While holiday-themed events dominate the list of events in Fort Worth on Thanksgiving weekend, there will also be some interesting non-holiday happenings. They include a short visit from some blue entertainers, screenings of one of the best movies of the year, a charity race, and the closing of a local 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.
Wednesday, November 27
Broadway at the Bass presents Blue Man Group:Speechless
Blue Man Group is comedy, theater, rock concert, and dance party all rolled into one. The show delivers an outrageous, multi-sensory experience that is the enemy of monotony, remedy for boredom, and promoter of overjoy and elation. Speechless, playing twice on Wednesday at Bass Performance Hall, will feature new and original compositions, invented instruments, and unexpected situations alongside iconic Blue Man Group moments based in joy, art, music, comedy, social commentary, and profound absurdity.
Thursday, November 28
Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot
Before you indulge in turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie, it might be a good idea to get some exercise in. You can do so at the 38th annual Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot, which will feature a 10K run, a 5K run/walk, and the 1K Gobbler Trot presented by Healthways for kids and families. For the first time, timed 5K and 10K participants will receive a finisher’s medal. Proceeds from the event, taking place at the Village at Camp Bowie, will benefit the diverse programs of the YMCA.
Daystar Television Network presents Daystar Christmas
Daystar Christmas is the annual holiday lights display at Daystar Television Network in Bedford. The event, taking place through January 5, will feature over one million lights, a life-sized Nativity, kid-friendly Christmas town, a newly added drive-through tunnel, and more. Guests will have the chance to take photos with Santa and there will also be a special reading of the Christmas Story and Scratch Café holiday hours.
Friday, November 29
Grapevine Vintage Railroad presents North Pole Express
Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s North Pole Express, presented by Great Wolf Lodge, is a unique traditional Christmas experience. On the train, every child will receive Frosty Chocolate Snow Milk, a Christmas cookie, and a “We Believe” Silver Bell. The train continues on to the North Pole where, upon arrival, guests stroll through the snowy North Pole Forest and visit Santa’s workshop for a Broadway-style Christmas performance and a complimentary photo with Santa. The event will continue through December 23.
Texas Christkindl Market
In its ninth year, the Texas Christkindl Market is one of the largest open air holiday markets in the Southwest. Inspired by a cherished German tradition, guests can shop for holiday gifts, decorations, and one-of-a-kind finds. Guests can also get a photo with St. Nikolaus, indulge in German treats and eats, and enjoy festive music and entertainment. The market will be open through December 22, and new this year, there will also be an outdoor 5,000-square-foot ice rink open through January 12, 2020.
Magnolia at the Modern: Parasite
Korean director Bong Joon-Ho brings his work home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale. Meet the Park family, the picture of aspirational wealth, and the Kim family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together, and the Kims' sense a golden opportunity. Parasite won the 2019 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the first Korean film to receive the award. The film, screening 12 times at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth through December 8, is rated R and is in Korean with English subtitles.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Home for the Holidays
Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra help usher in the holiday season with music we know and love. The concert will feature seasonal favorites performed by the orchestra, special guests, and a sing-along with the audience. During the concert, performed three times through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall, Santa spreads cheer, and the chance of snow flurries is 100 percent.
Saturday, November 30
AIDS Outreach Center presents Red Ribbon 5K Run
The Red Ribbon 5K Run, presented by AIDS Outreach Center, is in memory of those lost to the disease and in celebration of those living with HIV today. The event, taking place at Trinity Park, includes a timed 5K run, a fun run/walk, and Pooches on Parade costume contest. The event will also feature food, drinks, and live entertainment.
Sunday, December 1
Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents "Seeing in Detail: Scott and Stuart Gentling's Birds of Texas" closing day
Sunday will the final opportunity to view "Seeing in Detail," Scott and Stuart Gentling’s exhibition of watercolors of Texas birds. The level of detail is extraordinary, with hundreds of brushstrokes for each feather, and there are hundreds of feathers. "Seeing in Detail" features 23 of the Gentlings' watercolors from the museum’s permanent collection. It’s the first of two consecutive exhibitions at the Carter dedicated to these Fort Worth artists and their unique approach to painting the natural world.
The Grand Ol' Christmas Show
The Grand Ol’ Christmas Show is a live, one-of-a-kind musical variety show featuring all-time favorite Christmas classics and original sketch comedy antics. The show features globally-acclaimed “Texas Piano Man” Robert Ellis and Americana standout Blue Water Highway, as well as a cast of the best artists and entertainers in Texas. The show will take place at Ridglea Theater.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will present Home for the Holidays at Bass Performance Hall, November 29-December 1.
