The march begins on Friday, June 14, for Dallas CASA’s 2024 Parade of Playhouses at NorthPark. For 17 days, the 16 unique cottages will be available for viewing to be raffled off on Sunday, June 30.
This year’s crop will include everything from “a pink-themed playhouse, an A-frame design, an ice cream shop, a castle, a fire station and a Dallas Mavericks-themed athletic shoe.”
Besides the curbside appeal like “metal roofs, polycarbonate panels designed to look like strained glass, shake siding and a hinged window,” some houses will include such kid-friendly features as rope ladders, slides, a catwalk and climbing walls.
One house is a collaborative effort by the Highland Park High School MAPS class, Preservation Park Cities and David Espedal.
According to Dallas CASA President/CEO Kathleen LaValle, “For too many children, home represents instability, addiction, fear and violence and many families lack the resources to overcome these challenges. These playhouses represent what everyone at Dallas CASA would like home to be for all children and their families— safe, loving, protective and full of hope about the future.”
Presented by Crest Cadillac with KDC serving as grand marshal, this year’s builders and architects include Austin Commercial, BakerTriangle Prefab, Balfour Beatty Construction, Butscher Construction, Coats Homes, Corgan, Crest Cadillac, Dallas Mavericks, Davis-Hawn Lumber Company, DPR Construction, Earthbound Martian, Espedal Design Construct, Hensel Phelps, Highland Park High School MAPS Students, Jacobs, Kimley-Horn, LRO Residential, OmniPlan, Perkins and Will, Preservation Park Cities Board, SHM Architects, Carlos Sierra, Stainback Construction, Stream Realty, Swinerton and Women Leading Technology.
In acknowledging the importance of the builders and architects, Kathleen said, “Our volunteers are the heartbeat of this agency, and we count our playhouse builders as volunteers. They donate not just their time and creativity, but their hearts as well. Each one of these houses is built on a foundation of care and concern for the most vulnerable in our community.”
Once the parade commences, raffle tickets will be going for $5 each or five for $20 online or at NorthPark Center.
* Graphic provided by Dallas CASA