The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas)
The Bubble Lounge Podcast is hosted by Martha Jackson and is the leading hyper-local podcast covering Highland Park and University Park, Texas. With more than 350 episodes and over 190,000 listens, the show has become a trusted voice connecting the Park Cities community.
Each week, Martha sits down with community leaders, business owners, athletes, and residents to spotlight the people, places, and conversations shaping life in the Park Cities. Episodes explore philanthropy, lifestyle, wellness, fashion, relationships, local business, and the moments that bring neighbors together.
What sets The Bubble Lounge apart is its focused reach. Designed for an influential, community-minded audience, especially women and families in Highland Park and University Park — the podcast delivers authentic storytelling paired with strong local impact.
The Bubble Lounge (Highland Park & University Park Texas)
Homecoming and A lot of Other Things!
•Martha Jackson •Season 9•Episode 20
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It’s Homecoming week in the Park Cities, and there’s plenty buzzing around the Bubble.
This week, I’m catching you up on the latest in the Highland Park Methodist lawsuit, what’s coming to the former Sprinkles space in Preston Center, and everything you need to know before Highland Park kicks off district play on Homecoming night.
I’m also recapping a fabulous afternoon at the KidneyTexas Runway Report, looking ahead to Chefs for Farmers, and yes, The Bubble Lounge will be giving away VIP tickets. Stay tuned for that one!
Plus, I’m sharing a little from Theta Parents Weekend in Austin with Alexis and why your child’s senior year suddenly seems to be filled with “lasts” you didn’t see coming.
It’s your weekly catch-up on who to know, where to go and what’s happening around the Bubble.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
This episode is supported by: Kathy L. Wall State Farm Insurance Please show your support for the show by visiting our amazing sponsors.
Welcome to the Bubble Lounge. I'm Martha Jackson, and we have a lot happening around the bubble this week. There's a new development in the lawsuit involving Highland Park Methodist Church. We finally know what's going into the old sprinkles space in Preston Center, although exactly when it's opening is another question. And it's homecoming week at Highland Park, which means Kaniac Supper, the Auction, Highlander Stadium, and the official start of District Play. I also went to the Kidney, Texas runway report this week. Chefs for Farmers is coming up, and I have a pretty great giveaway to tell you about. And I spent last weekend in Austin for Theta Parents Weekend with Alexis. She's a senior now, so this one definitely felt a little different. Let's get into it. This episode brought to you by Kathy L. Wall, State Farm Insurance Agent. Visit her website at KathyLwall.com.
start with a story that continues to get a lot of attention in our community. There is another development in the ongoing legal dispute involving Highland Park United Methodist Church and the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Highland Park Methodist has now filed its official answer and counterclaim to the lawsuit. And because there is two different sides to this, I want to be really careful about how I explain it. The church is asking a Dallas County Court to reject the conference's claims and declare that the Church Council lawfully amended its governing documents beginning in 2022. The Horizon Texas Conference maintains that those changes did not follow the required denominational process and once the church's earlier governance structured restored. So essentially, there's a disagreement over whether the changes made by Highland Park Methodists were valid under the rules governing the church. And right now, that question has not been decided. The court has not ruled on the dispute. I think that's an important distinction because whenever something like this happens in our community, there's obviously a lot of conversation. And sometimes the conversation gets several steps ahead of what is actually happening. Right now, these are the positions of the two sides. Highland Park Methodist has also scheduled another town hall for Sunday, October 11th at 5 p.m. I know this is very personal for a lot of people in our community, particularly members of the church, so I'll continue following it. And when there are meaningful developments, I'll keep you updated here.
Okay, let's move over to Preston Center because we finally know what's going into a very familiar space. Hadley's is moving into the former Sprinkles location. And apparently we all know exactly where that is because when I say where Sprinkles was, nobody needs the address. That's kind of how directions work in the park cities, don't you think? We don't use street numbers, we use stores that used to be there. Hadley's is a locally owned Dallas luxury brand known for beautiful custom clothing, jackets, slippers, and that very classic style. And this is going to be more than just a traditional Hadley store. The new location is expected to include menswear, women's wear, slippers, bespoke, and home. They had originally planned to open October 1st, but the opening date has been pushed back. I've been in touch with them, and right now they're expecting it to be sometime in October. They're going to let me know when the opening date is firm, and as soon as I know, you'll know. I'm excited to see what they do with that space.
