This weekend around Fort Worth will be a time to celebrate local groups and people. There will be a new theater production, a parade for a local hero, outdoor activities, the closing of three exhibitions at local museums, and more. You can also see a fun movie or take in a concert by a classic rock band.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend.
Friday, August 6
Magnolia at the Modern: Swan Song
In Swan Song, the legendary actor Udo Kier stars as a retired hairdresser who escapes the confines of his small-town nursing home in Sandusky, Ohio, after learning of his former client's dying wish for him to style her final hairdo. Soon, he embarks on an odyssey to confront the ghosts of his past — and collect the beauty supplies necessary for the job. The film will screen five times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Casa Mañana presents Bonnie & Clyde
America’s most notorious lovers and bank robbers take the country by storm in this compelling adventure from Casa Mañana's Apprentice Program. At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America’s most renowned folk heroes and Texas law enforcement’s worst nightmares. The production will have four performances through Sunday.
Cheap Trick in concert
The rock band Cheap Trick has been around for almost 45 years, and they've almost never stopped making music. Their longest stretch between albums has been seven years, and they're still at it, releasing In Another World earlier this year. They had their highest heights in the late '70s and late '80s, scoring with hits like "I Want You to Want Me," "The Flame," and "Don't Be Cruel." They'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, August 7
The City of Grapevine presents Wally Funk Community Celebration Parade
The city of Grapevine will honor resident and hometown hero, Wally Funk, for her history-making experience aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital space tourism rocket. The event will feature a parade along Historic Main Street, immediately followed by a presentation by aviation leaders, peers, Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate, and Grapevine City Council. The parade will then head south on Main Street from Wall Street toward Dallas Road, and will culminate on Peace Plaza at Grapevine Main Station, with remarks by dignitaries and Funk.
Panther Island Pavilion presents Rockin’ the River
The Rockin' the River series at Panther Island Pavilion will come to a close for the summer this week. The event features five different bands playing back-to-back sets. After the headlining band finishes, the water party moves to the shore with the fifth and final band playing on the after-party stage before a weekly fireworks display. Performers this week will include John Baumann with Jon Stork, Teague Brothers Band, Taylor Hunnicutt, and Western Youth.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents A Tribute to Larry McMurtry
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth will continue its tribute to the acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, Larry McMurtry, Texas’s most famous literary and cinematic son, who passed away in March 2021. Guest host and McMurtry devotee Bud Kennedy, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, hosts the exploration of McMurtry’s cinematic works, which this week will feature Hud starring Paul Newman.
Sunday, August 8
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame presents "Twelve Mighty Orphans – Behind the Scenes: Laura Wilson" closing day
Sunday will be the final day to view the exhibition, "Twelve Mighty Orphans – Behind the Scenes: Laura Wilson" at The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. It features photography and props from the film 12 Mighty Orphans by Wilson, an honoree in the museum and the mother of Luke Wilson, who plays a leading role in the movie which was filmed on location in Fort Worth. The film, which tells the story of the 1930s-era football team from Fort Worth that captured national attention during its Cinderella season, is still showing in some area theaters.
Amon Carter Museum of American Art exhibition closings
The Amon Carter Museum of American Art will close two exhibitions on Sunday. "An-My Lê: "On Contested Terrain" is the first comprehensive survey of the work of Vietnamese-American photographer An-My Lê, featuring photographs from a selection of the artist’s five major bodies of work which explore the edges of war and record these landscapes of conflict in beautiful, classically composed photographs. "Photography Is Art" tells the story of American photographers’ efforts, from the late 19th century on, to explore and proclaim photography’s artfulness. Drawn from the Carter’s expansive and renowned photography collection, this exhibition reveals how artists shaped their medium’s artistic language.
Tarrant Regional Water District presents Sunday Funday
The laidback family-friendly series Sunday Funday has returned to Panther Island Pavilion, featuring tubes and pedal boats available for rent along with kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes from Backwoods Paddlesports. Cold beer and loaner ice chests are also available. There will also be a morning yoga class, food trucks, and fun in and along the Trinity River.
The city of Grapevine will honor local hero Wally Funk with a parade on August 7.
