This weekend in Fort Worth will be focused on one big event — the PBR World Finals — with a couple of others playing off the excitement about its first visit to Fort Worth. You can also see a new local theater production, a classical music concert, two country music concerts, a festival featuring tacos and margaritas, a tribute to the King of Pop, a new art exhibition, and more.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Friday, May 13
Magnolia at the Modern: Memoria
The latest film in the Magnolia at the Modern series is Memoria, about a Scottish woman (Tilda Swinton) who, after hearing a loud bang at daybreak, begins experiencing a mysterious sensory syndrome while traversing the jungles of Colombia. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Stockyards presents Daniel Hsu
The Fort Worth Stockyards will present a free performance by Daniel Hsu as a teaser event to the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which is taking place at TCU and Bass Hall this June. Hsu is the competition’s reigning bronze medalist and will be joined by Fort Worth artists Lou Charle$ and Averi Burk for a genre-bending collaboration.
PBR World Finals
PBR (Professional Bull Riding) will bring their World Finals to Fort Worth for the first time. Over two weekends at Dickies Arena, the top bull riders in the world will compete for the championship, the coveted gold buckle, and accompanying $1 million bonus. There will be also be other events over the next week outside the arena, in the Fort Worth Stockyards, and at Cowtown Coliseum, including on days with no competitions.
Artisan Center Theater presents Steel Magnolias
In Steel Magnolias, a tight-knit group of Louisiana women gather regularly to bond, dish and offer advice on everything from motherhood and marriage to tragedy and loss. Beloved characters like the wise-cracking Truvy and her eager new assistant Annelle, curmudgeonly Ouiser, millionaire Miss Clairee, and local social leader M’lynn and her sweet-natured daughter Shelby all find their lives and relationships tested. But in the face of impossible decisions, their bonds with one another only strengthen. The play will run at Artisan Theater Center in Hurst through June 11.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents "Holst's Planets: Bach, Tomasi, and Holst"
A bit of musical astrology, Holst's The Planets conjure the emotions of each planet on the human psyche, whether that's the aggression and militancy of Mars or the jolliness of Jupiter. The concert, taking place at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday, will also include Bach's Passacaglia in C Minor and Tomasini's Trumpet Concerto. The concert will feature the Women of Voices of Fort Worth and Wesleyan Women’s Chorus of Texas Wesleyan University.
Charley Crockett in concert
In conjunction with the PBR World Finals will be a Concert Series featuring a few well-known musicians. First up is Charley Crockett, a Texas original who has made his own path in the blues genre. He's as relentless a music producer as anybody out there, as he's released at least an album every year since 2015, including two in 2021 alone, most recently Music City USA. He'll play at Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium.
Aaron Lewis in concert
Aaron Lewis, formerly the lead singer of the rock band Staind, moved into country music in 2012 and has stayed there throughout the band's extended hiatus. Country fans have welcomed him with open arms, as all four of his albums have made the top 10 on the Billboard Country charts, including his latest, 2021's Frayed at Both Ends. He'll play once again at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, May 14
Fort Worth Taco & Margarita Festival
At the 4th annual Fort Worth Taco & Margarita Festival, guests will be able to sample some of the best tacos and margaritas that Fort Worth has to offer. There will also be a live DJ, beer garden, vendors, and more. The event will take place at The Yard in the Cultural District.
Forever Michael - A Michael Jackson Tribute in concert
Forever Michael pays tribute to the most successful pop star in history, Michael Jackson. J Lucas performs an unbeatable set list of songs live from the King of Pop's incredible collection. The audience is taken on a journey through Jackson's legacy with iconic No. 1 hits such as "Thriller," "Bad," "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Smooth Criminal," and more. The concert will be at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis.
Easton Corbin in concert
Country singer Easton Corbin was among the fastest rising artists in the genre in the early 2010s, releasing three albums in five years, including 2015's About to Get Real, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard County charts. Strangely, he has yet to release a fourth album, although he did release an EP, Didn't Miss a Beat, in 2020. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Sunday, May 15
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents "Women Painting Women"
"Women Painting Women" is a thematic exhibition featuring more than 30 female artists who choose women as subject matter in their works. This presentation is the first of its kind and includes approximately 50 evocative portraits that span the 1940s to the present. International in scope, the exhibition recognizes female perspectives that have been underrepresented in the history of postwar figuration. It will remain on display at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth through September 25.
Historic Fort Worth presents Hidden Gardens of Fort Worth Tour
The 18th annual Hidden Gardens of Fort Worth Tour will showcase five private gardens in the charming and historic Crestwood Neighborhood. This year's tour, which highlights gardens of all sizes, will inspire ideas for visitors' own backyard paradise. Local artists will be painting “plein air” in each garden during the tour, which will be available for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Historic Fort Worth, Inc.
The PBR World Finals will take place at Dickies Arena, May 13-22.