And speaking of things you need to know around town, I have another one of those reminders that I wish we didn't have to keep giving. The latest Park City's police reports include several vehicle burglaries around the area, including reports near the shops at Highland Park, Preston Center, and the park on Lomo Alto. In one Highland Park case, a firearm and cash were reported stolen from a vehicle console. There were also package thefts reported and a bicycle stolen near hire. These are police reports, not findings of guilt, but the takeaway for the rest of us is pretty simple. Lock your car, don't leave valuables sitting inside, bring in your packages, lock up those bikes. We live in a very safe community, and I think sometimes that makes it easy to feel a little too comfortable. So consider this your weekly reminder from the Bubble Lounge. And one quick Dallas note: the State Fair opens Friday. I'm not going to give you a 20-minute state fair survival guide this time because approximately every publication in Dallas has already produced one. But yes, big tech is back. The Courtney Dogs are waiting, and apparently we all are about to pay an extraordinary amount of money for fried food, and somehow we'll be completely fine with it. It's tradition after all. Getting your business in front of Park City's families is one thing. Getting them to pay attention is another. That takes time, consistency, and trust. I've spent more than eight years building that relationship through the Bubble Lounge, and today thousands of local listeners and followers tune to us for recommendations about what's happening in our community. When to put your business in front of them, visit BubbleLounge.net and click work with us.
Okay, Scots fans, we're going to keep last week's recap short. Halan Park traveled to Argyll Friday night and lost 70 to 37. That put the Scots at 1 and 3. There were still some encouraging offensive performances. Caden Reeves scored three rushing touchdowns. James Flowers added another rushing touchdown, and Beckett Lawrence contributed both on the ground and through the air. But now we turn the page because the non-district schedule is over. Friday night starts district play, and it also happens to be one of the biggest nights of the year at Highlander Stadium. It's homecoming. Highland Park takes on Nayman Forest Friday night at 7 p.m. Nayman Forrest comes into the game at 3 and 1, so the Scots are going to be tested right away as district play begins. And after a challenging non-district schedule, this really does feel like a reset. New part of the season, home filled, homecoming crowd, and a chance to start district play with a win. But you know me, the football game is only part of what makes Friday night so fun. Homecoming at Highland Park is really a community event. You've got alumni coming back, you have the bells, the cheerleaders, bands, the student section, homecoming court, and families who have probably been going to these games for generations. And before any of that happens, we have Kaniac Supper. The 13th annual Kaniac Supper and Football Auction is Friday at the high school. Takeout begins at 4:30 and dine-in starts at 5. And the online auction is already underway and continues through Sunday. Kaniac Supper has become one of those Highland Park traditions where you absolutely know everyone. You eat, you bit on something you probably didn't know you needed, you find your friends, and then everyone makes their way over to Highlander Stadium. I'll be there Friday night covering everything from Kaniac Supper to the game and all the fun around the stadium. So if you're not there, follow along on Bubble Lounge Podcast on Instagram and go Scots!
This week I went to Kidney Texas Runway Report at the Ritz Carlton, and I love this event. It was my first time to go. First of all, this year's theme was handbags and heels. So they had me at the title. Therese Rourke and her daughter Courtney chaired this year's event. Susan Geier served as the honorary chair, and Fran Wittenberg is the president of Kidney Texas. And the turnout was incredible. The ballroom was packed, the fashion show featured looks from North Park, and it was one of those Dallas luncheons that really is fun and really beautiful. But what I really like to remind people is that underneath all of that is a very serious purpose. Kidney Texas raises money to support kidney disease research, treatment, and patient care right here in North Texas. And it's a good reminder of why these events matter. Because I cover a lot of Dallas charity events. And yes, we talk about the fashion, we talk about the decorations, we talk about who was there, we see our friends, and let's face it, sometimes we do a little shopping. That is all just part of it. But there are organizations on the other side of those beautiful luncheons doing really important work, and Kidney, Texas is definitely one of them. So a big congratulations to Therese, Courtney, Fran, Susan, and everyone else involved. It was a fantastic event, and I was so glad I went.
