of these groups are volunteer-run.

Run one? Bring your org.

Game Cinematic Society

Game Cinematic Society

OC Art Walk

OC Art Walk

Add your group

Game Cinematic Society
OC Art Walk
Add your group

Past Hangouts

Every event explores a new Dallas location. Check out some of the fun and connections.Swipe for earlier Hangouts →

03
Summer Social
Aug 26, 2026 · Four Corners Brewing
In support of Industry Giants ↗
Our biggest night yet: a brewery full of creatives from all over the city and a room lined with org tables.
350+creatives in the room
Summer Social: See all the photos on Facebook ↗
- Venue
- In support of
Photos by Ericka Estrella
02
Spring Social
Apr 21, 2026 · Joe Leo's Fine Tex Mex
In support of the Dallas International Film Festival ↗
A spring social alongside the Dallas International Film Festival, with filmmakers, festival folks and the rest of the creative crowd under one roof.
200+creatives in the room
Spring Social: See all the photos on Facebook ↗
- Venue
- In support of
Photos by Beth Loomer
01
The first Hangout
Nov 6, 2025 · Dot's Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard, Deep Ellum
Where it started. Hundreds of creatives turned out for a first-ever mixer of every discipline in one courtyard — and asked when the next one was.
300+creatives in the room
The first Hangout: See all the photos on Facebook ↗
- Venue
- Kickoff sponsor
Photos by Ericka Estrella

More photos from every Hangout

Instagram ↗Facebook ↗

Sponsors and partners

Kept free by friends

Every Hangout is free to attend. These sponsors and partners make that happen with funding, gear, design, promotion and a whole lot of volunteer hours.

Create & Exchange

Create & Exchange

Create & Exchange

Sponsor the Hangout

Your brand in front of 1,000+ creatives across Dallas.

Every Hangout is free for the creatives who come, and sponsors help keep it that way. If your company wants to back Dallas’s creative community, we’d love to hear from you.

Email us to inquire

Or write to dallascreativeshangout@gmail.com

Before you go

Good
questions

Anything else? Email dallascreativeshangout@gmail.com.

Is it really free?
Yes. Tickets are free, every time. Grab one on Eventbrite so we know how many creatives to expect. Drinks and food are available for purchase from the venue.
Who's it for?
Every creative. Artists, designers, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, actors, writers, game devs, and anyone who works in or around a creative field. All skill levels and experience levels are welcome. If you make things, you belong here.
Do I need to be a member of anything?
No. Come as you are. The orgs at the tables are there to meet you, and if one clicks, they'll tell you how to get involved.
Can I come by myself?
Please do. Most people do. It's a room full of creatives who came to meet other creatives, so you won't stay solo for long.
Where do I park?
It depends on the venue. Usually there are paid garages and lots nearby, and each Hangout’s Eventbrite page has the specifics. We encourage ride-sharing.
Is there an age limit?
It depends on the venue. Generally it's 18 and up, unless the Hangout's Eventbrite page says otherwise. The November 21 Hangout with AURORA is family-friendly, so bring the whole crew.
I run a creative nonprofit. Can we have a table?
Yes, and it’s free. See how exhibiting works and get on the exhibitor list. Bring your org →

Stay in
the know

Hear about the next Hangout first, plus calls for entry, open tables and what our partner orgs are up to. Join 950+ Dallas creatives on the list.

@dallascreativeshangout Facebook

Dallas Creatives HangoutWhereCreativityCreativityConnects