Bishop Arts cools down with Christmas in July

A summertime Grinch and a skating rink are not what you’d expect to find in 109-degree heat, but for many, the idea of it being cool was enough to embrace the sunshine and get outside.

Organizers of Christmas in July in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District say they’ve been doing the event for four years, and this has been the hottest of them all.

“It’s very warm, very hot. That’s why we all have snow cones,” said visitor Joseph Smith.

“It’s always hot in July in Texas, but we got a special little punch of weather this weekend,” said event chair Sonya Eudaley.

The triple digit heat didn’t keep crowds away, meaning organizers were responsible for keeping guests booth cool and safe.

“We’ve got fans everywhere, we’ve got water set up, cooling stations for folks and every store should have their A/C cranked down nice and low for everyone,” said Eudaley.

Even though the streets of Bishop Arts were filled with visitors the stands at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie were empty.

“The severe heat has just caused us to cancel racing for the rest of the weekend,” said the park’s director of marketing, Paul Monroe.

Officials made the call Friday, after advice from state veterinarians.

“We felt due to the safety of the horses and the jockeys, we decided to cancel racing” said Monroe.

Despite the cancellation, other families in the metroplex still managed to get out and have some fun.

“We just wanted to come out and be with our family, and enjoy this event and enjoy one another. Just relax, can’t really relax in the heat but just relax being with family members,” said Joseph Smith.

Christmas in July will continues Sunday from noon until 4 pm, with a poinsettia walk and story time with Mrs. Claus.