NEW VENUE JOINS ARTS DISTRICT: At noon today, Annette Strauss Square will be dedicated in the Arts District (Jerome reports on the tricky task of fitting it in among the existing structures). For the uninitiated, the open-air amphitheater is named for the late Dallas mayor, who died in 1998. Dallasnews.com looks back at her career in Dallas politics and how her strong support of the arts helped shape what the Arts District is today.

HAVE WE GOT A DEAL FOR YOU: Speaking of the Arts District, a couple of deals for performances there came into the inbox yesterday. First, the Dallas Theater Center has announced a pay-what-you-can performance of Henry IV on Saturday at 2 p.m. It’s part of the day’s Art in October Opening Celebration. And if you’ve got $30, the Dallas Museum of Art and Dallas Symphony Orchestra have a deal for you. You’ll receive entrance into “The Mourners” plus a ticket to the DSO’s performance of Brahms’ A German Requiem Oct. 14-16

MUSIC BITS: Preston Jones reviews new albums from locals Ronnie Fauss, Shiny Around the Edges, lalagray and Roy Robertson. (dfw.com) … Colin Arnold of Dallas band Eyes, Wings and Many Other Things talks about how his band got huge in Paris. (quickdfw.com) … The Dallas Observer catches up with Vampire Weekend ahead of the band’s Palladium show next week. (dallasobserver.com)