The weekend prior to the Independence Day seems to have event organizers in vacation mode, as new events are in shorter supply than usual. In addition to some ongoing theater productions and art exhibitions, you can see a funny comedian, four concerts, screenings of an unusual new film, early 4th of July celebrations, and a special symphony event.
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, June 27
Improv Arlington presents Cocoa Brown
Comedian Cocoa Brown assails her craft with a passion and soul-searching veracity. She draws from painful reminiscences and hard-knocked lessons, bravely weaving humorous tales that uplift, upend, and upgrade everything audiences thought they knew about comedy. She'll perform five times through Saturday at Improv Arlington.
Red Clay Strays in concert
Alabama country rock band Red Clay Strays may just be the next big thing in the genre. Originally formed as a cover band, they graduated to original songs in 2019 with the single "Good Godly Woman," which immediately found its way into a movie, Doctor Sleep. They released their debut album, Moment of Truth, in 2022, which sold well for relative unknowns, and they're just about to release their second album, Made by These Moments, in July. They'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Friday, June 28
Magnolia at the Modern: Ghostlight
Devastated by the loss of a child, middle-aged father Dan struggles to control his anger at work and grows distant from his grief-stricken family. When a stranger bullies him into joining a floundering community theater production of Romeo and Juliet, Dan slowly begins to reopen to life’s possibilities. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Early 4th of July celebrations
Independence Day doesn't come until next week, but a few cities are getting the party started early this weekend. Mansfield Rocks will feature cover band concerts on Friday and Saturday prior to their fireworks show next week; the 4th of July Celebration in Denton kicks off on Saturday with the 26th annual Liberty Run 5k and 1-mile walk, followed by the Yankee Doodle Parade. And Light Up Arlington on Saturday includes live music, vendors, food trucks, and kid-friendly fun. For all the 4th of July events, check out our big list.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Night of Strings at the Garden: A Little Night Music!
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will present a concert featuring “a little night music,” including Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Haydn’s Symphony No. 44, “Mourning,” Mendelssohn's String Sinfonia No. 2, and Alan Schulman's Ben Franklin Suite. The event takes place indoors at Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
Kody West in concert
Country singer Kody West is one of the latest in a long line of musicians to come out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Hailing originally from Denton, he gained a loyal following with his 2017 debut album, Green, which led to him serving as the supporting act for artists like Charlie Robison, Whiskey Myers, and Koe Wetzel. He has released three albums in his career, most recently Circles in 2022, with his most recent release being the 2023 EP, Acoustic Sessions, Vol. 2. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Saturday, June 29
Little Joe y la Familia in concert
The traditional Tex-Mex style of norteño was fused by Little Joe (born Jose Maria DeLeon Hernandez) with influences of country music, blues, and rock to create the uptempo hybrid known as tejano. Together with his band, Y la Familia Borrachera, Little Joe has enabled his music to reach far beyond the Texas and Mexico borders. Little Joe y la Familia will play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Sunday, June 30
Steve Earle in concert
Country/rock/folk singer Steve Earle is close to celebrating his 40th anniversary in the music business, having released his debut album, Guitar Town, in 1986. That album went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts, and Earle has maintained a big presence in the genre ever since, notching a No. 3 album as recently as 2015's Terraplane. With a rich back catalog from which to pull, most recently Jerry Jeff in 2022, he'll have plenty with which to entertain the crowd at this concert at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall.
Cocoa Brown will perform at Improv Arlington through June 29.
Sopes plate at El Garambullo.
El Garambullo