Okay, let's talk about a few things worth putting on your calendar. First, of course, we have Homecoming Friday night, Kaniac Supper, the auction and the game. If you don't have a Highland Park football player but still want to support the program, you can participate in the online auction. Then coming up on October 8th is Party in the Park at Clyde Warren Park. This is one of Clyde Warren Park's big annual fundraisers with dinner dancing and Emerald City Band, which by the way played at my wedding reception many years ago in Fort Worth. And then I went to look a little further ahead because this next one is going to be fun. Chefs for Farmers is coming back to Dallas in November. Now, this is one of my most favorite events of the year, by the way. The festival runs for several days with the main event November 7th and 8th at Old City Park. If you've never been to Chefs for Farmers, this is one of those Dallas events that really is about the experience. It brings together chefs, restaurants, farmers, and food producers for a huge celebration of the Dallas food scene. You get to walk around Old City Park trying food from some of the best chefs around, meeting the people behind it, and discovering restaurants you may never have tried before. And there's something I love about this mission. It's not just about the chefs. It highlights the farmers and producers supplying the ingredients and reminds people that there's an entire story behind what ends up on your plate. Now, here's the part Bubble Lounge listeners need to know. The Bubble Lounge is going to be giving away VIP tickets to chefs for farmers. And VIP tickets have been sold out for weeks. So these are tickets you can't just go on and buy online right now. I'll be announcing the giveaway soon on Instagram. So make sure you're following Bubble Lounge Podcast and watch for that post. I'll tell you exactly how to enter when we launch it. And I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of competition for these. Now it's
time for Martha's take. I spent last weekend in Austin for the Theta Parents Weekend with Alexis. And it hit me that Parents Weekend when your child is a senior is very different than Parents' Weekend when they're a freshman. Freshman year, you arrive to investigate. How are your classes? Do you like your roommate? Are you sleeping? Are you eating? Do you need anything? How's your dorm? Do you have enough money? Do you need me to take you to Target? You're basically conducting a wellness exam disguised as a fun family weekend. And of course, you're trying to be casual about it. You don't want them to think you're checking up on them, but you absolutely are checking up on them. But by senior year, there's a whole different dynamic. They've got this. They know the city, they have their friends, they have their routines, they tell you where you're going. You're basically just along for the ride. And there's something really fun about that because you get to step into this life that they've created without you. And I mean that in the best possible way. When Alexis first went to college, I think part of me still felt like I needed to make sure everything was okay. Now I look at her and think, she's just fine. She knows how to do this. She has built a life here. She has her people. She can handle things. Then of course, there's the other part of being the parent of a college senior. The last starts sneaking up on you. This was our last Theta Parents weekend. And I really did think about that while I was there. Not in a sad way, really, but well, maybe a little sad. But mostly in a strange way where you suddenly realize how quickly one stage of life is ending. When your kids are little, everyone tells you it goes so fast. And when you're in the middle of it, you don't believe them because some days don't go so fast. You have school drop-off, activities, homework, dinner, sports. Something is always forgotten. Someone needs poster board at 9 o'clock PM and you're thinking exactly which part of this is flying by. And then suddenly you're sitting at your daughter's last college parents' weekend. And you think, oh, that's what they meant. It's funny because I think we prepare ourselves for the big big milestones like graduation, moving them into college. Those are the moments you know are coming. It's the little last that catch you off guard. The last parents' weekend, the last sorority event, the last time you'll do something that has simply been part of your calendar for several years. So I really tried to take every moment in last weekend. I tried not to think too much about what's coming next. But it really was a good reminder to enjoy every stage you're in while you're actually in it. And I will say there is one thing that apparently never changes. They may be completely independent adults who have created entire lives without us. But when the dinner check comes, mom is suddenly very important again. And I'm perfectly fine with that. And that's
it for this week's Bubble Lounge. There's a lot happening this weekend, and I'll be at Highland Park homecoming Friday night covering Kaniac Supper, the game, and everything happening around Highlander Stadium. Make sure you're following Bubble Lounge Podcast on Instagram for all of that. And keep watching for Chefs for Farmers VIP ticket giveaway. I'll have details coming soon. Thank you for listening. I am Martha Jackson, and I'll see you next time in the Bubble Lounge.
