It's a festival-heavy weekend in Fort Worth, with no fewer than five different festivals taking place. They include ones showcasing opera, music, airplanes, and margaritas. You can also rally with a Democratic frontrunner, see Tony-winning musicals starring area university students, or check out an acclaimed new film.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, April 25
Rally in Fort Worth with Bernie Sanders
There are now officially 20 Democratic presidential candidates for 2020, so picking among the contenders is going to be tough. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the current frontrunners, will come to town for a free lunchtime rally at Burnett Park to share his vision for the country, which famously includes his Medicare for All healthcare system.
Theatre Wesleyan presents Avenue Q
Winner of the Tony "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt, and packed with heart. Filled with gut-busting humor and a delightfully catchy score, not to mention puppets, Avenue Q is a truly unique show that addresses humorous adult issues. The musical will play at Texas Wesleyan University's Thad Smotherman Theatre through Sunday.
TCU Theatre Department presents 42nd Street
The TCU Theatre Department will present the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 42nd Street. This production brings a 1930s setting, 40 tap-dancing cast members, and live music ensemble to showcase the power of theater and the importance of artistic performance. The musical, filled entirely with TCU students, will run at Fort Worth Community Arts Center through Sunday.
Friday, April 26
Magnolia at the Modern: Little Woods
The latest film in the Magnolia at the Modern series features an opportunity to see two of the best young film actresses working today. In North Dakota, two estranged sisters (Tessa Thompson and Lily James) are driven to extremes when their mother dies, leaving them with one week to pay back her mortgage. The modern-day Western will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Opera presents Porgy and Bess
The 2019 Fort Worth Opera Festival kicks off with what is considered one of the most important operas written in the 20th century, George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Based on DuBose Heyward’s 1925 novel Porgy, the tragic love story, featuring iconic arias like “Summertime” and “I Got Plenty of Nothing,” centers on a disabled beggar named Porgy and his efforts to save the troubled Bess from a life of shame, addiction, and ruin. The opera will play three times through April 30 at Bass Performance Hall.
Saturday, April 27
Fort Worth Aviation Museum presents Hops and Props Craft Beer Festival
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum will present its fifth annual veterans' recognition and craft beer festival, Hops and Props. The airplane and beer fest is dedicated to recognizing veterans while serving local craft beers and providing live music, food, and family-friendly fun. The event will include military vehicles, virtual reality flight simulators, military living history, helicopter rides, vendors, and more.
Ubbi Dubbi Festival
This brand new two-day festival from Disco Donnie Presents will be a fantastic voyage through the fields of sound. Guests can explore a magical land of music across three stages of today’s top electronic artists, performers, vendors, art, and more. Artists will include Bear Grillz, Borgore, Claptone, Devault, Graves, NGHTMRE, Steve Darko, Zinnia, and more. The festival will take place at Panther Island Pavilion on Saturday and Sunday.
Fort Worth Margarita Festival
At the Fort Worth Margarita Festival, margarita lovers will gather at The Yard to vote for the best margarita in Fort Worth. Guests will receive a margarita sampling card and voting chip, sample over 15 one-ounce samples of margaritas from Fort Worth's best bars and restaurants, and then drop a voting chip in their favorite margarita's voting jar. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Alexiam Foundation and CASA of Tarrant County.
Fortress Festival
Despite the number of other big events in Fort Worth this weekend, the Fortress Festival at Will Rogers Memorial Center remains the buzziest one of them all. It will feature headlining performances by hometown star Leon Bridges and CHVRCHES, along with 20 other bands on Saturday and Sunday. Ancillary events will include the Tour de Fortress bicycle race and Outdoor Voices Silent Disco.
The Fort Worth Margarita Festival will take place at The Yard on April 27.
