Weekend Event Planner
These are the 8 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend
As the world continues to open back up amid the ongoing pandemic, the slate of events this week will once again feature all in-person but socially-distanced events. There's a little of something for everybody, including a nature-themed LEGO exhibit, two opera-themed events, two new theater productions, an arts festival, concerts from a country star, and film with a lovable pig.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. And don't forget, Sunday is Mother's Day. Here is a list of the best brunches around town, and here are more ideas for great "mom dates."
Thursday, May 6
Fort Worth Botanic Garden presents "Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects Made with LEGO Bricks"
"Sean Kenney’s Nature Connects Made with LEGO Bricks" is an award-winning exhibition that uses works of art made from simple toy blocks to explore animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and humanity’s relationship with nature. It depicts important topics that the New York artist holds dear, from protecting an animals’ habitat, to planting a garden, or showcasing a beautiful orchid — subject matter with particular appeal to gardens. The exhibition will remain on display at Fort Worth Botanic Garden through August 1.
Fort Worth Opera presents Manon on the Move
Fort Worth Opera will present Manon on the Move, a mobile opera experience starring Lesley Resident Artist Megan Koch. Six arias and scenes from Jules Massenet’s sparkling French tragicomedy, Manon, will be performed in transit for audiences at the Trinity Metro Central Station and The Ashton Depot in downtown Fort Worth. Koch will take audiences on a journey through Belle Époque Paris as she plays a young, impulsive woman who abandons true love for a life of glamour, hedonism, and decadence.
Artisan Center Theater presents Les Misérables School Edition
Les Misérables is the beloved tale of forgiveness and repentance. It follows the life of an ex-convict hunted for decades by a ruthless policeman after he breaks parole. When he agrees to care for the young daughter of a factory worker, their lives change forever. The powerful musical tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The production will play at Artisan Center Theater in Hurst through May 20.
Thomas Rhett in concert
On the heels of Miranda Lambert's five-concert, two-weekend stay at Billy Bob's Texas comes another big country star getting the same treatment. Thomas Rhett's first four albums have all reached either No. 1 or No. 2 on the Billboard Country album charts, with the last two going to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts. He'll play three shows this weekend and two more on May 14 and 15 in support of his brand-new album, Country Again: Side A.
Friday, May 7
Magnolia at the Modern: Gunda
Experiential cinema in its purest form, Gunda chronicles the unfiltered lives of a mother pig, a flock of chickens, and a herd of cows with masterful intimacy. Using stark black-and-white cinematography and the farm's ambient soundtrack, director Victor Kossakovsky invites the audience to slow down and experience life as his subjects do, taking in their world with a magical patience and an other-worldly perspective. The film will screen five times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Community Arts Center presents The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria
The Fort Worth Community Arts Center is back with its second in-person production since the beginning of the pandemic, The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria by Fernando Arrabal. The play challenges the audience's notion that ethics and justice are undermined by human weakness as the main character imparts the notion of morality in an attempt to “civilize” the sole inhabitant of a desert island. The production, taking place outdoors in the shaded circle drive in front of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, will take place every Friday and Saturday through May 29.
Saturday, May 8
West Main Arts Festival
The 5th Annual West Main Arts Festival (formerly known as the East Main Arts Festival) will be on West Main Street surrounding the Arlington Museum of Art and other businesses in the arts district of Arlington. The day-long event will feature 78 local artists and vendors in a socially-distanced environment with a variety of media, including live painting, sculpting, and pottery, along with two stages with numerous bands and performers.
Fort Worth Opera presents FWO GO: Mother’s Day Tea & Teddy Bear Tea
Fort Worth Opera will celebrate motherhood with a performance of opera and musical theater favorites during a socially-distanced Mother’s Day Tea. Adults and kids can enjoy a variety of delicious treats while the FWO Lesley Resident Artists serenade the mothers. The event will take place at Ashton Depot.