Weekend Event Planner
These are the 9 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend
Music is in the air in and around Fort Worth this week, as most of the events we're featuring have a musical bent to them. Among others, there's the start of a new downtown music series; two separate symphony concerts, one of which features a celebrity pianist; a monthly outdoor concert series; a visit from a Dallas choir; and a local production of a Broadway musical.
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, May 11
Sundance Square presents Bands on the Bricks: Northern National
Sundance Square presents Northern National as part of its new Bands on the Bricks series, where different performers play weekly on the Plaza Stage in the heart of Sundance Square. A five-piece rock band from Dallas, Northern National boasts an alternative/pop sound, with lead singer Michael Rossi adding a jazz influence to the group. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome during the concert. Beverages are available for purchase and restaurants are open throughout the evening.
Symphony Arlington presents Antonio Di Cristofano
Symphony Arlington continues its 2016-2017 season, Symphony Goes Wild!, with a concert featuring pianist Antonio Di Cristofano. Selections for the concert at Arlington Music Hall include Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Wagner’s “Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg,” Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” and Shostakovich’s “Selections from The Gadfly.”
Friday, May 12
Stockyards Station presents Frontier Forts Muster
The 16th annual Texas Frontier Forts Muster is a two-day heritage event where the Stockyards National Historic District is transformed into an authentic representation of Texas frontier life. On Friday and Saturday, Exchange Avenue will be lined with encampments of historic fort sites from the Texas Forts Trail and elsewhere in Texas. On Saturday there will be a special parade celebration recognizing the 150th Chisholm Trail Anniversary following the 4 pm cattle drive.
Magnolia at the Modern presents Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
The latest in the Magnolia at the Modern series, Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, stars Richard Gere as Norman Oppenheimer, a small-time operator who befriends a young politician at a low point in his life. Three years later, when the politician becomes an influential world leader, Norman's life dramatically changes for better and worse. The film screens six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Near Southside Inc. presents Friday on the Green
Friday on the Green is a free monthly concert series at Magnolia Green Park that features the region’s best live music, tasty food and drinks from Near Southside eateries, and the fun and relaxed atmosphere of a big neighborhood picnic. Performers this month include Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Left Arm Tan, Lion Eye, and Maria & Alex.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Dvorak's New World Symphony
It's been a tumultuous season for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, but they'll close out their season in style as pianist Vadym Kholodenko performs Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 for his final concert as an artistic partner with the orchestra. Also on the program will be Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) and Shostakovich’s pyrotechnic "Festive Overture." The concert plays three times through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.
Theatre Arlington presents Legally Blonde: The Musical
Theatre Arlington presents Legally Blonde: The Musical, based on the MGM hit movie starring Reese Witherspoon. The musical tells the story of college sweetheart and “pink” enthusiast Elle Woods, who decides to go for a law degree after her boyfriend, Warner, breaks up with her because she is not serious about the future. The production runs through June 4.
Saturday, May 13
Turtle Creek Chorale Chamber Chorus and Camerata
The Turtle Creek Chorale makes a rare trip to Fort Worth to perform this special concert at Ridglea Christian Church. The concert touches on elements of faith, love, and harmony through the "Tree of Life" theme, making this an ideal performance to hold in a church. If you want to see it more than once, they are also performing on Sunday at Hamon Hall inside Winspear Opera House in Dallas.
Sunday, May 14
Kimbell Art Museum presents "A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from the Phillips Collection"
"A Modern Vision" presents a selection of the most iconic European paintings and sculptures from the Phillips Collection, America's first museum of modern art. The exhibit contains an array of paintings from the first half of the 19th century, including works by Courbet, Corot, Daumier, Delacroix, and Ingres, as well as Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces by Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Manet, Monet, Redon, and Sisley. The exhibit is on display through August 13.