With fall in the wings, it's time to make plans. Fort Worth has loads of culture, restaurants, and arts events teed up and we're here to cull it down to the best bets.
Our team of experts weeded through the key entertainment categories to narrow down five primary picks for each: major film releases, the biggest concerts, top theater productions, must-see museum & gallery shows, and the five hottest restaurants opening soon.
Nobody can do it all, but you can surely give it your best shot. At the very least, you're in the know.
Here's our list of arts, culture, theater, music, and dining for fall 2024, starting in late August and running right up to the holidays:
MOVIES
These five films include a highly anticipated sequel, an unexpected sequel, a director's passion project, a star-studded comic book musical, and a long-awaited Broadway musical adaptation.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice September 6
It's been 36 years since director Tim Burton first introduced audiences to the weird and wild world of
Beetlejuice, and now he's back with the highly anticipated sequel featuring original stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara. They'll be joined by rising star Jenna Ortega in the latest attempt to turn nostalgia for one-off '80s movies into a franchise.
Megalopolis September 27
The name of writer/director Francis Ford Coppola still carries a lot of clout despite the fact that his output has slowed to a trickle and he hasn't made a universally well-received movie since 1997's
The Rainmaker. Initial word on this film, which stars Adam Driver, is less-than-promising, but hope springs eternal that the 85-year-old filmmaker can give the world one last masterpiece.
Joker: Folie à Deux October 4
What better way to make a sequel for 2019's
Joker than to make it a jukebox musical co-starring Lady Gaga and give it a weird French subtitle? But star Joaquin Phoenix and director Todd Phillips are back from the original film, and given that movie's massive box office - over $1 billion - and the thirst of comic book fans for movies featuring one of that world's best known villains, those who doubt do so at their own peril.
Gladiator II November 22
Of all the unexpected sequels on this list,
Gladiator II may top the list. Spoiler alert for the 24-year-old Oscar-winning movie, but things don't exactly end well for Russell Crowe's Maximus or Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus. The lead character of the new film, played by Paul Mescal, is said to be inspired by the legend of Maximus, and the movie also feature a villainous turn by Denzel Washington and the return of director Ridley Scott, so maybe lightning can strike twice.
Wicked: Part One November 22
Movie adaptations of Broadway musicals have a hit-and-miss record - sometimes they
win Best Picture, sometimes they completely bomb. But Wicked, which is finally hitting big screens over 20 years after its debut, seems to be one of those no-doubters, even if the studio made the odd decision to not only split the film into two parts, but space them a year apart. With Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the lead roles, can the Tony-winning musical defy gravity once more?
Leon Bridges will play a homecoming show at Dickies Arena on November 15.
Photo by Jack Bool
CONCERTS
These five concerts include a hard-rock double headliner, a country-music fest, a brilliant female double bill, a country climber, and a major triumph for a hometown hero.
Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper - September 18
There will be freaks on parade in Fort Worth when Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper bring their tour of that name to Dickies Arena. The metal singers have been icons of the genres going back decades, with Zombie just passing the 25th anniversary of his debut album, and Cooper now in his 55th year in the music industry. They'll be joined by special guests Ministry and Filter.
Ryan Bingham's The Great Western - October 12
Fort Worth loves it some country music, and this music/rodeo event at Dickies Arena will be absolutely swimming with talent. Bingham will headline the evening's main event, joined by Shane Smith & The Saints, Tanya Tucker, Shaboozey, and Louie The Singer. Performing outside the arena will be a variety of other singers, led by Vincent Neil Emerson and Angel White.
Pink - November 6
The artist formerly known as Alecia Moore is now nine albums deep into her career, including her latest -
Trustfall - from 2023. Appropriately for the larger venue, the concert will also include a set by special guest Sheryl Crow, as well as warm-up DJ KidCutUp.
Cody Johnson - November 9
Country singer Cody Johnson has been playing in and around Fort Worth for years, working his way up from Billy Bob's Texas to this concert at one of the biggest venues in the area, Globe Life Field. He's in the midst of the best year of his career, releasing his ninth album, Leather, in November 2023 and getting nominated for five ACM Awards. He'll be joined by special guest Jon Pardi.
Leon BridgesNovember 15
Native Fort Worthian singer will embark on Leon Bridges: The Leon Tour in fall 2024, a trek that will conclude with a special homecoming show at Dickies Arena on Friday, November 15. The Fort Worth date will be Bridges' biggest headline show of his career.
Pasta at Bocca Osteria RomanaFacebook
RESTAURANTS
These five restaurants include a buzzy tapas spot, an Italian with international roots, a Dallas concept coming to Fort Worth's hottest neighborhood, a BBQ venture from a beloved Tex-Mex queen, and a celebrity steakhouse.
La Coqueta
This long-awaited restaurant from popular Fort Worth chef (and Reata alumnus) Juan Rodriguez and his wife, Paige (Magdalena’s Catering and Events) is an exciting tapas spot that fulfills Juan's love for Spanish cuisine. The menu signature will be paella, the festive rice dish — leading a menu that includes croquettes with jamón serrano & manchego cheese, charcuterie boards, and tortillitas de camarones: small, flat shrimp fritters that originated in the province of Cadiz in Andalusia, Spain. Opening early fall.
Bocca Osteria Romana
Italian restaurant will open in the South Main area at 411 S. Main St. #104 in the former Rancho Loma Vineyards where it will specialize in freshly made pastas: Roman-style lasagna with Bolognese & bechamel, potato gnocchi, spaghetti alla carbonara, and cacio e pepe. Bocca will be the first stateside concept from a trio of Texas-born family members — brothers Alfonso and Alessandro Salvatore, who own three restaurants in Puerto Rico including the original Bocca — and their cousin Eduardo Mariel. Opening early fall.
Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar
American tavern from Dallas hospitality company FB Society will open its first location in Tarrant County at 2849 Heritage Trace Pkwy. in the Alliance Town Center. Whiskey Cake strives to follow a farm-to-table ethos and their weekend brunch is epic, with hearty dishes like carrot cake pancakes and Wagyu hash with sweet potatoes, wilted greens, and eggs. FB Society is fully on board with buzzy north Fort Worth: They're also opening a branch of their slider concept Son of a Butcher nearby. Opening in mid-fall.
Holy Cue
New restaurant near TCU will combine two of Fort Worth’s favorite cuisines: barbecue and Mexican food. It's from restaurateur Mary Patino Vasquez, founder of Enchiladas Ole, and will open at 2420 Forest Park Blvd., conveniently next door to the Forest Park location of Enchiladas Ole. The menu will include dishes like brisket tacos, brisket burgers, and poblano peppers stuffed with brisket. Helping develop the recipes is beloved Fort Worth chef Keith “Buttons” Hicks, who owned Buttons Food & Music and Ovation. Opening late fall.
Cowboy Prime
Upscale steakhouse from compulsively busy chef Felipe Armenta (Cork & Pig, Pacific Table Cafe Margot, Press Cafe, Maria's Mexican) which debuted in Midland in December 2022 will open a second location in the Fort Worth Stockyards at 128 E. Exchange Ave. Cowboy Prime is more a project from Armenta's partner, celeb chef Graham Elliot, who oversees the menu of steakhouse classics: beef tartare, peppercorn crusted filet, Caesar and wedge salads, burgers, steak frites, and all the steakhouse sides. Opening mid-fall.
Remington and Russell in Black and WhiteSid Richardson Museum
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
These five exhibits include a Dutch treat, an immersive trip into the future, an innovative textile show, an iconic Western reverie, and a memorial to a TCU professor and critic.
Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Kimbell Art Museum, November 10, 2024-February 9, 2025
Rembrandt joins other renowned Dutch artists like Frans Hals, Gerrit Dou, Jacob van Ruisdael, Maria Schalcken, plus four Dutch paintings from the Kimbell’s permanent collection, for this display of the artistic boom in the Netherlands. See paintings along with prints, maps, and decorative objects in silver, porcelain, glass, and more, all dating from the 17th and first half of the 18th centuries.
Freeman + Lowe: Sunset Corridor, The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, October 4, 2024-January 5, 2025
Step into a fictional futurist world known as the San San Universe, named for the theory that by the year 2000, San Diego and San Francisco would merge into one giant metropolis. Throughout this immersive installation are five architectural zones and a video room, each supporting a metanarrative about a transient youth culture.
Jean Shin: The Museum Body, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, now through June 30, 2025
For this site-specific commission, Carter employees donated their clothing to create Shin's textile-based portrait of the museum. The large-scale wall mural, which covers the entire first-floor gallery, lays out the clothing pieces like fashion patterns while strips of shirts, pants, and more hang in a harness formation from the ceiling.
Remington and Russell in Black and White, Sid Richardson Museum, now through April 2025
See the original black and white compositions of famed Western American painters Frederic Remington and Charles Russell displayed alongside printed examples in books and magazines.
Do You Really Believe That?, The Art Galleries at TCU/Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, August 30-November 16
Group exhibition in honor of late art historian and TCU
professor Frances Colpitt, who passed away in 2022. The selection of works is guided by themes coalesced from her work over the course of her career with a focus on abstraction, minimalism, and conceptual art. The title is a phrase Colpitt often used to challenge her students and galvanize critical thinking and discussion in class.
THEATER
These four shows include a Stephen Sondheim score, 17th-century Spanish comedy, a well-timed movie spinoff, and a hilarious slapstick comedy.
Company - The Musical, Broadway at the Bass, October 1-6
A gender-bending twist defines this revival of the classic '70s musical about the famously single protagonist and their quest to find somebody to love who makes them feel alive. Stephen Sondheim's famous score includes the hopeful "Marry Me a Little" and delightful "Not Getting Married Today."
The Amazing, Fabulous, and Spectacular Untruths of Juan Garcia, Amphibian Stage, October 11-November 3
Penned by outgoing artistic director Kathleen Culebro, this English adaptation of a 17th-century Spanish comedy has it all: lies, romance, lies, laughs, lies — you get the idea. Juan Garcia has returned to his hometown of Oaxaca, armed with grand tales and big dreams of becoming the city’s biggest celebrity. Watch as he weaves a tapestry of tall tales and misadventures, aiming to impress (and possibly confuse) everyone, particularly the lady of his misguided affections.
Beetlejuice, Broadway at the Bass, October 29-November 3
Soon after the film sequel brings the ghost with the most back into our lives, the musical's national tour hitches its sandworm to Fort Worth. The stage version has some notable differences from Tim Burton's cinematic original, but it's still a disgustingly fun time with both the living and the dead.
The Play That Goes Wrong, Stage West, November 29-December 22
Produced in partnership with Addison's WaterTower Theatre, where the show will head in 2025 immediately following its Fort Worth run, this farcical slapstick comedy is back by popular demand. A community theater troupe is staging a murder mystery and, well, everything goes hysterically, hilariously, painfully, wildly wrong.
