The Dallas Innovation Alliance's biggest community event of the year -- a neighborhood festival where technology meets opportunity -- returns to Oak Cliff this weekend.
Now in its third year, Get Connected Dallas brings robotics, virtual reality, STEM workshops, job interviews, art, and live entertainment to For Oak Cliff. The free event runs this Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 907 E Ledbetter Dr.
The Dallas Innovation Alliance, founded in 2015, is a cross-sector partnership that supports Dallas' smart cities strategy. For Oak Cliff, the host venue, is a South Dallas nonprofit with a "Superblock" campus that anchors education, advocacy, arts, and community programs in the 75216 ZIP code.
Activities include a robot petting zoo presented by RobotLab and BEST of Texas, beatmaking classes with Let the Beat Build, virtual reality challenges, and hands-on STEM activities from Black Girls Code. DJ 13lackbeard, the official DJ of the Dallas Cowboys, will perform throughout the day. SpaceBoi Fresh from 97.9 will serve as event emcee, and radio stations KBFB 97.9 The Beat, KDXX 107.9 Latino Mix, and KDGE 94.5 The Edge will broadcast live from the event.
Jennifer Sanders, executive director of Dallas Innovation Alliance, says this year's festival will include "more activities and surprises than ever"
The vision, she says, is to create an experience that links technology, community, and connection with festival energy for both kids and adults.
"We're so grateful for the partners that make this celebration possible," said Sanders, who recently won the 2025 Technology Advocate Award from Tech Titans.
The festival includes a job fair with on-the-spot interviews and workshops on resume design and digital job searching. A Resource Village will feature Rose Nonprofit, Aunt Bette's Community Pantry, Black Girls Code, Brother Bill's Helping Hand, Cityscape School, For Oak Cliff, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, HealthCareClinics, Parkland Health & Hospital System, Rae's Hope, Texas Rising, The Senior Source, To You From Us, Uplift Education, UT Dallas Developmental Neurolinguistics Lab, and Connected Dallas.
This year also features a new Digital Access Art Competition. Submissions have closed, but finalists will showcase work at the event, and attendees can vote live for winners. Prizes include laptops and State Fair of Texas ticket packages.
The event is presented by MJYC.tech and produced by The Event Nerd. Connected partners include Santander Consumer USA Foundation, Capital One, City of Dallas, and Spectrum. Empowerment partners are the State Fair of Texas, Best of Texas, and Black Girls Code. The event is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
Matt Yeager, CEO of MJYC.tech, sees the event as more than a tech showcase. "It's a celebration of innovation, creativity, and community to provide human and digital connection," he said in a statement.
Additional activities include carnival rides, food trucks, and mobile tech trucks from Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and Perot Museum. Attendees can collect stamps from activities for raffle entries to win prizes, including laptops, State Fair tickets, and gift cards.
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