This weekend marks the start of the biggest event of the year in Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, which will dominate the landscape for the next few weeks. Other choices this weekend include six concerts, two of which are attached to the Stock Show, a new art exhibition, screenings of an acclaimed movie, and a local theater production of a famous musical, but aimed at kids.
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.
Friday, January 13
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
The annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is a three-week long event that's such a big deal, it's dubbed "legendary." The main events are the daily rodeos at Dickies Arena, but there are also shows with pigeons, chickens, goats, and more; livestock auctions; an "all-Western" parade through downtown Fort Worth (Saturday); Cowboys of Color rodeo (Monday); a midway with carnival games and fair food; and concerts on most days. The event will take place daily through February 4.
Magnolia at the Modern: The Eternal Daughter
In The Eternal Daughter, an artist and her elderly mother confront long-buried secrets when they return to a former family home, now a hotel haunted by its mysterious past. Featuring a towering, deeply moving performance by Tilda Swinton in both roles, acclaimed filmmaker Joanna Hogg's beguiling latest film is a brilliant and captivating exploration of parental relationships and the things we leave behind. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Artisan Center Theater presents Fiddler on the Roof JR
Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story of Fiddler on the Roof centers on Tevye, a poor dairyman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to marry off his daughters and instill in them a sense of tradition in the face of growing anti-Semitism in Czarist Russia. Artisan Center Theater in Hurst will present a kid-friendly version of the musical through February 11.
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Auditorium Concert Series: John Michael Montgomery and Deana Carter
In addition to the daily concerts at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, bigger stars will headline the Auditorium Concert Series at Will Rogers Auditorium. Kicking off the series are '90s country stars John Michael Montgomery, best known for hits like "I Love the Way You Love Me," " I Swear," "Be My Baby Tonight," and "I Can Love You Like That," and co-headliner Deana Carter, best known for her hit "Strawberry Wine."
The Quebe Sisters in concert
Grace, Sophia, and Hulda Quebe front an innovative Progressive Western Swing band of archtop guitar, upright bass, fiddles, and sibling harmony. The Dallas-based five-piece presents a unique Americana blend of Western Swing, Jazz-influenced Swing, Country, Texas-Style Fiddling, and Western music. They'll play at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall.
Colter Wall in concert
Colter Wall is a Canadian singer-songwriter with a deep and knowing voice. He started learning guitar at the age of 13, playing the music of rock bands such as AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. He later moved on to folk music, placing equal importance on crafting songs as well as carrying older songs into the present day. He's released three albums in his career, most recently 2020's Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, January 14
Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents "Morning Light: Photographs of David H. Gibson"
Dallas photographer David H. Gibson has been exploring the beauty of the Southwestern landscape for more than 50 years, building a reputation as an astute interpreter of effervescent moisture and changing light. "Morning Light: The Photographs of David H. Gibson" takes viewers to two of his favorite sites, Cypress Creek in Wimberley, Texas, and Eagle Nest Lake nestled in the mountains east of Taos, New Mexico. The 20 works in the exhibition draw attention to the artist’s repeated return to each site and his fascination with dawn’s break into day. The exhibition will remain on display through May 21.
National Theatre Live: Much Ado About Nothing
Katherine Parkinson and John Heffernan lead the cast in Shakespeare’s romcom of sun, sea, and mistaken identity. The legendary Hotel Messina on the Italian Riviera has been visited by artists, celebrities, and royalty. But when the owner’s daughter weds a dashing young soldier, not all guests are in the mood for love. A string of scandalous deceptions soon surround not only the young couple, but also the adamantly single Beatrice and Benedick. This screening of a previously-recorded production will be at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Auditorium Concert Series: Tesla
The second entry in the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Auditorium Concert Series will be the classic rock band Tesla. Debuting in 1986, the band laid claim to the name well before Elon Musk did thanks to hits like "Love Song," "Signs," and "What You Give." They've released eight albums in their career, most recently 2019's Shock. They'll play at Will Rogers Auditorium.
Asleep At the Wheel in concert
This is a monumental year for Austin-based Asleep At the Wheel, as they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1973 debut album, Comin' Right At Ya. To commemorate the historic accomplishment, they are touring in support of their 2021 album, Half A Hundred Years. They'll play at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall.
Kolby Cooper in concert
Country singer Kolby Cooper came out of the East Texas town of Palestine just three years out of high school, with no label or industry machine in place. Since then, his songs have garnered millions of streams on Spotify, solidifying him as a voice of the future for Texas country music. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas in support of his debut album, Boy From Anderson County To The Moon.
The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will be in and around Dickies Arena, January 13-February 4.
