Weekend Event Planner

These are the 12 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

With Christmas just over a week away, this weekend will bring a fresh batch of holiday-themed events, including four concerts, a unique Christmas Carol, more holiday lights, and a cirque-style show. Other choices include screenings of a new film, a Disney film in concert, comedy, a country band, and college basketball.

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. Looking for the best Christmas lights this weekend? Find those lists here and here.

Thursday, December 14

Brian Clowdus Experiences presents The Christmas Carol Experience
The Christmas Carol Experience is an on-your-feet, 360-degree immersive retelling of the world's most famous holiday story in which the audience steps directly into the Charles Dickens tale ... but with a twist. Funeral guests follow Scrooge on his journey of redemption and discover their own journey through the past, present, and future to learn that lightness and love will prevail and even the darkest of hearts can learn the true meaning of Christmas. The event takes place through December 30 at The Woman's Club of Fort Worth.

A Cody Jinks Christmas
Country singer Cody Jinks is a local boy made good, going from growing up in Haltom City to releasing a string of high ranking albums on the Billboard Country chart, most recently Mercy in 2021. Jinks will celebrate the holiday season at this special concert at Billy Bob's Texas, joined by Pawn Shop Pearls.

Friday, December 15

Magnolia at the Modern: Eileen
Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) is a peculiar young woman, aloof and unfazed by the gloomy nature of her job at the local youth prison. But something in her changes the day that a new counselor (Anne Hathaway) arrives; she is instantly captivated by her glamorous, enigmatic presence. As the two women grow closer, Eileen is inspired to explore new facets of her own personality and desires. There will be seven screenings through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

The Lights at Interlochen
At the Lights at Interlochen, one of the largest and longest running holiday traditions in North Texas, more than 200 homeowners in the northwest Arlington neighborhood celebrate the season by decorating their homes with festive lights and holiday-themed displays. The official event takes place through December 25.

For King & Country in concert
For King & Country comes to Fort Worth as part of their A Drummer Boy Christmas tour. The duo will perform holiday classics and more, including their version of the holiday classic “Little Drummer Boy,” as well hits from their latest album, 2022's What Are We Waiting For?, and other albums. They'll play at Dickies Arena.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Encanto in Concert Live to Film
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award-winning film Encanto comes to life in a concert event, featuring the entire feature-length film with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra performing the score. Encanto tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family living in a magical house in the mountains of Colombia. But when Mirabel, the only ordinary Madrigal, discovers the magic surrounding their home is in danger, she may be her family’s last hope. There will be performances on Friday and Saturday at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Fort Worth Opera presents "Wintersong: A Musical Holiday Celebration & Sing-a-long"
"Wintersong: A Musical Holiday Celebration" is a festive event that will feature Christmas songs, timeless carols, holiday favorites, opera classics, and more performed by Fort Worth Opera's Lesley Resident and Studio Artists. The event takes place at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth.

Hyena's presents Greg Fitzsimmons
Mixing an incisive wit with scathing sarcasm, Greg Fitzsimmons has achieved success as a stand-up, writer, and host on both radio and TV. He is host of The Greg Fitzsimmons Show on SiriusXM’s “Howard 101” and twice a week puts out the FitzDog Radio podcast. He'll perform four times through Saturday at Hyena's Comedy Club.

Flatland Cavalry in concert
If it's mid-December in Fort Worth, that means it's time for Flatland Cavalry to come to town. The country/Americana band out of Lubbock has played at Billy Bob's Texas in December for four years running, becoming so popular that they expanded to two nights in 2022 and again this year. They'll play on both Friday and Saturday in support of their new album, Wandering Stars.

Saturday, December 16

US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge
College football only has bowl season left, so it's about time to start paying attention to college basketball in earnest. The US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge will feature a triple-header of marquee men’s basketball games with a Texas team in each match-up, including UT Arlington vs. Air Force, Texas Tech vs. Vanderbilt, and TCU vs. Arizona State. The event takes place at Dickies Arena.

Sunday, December 17

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland
Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland is a musical journey that will transport audiences to a magical land far away for a holiday-themed show experience. The show will feature acrobats, aerialists, hijinks, and holiday cheer. The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with a musical mix of timeless seasonal favorites. It takes place at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Fort Worth Youth Orchestra presents Holiday Concert
The Fort Worth Youth Orchestra will be joined by Ballet Frontier and several local choirs to present a special holiday performance, which will include a sing-along, ballet performances to music from Bizet's Carmen, and more. The event takes place at I.M. Terrell Academy.

Photo courtesy of Cirque Musica

Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland comes to Will Rogers Auditorium on December 17.

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This Week's Hot Headlines

Best neighborhoods for Christmas lights lead Fort Worth's top 5 stories

Photo by Stacy Luecker

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Editor's note: Christmas is just around the corner, and Fort Worth is in the holiday spirit. This week's most-read stories include a complete guide to DFW's best neighborhoods for Christmas lights, plus where to eat and drink during the holiday season.Catch up on the five hottest headlines of the week below.

Looking for the best Fort Worth events of the weekend? We have those here.

1. Best Fort Worth-area neighborhoods for magical 2024 Christmas lights. Fort Worth-area residents have decked their halls, merry and bright, for the holiday season. Homes, streets, and entire subdivisions are dazzling with lights so spectacular, they can be seen from the North Pole. Here is our expert guide to the best neighborhoods for a Christmas light pilgrimage during the 2024 holiday season. For a longer list of spectacular Fort Worth Christmas lights, check out this story.

2. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 14 bars oozing Christmas cheer. The holiday pop-up trend has erupted across the country as more and more bars jump on the bandwagon every year. Consumers are craving a big dose of Christmas cheer in the form of over-the-top decor, Christmas music, and Christmas-inspired cocktails. Stress of the season got you down? Here are 14 bars in Fort Worth that are making spirits bright.

Curfew Christmas cocktails at Curfew. Curfew Bar/Facebook

3. Where to eat in Fort Worth: 9 restaurants to take your holiday guests. The holidays draw near and for many of us, that means one thing: family’s coming to town. Cook your heart out for them, yes, but take advantage of Fort Worth’s thriving restaurant scene and show off some of our city’s finest places to eat.

4. Novel Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with its own market. A mom-and-pop Thai restaurant in north Fort Worth comes with a unique twist: Called Bangkok Thai Street Food & Market, it’s a restaurant serving traditional Thai food but also a market selling all sorts of goods, from cooking ingredients to clothing to household gear.

5. Grab subs and pizza at new family-owned Lunch Break Cafe in Fort Worth. A well-regarded cafe serving sub sandwiches has risen in east Fort Worth: Called The Lunch Break Cafe, it’s a family-owned restaurant that opened in early December at 7251 Stoneway Dr. N. 400, in the former Riverbend Bistro space at River Bend Plaza.