This weekend around Fort Worth will be headlined by the return of a country music superstar and a national tour of a Broadway musical. Other options will include several other concerts, the final weekend of a theater/arts festival, screenings of a music documentary, a funny comedian, a local theater production, and the closing of an art exhibition.
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.
Thursday, July 28
Panther Island Pavilion presents Rockin' the River
Rockin’ the River is back for a 11th year of music and tubing at Panther Island Pavilion. The event features a trio of bands playing back-to-back-to-back sets beginning around 5:15 pm on the Coors Light Waterfront Stage, while attendees watch from tubes and other floaties on the Trinity River. Performers this week will include headliner Triston Marez, along with Austin English and Squeezebox Bandits.
Broadway at the Bass: Mean Girls
Mean Girls is based on the hit movie from writer Tina Fey. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. The musical will be at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday.
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents "Women with Soul"
In celebration of the "Women Painting Women" exhibition, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth joins forces with Amplify 817 to present a concert featuring the sounds of soul/R&B musicians, Elise Amara and Tatiana “LadyMay” Mayfield. The concert is free, but seating is limited; call or visit the museum’s admission desk for reservations.
Amphibian Stage presents Spark Fest
The final weekend of Amphibian Stage's annual Spark Fest will feature four more events through Sunday. There will be storytelling performances by five diverse North Texas artists inspired by the prompt of “Reclaiming My Space;” two stand-up comedy performances by Ashley Ray; and a panel on "The Craft and Art of Comedy Writing" featuring Paul Varghese, Julia Cotton, and Ray.
Friday, July 29
Magnolia at the Modern: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is a definitive exploration of the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: the songwriter and his times, the song's dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit, and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Improv Arlington presents Godfrey
The singular-named Godfrey is one of those comedians whose face you know even if you don't know his name. He's been in a ton of movies, TV shows, and commercials over the past 20 years along with continuing his successful stand-up comedy career. He'll perform five sets through Sunday at Improv Arlington.
KWC Performing Arts presents Look Up
KWC Performing Arts will present Look Up, a profound musical that examines the digital world and its effect on people's lives. When going off the grid seems impossible, can these new online communities be turned into tools for positive change? While it sometimes seems to have become an "All About Me" society, Look Up reminds people of the real possibilities of how new technology can have an extraordinary impact on the world. There will be four performances through Sunday at Fort Worth Community Arts Center.
Ted Nugent in concert
To millions of music lovers, Ted Nugent has carved a permanent place in rock and roll history as a guitar-shredding showman. From the groundbreaking Amboy Dukes’ hit “Journey to the Center of the Mind,” to classics like “Stranglehold” and “Cat Scratch Fever,” Damn Yankees chartbuster “High Enough,” and cult classic “Fred Bear,” Nugent’s no-holds barred career spans five decades. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, July 30
Garth Brooks in concert
For over 30 years, Garth Brooks has remained one of the superstars of country music, even when he took a decade off to devote time to his family. He's released a handful of albums since coming back in 2014, including 2020's Fun, but fans will mostly be there for the greatest hits and the spectacular show by country's consummate entertainer. This will be Garth's first time in Dallas-Fort Worth in seven years and his first time headlining AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Josh Weathers in concert
Josh Weathers is a Fort Worth-based soulful singer-songwriter. He has spent close to 20 years honing his craft of combining songs of hope with a high energy rock n’ soul live show. He's no stranger to the various stages around Fort Worth, and he released a live album in November 2020. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Sunday, July 31
Kimbell Art Museum presents "The Language of Beauty in African Art" closing weekend
Sunday will be the final day to view "The Language of Beauty in African Art" at Kimbell Art Museum. The exhibition features nearly 250 remarkable works from collections around the world, compelling art that scholars, connoisseurs, and collectors outside Africa have admired for more than a century. It features an incredible variety of objects, including a range of impressive and powerful sculptures, captivating costumes and masks made for ceremonial use, and extraordinary decorative arts.
Garth Brooks will play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on July 30.
