Weekend Event Planner

These are the 12 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

As is often the case, events in and around Fort Worth this weekend feature a wide variety of subject matter. Most prominent will be music, which will be at the forefront of six of the 12 events, as well as part of a multimedia festival. You can also get up close and personal with a journalism legend, see one of the best movies of the year, attend a new local theater production, and more.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time over this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, September 19

Sundance Square presents Party in the Plaza
Sundance Square’s monthly live music series, Party in the Plaza, will feature a performance by Gloria D’Arezzo & Friends. The band will play for 90 minutes from the plaza stage in the heart of Sundance Square. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome during the concert. Beverages will be available for purchase during the performances, and restaurants will be open throughout the evening.

UT Arlington presents Maverick Speakers Series: Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward has been associate editor of The Washington Post since 1971. He has shared in two Pulitzer Prizes, first in 1973 for coverage of the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein, and second in 2003 as the lead reporter for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He'll appear at Texas Hall at UT Arlington to talk about his most recent book, Fear: Trump in the White House, and the rest of his storied career.

Barato Bazaar presents Circus España
Circus España will present its brand-new show for the entire family that will feature an international cast from England, Cuba, Romania, and Mexico. Circus España's traditional show has a modern twist unlike any circus seen before, and features acrobats, daredevils, clowns, jugglers, and more in a 90-minute extravaganza. The show will run through Sunday at Barato Bazaar.

Friday, September 20

Texas Country Music Association presents Texas Country Music Weekend
The Texas Country Music Weekend Celebration is a one-of-a-kind event featuring three days of non-stop live country music, performances, artist autographs, and industry awards. Taking place throughout the Fort Worth Stockyards, the celebration will culminate with the Texas Country Music Awards on Sunday at Billy Bob's Texas, featuring performances by Brandon Rhyder, Curtis Grimes, Bri Bagwell, Randall King, Zane Williams, Holly Tucker, Andrew Sevener, Cory Morrow, and more.

Magnolia at the Modern: The Farewell
In The Farewell, Billi (Awkwafina) and her family return to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch — the only person who doesn't know she only has a few weeks to live. Thanks to the performances of Awkwafina and others, the film connects with its themes of love and loss. It will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Miller Lite Hot Country Nights: Eli Young Band with Flatland Cavalry
Eli Young Band is a prime example of how some college bands can actually make it big in the music world. After forming at the University of North Texas, they quickly gained notoriety, opening for the likes of Miranda Lambert. Five albums later, three of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard Country charts, the band remains one of the bigger success stories to come out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The group returns home to play at Texas Live in Arlington, with support from Flatland Cavalry.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Michael Bolton: The Symphony Sessions
Singer Michael Bolton has been putting out music for almost 45 years, though he's most well-known for his late '80s/early '90s music that included hits like "How Can We Be Lovers?," "Love is a Wonderful Thing," and his cover version of "When a Man Loves a Woman." On his latest album, A Symphony of Hits, Bolton re-recorded many of his biggest hits with a symphony orchestra, and he'll give audiences the live version of that experience for one night only at Bass Performance Hall.

Frame4Frame Festival
The Frame4Frame Festival celebrates local and international independent films, visual arts, and music in the Arlington community. The festival, taking place throughout the downtown Arlington area through Sunday, will feature a variety of music performances, a film festival with a diverse collection of independent film from filmmakers throughout the world, and two art exhibits at the Arlington Museum of Art.

Theatre Arlington presents The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a happy-go-lucky view of small-town vice and statewide political side-stepping that recounts the good times and the demise of the Chicken Ranch, known since the 1850s as one of the better pleasure palaces in all of Texas. Governors, senators, mayors, and even victorious college football teams frequent Miss Mona’s cozy bordello, until a Puritan watchdog focuses his television cameras and his righteous indignation on the institution. The production will run through October 13 at Theatre Arlington.

Saturday, September 21

Tarrant Regional Water District presents Trinity Trash Bash
Volunteering in the community is always a great way to keep connected with your city and to feel good about yourself in general. You can accomplish that goal by participating in the Tarrant Regional Water District's Trinity Trash Bash, which is all about keeping the beloved Trinity River clean. Groups, families, and individuals are encouraged to volunteer for the event, which will include an afterparty at Coyote Drive-In.

Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth presents Colors of Virtuosity
Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth will open its season with Colors of Virtuosity, featuring Felix Olschofka, violin; Giora Schmidt, violin; Richard Young, viola; Inbal Segev, cello; and Jhye Chang, piano. Selections for the concert, taking place at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, include Ysayë’s “Sonata for Two Violins in A minor,” Kodaly’s “Serenade for two Violins And Viola Op.12,” and Elgar’s “Quintet in A minor for Piano and String Quartet.”

