It's a big weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, with two races inside and another kid-friendly event happening right outside. Other choices in and around Fort Worth include some world-class soccer, screenings of two notable films, great classical music, a production of a timeless story, and two events focused on wine and beer.
Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, April 6
U.S. Women's National Soccer Team vs. Russia
It will be another two years until the next Women's World Cup, but that doesn't mean you can't work up a little patriotic fervor as the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team faces off against Russia in an international friendly. The game, taking place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, will feature players like Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and more.
Friday, April 7
Disney/Pixar presents Cars 3: Road to the Races
Disney/Pixar’s Cars 3 is hitting the road with Road to the Races, a nationwide tour inviting fans to gear up for the film's upcoming big-screen release, which opens on June 16. Life-size character look-alikes of Lightning McQueen, Cruz Ramirez, and Jackson Storm are on display outside Texas Motor Speedway, and the event includes multiple other family-friendly activities. The tour is free and open through Sunday.
Magnolia at the Modern presents After the Storm
The latest in the Magnolia at the Modern series is After the Storm. The Japanese film premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and follows a private detective who, after the death of his father, struggles to find child support money and reconnect with his son and ex-wife. In Japanese with English subtitles, it screens six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Prokofiev Cinderella Suite
Sibelius’ Violin Concerto is the most widely recorded violin concerto of the 20th century. Violinist Alexandra Soumm joins the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for a performance of the work; the concert also includes a suite compiled from Sergei Prokofiev's lush ballet Cinderella and a performance of composer Adam Schoenberg's "La Luna Azul." There are three concerts at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday.
Theatre Arlington presents To Kill a Mockingbird
Theatre Arlington presents one of the most beloved and timeless stories in American literature, one that is just as relevant today as it was during the 1930s. Set in the mythical small town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, this coming-of-age story is told through the memories of Jean Louise Finch, whose lawyer father, Atticus, defends an African-American man wrongly accused of a despicable crime. The play runs through April 23.
Saturday, April 8
NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway
It's another big race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, with the minor leaguers in the NASCAR Xfinity series racing in the My Bariatric Solutions 300 on Saturday, and the name-brand drivers taking to the track on Sunday in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500. The first 30,000 fans in attendance at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 receive a limited-edition Danica Patrick bobblehead.
Vino-Palooza Wine & Music Festival
Vino-Palooza is a wine and music festival that offers tastings from more than 20 boutique wineries, as well as samples of local craft beers, spirits, and small bites. It includes intimate unplugged performances by Ryan Cabrera, Castro, Ryan Key of Yellowcard, Son of Stan, and more, hosted by J-Si from The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show. The event, taking place at Shipping & Receiving, benefits Trinity Habitat for Humanity.
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. presents Dadgum IPA Launch
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. hosts a celebratory launch event for its newest beer, Dadgum IPA. Attendees receive a commemorative can-shaped pint glass and three beer tastings. Hip-hop artist J/O/E performs live, and Heim Barbecue has food available for purchase. Additionally, the event marks the debut of “Dewey the Dadgum Truck,” a vintage pickup that Rahr & Sons refurbished as a focal point for event attendees to take photos.
Sunday, April 9
Lone Star Film Society presents Sunday Cinema Series: Tower
The latest in the Lone Star Film Society's Sunday Cinema Series is the award-winning 2016 documentary Tower. The unique film blends animation, testimony, and archival footage to relate the events of August 1, 1966, when a gunman opened fire from the University of Texas clock tower, killing 16 people. The film screens at Four Day Weekend Theater.
Cars 3: Road to the Races is a free event outside Texas Motor Speedway April 7-9.
