While many events in and around Fort Worth have either been postponed or canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, some organizations have pivoted to virtual or socially-distanced events to continue offering the masses some entertainment while we need it the most.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. While they're not all outside of the house, they all promise to provide a nice distraction from the everyday life.
Thursday, December 3
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the "Super Bowl of Rodeo," comes to Globe Life Field in Arlington on a one-year hiatus from its normal home in Las Vegas. The event, taking place nightly through December 12, will feature rodeo performances from some of the top rodeo athletes in the world. Concurrently will be Cowboy Christmas at the Fort Worth Convention Center, where fans can find all sorts of Western wear, art, official Wrangler NFR and PRCA merchandise, and more.
Casa Mañana presents A Motown Christmas
From The Jackson 5 to the Supremes and Marvin Gaye to The Temptations, A Motown Christmas features festive and smooth renditions of the Christmas classics that are sure to put the audience in the holiday spirit. This show, which is suitable for most audiences, will have eight more performances through December 12 at Casa Mañana Theatre.
Lorrie Morgan in concert
Country star Lorrie Morgan shot out of a cannon at the beginning of her career, becoming the first woman to have three straight platinum country albums. She continued that success throughout the 1990s, going on to release 15 albums throughout her career, including 2018's Come See Me and Come Lonely. She'll play at Arlington Music Hall.
Travis Tritt in concert
During the country music boom of the 1990s, Travis Tritt stood tall among his fellow singers. His first five albums all reached the top 10 on the Billboard country charts, and he scored No. 1 hits with "Help Me Hold On," "Anymore," "Can I Trust You with My Heart," and "Foolish Pride." His career has been up and down since then, but he still knows how to bring it. He'll perform at Billy Bob's Texas.
Friday, December 4
Magnolia at the Modern: Dear Santa
For 100 years, the U.S. Postal Service has run Operation Santa, which filters hundreds of thousands of letters addressed to Santa and delivers them not to the North Pole but to strangers who, out of the goodness of their hearts, help deliver toys to those in need and make some dreams come true. Dear Santa follows the delivery of one letter that requests something other than a toy, and the film examines the value of this American tradition and asks audiences to think about how they can make the world a better place. The film will screen five times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Ballet Frontier presents The Nutcracker: Kingdom of Sweets
Ballet Frontier presents The Nutcracker: Kingdom of Sweets, featuring a shortened version of The Nutcracker to accommodate social distancing on stage and off, plus performances of Ballet Frontier fan favorites such as White Swan Pas de Deux and Butterfly Lovers. The production, which will have four performances through Sunday at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, is the only professional performance of The Nutcracker in Fort Worth this holiday season.
The Bellamy Brothers in concert
Howard and David Bellamy, aka the Bellamy Brothers, have been racking up hits for over 40 years. They're best known for their heyday in the 1980s, when songs like "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me," "Do You Love as Good as You Look," and "Too Much is Not Enough" made them one of the biggest acts of the era. They'll revisit their long and storied career at this concert at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, December 5
Casa Mañana presents Jingle All the Way: A Holiday Family Concert
Jingle All the Way: A Holiday Family Concert will feature favorite holiday hits, sung by favorite holiday characters. Frosty, Rudolph and Jingle the Elf will sing songs such as "Frosty the Snowman," "Jingle Bells," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," and more. During the show, guests can craft an ornament to take home for their tree, sip hot chocolate with marshmallows, and more. The production will run on various dates at Casa Mañana Theatre through December 23.
Circle Theatre presents Holiday Punch Party
At Circle Theatre's Holiday Punch Party, guests will gather virtually to hear performances from favorite local artists and celebrate the hope of theatre coming back to the stage in 2021. The event will feature a showcase of original monologues, commissioned by patrons and performed by seasoned local actors. The evening will also include a video featuring the faces of Circle Theatre, an online auction, live prize drawings and a wine pull via social media, and surprises from the Circle staff.
Stoney LaRue in concert
Singer-songwriter Stoney LaRue is part of the wave of Texas Country/Red Dirt artists, having put out six albums since 2002, including 2019's Onward. LaRue is as close to a regular at Billy Bob's as you can get, having played there multiple times and even recording a live album there in 2007. He'll play there yet again on Saturday night.
Sunday, December 6
Kimbell Art Museum presents "Queen Nefertari's Egypt"
The special exhibition "Queen Nefertari's Egypt" celebrates the wives of pharaohs of the New Kingdom Period (1550-1070 BC), when Egyptian civilization was at its height. Nefertari, whose name means "the most beautiful of them all," was the beloved royal wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II. Nefertari and other women are brought to life through approximately 230 exceptional objects, including statues, jewelry, vases, papyrus, steles, mummies, wooden coffins, and stone sarcophagi, as well as various items of daily life. The exhibition will remain on display through March 14. Learn more about it in this story.
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington through December 12.
