These are the 17 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Weekend Event Planner

Photo by Danny Clinch

It's an absolutely stacked weekend in and around Fort Worth, to the point that there's almost too much to do. A huge concert, a touring Broadway production, and a music festival lead the way, but there is so much more. Other choices include an annual wine festival, visits from a couple of well-known comedians, home tours, more concerts, art exhibitions, and more.

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, September 14

37th Annual GrapeFest
The 37th Annual GrapeFest features a variety of events over four days, including the People’s Choice Wine Tasting Classic, live music from headliners David Lee Murphy and Carnie and Wendy Wilson of Wilson Phillips fame, vendors, artisans, a Kid Zone, Carnival Midway, pickleball, and more. The festival takes place Thursday-Sunday at Historic Downtown Grapevine.

Friday, September 15

Pearl Jam in concert
Legendary rock band Pearl Jam doesn't often go on tour these days, and their 2023 tour only includes five cities, with Fort Worth being one of them. One of the original grunge bands to come out of Seattle in the early 1990s, Pearl Jam had a great 20-year run before slowing down in the early 2010s. They did release their 11th album, Gigaton, in 2020, but another promised new album has yet to materialize. They'll play the second of two shows (the first was on September 13) at Dickies Arena.

Broadway at the Bass presents Jagged Little Pill
If you were in your teens or twenties in 1995, Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill likely spoke to you in a big way. The rawness of the songs and Morissette's distinctive voice made it one of the classic albums of the '90s. That album inspired this Broadway musical, "an electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family" based on Morissette’s world-changing music. There will be five performances through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Hip Pocket Theatre presents Old and In the Way
Old and In the Way is a nostalgic look back to the early days of the youthful dream of Hip Pocket Theatre, brought to life by the elders of the little tribe wrangled together by Doug Balentine, Diane Simons, and Molemo!. Molemo! is now one of the last living members of the original group and this presentation is meant to be a tender remembrance of the past and a tragi-comedic look at the last days of an old elderly hippy. There will be three performances through Sunday at Hip Pocket Theatre.

Hyena's presents Tim Meadows
A notable weekend of comedy at Hyena's in downtown Fort Worth starts with actor, comedian, and writer Tim Meadows, who will perform twice on Friday. Meadows was one of the longest-running cast members on Saturday Night Live, where he appeared for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. He's gone on to be a reliable character actor in both movies and TV.

Saturday, September 16

Tarrant Regional Water District presents Trash Bash
At Tarrant Regional Water District's Trash Bash, thousands of volunteers remove litter throughout the community and its local waterways. Volunteers can help cleanup from 8-10 am, and then celebrate their hard work at the after-party from 10 am to 1 pm at one of four locations: Trinity River, Cobb Park, Eagle Mountain Lake, and Cedar Creek.

Wedgwood Historical Association Parade of Homes
Wedgwood Historical Association will present their 3rd Annual Parade of Homes, Wedgwood’s own historic home tour. The event will feature four midcentury homes, of various styles. Guests will check in at a separate location, then tour the homes in any order they wish. Docents will be stationed outside and throughout the interiors of the homes to provide information.

AIA Fort Worth Homes Tour
Even more homes will be on display in the AIA Fort Worth Homes Tour, an annual showcase of outstanding residential architecture designed by local, licensed architects. It is the only city-wide, self-guided tour of elite homes in and around Fort Worth. The one-day tour showcases a variety of home styles, types, and sizes, and features a mix of projects, including new homes, renovations, and additions.

Amon Carter Museum of American Art presents "Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie"
Less than one percent of native prairies exist across the state of Texas. This conservation concern is the catalyst for more than 20 new works created by artist and naturalist James Prosek. "Trespassers: James Prosek and the Texas Prairie" features a new large-scale silhouette painting, one of Prosek’s signature working styles; watercolor portraits of plants collected during his travels; and trompe l’oeil clay and bronze sculptures of wildflowers. The exhibition will be on display through January 28, 2024 at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

Shaq’s Bass All Stars Festival
DJ Diesel (aka Shaq) is taking his touring live event series, Shaq’s Bass All Stars, to the next level with his first large-scale bass music festival. With a lineup personally curated by the NBA Hall of Famer, the festival will feature more than 15 of Shaq’s All-Stars, including Alison Wonderland, Sullivan King, Kai Wachi, Crankdat, and more across two stages at Panther Island Pavilion. Besides the music, the festival will also host Shaq’s favorite Texas food trucks, as well as interactive brand activations and photo moments.

