There are a bunch of great things to do in and around Fort Worth this weekend, starting with the annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Other choices include a great comedian, two concerts by a classical cellist, screenings of an acclaimed animated film, another art festival, five concerts in a variety of genres, a beer festival, and the final days of a notable art exhibition.
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, April 27
CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards are the annual celebration of Fort Worth's top restaurant and bar talent, as selected by their peers. The mission is to shine a spotlight on the people making the local restaurant scene special and honor their innovation, energy, and creativity. At the signature tasting event and awards ceremony at The 4 Eleven, guests can celebrate all of the nominees while sampling bites and sipping specialty drinks along the way. Read about all the nominees here and nab some last-minute tickets here.
Heather McMahan: The Comeback Tour
A beloved standup comedian, storyteller, and the best friend everyone wants, Heather McMahan has seen her popularity skyrocket with fans and the industry falling for her voice, wit and southern flair. Her podcast, Absolutely Not With Heather McMahan, was named one of the 10 Best Podcasts of 2021 by Entertainment Weekly. She'll perform for one night only at Will Rogers Auditorium.
The Cliburn presents Joshua Roman
Joshua Roman is a cellist, composer, and curator whose performances embrace musical styles from Bach to Radiohead. He has become renowned for his genre-bending repertoire and wide-ranging collaborations. The Cliburn will present two special concerts by Roman, one Thursday at Kimbell Art Museum and one Friday at The Post at River East.
Friday, April 28
Magnolia at the Modern: Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
A lost cat, a voluble giant toad, and a tsunami help an unambitious salesman, his frustrated wife, and a schizophrenic accountant save Tokyo from an earthquake and find meaning in their lives in this animated feature based on stories by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The film, which is in French with English subtitles, will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Southlake Women's Club presents Art in the Square
The 23rd annual Art in the Square will be a weekend of art, music, food, spirits, and children’s activities. The artwork of 200 juried renowned, emerging, and high school artists will be showcased, and the event will also feature local entertainment from schools, performing art studios, dance groups, and more. The festival goes on through Sunday in Southlake Town Square.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Pink Martini
Featuring a dozen musicians and a setlist of songs in 25 languages, the band Pink Martini is a globetrotting musical ambassador for the melting pot that is America. Originally founded in Portland, the band now has a listenership all around the world and regularly performs its distinctive blend of classical, pop, Latin, and jazz music with top orchestras around the country. They'll play with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Performance Hall through Sunday.
Kenny Loggins in concert
Pop star Kenny Loggins, best known for his run of hit songs in movies in the 1980s, will play at Dickies Arena as part of his final concert tour, "This Is It." Loggins earned the nickname of “The Soundtrack King” thanks to songs like "I'm Alright" in Caddyshack, the title song in Footloose, and "Danger Zone" in Top Gun.
Los Lobos in concert
Originating out of East Los Angeles in the 1970s, the Grammy Award-winning band Los Lobos got their first dose of fame with their version of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" for the movie of the same name in 1987. They have gone on to release 17 albums in their career, most recently Native Sons in 2021. They'll play 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, April 29
Fort Worth Aviation Museum presents Hops and Props Beerfest
Fort Worth Aviation Museum will present Hops and Props, their annual craft beer tasting festival and fundraiser. The event will feature local brewers, live music, food, family-friendly vendors, airplane rides, games, activities, and more. Proceeds support the museum's educational and preservation programs.
Josh Turner in concert
Country singer Josh Turner came out of the gates running on his debut in 2003, scoring a top 3 album with Long Black Train, and he hasn't slowed down since. All but one of his next seven albums made the top 3 on the Billboard Country charts thanks to a string of hit songs, including "Your Man," "Would You Go With Me?," "Why Don't We Just Dance?," and "Hometown Girl." He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Sunday, April 30
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents "I'll Be Your Mirror: Art and the Digital Screen" closing day
Sunday will the final day to see the landmark exhibition "I’ll Be Your Mirror: Art and the Digital Screen" at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. A thematic group exhibition that examines the screen’s vast impact on art from 1969 to the present, it surveys more than 60 works by 50 artists over the past five decades. The artists included examine screen culture through a broad range of media such as paintings, sculpture, video games, digital art, augmented reality, and video.
Pink Martini will perform with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Bass Performance Hall, April 28-30.
