There are a number of big events happening in and around Fort Worth this weekend, including an equestrian competition, a food and wine festival, an appearance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and a classic opera. Other choices include three local theater productions, screenings of a new film, a gala featuring two well-known singers, and two country concerts.
Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, April 9
FEI World Cup Finals 2026
The FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) is the international governing body of equestrian sports, and they will bring their premier event, the World Cup Finals, to Fort Worth. The competition, taking place through Sunday at Dickies Arena, will feature the world’s top competitors in both Jumping and Dressage, including Olympic and World champions.
Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival
The Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival will feature its most expansive lineup yet, as well as two newly reimagined events and the debut of Taste of Texas Row, a first-of-its-kind collaboration bringing Chefs For Farmers (Dallas), Hot Luck Festival (Austin), and Southern Smoke Festival (Houston) together for a statewide tasting experience. Guests can enjoy chef-driven tastings, open-flame cooking at The Fireside, premium beverage partners, and live music. The festival takes place through Sunday at Heart of the Ranch at Clearfork.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Live
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Live features 90 minutes of routines, never-before-seen solo and group performances, a live Q&A session, live auditions, and stories from Senior Director Kelli Finglass, Head Choreographer Judy Trammell, and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The event takes place at Will Rogers Auditorium.
Tarrant County College presents Below the Belt
In a mysterious, undisclosed location in some fictional country, three employees work in an industrial compound. They live in a world dominated by corporate bureaucracy, and none of them are sure that they like it. As they comically maneuver in their pointless quest for status, sinister little animals encroach on the compound. There will be three performances through Saturday in Joe B. Rushing Center for the Performing Arts on the South Campus of Tarrant County College.
Performing Arts Fort Worth presents Late Night Catechism
In Late Nite Catechism, the irrepressible Sister teaches class to a roomful of "students." Throughout the course of the class the benevolent instructor rewards the "students" for correct answers with nifty prizes. Naughty students may well find themselves on stage sitting in a corner reflecting their actions. However, even the most reluctant "students" will be clamoring to get into this Sister's class. There will be five performances through Sunday at McDavid Studio.
Friday, April 10
Magnolia at the Modern: Hamlet
In this modern telling of Shakespeare’s play set in London’s elite South Asian community, Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) comes home for his father's funeral and finds his uncle Claudius (Art Malik) marrying his widowed mother, Gertrude (Sheeba Chaddha). When his father's ghost (Avijit Dutt) reveals that Claudius murdered him, Hamlet begins a journey of revenge and introspection. The film will screen six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
2026 Cliburn Gala: Iconically American
A nod to the United States' 250th birthday, the 2026 Cliburn Gala: Iconically American pays homage to the classic elegance of the organization's inspiration and namesake, Van Cliburn. The event will feature Texas artists and lifelong friends Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, who will perform their signature American music. The Cliburn's primary annual fundraiser will take place at The Reserve at Fort Worth Zoo.
Fort Worth Opera presents Madama Butterfly
Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is a full production from Fort Worth Opera featuring a story of love, cultural blindness, and a mother’s sacrifice that remains as powerful today as when Fort Worth Opera first performed it in 1947. Anchored by one of the most exquisite scores in the operatic canon, Butterfly is a poignant tribute to a woman’s steadfast devotion and maturing will — and a signature work of the company’s 80-year legacy. There will be performances on Friday and Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.
Stolen Shakespeare Guild presents Oklahoma!
Set against the backdrop of the Western frontier, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s groundbreaking musical Oklahoma! tells the story of farm girl Laurey, her cowboy suitor Curly, and the darker rival vying for her hand. With unforgettable songs like “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” and “People Will Say We’re in Love,” the musical is a sweeping celebration of community and love. The production runs through April 26 at Stolen Shakespeare Guild.
Jon Wolfe in concert
There are a lot of big-time stars who grace the stage at Billy Bob's Texas, but just as often they showcase talented and hard-working musicians with smaller but loyal fanbases. Jon Wolfe now has eight albums to his credit with 2025 release of Barstool Therapy (Session One), and only one of them — 2015's Natural Man — made any kind of impact on the Billboard Country charts. But you can expect the venue to be packed once again for him, as he's a regular in Fort Worth.
Saturday, April 11
Bleu Edmondson and Django Walker in concert
Country singers Bleu Edmondson and Django Walker will co-headline this concert at Billy Bob's Texas. Edmondson, who's celebrating the 25th anniversary of his debut album, is touring in support of his 2025 EP, To The End. Walker, the son of Texas singer-songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker, is touring in support of his 2024 album, My Hero.
Photo by Cottonbro Studios
