The beginning of November brings a bit of synchronicity to events in and around Fort Worth. A theater production and a comedian shine a light on undocumented immigrants. A classical music concert and a festival celebrate a certain boy wizard. And the city's symphony will put on two separate concerts. That's not to mention a downtown celebration, a Tony Award-winning musical, and more.
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, November 1
Sundance Square Plaza presents Five & Funky
It's been exactly five years since Sundance Square opened the one-acre plaza at its center, and they'll celebrate the anniversary with a “Five & Funky” celebration. There will be a a pep rally to kick off the 2018-19 TCU Men’s and Women’s basketball seasons on Thursday, and performances by Four Day Weekend and Le Freak on Friday. Also, random shoppers will be picked to receive $5 Sundance Square gift cards.
AAA Texas 500 weekend
The AAA Texas 500 weekend includes three separate races and four days of events. Races fans can get their fill of high-speed action at Texas Motor Speedway, with practice on Thursday, qualifying and the Camping World Truck Series' JAG Metals 350 on Friday, qualifying and the NASCAR XFINITY Series' O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 on Saturday, and main event, the AAA Texas 500, on Sunday.
Cara Mia Theatre presents WET: A DACAmented Journey
The nationwide tour of Cara Mia Theatre's WET: A DACAmented Journey continues with this production at the University of North Texas in Denton. The play is the story of what it means to be an American in every sense of the word except one: on paper. Based on a true story, WET chronicles one DACA recipient’s ongoing battle of living all but his first three months of life in the United States as an undocumented citizen. It will have three performances through Saturday.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents The Music of Harry Potter
The first of two Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra events this weekend is also the first of two Harry Potter-themed events. Audiences at this concert can relive the eternally popular movie series as the orchestra plays music from all eight films of the franchise. It will also serve as a nice prelude to the forthcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which opens on November 16. There will be one performance on Thursday and one on Saturday morning at Bass Performance Hall.
Amphibian Stage Productions presents Johan Miranda: Why Johan Miranda Should Be Deported
Why Johan Miranda Should Be Deported is an hourlong solo show in which comedian and undocumented immigrant Johan Miranda makes the case as to why he should be deported. The show is a deep exploration into how Miranda doesn't contribute anything to this country by any measurable standard. There will be three performances at Amphibian Stage Productions through Saturday.
Friday, November 2
Magnolia at the Modern presents Tea with the Dames
The list of living dames in the United Kingdom is a relatively short one, and so when four of them get together to discuss their careers, it's cause for celebration. Tea with the Dames chronicles the meeting of Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Dame Joan Plowright, four of the most celebrated actresses of our time, with scores of iconic performances, decades of wisdom, and innumerable Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and BAFTAs among them. The film will screen six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Time for Three
Time for Three is a group that defies any traditional genre classification, happily and infectiously. With an uncommon mix of virtuosity and showmanship, the American trio performs music from Bach to Brahms and beyond, including their own arrangements of everything from bluegrass and folk tunes to ingenious mash-ups of hits by The Beatles, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and more. They'll perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra three times through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.
Saturday, November 3
Panther Island Pavilion presents A Festival of Mischief
Though not an official Harry Potter event, you'll definitely get that Potter feel at A Festival of Mischief, where visitors can seek a magical wand, enjoy plenty of Butterscotch Beer, and enjoy favorite activities like shopping at Magical Alley, Magical Creature Scavenger Hunts, Wand Dueling, photo opps, a round of Magical Games on brooms, and a Costume Contest. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Panther Island Pavilion.
Casa Mañana presents Next To Normal
Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical Score, and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, Next to Normal is an unflinching look at a suburban family struggling with the effects of mental illness. With an energetic pop/rock score, the musical is an emotional powerhouse that will take you into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family’s story with love, sympathy and heart. Casa Mañana will present the production through November 11.
Disney Junior Dance Party
Disney Junior Dance Party is an all-new interactive live concert experience where the audience can sing and dance along to Disney Junior’s greatest hits with their favorite characters. The Disney Junior Dance Party features live appearances by Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Vampirina, Elena of Avalor, Sofia the First, and Doc McStuffins, as well as magical on-screen moments with Puppy Dog Pals, Muppet Babies, and The Lion Guard. The event will take place at Will Rogers Memorial Center.
Johan Miranda will perform three times at Amphibian Stage Productions, November 1-3.
