It'll be a weekend of indoor and outdoor fun in and around Fort Worth as September comes to an end. There will be several homegrown festivals featuring music, art, and more; three new local theatrical productions; a movie tribute to a Texas musician; and the start of the biggest event of the year on the Dallas-Fort Worth calendar.
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, September 27
Fort Worth Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is a three-day German festival so authentic, you’ll forget you’re in Texas. It will include German good, music, dancing, games, biergartens, dachshund races, as well as Spaten and other Fall and Oktoberfest craft beers from around the country. Oktoberfest will take place at Panther Island Pavilion through Saturday.
TCU Fine Arts presents Bare
The TCU Department of Theatre is kicking off its fall season with a production of the pop-rock musical Bare. Set in a Catholic boarding school in the early 2000s, the story follows the relationship of Peter, a young student preparing to come out to his mother, and Jason, a popular athlete who wants their love to remain a secret in fear of losing his status. The production will run through Sunday at Buschman Theatre on the TCU campus.
Friday, September 28
Goodguys presents Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals
The Goodguys 26th Summit Racing Lone Star Nationals Car Show is a giant outdoor event featuring over 2,500 hot rods, custom cars, classics, muscle cars, and trucks from now through 1987-vintage. Running through Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, the event also includes stock car rides, a giant swap meet, live music, kids entertainment, and more.
2018 State Fair of Texas
The 24-day, four weekend extravaganza that is the State Fair of Texas is finally back. Some people can't wait for the festivities, some people dread them, but the one thing it's impossible to do is ignore them. For almost the next month, you can indulge in all the fried food you can handle, carnival rides, concerts, livestock shows, butter sculptures, and all the other fun and weird stuff on display at Fair Park in Dallas. Learn how to get discounts for it all here. The State Fair will run through October 21.
Magnolia at the Modern: Blaze
Ethan Hawke directs this reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, an unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw music movement. Starring first-time actor and real-life musician Ben Dickey as Blaze, the film also stars Alia Shawkat and features cameos from a few of Hawke's famous friends. The movie will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Jubilee Theatre presents Nina Simone: Four Women
The day after the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 led Nina Simone to shift her career from artist to artist-activist. This play with music uses the framework of one of her most blistering songs, "Four Women," to give voice to a group of women who suffered from self-hatred due to the different hues of their skin. Jubilee Theatre will put on the production through October 28.
Texas Ballet Theater presents Cleopatra
Texas Ballet Theater will kick off its 2018-2019 season with a trip to Egypt for a look at one of the most famous queens of all time. In Cleopatra, audiences can experience the mystery, deceit, and romance as the queen of the Nile comes to power. The incredible choreography and gorgeous stage sets will leave you enthralled as this tragic tale of love and trickery unfolds. The production will play five times at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday.
Saturday, September 29
Crockett Row presents Chalk Art Festival
Crockett Row will present the 4th annual Chalk Art Festival. Attendees will get to see the evolution of elaborate chalk art designs created by talented street painters and enjoy family-friendly fun. During the event, three professional artists will create large signature murals on the street, while amateur chalk artists will compete for the coveted people’s choice award and first, second and third place prizes. The event takes place on Crockett Row at West 7th Fort Worth.
National Theatre Live presents Julie
Vanessa Kirby, who made quite the impression in this summer's Mission: Impossible - Fallout, and Eric Kofi Abrefa feature in the cast of this production of Miss Julie. Wild and newly single, Julie throws a late night party. In the kitchen, Jean and Kristina clean up as the celebration heaves above them. Crossing the threshold, Julie initiates a power game with Jean – which rapidly descends into a savage fight for survival. The screening of the National Theatre Live production will be at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents Party on the Porch
Party on the Porch, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art’s annual music and arts festival, will feature live music from openers DJ Austin Patton and Cut Throat Finches and headliner Charley Crockett. The event will also feature local food trucks, outdoor art making, extended museum gallery hours, and more. Food, beer, and wine will be available for purchase throughout the evening.
Sunday, September 30
TCU School of Music presents Festival of American Song
Texas Christian University’s School of Music presents the fifth annual Festival of American Song. This year’s guest artist is Jake Heggie, whose works have been regarded worldwide and produced on five continents. Heggie’s presence at the festival will act as a mini-residency, encompassing three days of events that spotlight his influence as an American composer and orchestral icon. The festival will take place at TCU through Tuesday.
Texas Ballet Theater will present Cleopatra at Bass Performance Hall, September 28-30.
