Weekend Event Planner

These are the 15 best things to do in Fort Worth this Halloween weekend

Halloween weekend in and around Fort Worth will be about more than just spooky events. Choices include the national tour of a Broadway musical, a trio of concerts, an annual film festival, a holiday lights event, a charity basketball game, an opera production, a local theater production, a fall festival, an art show, a seasonal movie accompanied by an orchestra, and the end of an art exhibition.

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.

Thursday, October 31

Halloween events
With Halloween kicking off the weekend, there's no better way to celebrate than attending one of the many themed events around the area. Pumpkin Nights at Howell Farms in Arlington offers 5,000 real and artificial pumpkins in themed lands like Forbidden City and Pirate's Cove. But haunted houses are the favorite choice, with options including Fright Festat Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth, The Parker House in Denton, Hangman's House of Horrors in Fort Worth, and Moxley Manor Haunted House in Bedford.

Broadway at the Bass presents Beetlejuice
Another Halloween treat is the arrival of the Broadway musical Beetlejuice in Fort Worth. Based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film, the musical version tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. Beetlejuice is a show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O. The production runs through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Marc Anthony in concert
Latin music singer Marc Anthony has been breaking down the barrier between English language and Spanish language music for 30 years. He's only had a couple of crossover hits - 1999's "I Need to Know" and 2000's "You Sang to Me" - but he's maintained his popularity thanks to his connection with his Spanish-speaking fans. He'll perform at Dickies Arena in support of his new album, Muevense.

Friday, November 1

Lone Star Film Festival
The 2024 Lone Star Film Festival will feature a variety of feature films, documentaries, and short films over the course of four days. Highlights include opening night film Lars Shrike Walks the Night starring Kelsey Grammer; a special screening of acclaimed film Sing Sing starring Colman Domingo; a screening of the pilot episode of Taylor Sheridan's new show, Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton; and the world premiere of the documentary, Charros. Screenings, happening through Monday, will take place mostly at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, with other events taking place at Kimbell Art Museum and The Crescent Hotel.

The Light Park
The day after Halloween, The Light Park will officially kick off the "real" holiday season. It is a mile-long, drive-thru spectacular where guests will witness millions of lights synchronized to a mix of music by DJ Polar Ice. Priced per vehicle, rather than per person, the more is truly merrier for visitors who want to travel through the longest light tunnel in the world. It will take place both at Hurricane Harbor Arlington through January 5.

Grand Kyiv Ballet productions
The Grand Kyiv Ballet will bring two separate productions to Fort Worth. On Friday they'll present Snow Queen, a classic fairytale transformed into a ballet about love and friendship, and how the warmth of a friend’s devoted heart removes the spell of a wicked Queen. On Saturday will be The Nutcracker, in which a young girl befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve. Together, they embark on a fantastical journey to a magical kingdom filled with dancing sugar plum fairies, toy soldiers, and other whimsical characters. Both productions will be at Arts Fort Worth.

TCU-Arkansas Men’s Basketball Charity Exhibition Game
Before TCU and Arkansas kick off their regular season basketball schedules next week, they'll face off in a special charity exhibition game. TCU is coming off three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history, while Arkansas is starting a new era under Hall of Fame coach John Calipari. The game will provide fans with a unique in-game experience never done before at Dickies Arena.

Opera Arlington presents Cinderella
Opera Arlington will present Cinderella, Pauline Viardot’s charming and whimsical operetta. Audiences can step into a world of enchantment as the opera brings to life the beloved story of Cinderella, as never seen before: set in a storybook reimagining of Paris. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church in Arlington.

Theatre Arlington presents The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr.
Flat Stanley, the beloved children’s book written by Jeff Brown, is a literary and pop culture phenomenon. Everyone’s favorite two-dimensional hero has a new life in The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Jr., filled with infectious songs and non-stop adventure. The production runs through November 10 at Theatre Arlington.

Tracy Lawrence in concert
Country singer Tracy Lawrence was part of the early 1990s boom for the genre, with six of his first 12 singles going to No. 1, including "Sticks and Stones," "Alibis," and "If the Good Die Young." Lawrence reflected on his 30 years in the business with his last three albums, each of which started with the appropriate title Hindsight 2020. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, November 2

Fort Worth Botanic Garden presents Fall Japanese Festival
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden will present the Fall Japanese Festival, offering an exploration of Japanese art and culture. Hosted in collaboration with the Fort Worth Japanese Society, the event includes cultural demonstrations, performances, unique shopping experiences, and traditional foods celebrating the Japanese zodiac's year of the wood dragon. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday.

Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo presents 58th Annual Cowboy Artists of America
The 58th Annual Cowboy Artists of America, presented by the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, will showcase Western art for art enthusiasts, collectors, and Western lifestyle connoisseurs from across the country. The one-night show takes place at Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Chris Tomlin in concert
Christian singer Chris Tomlin has been at the top of the genre's charts for over 20 years. Starting with See the Morning in 2006, he ran off a strong of five No. 1 albums in six tries, including one that also went to No. 1 on the overall Billboard 200. He'll play at Dickies Arena as part of his Holy Forever World Tour, joined by Tauren Wells.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas follows the earnest-but-misguided adventures of Jack Skellington, Halloween Town's beloved Pumpkin King, as he attempts to take over the Christmas holiday. Against the advice of Sally, a lonely rag doll who has feelings for him, Jack enlists three mischievous trick-or-treaters to help him kidnap Santa Claus. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will play the score of the film live while the film plays at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Sunday, November 3

Arlington Museum of Art presents "She Said, She Said: Contemporary Artists from the Rubell Museum" closing day
Sunday will be the final day to view "She Said, She Said" at the Arlington Museum of Art. Continuing the museum's ongoing collaboration with Miami's Rubell Museum, the exhibition of work by women artists curated from the Rubell Museum’s expansive contemporary art collection. Curated by the Rubell Museum’s Alexandra Perez, the exhibition features over 50 works spanning painting, photography, sculpture, video, and installation by more than 30 artists of different generations, cultures, and disciplines.

