It's another busy weekend in and around Fort Worth. You can stay in the city limits to check out offerings in art, film, theater, and dance. Or hit the road to Dallas for the biggest annual event in the area, or head up to Denton to watch a popular podcast. You'll also have a chance to celebrate Oktoberfest in a unique way or get splashed in colorful paint.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time Thursday through Monday. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, September 28
Sundance Square Plaza presents Bands On The Bricks
Sundance Square’s live music series, Bands on the Bricks, takes place in Sundance Square Plaza every Thursday night in September and October. The latest performer to take the stage will be Ohio singer/songwriter Griffin House, whose latest album is 2016's So On and So Forth. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome during the 90-minute performances. Beverages will be available for purchase during the concerts, and restaurants will be open throughout the evening.
Friday, September 29
2017 State Fair of Texas
The 24-day, four-weekend extravaganza that is the State Fair of Texas is back. The best thing about the fair is its predictable greatness, from the butter sculptures to the pig races to the oodles of fried food. You can try all the new concoctions, check out the Midway, enjoy free concerts every day — Maren Morris kicks things off on Friday — or take a trip to the top of the Top 'o Texas Tower. Don't forget to get your discount tickets before you go. The fair will be at Fair Park in Dallas through October 22.
National Cowgirl Museum presents Constance Jaeggi: "Aspects of Power, Light and Motion"
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will premiere “Aspects of Power, Light and Motion,” an exhibition of equine photographs by Constance Jaeggi, a successful rancher and champion cutting horse rider who reveals the individual personality of horses through her fine-art photographs. Jaeggi focuses on the horse as a dynamic being while capturing its sense of motion in a still frame. The exhibit will be on display through February 4, 2018.
Magnolia at the Modern presents Menashe
Deep in the heart of New York's notoriously secretive Hasidic Jewish community, Menashe, a good-hearted but somewhat hapless grocery store clerk, struggles against tradition to keep custody of his only son after his wife passes away. Menashe, which is rated PG and in Yiddish with English subtitles, will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Casa Mañana presents Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Painter and decorator by day, Mr. Popper spends his time dreaming of Antarctic adventures. He is astounded when a packing crate arrives on his doorstep and a penguin waddles out. With original songs and performing penguin puppets, this delightful, action-packed musical adaptation of Richard and Florence Atwater’s popular book is the perfect family treat for ages 4-104. Casa Mañana will present the family-friendly production through October 15.
Chris Gethard —Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People: Live Podcast Taping
Podcasting has created more than a few unusual stars, and you can put Chris Gethard at the top of that list. An actor/comedian who's appeared on shows like The Office, Broad City, and Inside Amy Schumer, he takes phone calls from anonymous people and talks with them about whatever they would like. A concept that could be boring is riveting, a rare opportunity for strangers to connect in a disconnected world. Gethard will hold a live taping of the podcast at UNT's University Union Lyceum in Denton.
Texas Ballet Theater presents Beauty and the Beast
It's already been a big year for Beauty and the Beast, with Disney releasing a "live action" version that earned big bucks at the box office. That makes it perfect timing for Texas Ballet Theater to present its version of the classic storybook tale of Belle, the Beast, and the Beast's enchanted servants. The production will have five performances through Sunday at Bass Hall.
Saturday, September 30
Rahr & Sons 2017 Oktoberfest 5K
Costumes are encouraged for Rahr & Sons' 8th annual Oktoberfest 5K, the German-themed race followed by a celebration at Rahr & Sons Brewing Company featuring live music, sausage, and, of course, beer. Runners receive a dry-fit T-shirt, an on-course TX Whiskey shot, and a finisher medal. Awards will be given to the winners of the race, as well as a stein-hoisting competition and costume contest. This year’s event will benefit the Fort Worth chapter of Brotherhood For The Fallen, a nonprofit that supports the families of police officers killed in the line of duty.
National Theatre Live presents Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches
America in the mid-1980s. In the midst of the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell. In this London prodution, Andrew Garfield plays Prior Walter in a cast that includes Denise Gough, Nathan Lane, James McArdle, and Russell Tovey. This new staging of Tony Kushner’s award winning two-part play will be shown at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Part 2: Perestroika will screen twice on October 4 and again on October 7.
Lorrie Morgan in concert
Even though country singer Lorrie Morgan released her first single in 1979, it wasn't until her debut album a decade later, Leave the Light On, that she would cross over into the big time. Thanks to hits like "Out of Your Shoes," "Five Minutes," "What Part of No," and "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," Morgan was a mainstay on the country charts for most of the 1990s. She'll play at the Stagecoach Ballroom.
Panther Island Pavilion presents Life in Color
Come dressed to get messy at Life in Color, which will feature live DJs, acrobats, and paint blasts during which audience members are sprayed with colorful but harmless paint. It's all meant to be an interactive, exciting, and distinctive experience. The event, taking place at Panther Island Pavilion, will include performances by 3LAU, Elephante, Bonnie X Clyde, and Quix.
Life in Color will be at Panther Island Pavilion on September 30.
