Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

There's no denying that the slate of events in and around Fort Worth this weekend is a lot of fun. Choices will include a sunny Broadway musical, a boat-building contest, three different outdoor concerts, the return of one of the biggest bands of all time, and a chance to end your weekend in the most relaxing way possible.

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, June 21

Broadway at the Bass: Waitress
Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, Waitress features original music and lyrics by recent Tony Awards host Sara Bareilles. Inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film, the musical tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start. The production will run through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Trinity Shakespeare Festival
TCU is home to the Trinity Shakespeare Festival, an Actor’s Equity professional summer repertory theater where TCU students are hired each year to work side-by-side with professional actors, directors, and designers to create acclaimed Shakespeare productions. The 2018 festival will feature Twelfth Night, or What You Will and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet running in rep through July 8.

Friday, June 22

Magnolia at the Modern presents Disobedience
In Disobedience, a photographer (Rachel Weisz) returns to the Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her decades earlier for her childhood attraction to a female friend (Rachel McAdams). Their reunion soon reignites their passion as they explore the boundaries of faith and sexuality. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

USS Fort Worth Whatever Floats Your Boat Regatta
The USS Fort Worth Whatever Floats Your Boat Regatta aims to build awareness of and camaraderie with the USS Fort Worth crew while promoting clean rivers and parks and green living. Participants will use recyclables to build a boat to ride across the Trinity River, with USS Fort Worth captain CDR Tony Hyde and crew members on hand to judge. There will be awards for Fastest Boat, Titanic Award (most spectacular failure), Best USS Fort Worth Look Alike, Best Team Theme/Costume, and Individual with Most Teams Recruited.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History presents FAMapalooza
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History will present its one-of-a-kind family friendly festival series, FAMapalooza. The series, taking place once a month through August, will kick off with Bubble Festival, at which visitors can learn about the science of bubbles, create giant 6-foot bubbles outside the museum, build their own bubble wands, explore what makes the best solution, and more.

Ohlook Performing Arts Center productions
Ohlook Performing Arts Center in Grapevine is putting on two buzzworthy productions. Playing late nights on Friday and Saturday through June 30, Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera utilizes the 1994 Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan media scandal to explore America’s obsession with celebrity scandals and its “go for the gold at all cost” attitude. Starting Friday and running through July 8, 35MM is a new multimedia musical which uses still photos to create unique songs.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: "The Music of The Rolling Stones"
Introduced to the festival lineup in 2013, "The Music of The Rolling Stones" features hits like “Get Off of My Cloud,” “Paint it Black,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and more, backed by Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. “Satisfaction” is guaranteed when the music of the Rolling Stones fills the Fort Worth summer night once again. The concert at Fort Worth Botanic Garden will highlight vocalist Brody Dolyniuk under the direction of Brent Havens.

Saturday, June 23

Eagles in concert with Chris Stapleton
The legendary rock band Eagles will come back to the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the first time since the death of original member Glenn Frey. Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit will be joined by Vince Gill and Glenn's son Deacon Frey at AT&T Stadium to play all of the Eagles' greatest hits. As if that's not enough, reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton, will be the opening act.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: "The Music of Journey"
Vocalist Brody Dolyniuk appears for the second time this weekend as part of "The Music of Journey." The audience will rock out to some of the most legendary anthems of all time, including "Don't Stop Believin'," “Faithfully,” “Open Arms,” “Any Way You Want It,” and more. Then, when the “Lights” go down in the city, the event will finish with a stunning fireworks finale.

Sunday, June 24

Panther Island Pavilion presents Sunday Funday
Sunday Funday is a day of relaxation and fun in the sun that will take place every week through September 2 at Panther Island Pavilion. Tubes and pedal boats are available to rent, along with kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards from Backwoods Paddlesports. Local craft beer will be sold from award-winning Panther Island Brewing. Guests can enjoy music, friends, food trucks, and floating the Trinity River.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: Old 97’s
Since the Old 97’s roared out of Dallas more than 20 years ago, they have blazed a trail through alt-country and power-pop, led by the piercingly observant lyrics of lead singer Rhett Miller. Old 97’s will make their return to Concerts in the Garden for the first time since 2012, and they will reward the audience with some of their greatest hits.

The national tour of Waitress will play at Bass Performance Hall through June 24.

Charity Angel, Dawson Desi Oakley, and Lenne Klingaman in the National Tour of Waitress

Photo by Joan Marcus

The national tour of Waitress will play at Bass Performance Hall through June 24.

event-planner

National spotlight

2 Dallas-Fort Worth families charge up for ABC's Christmas Light Fight

Joules-Cornetti, Great Christmas Light Fight

Photo courtesy of ABC

The Joules-Cornetti family's Christmas light display in McKinney is so big and bright, it can be seen from an airplane.

