As we make our way from August to September and the temperatures start to get (a little) cooler, you'll have the choice of spending time inside or outside this weekend around Fort Worth. You can partake in a well-known comedian, an e-sports competition, a classic sci-fi movie, a food and music festival, the start of college football, and more.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time over this long holiday weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, August 29
Improv Arlington presents Deon Cole
Since getting exposure as a writer on Conan, comedian Deon Cole has gone on to star in a string of television shows, including Black-ish, Grown-ish, Angie Tribeca, and the game show Face Value. He'll get back to his first love — stand-up comedy — by performing six times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.
Friday, August 30
Electronic Arts presents Madden NFL 20 Classic
Football is back and so is the Madden NFL 20 Championship Series, which kicks off with the Madden NFL 20 Classic presented at the Esports Stadium inside the Arlington Convention Center. EA is returning to its classic competitive Madden NFL roots this season as the event will operate in a live and open format. The competition will take place through Sunday.
AMC Theatres presents The Matrix: 20th Anniversary
Movie fans know that 1999 was one of the best movie years ever, featuring classics like Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and more. For one week only, AMC Theatres will celebrate the 20th anniversary of another classic, The Matrix, with showings in Dolby Cinema, featuring immersive state-of-the-art Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio. Screenings will take place at participating locations through September 5.
Magnolia at the Modern: After the Wedding
In After the Wedding, Michelle Williams plays the manager of an orphanage in Calcutta who travels to New York to meet Theresa (Julianne Moore), a wealthy benefactor. An invitation to attend a wedding ignites a series of events in which the past collides with the present as mysteries unravel. This English-language remake of the 2006 Danish film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival
Experience two Texas traditions during Labor Day weekend at the 11th Annual Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival. The three-day event, going on through Sunday at the Bedford City Hall Complex, combines the Lone Star State’s love of music and food with performers, including headliner Boz Scaggs, and pitmasters from across the country vying for $20,000 in prizes.
Saturday, August 31
ESPN presents College GameDay
ESPN will set up shop in Sundance Square Plaza for the first week of the 2019 regular season in advance of the Oregon vs. Auburn game at AT&T Stadium. Fans can expect to see all the familiar faces from College GameDay, including Coach Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Maria Taylor, Tom Rinaldi, Gene Wojciechowski, and Jen Lada.
Jake Shimabukuro in concert
Since becoming one of the first viral YouTube video sensations in 2006, Jake Shimabukuro has almost single-handedly revived the popularity of the ukulele, winning accolades from artists and fans of classical, jazz, country and rock music alike, earning comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis and even concertizing for the Queen of England. He'll play at Arlington Music Hall.
Sunday, September 1
Panther Island Pavilion presents Sunday Funday
All good things must come to an end, and so it is for Sunday Funday at Panther Island Pavilion. On this Labor Day weekend, you'll have one final chance to rent tubes, pedal boats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and canoes from Backwoods Paddlesports to play on the Trinity River. You can also enjoy cold beer, music, friends, food trucks, and more while you soak in the sun one last time for the summer.
ESPN's College Gameday will set up at Sundance Square Plaza on August 31 in advance of the Oregon-Auburn game at AT&T Stadium.