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents Modern by Moonlight: Otsukimi Festival
In recognition of the rich heritage of Tadao Ando, the architect of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth building, the museum will celebrate Otsukimi, the annual Japanese festival that honors the autumn moon and the season ahead. Guests can cast a lantern into the reflecting pond to create an ethereal glow and stunning event backdrop. In addition to the Modern’s special exhibitions, the event features live entertainment by Dondoko Taiko, Nik Parr and The Selfless Lovers, and The Dirty Shirts. Japanese-inspired food and beverages crafted by Café Modern will be available throughout the evening.

Hyena's presents Bobcat Goldthwait
Hyena's big weekend continues with Bobcat Goldthwait, whose career dates back to the 1980s, when he had one of the most recognizable voices in comedy. He's ditched that unusual way of speaking, but his stand-up still features hilarious riffs on politics, divorce, going broke, and his career as a writer and director of film. He'll perform twice on Saturday.

Chicago in concert
If it seems like Chicago is constantly on tour, that's because they are. The band has toured every year since their debut in 1969, never missing a year. Three of the original band members - keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm, trumpeter/vocalist Lee Loughnane, and trombonist James Pankow - are still going strong today, and they're still releasing new music, putting out Born for this Moment in 2022, making them the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades. They'll play at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Bruce Wood Dance presents Homecoming 2
Homecoming 2 features a trio of dance performances, starting with Bruce Wood's The Only Way Through Is Through, a timeless embodiment of relentless determination. It also includes Wood's energetic and groovy tribute to the 1970s, Polyester Dreams, set to the music of Gladys Knight, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, and more. Joy Bollinger's Blue rounds out the evening. The production will be at W. E. Scott Theatre at Arts Fort Worth.

Arctic Monkeys in concert
For a long time, English rock band Arctic Monkeys was consistently bigger in their native UK than on this side of the pond. Their albums would sell well in the U.S., but wouldn't come close to the No. 1 status they enjoyed back home. That changed with their 2013 album, AM, which - on the strength of the hit "Do I Wanna Know?" - is their biggest-selling album to date. They'll play at Dickies Arena in support of their 2022 album, The Car.

Casey Donahew in concert
Country singer (and Burleson native) Casey Donahew had a nice run of success on the national country music scene, charting four straight albums in the top 10 on the Billboard Country charts in the 2010s, including the No. 3 All Night Party. He comes back to town in support of his 2022 album, Built Different. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Sunday, September 17

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents Robert Motherwell: "Pure Painting" closing day
Sunday will be the last day to view Robert Motherwell: "Pure Painting," the first presentation in more than a quarter century to fully examine the mastery of Motherwell, a major figure who shaped postwar art. Organized by guest curator Susan Davidson, the exhibition at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth features a selection of visually compelling works chosen from throughout the artist’s lengthy and influential career, highlighting the subsequent key series that defined his oeuvre, offering new insights into his evolution as an artist.

Photo by Danny Clinch

Pearl Jam will play at Dickies Arena on September 15.

Photo courtesy of David C. Smalley

Hyena's presents David C. Smalley

David C. Smalley, known as “Reggie” on Nickelodeon's Danger Force, is a touring stand-up comedian & actor based in Los Angeles. For more than 11 years, he’s hosted the David C. Smalley Podcast, where he skeptically and respectfully confronts world views and beliefs he disagrees with. In his stand-up, Smalley confronts topics like racism, women’s rights, and LGBTQ struggles, because everyone always wants to know what straight white men think about these issues.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

This is how many 'unretirees' are clocking in for work in Fort Worth, study finds

Office News

Many Fort Worth seniors are still punching the clock well past retirement age. According to "Cities with the Most Working Seniors," a new employment study by business website ChamberofCommerce.org, a quarter of Fort Worth seniors aged 65 and up are still employed, making Fort Worth the No. 31 city in the U.S. with the most working seniors.

About 24,300 Fort Worth seniors aged 65 and up are employed out of a total 96,883, or 25.1 percent of the city's senior population.

The No. 1 city in the U.S. with hard-working oldsters is Alexandria, Virginia, located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, where 36.8 percent of its seniors still employed. Coming in second was Tallahassee, Florida, with 30.9 percent.

In third place was Dallas, with 30.3 percent of the senior population clocking in for work around the city.

