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Photo courtesy of Alexandra Light

Alexandra Light will presents her latest choreography piece, Dance at the Modern: Mimicry. The performance, taking place in the Grand Lobby, is inspired by The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth’s exhibit, "I’ll be Your Mirror," as well as the concept of biomimicry.

Light’s choreography explores the intersection of the natural and digital world through the lens of an abstract narrative. The performance will showcase six dancers, including Amanda Fairweather, Joamanuel Velazques, and Dara Odo.

Photo by Steven Visneau

Texas Ballet Theater's 2023-24 season has bite with Dracula & Beauty and the Beast

Season announcement

Texas Ballet Theater's 2023-2024 season will include four separate productions, including a couple of returning favorites. Performances will take place across three venues across Fort Worth and Dallas.

The season will kick off in September with Dracula, which was a hit when it was last performed by the company in 2015. The production will run at Winspear Opera House in Dallas, September 15-17, before moving to Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, October 6-8.

Choreographed by TBT artistic director laureate Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., in 1997, the first production of Dracula featured TBT’s acting artistic director, Tim O’Keefe, in the title role.

“Having the opportunity to present Dracula is a full circle moment for TBT,” O’Keefe said in a statement. “Many of our artistic and production staff worked on the world premiere 25 years ago, myself included. I’m looking forward to working on this ballet with Ben [Stevenson] again and sharing it with our audiences, who have been eager to see it again.”

Next up will be TBT's annual holiday production of Stevenson’s The Nutcracker. The company will perform the family-friendly ballet November 24-December 3 at Winspear Opera House and December 8-24 at Bass Performance Hall. Unlike the previous 12 seasons, there will be no presentation of The Nutty Nutcracker this year.

A mixed repertoire production called "Brilliants" will be the first production of 2024, featuring four short ballets in one program. Featured ballets include Rubies, choreographed by George Balanchine; Grand Pas Classique, choreographed by Victor Gsovsky; Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, and Without Borders, choreographed by Val Caniparoli.

"Brilliants" will run February 23-25, 2024, at Bass Performance Hall and March 1-3, 2024, at Wyly Theatre in Dallas.

The season will come to a close with Beauty and the Beast, last staged by TBT in 2017. Choreographed by Lew Christensen, the production will run May 3-5, 2024, at Winspear Opera House and May 17-19, 2024, at Bass Performance Hall.

Season packages, which start at $48, are now on sale. Those interested can purchase a package at texasballettheater.org/season-packages or by contacting the Box Office at 877-828-9200 option 1.

Photo by Thomas Garza

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Spring Family Concert

Avant Chamber Ballet will present a Spring Family Concert, featuring excerpts from classical ballets Sleeping Beauty and Paquita, as well as new works by Katelyn Doyle and Katie Puder. Pianist Anna Bulkina will accompany the dancers from Avant Chamber Ballet and Avant Chamber Ballet Trainees, ACB's second company.

Photo by Thomas Garza

Avant Chamber Ballet presents Spring Family Concert

Avant Chamber Ballet will present a Spring Family Concert, featuring excerpts from classical ballets Sleeping Beauty and Paquita, as well as new works by Katelyn Doyle and Katie Puder. Pianist Anna Bulkina will accompany the dancers from Avant Chamber Ballet and Avant Chamber Ballet Trainees, ACB's second company.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

Performing Arts Fort Worth presents Resident Company Showcase

Performing Arts Fort Worth will celebrate 25 years of Bass Performance Hall with a Resident Company showcase featuring the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, and the Cliburn.

Photo by Amitava Sarkar

These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Weekend Event Planner

This weekend across Fort Worth features a nice mixture of big and small events. On the larger side are a golf showcase, a dance production, shopping for funky items, and a St. Patrick's Day celebration. More intimate will be a local theater production, a trio of concerts, an opera competition, shows by a traveling comedian, and a symphony concert.

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.

Friday, March 17

11th Annual DFW Golf Show
The DFW Golf Show is a three-day event that will feature dozens of vendors, interactive games, golf fittings, and entertainment for the whole family. Visitors will be able to see World Long Drive Champion and former UNT golfer Kyle Berkshire, US Women’s Open champion and Dallas-Fort Worth local Brittany Lang, golf comedy group Country Club Adjacent, and more. The event takes place through Sunday at Esports Stadium Arlington.

