Irving’s upcoming entertainment complex finally breaks ground this Labor Day weekend, and the public is invited to join in the festivities. Located between State Highway 114 and Las Colinas Boulevard near the Irving Convention Center, the Music Factory will be home to the third Dallas-area Alamo Drafthouse, as well as 25 restaurants and shops, an 8,000-seat concert hall, outdoor event plaza, and office building.

The August 30 ceremony will be family-friendly affair with food trucks; beverage vendors, including local craft beers from Community Beer Company; snake handlers; temple-themed bounce houses; live music performance by an all-star band featuring members from Dashboard Confessional and the Apples in Stereo; and a free Alamo Rolling Roadshow of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The fun starts at 7 pm.

The first 1,000 guests to arrive will receive a free commemorative Music Factory hard hat.

“This is an important next step for Irving as we continue strengthening our destination development vision,” said Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Maura Allen Gast in a release. “The Music Factory will generate enhanced interest and expand Irving’s offerings as an entertainment hub and valuable visitor destination.”

The $165 million project, developed by North Carolina-based ARK Group and designed by Gensler, is slated to open in early 2016. ARK Group previously built a $30 million Music Factory in North Carolina.

Funding sources for the Irving project include a bond issue and tax increment financing reimbursement from the city, as well as internal equity from the ARK Group. Visitors to the district also will have prime access to Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) Orange Line and the Las Colinas Area Personal Transport (APT) people mover system.