It's a good time to be in a festival mood in Fort Worth, because there will be plenty of them to choose from this weekend. The festivals are focused on a variety of different things, including opera, tacos, Cinco de Mayo, and punk music/craft beer. You can also catch a funny new movie, an acclaimed play, a famous actor-turned-singer, and the final days of a popular art exhibit.
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, May 3
Fort Worth Opera Festival presents Frontiers
The Fort Worth Opera Festival comes to a close on Sunday, and it includes Frontiers, the company’s new works showcase. Unpublished works of six composers and librettists will be presented in 20-minute performances sung by artists of the festival, accompanied by piano. There will also be two more performances of Don Pasquale on Friday and Sunday, and one performance of Maria de Buenos Aires on Saturday. All performances will be at Bass Performance Hall.
Friday, May 4
Magnolia at the Modern: The Death of Stalin
The one-liners fly as fast as political fortunes fall in this uproarious, wickedly irreverent satire from Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop). When tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin drops dead, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to be the next Soviet leader. Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, and Simon Russell Beale play some of the contenders. The film will screen six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
El Fuerte Taco Festival
El Fuerte Taco Festival, taking place on Friday and Saturday at Panther Island Pavilion, will take attendees on a rollercoaster of flavor, with dozens of different tacos from Fort Worth, live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, theatrical performances, and a kid zone for the young taco lovers. Participating vendors include Salsa Limon, Taco Heads, Chicas, R Taco, and more.
Amphibian Stage Productions presents We're Gonna Die
We’re Gonna Die is a cabaret-style musical written by experimental NYC playwright Young Jean Lee that celebrates the unifying nature of human mortality. Equal parts stage musical and rock concert, We’re Gonna Die juxtaposes tales of everyday suffering with uplifting indie pop songs. The production will run at Amphibian Stage Productions on Friday and Saturday.
Kiefer Sutherland in concert
As the star of ABC's Designated Survivor, Kiefer Sutherland would seem to have his hands full on the acting side these days. But with filming wrapped for the season, he's busy exploring his other passion, making music. He released his debut album, Down in a Hole, in 2016, and he's been on the road promoting it every spare moment he's had ever since. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas, with Rick Brantley as opening act.
Saturday, May 5
Bar Crawl Nation presents Taco Takeover
Taco Takeover is “taking over” nine restaurants and bars in Fort Worth’s West 7th entertainment district for Cinco de Mayo. Using the event’s smartphone app, a QR code at the entrance to each location is scanned, bringing up a “spin to win” game with a 33 percent chance to win a free taco. Participating places include Landmark Bar + Kitchen and Reservoir, Bar 2909, Texas Republic, and Coyote Ugly Saloon.
National Theatre Live presents Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Tennessee Williams’ 20th century masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof played a strictly limited season in London’s West End in 2017, a production that will be screened at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. On a steamy night in Mississippi, a Southern family gathers at their cotton plantation to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. The scorching heat is almost as oppressive as the lies they tell. Brick and Maggie dance around the secrets and sexual tensions that threaten to destroy their marriage. With the future of the family at stake, which version of the truth is real — and which will win out?
Coyote Drive-in Theater presents Cinco de Mayo Festival
Coyote Drive-in Theater will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with live performances by a mariachi band and Mexican folk dancers, food trucks, food and drink specials, yard games, face painters, and screenings of two hugely popular movies. Avengers: Infinity War will play on multiple screens in Spanish and English, and a special showing of Coco in Spanish will be played after Avengers.
Steve Wariner in concert
Twenty albums into his five-decade career, country singer Steve Wariner still has plenty of musical tricks up his sleeve. Best known for No. 1 hits like "All Roads Lead to You," "Some Fools Never Learn," and "Where Did I Go Wrong," Wariner shows no signs of slowing down, releasing a new album every three years or so, including 2016's All Over the Map. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Sunday, May 6
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents Ron Mueck: "New Works" closing day
Sunday marks the final chance to see the stunning sculptures of Ron Mueck at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Mueck's figures are extraordinarily realistic, except in scale — they are always depicted much smaller or larger than life. And since the Modern will soon change their free and half-priced days, there's no better time to see this great exhibit than Sunday, when you can get in for free.
Punk in Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival
The Punk in Drublic Craft Beer & Music Festival is created from the mind and liver of NOFX’s Frontman Fat Mike and named for NOFX’s classic Punk in Drublic album. The festival, taking place at Panther Island Pavilion, will feature punk rock performances by NOFX, Bad Religion, The Interuppters, Mad Caddies, and more. There will be over 1,000 craft beers to choose from some of the best local and national breweries.
Kiefer Sutherland will play at Billy Bob's Texas on May 4.