To determine their ranking, the site examined the percentage of seniors aged 65 and over who were actively employed within the last 12 months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Their analysis included data from 170 of the nation’s most populous cities.

The report says the median household income of a senior citizen in Fort Worth is $52,145, and hints at the rising cost of living coupled with personal extenuating circumstances leading to a new trend of "unretiring" seniors within the Dallas-Fort Worth workforce.

"Deciding when to retire is one of the most important financial and personal decisions that workers can make," the report's author said. "Before making the leap, make sure you have factored in your savings, social security benefits, spending habits, economic volatility and how your social life will change after retirement."

Other DFW cities that made the list include Plano which ranked just at No. 6 overall, with 28.9 percent of the city's senior population currently in the workforce. That amounts to 10,178 seniors out of a total 35,245.

Arlington came in at No. 11 with 27.1 percent or 13,333 employed seniors in the workforce (it has a sizable senior population of 49,153).

Frisco came in at No. 17 with 26.2 percent or 5,180 of its seniors still toiling away. Frisco's relatively high percentage of working seniors might come as a surprise, considering the suburb was recently named one of the best cities for retirees.

Irving (No. 29) also has 25.1 percent of seniors actively employed in the city - the same percentage as Fort Worth - although that doesn't equate to the same number of seniors. The report says there are 5,273 working seniors in Irving, whereas populous Fort Worth has more than 4.5 times that amount of working seniors.

Garland was No. 33 with 25 percent of the senior population under employment. McKinney ranked No. 38, with 24.6 percent of seniors employed in the workforce.

The top 10 U.S. cities with the most working seniors are:

No. 1 – Alexandria, Virginia
No. 2 – Tallahassee, Florida
No. 3 – Dallas, Texas
No. 4 – Irvine, California
No. 5 – Washington, D.C.
No. 6 – Plano, Texas
No. 7 – Anchorage, Alaska
No. 8 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
No. 9 – Overland Park, Kansas
No. 10 – Madison, Wisconsin

ChamberofCommerce.org is a digital site for small business owners and entrepreneurs. The full report and its methodology can be found on chamberofcommerce.org.

Quonset hut in south Fort Worth to be transformed into ballroom

Quonset Hut News

A Quonset hut in south Fort Worth is about to make a Cinderella-like transformation: Called the Quonset Ballroom, it's being developed into an entertainment space which will host live music, food trucks, and events.

The hut is located at 2608 W. Dickson St., and was previously home to a lawn care operator for 30 years.

Husband-and-wife Jason and Hedy Peña stumbled onto it while searching for a new location for Hedy’s insurance agency, Armor Texas Insurance Agency. They landed at 2612 Dickson St., a cool mid-century office building built in 1957, which was ideal for the agency, even despite its offbeat address in a heavily industrial area.

“It was a piece of property where we could locate the office and it also had this 4,000-square foot Quonset hut next door,” Hedy says. "We started thinking about creating a venue which could be rented for parties, weddings, and social events."

Quonset huts are sprinkled across the Dallas-Fort Worth landscape, most dating back to the 1940s, shortly after the structure was first invented at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island.

Fort Worth is also currently in thrall with Quonset huts, thanks to the hip PS1200 mixed-use development near the Medical District which opened in July.

This one was built in 1948, and will require an overhaul, including new flooring, AC, and framing, with a planned-for capacity of 250 people.

Even as they work on the revamp, the Peñas have hosted private parties as well as a campaign event for Jason Peña, who ran unsuccessfully for Fort Worth city council in May 2023.

“We’ve had some private events there, but it’s not ready for a full event," Hedy says.

They currently have no plans for a bar but they're building a kitchen space to serve as a platform for the food trucks, including hookups.

The tract also has what was once a 10-car garage, which the Peñas are developing as storefronts they hope to lease as office spaces.

The industrial nature of the neighborhood initally gave them pause, but Hedy says it's turned out to be a positive, and the property itself has mature, leafy trees.

"Everything around us is industrial and at first I was uneasy about opening the insurance agency there," she says. "But the neighborhood has not deterred customers. We've even grown. And without homeowners nearby, it's a good setup if we have live music."

She envisions a spot that will eventually have a community feel, where families can dine and sit outside or inside – there will be seating – and enjoy music and conversation.

“It will be open to rent to the public, for sure, and could turn into something where it has regular hours," she says. “It will be for everyone, the public, our friends, family, so that everyone can see what we have here.”

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