Sara Evans in concert
Sara Evans has been at or near the top of the Billboard Country charts with almost all of her nine studio albums, including her 2017 album, Words. She's maintained her popularity, thanks to hits like "No Place That Far," "Born to Fly," "A Real Fine Place to Start," and "A Little Bit Stronger." Fresh off releasing her latest live album, Live from City Winery Nashville, she'll play at Arlington Music Hall.

Michael Bolton will perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Performance Hall on September 20.

Courtesy photo

Michael Bolton will perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Performance Hall on September 20.

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Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

GM Financial Parade of Lights Fort Worth

Photo courtesy of Parade of Lights

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The weekend before Thanksgiving is when the holiday season really kicks into high gear, and this year features a Broadway musical, multiple local festivals, and a big parade. Other non-holiday choices include screenings of an acclaimed new film, three country concerts, a great comedian, an opera, the opening of a new art exhibition, and a small-scale symphony concert.

Photo courtesy of Parade of Lights

The annual GM Financial Parade of Lights takes place in Downtown Fort Worth on November 24.

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 21

Performing Arts Fort Worth presents Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical features the hit songs "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas” from the original animated series. Max the Dog narrates the action as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small," decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday-loving Whos. The production runs through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Friday, November 22

Holiday events
In addition to the special one-off holiday performances, the Fort Worth area will have several holiday festival-style events start their run this weekend. They include Texas Christkindl Market at Texas Live in Arlington (running through December 23), Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington (through December 29), and Lightscape at Fort Worth Botanic Garden (through January 5).

Magnolia at the Modern: Blitz
Sir Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mother and grandfather (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril. Meanwhile, a distraught Rita searches for her missing son. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Little Big Town in concert with Sugarland
Country group Little Big Town and country duo Sugarland have a long history together, first collaborating on the song "Life in a Northern Town" in 2008. Sixteen years later, they teamed up again for the new song "Take Me Home," after which this tour is named. Little Big Town has released 10 albums in their career, most recently Mr. Sunin 2022, while Sugarland has released six albums in their career, most recently Bigger in 2018. They'll play at Dickies Arena.

Big Laugh Comedy Club presents Dulce Sloan
Comedian Dulcé Sloan was most recently a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and has been hailed by Variety, Rolling Stone, and Timeout LA as a Top Comedian to Watch. She has also been honored as the NBC Stand UpShowcase Winner, a Montreal Just For Laughs New Face, and as a Comedian to Watch on The Steve Harvey Show. She'll perform four times through Saturday at Big Laugh Comedy Club.

Fort Worth Opera presents Little Women
Mark Adamo’s operatic adaptation of Little Women brings Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel to life in a fresh and powerful way. The American opera is celebrated for its emotional depth and resonant themes of family, sisterhood, growing up, and coming home. Adamo captures the internal conflict of iconic central character, Jo March, who fears that growing up inevitably means growing apart from her family and her sisters, Meg, Beth, and Amy. There will be performances on Friday and Sunday at Arts Fort Worth.

Randall King in concert
A throwback to classic country, Randall King formed an Americana group in college called the Randall King Band, which released an album called Old Dirt Road before splitting. He then debuted as a solo artist in 2016 with the EP Another Bullet before releasing his first self-titled album in 2018 and his second album, Shot Glass in 2022. He'll play once again at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, November 23

Dylan Wheeler in concert
A native of the East Texas town of Edgewood, Dylan Wheeler has made a name for himself on the Texas country music scene. The success of his debut EP, Tell Me I'm Wrong, in 2018 convinced him to quit his job in the oil & gas industry and pursue music full-time. He released his debut album, Times Are Changing, in 2022, and now he returns again to play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Sunday, November 24

Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents Rufino Tamayo: "Innovation and Experimentation"
Exploring more than 60 years of Rufino Tamayo’s prints, "Innovation and Experimentation" showcases the artist’s extensive engagement with prints and his ambitions to add volume and texture to a traditionally two-dimensional medium. In these works, Tamayo's depictions and abstractions of the human figure are highlighted as fertile ground for formal experimentation. A selection of Mesoamerican sculpture complements the prints on view, examining an important source of inspiration for the artist. The exhibition will remain on display through April 20, 2025.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Chamber Series: "Mozart, Schulhoff, and Korngold"
The composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold is remembered best for his film scores to silver-screen classics like The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood, but his concert works are also a testament to his prodigious talent. In this first FWSO Chamber Program featuring members of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Korngold’s music appears alongside Mozart’s Serenade in C minor and a Divertissement by Schulhoff, whose music was buried by the Nazis but has been reemerging in recent years. The performance takes place at Kimbell Art Museum.

GM Financial Parade of Lights
The annual GM Financial Parade of Lights will brighten up the streets of Downtown Fort Worth for its 42nd year, marking the City of Fort Worth’s official kickoff to the holiday season. The parade features the Texas Rangers baseball team as Grand Marshal, along with floats, vintage cars, horse-drawn carriages, marching bands, carolers, and Santa Claus along the 1.59-mile route.

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