Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

The first weekend in November — yes, it's November already — features a typically eclectic slate of events in and around Fort Worth. They include a wet and wild circus, a chance to appreciate nature and culture at the same time, a celebration of a local beer institution, and fast cars, among other fun happenings.

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, November 3

UT Arlington Maverick Speakers Series: Alexandra Cousteau
Alexandra Cousteau continues the work of her renowned grandfather, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, as an explorer, filmmaker, and advocate on water issues. Her global initiatives seek to inspire and empower individuals to protect not only the ocean and its inhabitants, but also the human communities that rely on freshwater resources. Cousteau is speaking at Texas Hall at UT Arlington.

Cirque Italia Aquatic Spectacular
The magical world of Cirque Italia, a show like no other, is the first traveling water circus in the U.S. Its stage holds 35,000 gallons of water and features a dynamic lid that lifts 35 feet into the air, allowing water to fall like rain from above as fountains dazzle below. The show is at North East Mall in Hurst through November 13.

Friday, November 4

First Fridays at the Modern
The first Friday of each month, the Star-Telegram, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and Cafe Modern team up to present live music and cocktails in the Museum's Grand Lobby. This month's event features a performance by the Will Reynolds Trio, a cocktail called Cranberry Crazy, and the opportunity to dine at Cafe Modern.

Magnolia at the Modern presents The Dressmaker
After years working as a dressmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet) returns home to the Australian outback to reconcile with her eccentric mother (Judy Davis). She also falls in love with the pure-hearted Teddy, and armed with her sewing machine and haute couture style, transforms the women of the town, exacting sweet revenge on those who did her wrong. The movie screens six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Saturday, November 5

Fort Worth Botanic Garden presents Japanese Garden Fall Festival
At the Japanese Garden Fall Festival, guests can enjoy traditional Japanese dance, music, martial arts, sword demonstrations, raku, tea ceremonies, and more in celebration of the year of the monkey. The festival, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, is located inside the historic Japanese Garden inside the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.'s 12th Anniversary
The craft beer produced by Rahr & Sons has become such a part of Fort Worth that it's hard to imagine a time without it. The brewery celebrates its 12th anniversary with an extended tour and tasting event, as well as the release of Zwölfjahre, a commemorative beer. Attendees receive a commemorative pint glass to sample a selection of more than 60 beers.

Casa Mañana presents Million Dollar Quartet
The Tony Award-winning Million Dollar Quartet is inspired by a famed recording session featuring Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins inside Sun Records’ recording studio. The musical, running at Casa Mañana Theatre through November 13, includes such hits as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Hound Dog," and more.

Sunday, November 6

2016 AAA Texas 500
NASCAR returns to Texas Motor Speedway with the AAA Texas 500. The eighth race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has never meant more than it does now, as the AAA Texas 500 is a pivotal stop on the road to the championship. The first 30,000 fans in attendance receive a limited-edition Tony Stewart bobblehead.

Bass Performance Hall presents Jeanne Robertson
The now 72-year-old Jeanne Robertson continues to charm audiences with her humorous observations about life. This former Miss North Carolina, standing tall at 6-foot-2, has an infectious personality, heart, and sense of humor, with popular anecdotes including "Don’t Go to Vegas Without A Baptist," "Don’t Bungee Jump Naked," and "Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store."

Casa Mañana presents Million Dollar Quartet through November 13.

$Casa Ma\u00f1ana presents Million Dollar Quartet$

Photo by Chip Tompkins

Casa Mañana presents Million Dollar Quartet through November 13.

event-planner races comedy craft-beer families theater movies music

This Week's Hot Headlines

Best neighborhoods for Christmas lights lead Fort Worth's top 5 stories

Photo by Stacy Luecker

undefined

Editor's note: Christmas is just around the corner, and Fort Worth is in the holiday spirit. This week's most-read stories include a complete guide to DFW's best neighborhoods for Christmas lights, plus where to eat and drink during the holiday season.Catch up on the five hottest headlines of the week below.

Looking for the best Fort Worth events of the weekend? We have those here.

1. Best Fort Worth-area neighborhoods for magical 2024 Christmas lights. Fort Worth-area residents have decked their halls, merry and bright, for the holiday season. Homes, streets, and entire subdivisions are dazzling with lights so spectacular, they can be seen from the North Pole. Here is our expert guide to the best neighborhoods for a Christmas light pilgrimage during the 2024 holiday season. For a longer list of spectacular Fort Worth Christmas lights, check out this story.

2. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 14 bars oozing Christmas cheer. The holiday pop-up trend has erupted across the country as more and more bars jump on the bandwagon every year. Consumers are craving a big dose of Christmas cheer in the form of over-the-top decor, Christmas music, and Christmas-inspired cocktails. Stress of the season got you down? Here are 14 bars in Fort Worth that are making spirits bright.

Curfew Christmas cocktails at Curfew. Curfew Bar/Facebook

3. Where to eat in Fort Worth: 9 restaurants to take your holiday guests. The holidays draw near and for many of us, that means one thing: family’s coming to town. Cook your heart out for them, yes, but take advantage of Fort Worth’s thriving restaurant scene and show off some of our city’s finest places to eat.

4. Novel Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with its own market. A mom-and-pop Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with a unique twist: Called Bangkok Thai Street Food & Market, it’s a restaurant serving traditional Thai food but also a market selling all sorts of goods, from cooking ingredients to clothing to household gear.

5. Grab subs and pizza at new family-owned Lunch Break Cafe in Fort Worth. A well-regarded cafe serving sub sandwiches has risen in east Fort Worth: Called The Lunch Break Cafe, it’s a family-owned restaurant that opened in early December at 7251 Stoneway Dr. N. 400, in the former Riverbend Bistro space at River Bend Plaza.