This weekend around Fort Worth will be headlined by the city's annual film festival, but there are plenty of other things to do. They include screenings of an acclaimed international film, the first lights display of the season, a local music celebration, a new local theater production, a classical music concert, two country concerts, a Japanese festival, and the opening of a new art exhibition. (UPDATE: Don't forget the Texas Rangers Championship Parade on Friday!)
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.
Thursday, November 2
Lone Star Film Festival
The 2023 Lone Star Film Festival will include 15 feature films and almost 50 short films over four days. Highlights include opening night film Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse, a special sneak peek of episodes 1 & 2 of the new Taylor Sheridan series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the documentary Into the Spotlight, and more. The festival takes place at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis through Sunday, with a special bonus screening on Monday.
Friday, November 3
Magnolia at the Modern: Anatomy of a Fall
For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their 11-year-old son Daniel have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. What follows is not just an investigation into the circumstances of Samuel's death but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel's conflicted relationship. The film, which is in English and French with English subtitles, will have six screenings through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
The Light Park
Yes, we've barely entered the month of November, but you can get in the holiday mood now by taking in the lights at The Light Park. At the mile-long, drive-thru spectacular, 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, rock out to the coolest tunes, and celebrate the holiday season. The event takes place at Hurricane Harbor in Arlington daily through January 1.
Near Southside Inc. presents Friday on the Green
Friday on the Green is a free monthly concert series that features live music, food and drinks from Near Southside eateries, and the fun and relaxed atmosphere of a big neighborhood picnic. Performers at the final event of 2023 include The Dangits, Royal Sons, Grant Morrison, Sleepy Atlantis, and DJ Woodywood. The event takes place at Magnolia Green Park.
Theatre Arlington presents Chitty Chitty Bang Bang JR.
Eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts sets about restoring an old race car with the help of his children Jeremy and Jemima. They soon discover the car is magic, and has the ability to float and take flight. When the evil Baron Bomburst desires the magic car for himself, the family joins forces with Truly Scrumptious and Grandpa Potts to outwit the dastardly Baron and Baroness and their villainous henchman, the Child Catcher. The production, featuring an all-youth cast, runs through November 12 at Theatre Arlington.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents "The FWSO’s DJ Cheek: Bartók and Rachmaninoff"
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Principal Violist DJ Cheek, appointed in 2021, moves to the front of the stage for Bartók’s final composition, his Viola Concerto. Russian conductor Anna Skryleva returns to Fort Worth to lead a program that also features Bartók’s folk music-inspired Hungarian Sketches and Rachmaninoff’s quick-stepping Symphonic Dances. There will be three performances through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.
Doug Stone in concert
Country singer Doug Stone is an anomaly in the genre. From his debut 1990 single, "I'd Be Better Off (In a Pine Box)" to "Little Houses" in 1994, Stone had 15 straight top 10 songs, including four No. 1 hits. Yet somehow none of his albums cracked the top 10 on the Billboard Country charts. Fans can get nostalgic for Stone's 1990s heyday at this concert at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall.
The Bellamy Brothers in concert
Howard and David Bellamy, aka the Bellamy Brothers, have been racking up hits for over 40 years. They're best known for their heyday in the 1980s, when songs like "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me," "Do You Love as Good as You Look," and "Too Much is Not Enough" made them one of the biggest acts of the era. They'll revisit their long and storied career at this concert at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, November 4
Fort Worth Botanic Garden presents Fall Japanese Festival
At the Fort Worth Botanic Garden's Fall Japanese Festival, visitors can enjoy the vibrant colors of fall in the Japanese Garden - celebrating its 50th anniversary - while exploring the arts and culture of Japan. Activities and performances include Taiko Drummers, Japanese Swordsmanship with GK Sugai, traditional Tea Ceremony demonstrations, food trucks, origami and calligraphy demonstrations, and more. The festival takes place on Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday, November 5
Kimbell Art Museum presents "Bonnard’s Worlds"
In "Bonnard’s Worlds," the Kimbell Art Museum will present its first exhibition dedicated to the works of French painter Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947), inspired by its 2018 acquisition of the artist’s Landscape at Le Cannet (1928). Comprising a careful selection of approximately 70 of Bonnard’s finest works, created over the course of his career, "Bonnard’s Worlds" will reunite some of the artist’s most celebrated works from museums in Europe and the United States, as well as many unfamiliar to the public from worldwide private collections. The exhibition will be on display through January 28, 2024.
The Lone Star Film Festival, running November 2-5 at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis, will feature a screening of Lawmen: Bass Reeves, among others.
