What started with a couple Highland Park high school kids quietly putting boats in the water has grown into one of the most unique athletic communities in Dallas.

On this episode, Camille and Rich sit down with Austin Brooks, better known as AJ, Executive Director of Dallas United Crew. We talk about the surprising history of rowing in Dallas, how the sport found its home here, and why White Rock Lake became the backdrop for something much bigger than competition.

AJ’s story alone is wild. Undefeated collegiate career at the University of Washington, world record in the Varsity 8+, Team USA appearances, and a Henley Royal Regatta championship. Now he’s in Dallas building a program designed for everyone, not just elite athletes.

Dallas United Crew has grown from a single high school team into a full nonprofit urban water sports center serving athletes of all ages and backgrounds. The mission is simple but powerful. Build character, resilience, and community through movement on the water.

This conversation goes way beyond rowing. It is about access, opportunity, and how a city builds identity around something most people never expected to be part of Dallas culture.

You will never look at the lake the same way again.

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For Part 2 of our field trip to Bonton Farms, Camille and Rich sit down with Melissa Metoyer, the Senior Director of Health Equity and Community Impact, to talk about what it really looks like when a neighborhood takes care of each other.

This conversation goes deep into health and wellness, but not in the abstract. We talk about real systems. Real people. And real outcomes. From medical and dental care to behavioral health, nutrition, financial stability, and workforce development, Melissa walks us through how Bonton Farms has built an integrated model where everything works together under one roof.

What stood out most is how intentional it all is. This isn’t charity. It’s dignity. It’s accountability. It’s neighbors supporting neighbors in ways that actually change lives long term.

Bonton Farms already had a national reputation for community transformation, but Melissa shares how the work has evolved into something scalable, measurable, and deeply human. This episode is about health equity, but more than that, it’s about what happens when a community decides it deserves better and builds the systems to make it happen.

If you care about health, wellness, community, or just seeing what’s possible when people stop talking and start building, this one is worth your time.

Check them out!

https://www.bontonfarms.org

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In this episode, we’re joined by director Vickie Washington to talk all things Fat Ham, the Pulitzer Prize winning comedy making its regional premiere at Dallas Theater Center.

We dig into Vickie’s journey as an artist, what drew her to this bold reinvention of Hamlet, and how Fat Ham uses humor, family tension, and truth to explore liberation and joy. Centered around a queer Black man caught between generational expectations and his own freedom, the play challenges cycles of violence while delivering laugh out loud moments and emotional depth.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on the show, the themes, and why Fat Ham is a must see production this season.

Show dates January 30 through February 8, 2026
Kalita Humphreys Theater
Written by James Ijames
Directed by Vickie Washington
A co production with Stage West Theatre

Mature content and adult language apply.

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Today on What In East Dallas Is Going On? we took a field trip to Bonton Farms and spent time with their CEO, Mark Jones. Mark is no ordinary CEO, and what’s happening at Bonton Farms is nothing short of remarkable.

This was our first time truly being on the ground out there, seeing the work, feeling the energy, and understanding just how powerful this model really is. What they’ve built should absolutely be duplicated across the country.

We had an inspiring, honest, and eye opening conversation about community, leadership, food access, dignity, and what real change actually looks like when people decide to do the work. Rich and Camille host this special field trip episode, and it’s one you’ll be thinking about long after it ends.

If you believe communities can be transformed when people show up with intention, this episode is for you.

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We’re kicking off the first episode of the year the right way. With purpose, heart, and community at the center of it all.

This episode was recorded live at Bonton Farms, a place that embodies what it means to lift people up and create real change. Our guest is Stormy Pecchioni, Director of Philanthropy, Engagement, and Business Development for Dallas Trinity FC.

Stormy’s story is one rooted in service. From leveraging sports as a tool for good to showing up in the community and doing the work, his life has been about giving back and creating access for others. We talk about how sports can unite people, open doors, and create moments that matter far beyond the scoreboard.

We also dive into how the community can get involved with Dallas Trinity FC. Whether that means volunteering alongside the front office team, joining the loudest and proudest supporters at the Cotton Bowl, donating tickets to local families and nonprofits, or inviting DTFC into your organization or event.

This conversation is about more than soccer. It’s about showing up, building something bigger than yourself, and proving that when sports and community come together, real impact follows.

A perfect way to start the year.

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On this episode of the East Dallas Podcast, Camille and Rich sit down with Dr. Ashley Agan to talk about something simple, powerful, and surprisingly life changing. Walk with a Doc is a global movement that started with one frustrated cardiologist who just wanted his patients to get moving. What began as a Saturday stroll in an Ohio park has grown into more than 500 chapters around the world.

Dr. Agan shares how the East Dallas chapter is giving our neighborhood a chance to get outside, get answers, and feel connected. There is no pressure. No pace requirement. Just real conversations with a doctor who cares, and a community taking small steps toward better health.

If you want an easy way to move your body, learn something useful, and meet your neighbors, Walk with a Doc might be exactly what you need. Come join us.

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Camille and Rich hit the road for a field trip and stopped by one of East Dallas’s newest and most flavorful spots, Easy Slider. What started as a single food truck in 2011 has become a local favorite known for creative mini burgers, fresh ingredients, and a fun vintage Americana vibe.

Founders Caroline Perini and Miley Holmes built Easy Slider around their hunt for the perfect bite. Their sliders blend Caroline’s Texas roots with Miley’s love for Southern flavors. Along the way they have picked up national recognition and served some of the biggest names in Dallas.

In this episode we sit down inside their new brick and mortar location in Old East Dallas and talk about the journey from truck to restaurant, the stories behind their award winning sliders, their love for community, and why living easy really is a choice.

Perfect food. Great people. A true East Dallas story.

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Chelsea Callahan Haag from East Dallas Vintage joined the Chamber Chicks for a really fun conversation about community, creativity, and the love of finding pieces with a story. Chelsea owns East Dallas Vintage, a multi vendor shop in the heart of Old East Dallas, and also runs her own vintage dealer business, Callahan Clutter. She is plugged into just about everything in our neighborhood from the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce to the Casa Linda Tree Lighting to the East Dallas Arts District. This episode gives you a look at the person behind the shop, the passion behind the work, and why vintage continues to bring people together in this part of town.

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