Photo by Matthew Murphy

The national tour of Beetlejuice will be at Bass Performance Hall through November 3.

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Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

GM Financial Parade of Lights Fort Worth

Photo courtesy of Parade of Lights

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The weekend before Thanksgiving is when the holiday season really kicks into high gear, and this year features a Broadway musical, multiple local festivals, and a big parade. Other non-holiday choices include screenings of an acclaimed new film, three country concerts, a great comedian, an opera, the opening of a new art exhibition, and a small-scale symphony concert.

Photo courtesy of Parade of Lights

The annual GM Financial Parade of Lights takes place in Downtown Fort Worth on November 24.

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.

Thursday, November 21

Performing Arts Fort Worth presents Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical features the hit songs "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas” from the original animated series. Max the Dog narrates the action as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is "two sizes too small," decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday-loving Whos. The production runs through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Friday, November 22

Holiday events
In addition to the special one-off holiday performances, the Fort Worth area will have several holiday festival-style events start their run this weekend. They include Texas Christkindl Market at Texas Live in Arlington (running through December 23), Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington (through December 29), and Lightscape at Fort Worth Botanic Garden (through January 5).

Magnolia at the Modern: Blitz
Sir Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mother and grandfather (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril. Meanwhile, a distraught Rita searches for her missing son. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Little Big Town in concert with Sugarland
Country group Little Big Town and country duo Sugarland have a long history together, first collaborating on the song "Life in a Northern Town" in 2008. Sixteen years later, they teamed up again for the new song "Take Me Home," after which this tour is named. Little Big Town has released 10 albums in their career, most recently Mr. Sunin 2022, while Sugarland has released six albums in their career, most recently Bigger in 2018. They'll play at Dickies Arena.

Big Laugh Comedy Club presents Dulce Sloan
Comedian Dulcé Sloan was most recently a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and has been hailed by Variety, Rolling Stone, and Timeout LA as a Top Comedian to Watch. She has also been honored as the NBC Stand UpShowcase Winner, a Montreal Just For Laughs New Face, and as a Comedian to Watch on The Steve Harvey Show. She'll perform four times through Saturday at Big Laugh Comedy Club.

Fort Worth Opera presents Little Women
Mark Adamo’s operatic adaptation of Little Women brings Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel to life in a fresh and powerful way. The American opera is celebrated for its emotional depth and resonant themes of family, sisterhood, growing up, and coming home. Adamo captures the internal conflict of iconic central character, Jo March, who fears that growing up inevitably means growing apart from her family and her sisters, Meg, Beth, and Amy. There will be performances on Friday and Sunday at Arts Fort Worth.

Randall King in concert
A throwback to classic country, Randall King formed an Americana group in college called the Randall King Band, which released an album called Old Dirt Road before splitting. He then debuted as a solo artist in 2016 with the EP Another Bullet before releasing his first self-titled album in 2018 and his second album, Shot Glass in 2022. He'll play once again at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, November 23

Dylan Wheeler in concert
A native of the East Texas town of Edgewood, Dylan Wheeler has made a name for himself on the Texas country music scene. The success of his debut EP, Tell Me I'm Wrong, in 2018 convinced him to quit his job in the oil & gas industry and pursue music full-time. He released his debut album, Times Are Changing, in 2022, and now he returns again to play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Sunday, November 24

Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents Rufino Tamayo: "Innovation and Experimentation"
Exploring more than 60 years of Rufino Tamayo’s prints, "Innovation and Experimentation" showcases the artist’s extensive engagement with prints and his ambitions to add volume and texture to a traditionally two-dimensional medium. In these works, Tamayo's depictions and abstractions of the human figure are highlighted as fertile ground for formal experimentation. A selection of Mesoamerican sculpture complements the prints on view, examining an important source of inspiration for the artist. The exhibition will remain on display through April 20, 2025.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Chamber Series: "Mozart, Schulhoff, and Korngold"
The composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold is remembered best for his film scores to silver-screen classics like The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood, but his concert works are also a testament to his prodigious talent. In this first FWSO Chamber Program featuring members of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Korngold’s music appears alongside Mozart’s Serenade in C minor and a Divertissement by Schulhoff, whose music was buried by the Nazis but has been reemerging in recent years. The performance takes place at Kimbell Art Museum.

GM Financial Parade of Lights
The annual GM Financial Parade of Lights will brighten up the streets of Downtown Fort Worth for its 42nd year, marking the City of Fort Worth’s official kickoff to the holiday season. The parade features the Texas Rangers baseball team as Grand Marshal, along with floats, vintage cars, horse-drawn carriages, marching bands, carolers, and Santa Claus along the 1.59-mile route.

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