In what’s possibly the first festival D Magazine has covered that doesn’t explicitly fall under FrontRow or SideDish, FAME Fest is scheduled for the end of September at the Omni Dallas Hotel, and is being billed as the “first experiential fitness festival.”
A partnership with the downtown hotel and Dallas’ Fitness Ambassadors, FAME (an acronym for “fitness + arts + music + experience”) will feature live music, food and drink vendors, as well as a local artist showcase, but the main attraction will be fitness trends and classes. (So, like Coachella, but the “lineup” involves Silent Disco Pilates or Hip Hop Flow.) Participating studios include Vital, Beyond Studios, Zyn22, Class Studios, newly opened TruFusion, and Pound (a drumming-inspired workout—the nichest of the niche), with classes scheduled from 8am into the evening.
As the focus on wellness-slash-self-care continues to intensify, fitness festivals have started popping up around the country. There’s Co:Labs in Los Angeles (Ludacris has been a performer) and New York City’s NY Fit Fest. Dallas has been a stop on Wanderlust’s mindful triathlon tour (swap cycling and swimming for yoga and meditation). But FAME Fest is the first homegrown effort at giving fitness the festival treatment. Guests can expect classes soundtracked by DJs and local bands, a wellness vendor block party in between workouts, a “recovery, refresh, and recharge lounge,” and offerings from Omni’s Restaurants on Lamar. Having just attended a yoga class accompanied by a violinist playing current hip hop hits at TruFusion, I can attest to live music and physical fitness being a motivating mashup.
The event takes place on Friday (VIP) and Saturday, September 27 and 28. Click here for details on tickets, or view the newly announced lineup here.