Jubilee Theatre presents Bread N’ Gravy: The Songs and Life of Ethel Waters
Bread N’ Gravy: The Songs and Life of Ethel Waters is a staged reading performed in collaboration with Jubilee Theatre and The Modern Museum of Fort Worth. The play, written by Frank Cullen and Donald McNeilly, tells the story of American singer Ethel Waters and her many contributions to jazz and blues genres. Along the way, audiences will learn more about Waters’ life through song and performance theater. There will be four performances through Sunday at the Modern.

Ben Rector in concert
Singer-songwriter Ben Rector has been releasing music since 2007, and had a nice run in the mid-2010s with a trio of albums charting high on the Billboard 200 and Folk charts. The pandemic might have slowed his progress a bit, as 2022's The Joy of Music is his first album of new songs in four years. He'll play at Will Rogers Auditorium as part of his Old Friends Acoustic Tour, joined by Stephen Day and Jordy Searcy.

Texas Ballet Theater presents "Modern Masterpieces"
Texas Ballet Theater presents "Modern Masterpieces," featuring three different pieces. In Bartok, playful motifs and intriguing backdrops set the stage for a ravishing neoclassical ballet. In Image, the arc of Marilyn Monroe’s tragic life, from Hollywood ingénue to iconic starlet, is captured in this one-woman performance. Imbue is modern and minimalistic, a dramatic piece that celebrates human growth and transformation. There will be four performances through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.

Cody Canada & The Departed in concert
The music of Cody Canada & The Departed blurs the lines between hard-edged country, rock & roll, and all the gritty sounds in between. The band has released four albums in their career, most recently 2022's Soul Gravy 2022. They'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Saturday, March 18

The 15th Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling
The 15th Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling features the sweetest batch of handmade and vintage items, showcasing the funkiest finds in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The event also will include a charitable raffle and other fundraising, which will benefit child advocates CASA of Tarrant County and Saving Hope Animal Rescue. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday at Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Fort Worth Stockyards presents Cowtown Goes Green
Fort Worth's largest and most family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day celebration will feature an entire day of Irish-Western fun in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The event includes festive food & drink, live music, armadillo races, lawn games, pony rides, Old West gunfight shows, cloggers & dance troops, cattle drives, a special matinee Stockyards Championship Rodeo at 1:30 pm, and an Irish-Western parade at 4 pm.

Fort Worth Opera presents The McCammon Voice Competition
After a five-year hiatus, the Fort Worth Opera will present the return of The McCammon Voice Competition. Over 500 hopeful singers have applied to the competition, which seeks to foster the talent of young opera singers. Ten gifted finalists will perform for judges and the audience at W. E. Scott Theatre at Arts Fort Worth.

John Crist: The Emotional Support Tour
John Crist is a fast-rising stand-up comedian who's widely known for viral videos like Honest Football Coach, Every Parent at Disney, Brands that need to be Cancelled, and more, although Crist would still tell you that his live show is better than any of his videos. He'll perform twice on Saturday at Will Rogers Auditorium.

Mark Chesnutt in concert with Casey Chesnutt
It will be a family affair at Billy Bob's Texas on Saturday as longtime country star Mark Chesnutt headlines, with his son Casey serving as the opening act. Mark was among the wave of male country vocalists who rose to fame in the early 1990s, scoring eight No. 1 hits in as many years, including "Brother Jukebox," "I'll Think of Something," and "It's a Little Too Late." Casey is just getting started, having released two EPs, most recently 2021's Down Mexico Way.

Sunday, March 19

Texas Ballet Theater presents Modern Masterpieces
Photo by Amitava Sarkar

Texas Ballet Theater presents "Modern Masterpieces" at Bass Performance Hall, March 17-19.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents "From Despair to Hope: Messiaen and Mozart"
Messiaen wrote the first sketches Quatuor pour la fin du temps ("Quartet for the End of Time") as a prisoner in Germany during World War II for himself and fellow musician prisoners, who premiered the work at the camp. Pianist Robert Spano and musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will bring to life the anguished voices of the birds of Messiaen's best-known work as well as Brahms' transformative Trio in E-flat Major for Piano, Violin and Horn. The concert will be at Kimbell Art Museum.