Two festive spectacles in Dallas-Fort Worth will vie for holiday light glory on ABC's hit reality competition The Great Christmas Light Fight on Thursday, December 5.

The Hughes family of Rockwall will appear on the season 12 premiere at 7 pm, and the Joules-Cornetti family of McKinney will be featured on episode 2, at 8 pm. (They will not be competing against each other.) The show will air locally on WFAA/Channel 8, and will be available on Hulu the following day.

On The Great Christmas Light Fight, four families around the country show off their lights extravaganzas for hosts Carter Oosterhouse and Taniya Nayak, and the victor is awarded a trophy, $50,000, and over-the-rooftop bragging rights.

Both DFW families host "extreme" light displays at their homes, which the public can visit throughout the holidays. Both have heartwarming stories that will be told on the show, and both benefit local charities. Here's a closer look at the two Christmas light extravaganzas that'll compete in the national spotlight, and how to see them in person.

Hughes family of Rockwall - 'Stay in the Light'
Brenda and David Hughes' display at their home in Rockwallfeatures more than 150,000 lights on every groundcover and all over their house. What really sets it apart, says Brenda Hughes, is a larger-than-life “Candy Land.” Inside the magical candy store are candy canes, cupcakes, elves, gingerbread people, a hot air balloon, and more. Towering over it all are two majestic oak trees in the front yard, each lit up with more than 15,000 twinkling lights.

Great Christmas Light Fight, Hughes, Rockwall, Stay in the Light, Christmas lights display Host Carter Oosterhouse checks out Candy Land with Brenda and David Hughes. Photo courtesy of ABC

But behind the sparkle and shine of the Hughes’ happy holiday display are memories of darker days for the family. The Hugheses call their annual display “Stay in the Light” in honor of Brenda’s son Nathaniel, who, in 2019, “passed away suddenly and tragically after a battle with depression,” his mother says tenderly. He was 29.

They use their display to fundraise for Meals on Wheels of Rockwall County and have pledged $50,000 toward the building of a community center over five years.

“It gives me a purpose now instead of staying in a dark place; I’m now able to bring my darkness into the light,” Brenda says.

See it in person: The Hughes' “Stay in the Light” display is at 1655 Plummer Dr., Rockwall, in The Shores subdivision. It runs nightly 6-10 pm, December 1-25, 2024. Read more about the Hugheses, including behind-the-scenes details of their filming of The Great Christmas Light Fight,in this story.

Joules-Cornetti family of McKinney - 'The Gift of Light'
Dr. Nasheel Joules and her husband, Mark Cornetti, put up a holiday lights display at their McKinney home that's so big and bright, it can be seen from an airplane.

“Our Christmas lights are not done to be the biggest and the best,” Nasheel says humbly. “Our display is done, with love, to show the community the love of God and to inspire people to be joyful and have hope even when life is difficult.”

Nasheel and Mark, for whom life has been exceedingly difficult the past few years, call their display “The Gift of Light” and use it to fundraise for the American Heart Association. This year, their goal is to raise $10,000 for AHA.

Nasheel, a 45-year-old internal medicine physician, suffers from congestive heart failure, as well as a rare autoinflammatory disorder called CAPS disease.

Great Christmas Light Fight, Joules-Cornetti, McKinney, Christmas lights Mark and Nasheel talk about their lights display with host Taniya Nayak. Photo courtesy of ABC

“For those who are saddened during the holidays because of tragedy or loss, we hope our display brings back hope and joy and the spirit of Christmas,” they say.

Their extravaganza, which covers the entire multistory house and surrounding lawns, has a little bit of everything - inflatables, wireframe items, yard art, and dazzling lights, all grouped by sections.

The “elegant” section is a subdued, serene section that gives people a chance to reflect on the season; a “fun” section has inflatables, reindeer, Santa Clauses, penguins, polar bears, some Disney characters, and new this year: a Buc-ee’s inflatable mascot. A "nativities" section has manger scenes, crosses, and a place for visitors to write their prayer requests; Mark and Nasheel say they go through them and pray for them every night.

See it in person: “The Gift of Light” display is at 8624 Palermo Way, McKinney. It runs nightly 5-11 pm, November 28-January 1; follow their Facebook page for updates and information on donating to The American Heart Association. To read a full story about their display and their experience filming The Great Christmas Light Fight, go here.

Photo courtesy of ABC

The Joules-Cornetti family's Christmas light display in McKinney is so big and bright, it can be seen from an airplane.

For a list of the most spectacular Christmas lights around Fort Worth, visit this story.

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