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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.

Where to find beautiful bluebonnets in Dallas-Fort Worth and around Texas in spring 2023

Signs of spring

In exciting news for wildflower watchers, bluebonnet season not only came earlier across Texas this spring, but the blooms are more abundant, more colorful, and even more fragrant than in recent years.

Thanks to plenty of rain and recent warm, sunny weather, the beloved state flower is painting the landscape blue along highways and in fields all over Texas. At this writing (in the last days of March), bluebonnets are peaking in the Houston area and throughout the Hill Country. Don't wait too much longer to plan your flower expedition; they'll be past their prime by mid-April.

Here in Dallas-Fort Worth, we're a few weeks behind - but not too far off, as anyone who's driven on the local highways in the past week knows. Our biggest bluebonnet mecca in the region, the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails, are opening Saturday, April 1 - and the blooms are already popping, organizers say.

Following are areas in Dallas-Fort Worth and around Texas where folks have reported bluebonnets already, or where they're looking reliable for pretty photos further into spring. Hopefully, just like the flowers, this list will continue to grow.

And, don't forget: Bluebonnets aren't the only wildflower that bloom in spring. Indian paintbrush, Indian blanket, evening primrose, Mexican hat, anemone, redbud trees, Mexican plum, elbow bush, and coreopsis are also among the thousands of varieties that paint Texas with color throughout the season.

Ennis

The Ennis Bluebonnet Trails, North Texas’ No. 1 spot for bluebonnet spotting, open April 1 and run through the end of the month. The trails wind visitors through 40 miles of picturesque wildflowers. But not all of them bloom at the same time; be sure to stop at the Welcome Center for a map and expert guidance. The blooms are expected to peak around mid-April, coinciding with the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails Festival, April 14-16. The first week of April, there’ll be pretty patches along Sugar Ridge Road, spotters say. Those interested in making the trek about 60 miles southeast of Fort Worth can check out maps and updates on the website and social media channels. Download the Ennis Y’all mobile app to get all the information on your smartphone.

Dallas-Fort Worth roadsides, fields, and parks

Freeway embankments
Stopping beside a highway or posing for photos on the side of the road is never advised. But the blue patches are always thrilling for passengers to spot while traversing local freeways. Some to note: The lush fields of blue along either side of SH 183 are a pleasant diversion while stopped in rush-hour traffic near D/FW Airport. Look on either side of I-30 from Fort Worth to Arlington to Dallas (don't miss them between the Montgomery and Hulen exits in west Fort Worth). There are even some that have popped up at the onerous convergence of I-35W and I-30 near downtown Fort Worth. Also check them out along SH 114 in Grapevine, SH 75 going north out of Dallas, and I-635 in northwest Dallas. Drive I-45 south from Dallas, through Corsicana, toward Houston, and you’ll see them everywhere. The blooms also are thick along SH 287 toward Waxahachie. Inside Fort Worth city limits, the Weatherford Traffic Circle has more sprouting up each day.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden/BRIThas thousands of tulips and other spring flowers blooming, but you'll see some bluebonnets, too. Head toward the Cactus Garden greenhouse. Other colorful spring blooms that typically dot their landscape in spring: Texas mountain laurel, peach trees, crabapples, Redbuds, and Dogwood, and cherry blossoms. Keep up with what's flourishing in the gardens via their Facebook page.

Fort Worth Nature Center & Refugehas bluebonnets popping at the end of March, along with picturesque budding redbuds. The best way to find them is to take a naturalist-led tour ($5 with paid admission/members free). Nature hikes take place Thursdays, 10-11:30 am.

The Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park, a 15-acre urban park on the grounds of George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU, features a one-mile network of trails that walks visitors through native Texas environments, including spring wildflowers. Bluebonnets are peeking out among a sea of other native wildflowers, and they're just getting started. Peak is still a few weeks off. According to park personnel, visitors will also find Winecup, Pink Evening Primrose, Plains Coreopsis, Engelman Daisy, Foxglove, Prairie Spiderwort, White Prairie Clover, Prairie Verbana, Texas Yellowstar, Gaillardia, and Scrambled Eggs. Download a guide to the flowers here.

Cedar Hill State Park, a favorite place for mountain bikers, has bluebonnets popping along the trails. Visitors are sure to see some on a guided hike, and the ranger-led sunrise hikes are especially rewarding.

Bluebonnet Trail Greenbeltin Plano is already popping with blooms at the end of March, with many more to come. Bluebonnet Trail runs from Central Expressway to Midway Road, following an Oncor power line easement and along Spring Creek Parkway and Chase Oaks Boulevard; it intersects with the Chisholm Trail in the middle of Plano and connects with the Preston Ridge Trail at Carpenter Park. View maps of the trails here and here.

McInnish Park & Sports Complex, Carrollton
This go-to spot in DFW is blooming nicely but not yet at peak in late March. Find it at 2335 Sandy Lake Rd., just off the Bush tollway.

Freedom Meadow, Frisco
The field at the Warren Sports Complex is a bluebonnet photo hot spot each year. The flowers are getting revved up; look for them to really pop in April, spotters say.

Hill Country
Just a few hours out of the Metroplex, wildflowers are at peak already. Here are some places to check out in the Central Texas/Hill Country region.

Marble Falls
The bluebonnets are flourishing in this popular Hill Country town (and home to the famous Blue Bonnet Cafe). Look for bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, yuccas, and many other wildflowers to paint landscapes all over the area. Turkey Bend Recreation Area is always a specific hot spot. A old house off SH 281 called, simply, "The Bluebonnet House," is showing up in many picturesque photo shoots already; read about it here. Check out the guide to this year’s fresh patches here. They even have scenic drive recommendations, here.

Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area, Spicewood
The bluebonnet fields at this public park northwest of Austin are more abundant than they have been in years, say spotters. There usually are large patches of flowers on the riverbank, and it's easy to drive around and park a car to set up and take time for photo shoots (rather than pulling over on the side of the road). Find it at 2820 County Road 414, Spicewood.

Fredericksburg
For many Texans, Fredericksburg is synonymous with bluebonnets. If you're going there, don't delay. "The 2023 wildflower season is in full bloom. Bluebonnets are at their peak and should be abundant through the first 10 days of April," a report on the Visit Fredericksburg website says. While you'll see the blooms all over the region, a good first stop is always Wildseed Farms, the largest working wildflower farm in the country. Then ask the locals for their favorite flower-viewing spots. They offer a list of places to see them here. The Fredericksburg Bluebonnet Festival will happen April 22. Pro tip: Plan a mid-week F'burg getaway since weekends get mobbed during the spring. While you're in the area, don't miss the ...

Willow City Loop
One of the best drives in Texas is the 13-mile, two-lane Willow City Loop. A lot of people start in Fredericksburg, take State Highway 16 north approximately 13 miles and turn east on Ranch Road 1323 to Willow City. It's reportedly more of a wildflower wonderland this season than it has been the past few. It's a pretty drive, traversing hills and creeks, offering gorgeous views of meadows and valleys. Warning: Roadside property along this route is private, so no wandering into the fields.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
For some of the most abundant and accessible wildflowers in the state, head to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, roughly 12 miles southwest of downtown Austin. Open daily by reservation, the center has native gardens, wild meadows, and experts who can tell you what you’re looking at. They also host special events (in-person and virtual) and offer various resources on plants and flowers around Texas. They offer a wildflower report and ideas for bluebonnet excursions here.

Southeast Texas
Down toward Houston, fields have been bursting with color in March, reports say. Don't wait to much longer to visit or they'll be past their prime. "Bluebonnets are HERE at peak and looking gorgeous! We anticipate they will look vibrant for the next 1-2 weeks," Visit Brenham posted on March 29.

Brenham/Chappell Hill/Industry, Washington County
Halfway between Austin and Houston, Brenham is a town that prides itself on its wildflowers (and on being the home of Blue Bell Ice Cream). Using "Flower Watch," visitors can check in almost daily on the Visit Brenham website to see what is blooming. Spotters rave about a field of bluebonnets behind a Walmart store.

Washington County as a whole thrives with bluebonnets. Prime viewing spots typically are along Highway 290 east and west as you drive into Brenham; FM 1155 to 2679 in Chappell Hill; and FM 2447 and Highway 290 at First Baptist Church of Chappell Hill (the church typically welcomes visitors, but requests that the parking lot remain open to members of its congregation).

Somerville-LaGrange-Ellinger
Also between Houston and Austin, Lake Somerville State Park typically has fields of photo-worthy bluebonnets. The nearby towns of LaGrange and Ellinger do, as well; a scenic drive on Highway 71 in the area will bring some colorful stops, spotters say. FM 1291 from Frelsburg through Fayetteville to LaGrange has photo-worthy fields.

Industry-Fayetteville
One of the hottest spots in Texas has both bluebonnets and zebras - yes, zebras. About 80 miles east of Austin and 90 miles from Houston is a field where zebra roam, along with cows. Occasionally, they'll graze among the bluebonnets and up to the fence line, photographers say. The address is 5411 TX-159, Fayetteville (between Industry and Fayetteville).

2023 bluebonnet festivals

Resources to keep up with wildflower season

Rules of the road

  • Remember that while it isn’t illegal to pick the blooms, it is bad form. Leave them for others to enjoy and so the flowers can go to seed and make more for next year.
  • By the same token, minimize trampling of the plants, as crushing them repeatedly (by, say, sitting on them) can destroy the flowers. Try to walk in other people's footprints in a field.
  • Be aware that fields can also contain fire ants and the occasional snake. Be careful if walking through grass where it’s not possible to see where you’re stepping.
  • Pulling over on the side of a highway for photos is never recommended. Find a nearby parking lot.
  • Also, remember the "groups" rule. If you approach a pretty patch and another family is taking photos, ride on by.
  • Finally, be respectful of private property — no climbing fences, going through gates, or driving up driveways to get that photo. You might get a less-than-warm welcome.

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Got a great bluebonnet spot? Email stephanie@culturemap.com.

Taylor Swift continues Texas takeover with new Eras exhibition at Arlington museum

IN HER MUSEUM ERA

Taylor Swift’s reign in Arlington won't end when her March 31-April 2 "Eras Tour" shows end. She'll continue to dominate Dallas-Fort Worth thanks to a special exhibition called "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection" opening this summer at the Arlington Museum of Art.

In collaboration with the HELP Center for LGBT Health & Wellness, "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection," will feature items from Swift’s private collection. It will open June 3 and run through September 24, 2023.

Visitors will be able to experience her journey as an artist and view outfits, photographs, and concert videos from the “eras” of her life and career, a press release says. Highlights of the collection are eight iconic costumes from four of Swift’s albums.

“As an artist, Swift's career is rich in depth and detail, and we believe the exhibition will appeal not only to her fans, music lovers, and art lovers, but to the next generation of emerging museum-goers,” says Arlington Museum of Art president and CEO Chris Hightower in a press release.

Hightower also shared that the new museum exhibition is the perfect opportunity for guests to understand the gravity of what it takes to become a multimedia artist, and what it means to sustain that popularity, especially through the eyes of a 12-time Grammy winner.

“Great artists throughout history have been able to express themselves so sublimely because they were so dedicated to their craft,” he says. “They never stop learning and never hold back. They influence the future because they take creative risks in spite of opposing forces.”

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross says in the release that the collection reflects the city's dedication to building its reputation for world-class entertainment and the arts, and upholding its Texas Music-Friendly Community designation.

“In Arlington, we love collaboration, a can-do spirit, and out-of-the-box thinking,” said Mayor Ross, “and the team at the Arlington Museum of Art continues to surprise and thrill us by really putting all that into practice. It has been so exciting to see the Arlington Museum of Art find its voice in the last few years, and there is no doubt that even bigger things are on the horizon.”

The "Eras Tour Collection" will run June 3-September 24. Arlington Museum of Art members will be able to purchase tickets starting 10 am April 13, and the general public sale will begin at 10 am April 17. Tickets ($5-$20) can be purchased at arlingtonmuseum.org.